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Bobby Whitlock on All Things Must Pass.

If you have any interest in George Harrison’s All Thinks Must Pass album---especially in it’s upcoming 50th Anniversary incarnation---you have GOT to watch Bobby Whitlock’s new YouTube video about the recording of the album! Bobby is the organist/pianist/harmony singer (and player of other assorted instruments) on the album, as well as the same (along with songwriter) in Derek & The Dominos.

Bobby was very recently contacted by George’s estate regarding his recollections of the recording of ATMP, as his memory of that event far surpasses that of any other still-living participant, including Ringo and Eric Clapton. His recounting of the recording of the album is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! An utter joy to watch and hear. He and his wife/musical partner Coco Carmel recorded the video in their Texas home, and you may watch it on YouTube.

The video is very easy to find: Once on YouTube, do a search for "Bobby Whitlock", and click on his name. The first video in the queue is entitled "All Things Must Pass 50th/Just The Facts". I CANNOT wait for the newly-mixed version of the recordings (without Phil Spector’s gratuitous, grossly-excessive echo and reverb), to be offered in many different forms.
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bdp24 OP
9,821 posts
 
Yup tostado, Paul is one fine musician. I still really love his first few albums (I have them on UK LP’s), and they have held up very well. I lost some respect for him, however, when Denny Seiwell (Wings’ drummer) told those of who attended the drum seminar he gave at the Pro Drum Shop on Vine Street in Hollywood during the late-90’s that Paul was paying him only $150/wk salary. C’mon Paul, you can afford to do better than that!

Everybody knows of my love for The Band (so did George, and Ringo---and Clapton---continues to), so I will be forgiven for dragging them into the conversation. Few know that pianist Richard Manuel plays drums on about half the tracks on the s/t "brown" album, the song signature-parts long attributed to Levon Helm. Very funky drummer! And a great, great singer, one of Clapton’s very favorite.
rwwear
2,871 posts
 
Loved the album, hated the over production.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,821 posts
 
@rwwaer, It's good to know I haven't been alone in feeling as I have since the original releases of ATMP. And to learn that George himself had misgivings and eventually regrets about Spector's production of the album.

Bobby Whitlock enthusiastically endorses the new mixes, stripped of Spector's unnecessary and inappropriate post-recording production work. To me, it's like colorizing a beautiful black & white film. Why? Because it's the only style of production Spector understood. My question is: Why did George hire Spector in the first place? He had already ruined the Let It Be album.

I'm happy that we will finally hear the music in a better presentation (Dhani likens the work done on the album to that of restoring an old painting), and sad that George didn't live to see it made available.
philstphil
1 posts
 
Something must have happened between the mixes Bobby & Coco were sent and the pressing of the vinyl, because the negative  reaction they posted today was pretty visceral. 
johnto
1,026 posts
 
I understood Whitlock to say the original was exactly what Harrison and Spector wanted at the time. GH best Lp's were with the big sound with PS and later with Jeff Lynn.
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