Len's Tapes
Len is a Canadian that we corresponded with for some time about his collection of Beatles Tapes that he was seeking to better identify. Len is also an expert on Apple stationery and has donated examples to the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. Here is a glimpse of Len's Beatle Tape collection.
Artist: The Beatles
Song(s) Oh Darling
Maxwells Silver Hammer
Something
Instrumental
You Never Give Me Your Money
Octopus’s Garden
Her Majesty
Her Majesty
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
Recording Date: 11th August 1969
Producer: n/a
Engineer(s): Geoff Emerick and Phil McDonald
Tape Box: EMI Aqua Blue Box
Serial Number: 43037 A
Reel Type: Scotch
Reel Size: 10”
Speed: 15 ips
Tape Type: 815 / 24N
Leader/Tail Tape Color: White / Pinkish red
Splice Angle: Angled
Splice Tape Color: Clear
There were four copies of this tape, three pictured here. Two play at 7 ½ ips the other two play at 15 ips. There was a copy made for each Beatle. John and Paul were to receive the tapes that played at 15 ips (scotch reel, nearly full). The two EMITAPE reels (green and white leaders) are the 7.5 ips copies. Hand written song titles on the back cover, dated and engineers are indicated.
Artist: The Beatles
Song(s) I’m So Tired x’s 2
Recording Date: 2nd June 1968
Producer:
Engineer(s): Ken Scott
John Smith
Tape Box: EMI Red Box
Serial Number: 556??
Reel Type: EMI plastic reel
Reel Size: 7”
Speed: 7 ½ ips
Tape Type: 883 / 12
Leader/Tails Tape Color: Pinkish Red / Pinkish Red
Splice Angle: Angled
Splice Tape Color: Clear
The source must be the 8 October 1968 session in number 2 studio at Abbey road because the lead vocal and many of the instruments are the same as the released version. The two takes are the same, though the pitch variations (from tape stretch) are different, and less significant on the second take. Len's tape has some of the instruments (George’s searing lead part) that were recorded last in the session. The tape has material at some point or another from tracks 1,2,3, (bass, drums and guitars) lead Vox from track 4 and at least some material from tracks 7 and 8. Its missing the backing vocals, track 5 and the pianet which was on track 6.
So this doesn’t seem like it was an early mix made during the recording session.
The recording team on the night of the recording of the released version 8 October, 1968 was Ken Scott and Mike Sheady, though John Smith was by now the usual 2nd Engineer. And it was Ken Scott and John Smith that mixed the masters of this song on Oct 15. Perhaps the tape was made for John at some point after the night of the recording but before the final mix perhaps so he could study it to see if he wanted to do additional work on the song. This was among the last recorded songs for the White Album and was mixed on the final day of mixing for the album (with crossfades for the master being finished the next day 16 October).
The material on this tape has been widely bootlegged. There appear to be two main versions, one with more of tracks 7 and 8, lead guitar and organ, and ones like Len's tape which have very little from tracks 7 and 8. None of these boot versions have tracks 5 or 6. Most of the versions have moderate to severe pitch variation which indicates a well-played, or poorly stored tape source, though some of the versions that have been bootlegged have crackle that means they were acetates or on vinyl at some point. (Len has since described a conversation he had with Ken Scott in which this was identified as a tape used to provide tape echo.)
None of the material that we've heard booted begins the recording as early as the this tape. There are some sounds of guitar for a few seconds before the count off that are missing from all other booted material. That fact weighs heavily in favor of the tape’s authenticity.
The tape box looks right. The tape type is a surprise but not definitive. All of the Abbey road splices that we've seen have the diagonal cuts on this tape. The clear splice tape is correct for the era. The leaders are consistent with the era. The tape spool is consistent with the era. The writing on the box looks right, John Smith’s hand, or a very excellent forgery.
So, most of the evidence points to an authentic, contemporaneous, genuine article. The splice types, tape type are not what I would expect but do not rule definitively. Many other elements seem exactly what I would expect. The primary enigma is the date on the box. I can’t explain it. It doesn’t make any sense.
2 June 1968 is a Sunday; Sunday sessions were rare but not unknown. Ken Scott and John Smith were involved with the Beatles and Abbey road at the date, but Geoff Emerick and Richard Lush were used for all of the session in that era, Geoff being replaced by Ken in mid July and John Smith replacing Richard Lush in late July. The pre-white album acoustic recordings at Escher were not similar in recording style, instrumentation, quality or number of tracks and are not a possible source.
Artist: The Beatles
Song(s) Snippets of Abbey Road
Polythene Pam
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Carry That Weight / Golden Slumbers (3/4’s of song)
Recording Date: 14th August 1969
Producer: George Martin
Engineer(s): Geoff Emerick / Phil McDonald
Tape Box: BASF Box
Serial Number: Sticker on reel 14637 5 2
Reel Type: Scotch metal reel
Reel Size: 10”
Speed: 7 ½ ips
Tape Type: SK 1501 A 233 D
Leader/Tails Tape Color: Missing front leader (splicing tape is there) / Pinkish red
Splice Angle: Angled
Splice Tape Color: Clear
The back of the box has Scrap hand written diagonally across the back. Mono NAB is indicated. Reel has “Reject” written on it with a grease pencil. Sticker on the front of the box
LGR 30 – Reel / 730 m
10 ½ in. / 2400ft. SK 1501
Charge Nr. A 233 D
Artist: The Beatles
Song(s) Dig A Pony
I’ve Got A Feeling
Recording Date: Cut out 29th May 1969
Producer:
Engineer(s): Glyn Johns
Tape Box: BASF
Serial Number: n/a
Reel Type: BASF metal reel
Reel Size: 10”
Speed: 7 ½ ips
Tape Type: SK 1056 B 325 Z
Leader/Tails Tape Color: White / White
Splice Angle: Angled
Splice Tape Color: Clear
Hand writing on the back of the box appears to be by Glyn Johns. The back of the box has Scrap hand written diagonally across the back.
Red BASF Tape box with 10 inch metal BASF reel containing a Brown oxide tape with a white leader at the beginning and end of the tape.
Box Marked:
Beatles
Dig A Pony – I’ve Got A Feeling
Original mix on L.P.
Replaced (scratched out)
Cut out 29/5/69
G.T. J.
(6 .40 in pen on the right side of the back panel)
Sticker on front of box
LR 56 – Reel /730 m
10 ½ / 2400 ‘ – SK 1056
Charge Nr B 325 Z
Tape has a white poly leader at the beginning and at the end.
The beginning splice is angled with a white splicing tape and the end splice is straight with a clear splicing tape.
(The front splice may be modern; the old clear tape often degraded and the splices fell apart after multiple high speed rewinds)
Description of the music:
Full band on both tracks – both are complete versions of the songs.
Playback at 15 ips
Dig A Pony – Time: 3:38 (Different from the released version)
The tape starts with the Beatles jamming and then John says “All right ladies we’re off” Then a four count and a false start and then another 4 count and into the song. The song ends with John singing “Yes I do” after the chorus of “All I want is you.” Straight into I’ve Got A Feeling.
I’ve Got A Feeling – Time: 2:39 (Different from the released version)
The song ends with John saying “I can’t do it when it’s loud, not bad though”
The Beatles recorded these two songs back to back on two occasions. The first was the first day of recording for the ill-fated Get Back sessions on Wednesday 22 January 1969. The recording was at the new Apple Studios in the basement of Apple Headquarters at 3 Saville Road. Monday and Tuesday were lost for recording because the electronics that had been hand built by Alex Mardas were not up to the task and borrowed equipment had to be brought over from Abbey Road.
Though involved at some points in the project, during this session George Martin was not noted on the recording sheets nor heard anywhere during the recordings (according to Lewisohn) so we can assume that Glyn Johns produced this session.
The second recording of these two songs back to back was on 24 January and Lewisohn states that this is the version that appeared on the Get Back LP mastered by Glyn Johns, but not the versions on Let It Be. This recording matches the second attempt on 24 January.
The date on the box, 5 May 1969 is the first day that Glyn Johns began assembling the master for the tape. He signed the box with his initials G. T. J. The writing on the box reveals that these songs were cut out from a longer tape to go onto the Get Back master tape for the LP, and the mixes and comments at the beginnings and ends match those heard on the widely distributed bootleg copies of the “Get Back” LP.
The remaining tapes are of George Harrison and of Derek and the Dominos.
