DIgital Modeling Beatles "Bad Boy" Tone

Alan B. Go.

Alan B. Go.

Blues Explorer
OK - I've researched my dozen or so Beatles books and find very little reference to "Bad Boy". I was recorded along with "DIzzy Miss Lizzie" and as mentioned before originally only released in the US. The UK version came later in a best of album. I referenced "The Beatles: Recording Sessions" and very little was mentioned other than its a Larry Williams tune. The studio log only mentions they did 4 takes. Mr. George Martin was the producer but no reference to an engineer. Geoff Emerick perhaps, I'd have to research it.

But now I've tried it using my Danelectro 12-String an have gotten closer to the sound. This is what we may have been hearing as the double tracking... or not. The solo definitely was a 6-string, either an overdub or perhaps John did it with his Rickenbaker?? They may have gotten that

Per Wikipedia: "The first wah pedal was created by Bradley J. Plunkett at Warwick Electronics Inc./Thomas Organ Company in November 1966. This pedal is the original prototype made from a transistorized MRB (mid-range boost) potentiometer bread-boarded circuit and the housing of a Vox Continental Organ volume pedal", therefore it wasn't a pedal that produced the tone, but that would have been easy at the board with EQ.

Again, Thanks for all the input. This has been fun. When I get closer to nailing the tone I'll make a recording and embarrass myself.

Alan B.
 
Paleo

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Overdubbed, i.e. double tracked by actually playing and recording it twice, Gretsch Tennessean.

Which is always a good way to hide any imperfections when you played it the first time.:sneaky:
 
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Crossroads

Crossroads

Thump the Bottom
Harrison f
Paleo said:
Overdubbed, i.e. double tracked by actually playing and recording it twice, Gretsch Tennessean.

Which is always a good way to hide any imperfections when you played it the first time.:sneaky:
Click to expand...

And alas lies the controversy. Was it just Harrison or was it George and Paul? Will we ever know? And do we really care? :whistle:
Never mind that, brain fart. That was And Your Bird Can Sing

Anyway, here's a site with a lot of GH guitars.

https://tilonlysilenceremains.com/the-beatles-guitars-georges-guitars/
 
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Alan B. Go.

Alan B. Go.

Blues Explorer
Crossroads said:
Harrison f


And alas lies the controversy. Was it just Harrison or was it George and Paul? Will we ever know? And do we really care? :whistle:
Never mind that, brain fart. That was And Your Bird Can Sing

Anyway, here's a site with a lot of GH guitars.

https://tilonlysilenceremains.com/the-beatles-guitars-georges-guitars/
Click to expand...


Excellent website. So much conflicting information out there. This helps clear some things up. And I'm wondering if you're right about Paul - the solo sounds like something he'd create. Thanks!
 
Paleo

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Here's the story as I understand it.

It pretty much make sense to me.

Capitol needed a couple more tracks for the Beatles VI album (well known to us here in the States).

They'd been doing Larry Williams' "Bad Boy" and "Dizzy MIss Lizzy" for years so it was no big deal to dust 'em off and knock these out in one studio session.

(They most likely did some of Larry's other songs in the early days, as well. They recorded "Slow Down" for an EP. John did "Bonie Moronie" on his "Rock 'N' Roll" album.)

I can't imagine they would take the extra time to work out any kind of new arrangement, since it was just an obligation to the record company.

So for the backing track they did it as they would live, but with only the usual guide vocal.

Then on to overdubbing.

John overdubs his vocals.

Paul adds some keyboard (heard mostly during the solo).

Ringo adds some tambourine?

And George overdubs his lead. But not note for note.

You can definitely hear when the overdubs match the original and when they don't.

And some licks aren't overdubbed at all.

Backing tracks and overdubs for 2 obligatory songs and get the hell outta there.

I'm assuming that was the "tone" of the session, but that doesn't help with nailing down the tone of George's guitar.:(
 
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Rancid Rumpboogie

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
It would be better if you could find a recording of them performing it live. Don't forget that they had one of the most advanced recording studios on the planet with every gimmick of the time available. What you hear on that recording could possibly be utterly impossible to produce live.

To be honest, I really don't understand obsessing about it. So long as you've got the lead parts, riffs, licks, timing, etc. right, and a tone ANYwhere close, no audience is going to give a hoot anyway.

That said, if you are really obsessed, I'm sure there is a pedal or pedals out there that will get it done ... just depends on which comes first ... finding that tone or running out of money.
 
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J

Jalapeno

Student Of The Blues
Crossroads said:
From all accounts i have seen he used a 63 Gretsch 6119 Tennessean similar to the one pictured above.
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homer.png
 
Alan B. Go.

Alan B. Go.

Blues Explorer
Rancid Rumpboogie said:
It would be better if you could find a recording of them performing it live. Don't forget that they had one of the most advanced recording studios on the planet with every gimmick of the time available. What you hear on that recording could possibly be utterly impossible to produce live.

To be honest, I really don't understand obsessing about it. So long as you've got the lead parts, riffs, licks, timing, etc. right, and a tone ANYwhere close, no audience is going to give a hoot anyway.

That said, if you are really obsessed, I'm sure there is a pedal or pedals out there that will get it done ... just depends on which comes first ... finding that tone or running out of money.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the links. I'll check them out. I couldn't find any live recordings of the songs. While I'm quarantine I've been going through our bands set list and trying to create appropriate tones for each. Part of the obsession is playing with my new Fender Mustang GTX to learn it's capabilities.
 
Crossroads

Crossroads

Thump the Bottom
Alan B. Go. said:
Excellent website. So much conflicting information out there. This helps clear some things up. And I'm wondering if you're right about Paul - the solo sounds like something he'd create. Thanks!
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Sorry I wasn't clear above Alan but the overdub controversy is on "Your Bird Can Sing" not Bad Boy.

I've never seen anything contesting Bad Boy was not George overdubbing himself.

And big ups to @Paleo or hearing the difference in the overdub, (on an mp3 no less) which means GH played it twice instead of just double tracking with delay.
 
Grateful_Ed

Grateful_Ed

Student Of The Blues
The credits say that John did the rhythm with a Rick 635 and George did the lead with a Gretsch Tennessean.
I listened to lots of videos using Teles, Strats and 335s and none sound the same.
Crossroads said:
From all accounts i have seen he used a 63 Gretsch 6119 Tennessean similar to the one pictured above.
Click to expand...

That's what I've read.
 
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