10 Recording Events You May Not Know About

1.  On the Byrds number 1 hit " Mr. Tambourine Man"  none of the Byrds ( except Roger McGuin ) played on the record.  The backing band was a group of session musicians called the Wrecking Crew.

2.  The Wrecking Crew was also the main backing band on all the early Beach Boy hits.

3.  One of Elvis's favorite percussive sounds was actually created by turning an acoustic guitar over and slapping it ( sort of like a conga drum)   Check out " All Shook Up."

4. The guitar sound on the James Bond soundtrack to DR. NO was very unique because at the time, there was little separation between the various mics in the studio.  The guitar was much louder than the strings and therefore it was picked up through the violinist mics as well.   They were not able to recreate the sound in later sessions.

5. Paul McCartney wrote hits for other artist as well as the Beatles. " Woman" and " World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon and " Come and Get It" by Badfinger for example.

6.  Carole King and then husband Gerry Goffen wrote countless hits for artist back in the early 60's.
But did you know after they were divorced , he continued to write with other partners. He wrote " Saving All My Love" for Whitney Houston and   " Tonight I Celebrate My Love" for Peabo Bryson.

7.  None of Paul McCartney's earlier Beatle albums were recorded with a direct line from his bass to the mixing board. ( DI)  It was only mic'd to the bass amp.

8.  One of the first recording sessions to utilize a backwards tape sound was not the Beatles or Jimi Hendrix. It was on the soundtrack to " The Day the Earth Stood Still". It happens when 12 o'clock strikes and all electronics comes to a stop.

9.  Most of the Sgt. Peppers Beatles album features the vocals "sped up" to sound younger. George Martin the producer worried that it would sound " like chipmonks" if they took the effect any higher.

10. The first Lou Rawls record ( with Les McCan ) was recorded in one night. ( 6 hour session)  It's considered one of his best.  The songs were put together on the spot. Rawls was 26.

Cool!