Gearfab Books, Ltd.

The Beatles
Recording Reference Manuals

FROM FIRST TAKE TO FINAL REMIX, DISCOVER THE MAKING OF THE GREATEST POP RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME.

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Overview

In the studio with The Beatles

The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals (1961-1970) are a five book series that tell the step-by-step process in which each of the band's recordings were created. The books reconstruct each song's creation as well as detail the technical profile of each and every classic Beatles recording session from 1961 to 1970.

Through extensive, fully-documented research spanning over a decade, these books fill an important gap left by all other Beatles books published to date and provide a unique view into the recordings of the most successful pop music act of all time.

The collection and analysis of over 5,400 recordings (takes, outtakes, remixes and release versions), books, magazine articles, photos, film and video evidence, and interviews with key engineers who worked on the sessions filter out the noise of myth and conflicting fact to arrive at as accurate an accounting and application of facts surrounding the creation of these classic recordings as is currently possible.

Twice nominated for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), the books are now part of the permanent collection of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives.

Volume 1

Volume 1 cover

The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals, "My Bonnie" through "Beatles For Sale" 1961-1964 tracks the evolution of the band from their earliest recordings and iniital hits, through Please Please Me, With The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, and Beatles For Sale.

Volume 1 was nominated for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC)

ARSC

NOTE - 8th EDITION NOW AVAILABLE: If you own a previous edition of the book, download the Corrigendum for Volume 1 here.

 

Buy it now at Amazon

Volume 2

Volume 2 cover

The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals, "Help!" through "Revolver" 1965-1966 picks up at the end of Beatlemania with Help!, through the introspection of Rubber Soul, and finally, to their initial explorations of all the studio could offer with Revolver.

NOTE - 6th EDITION NOW AVAILABLE: If you own a previous edition of the book, download the Corrigendum for Volume 2 here.

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Volume 3

Volume 3 cover

The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" through "Magical Mystery Tour" late 1966-1967 follows the band as they exploit the creative possibilities of recording. Now free of obligations to tour, The Beatles set up shop at EMI Recording Studios to create music the world still considers to be some of the best of all time.

Volume 3 was nominated for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC)

ARSC

NOTE - 3rd EDITION NOW AVAILABLE: If you own a previous edition of the book, download the Corrigendum for Volume 3 here.

Buy it now at Amazon

Volume 4

Volume 4 cover

The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals, "The Beatles" through "Yellow Submarine" 1968-early 1969 documents the genre-driven explorations of The Beatles (also known as The White Album), as well as the handful of sessions surrounding the completion of the Yellow Submarine soundtrack, released in early 1969. Another technical step forward, the 1968 sessions are mistakenly viewed as a less ambitious set of recordings in comparrison to the work of the previous year. Prepare to be surprised once again!

NOTE - 5th EDITION NOW AVAILABLE: If you own a previous edition of the book, download the Corrigendum for Volume 4 here.

Buy it now at Amazon

Volume 5

Volume 5 cover

The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals, "Let It Be" through "Abbey Road" 1969-1970 completes the five-volume journey as the band gets back to where they once belonged not once, but twice. With Let It Be, they attempted to recapture the spontaneity of their early years and recordings, while Abbey Road was a different kind of return - to the complexity, finish and polish that they had applied to their work beginning with Revolver and through to The Beatles.  

NOTE - 3rd EDITION NOW AVAILABLE: If you own a previous edition of the book, download the Corrigendum for Volume 5 here.

Buy it now at Amazon

Book features

A complete reference

The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals are the ultimate companion for fans, Beatles scholars and musicians who want to learn how the greatest songs of all time were recorded. Each book details a specific period in the recording history of The Beatles and contains the following major sections:

The story

  • Song-by-song narratives of work during the period in order of first recording. Each narration includes an introduction to the song, information on the technical team responsible for production and a description of the construction of the song from the first take to the final remix, detailing the entire recording process.
  • Easy to follow diagrams of the recording process allow you to visualize the creative process at critical milestones.

The details

  • Commercial releases during the period (albums, singles and extended play (EP) discs)
  • A year-by-year overview of the recording studios used by the band, including the available equipment configurations
  • A year-by-year overview of the instruments and amplifiers used by the band
  • A session-by-session breakdown of every technical component used in the creation of the songs (listing the session date, location, work completed, technical staff, musicians, instruments used, amplifiers used, recording equipment, microphones and studio effects used)
  • A listing of mono and stereo master remixes, their dates of creation and their release versions (for UK release)
  • Tables outlining the use during the period of electric and acoustic guitars, basses, drums, percussion, keyboards and other instruments, amplifiers, EMI Studios outboard equipment and microphones
  • An explanation of technical equipment in relation to The Beatles recording sessions
  • A glossary of terms
  • A complete bibliography

About the author

Jerry Hammack is a Canadian-American musician, producer, recording and mix engineer, and author living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A contributing writer in the area of audio production and mixing, Jerry has written numerous articles for Sonic Scoop and Produce Like A Pro. Jerry has presented his multi-media breakdowns of classic Beatles songs at academic conferences and events all over North America. Jerry is known for his advanced understanding of vintage recording techniques and their application in the digital domain. You can learn more about his work as a mix-engineer at www.jerryhammack.com

Contact

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