Because (Beatles cover)

For your listening and viewing pleasure, I present to you a cover of the Beatles song "Because". As was done on the original recording, there are three harmony parts, recorded three times for a total of nine voices.

This was one of the first Beatles cover videos I started to work on (back in 2009). The only part that I ended up using from those first recording sessions was the bass. Originally, I had used a digital sample of the hard-to-find Baldwin Electric Harpsichord (the instrument heard on the original recording). However, in the end, I was very privileged to have been able to use the "real deal" in putting this video together.

Another vintage keyboard seen (and heard) in this video is a Moog Model 15 modular synthesizer, similar to (albeit a smaller system than) the Moog Model IIIp modular synthesizer heard in the original recording (and featured on various songs throughout the "Abbey Road" album). One point I wanted to get across is the fact that, unlike synthesizers manufactured from about 1977 onward, these modular synthesizers had no way of saving different sound configurations. In other words, to go from one sound to another, you had to manually adjust the various knobs and patch cord connections. I decided to record video of the process I went through to go from the brass-like sound you hear in the middle of the song, to the higher-pitched hollow sound you hear playing the melody towards the end of the song. As on the original recording, that ending synthesizer part is doubled (almost identical performances), which is why there are two synthesizers on screen at that point. Very special thanks to Joe McGinty of Carousel Recording (www-dot-CarouselRecording-dot-com) for the use of the Baldwin and Moog!

As usual, I'm playing and singing all the parts. What you see in this video are the actual performances as I recorded them. There is no "lip-syncing" or miming. Enjoy!