You could call it the magical mystery chord.
The opening clang of the Beatles' 1964 hit,
"A Hard Day's Night," is one of the most famous and distinctive sounds in rock and roll history, and yet for a long time no one could quite figure out what it was.
In this fascinating clip from the CBC radio show,
Randy's Vinyl Tap, the legendary Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive guitarist
Randy Bachman unravels the mystery.
The segment is from a special live performance, taped in front of an audience at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto back in January, 2010.
One highlight of the show was Bachman's telling of his visit with
Giles Martin at
Abbey Road Studios. Martin, who is now the official custodian of all the Beatles' recordings, told Bachman he could listen to anything he wanted from the massive archive--anything at all.
Bachman chose to hear each track from the opening of "A Hard Day's Night." As it turns out, the sound is actually a combination of...
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Mike Overly's
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Glen Campbell's guitar wizardry made him an integral part of L.A.'s famed yet largely anonymous group of studio players called the Wrecking Crew. His sparklingly clear tenor voice, affable personality, and crossover appeal earned him worldwide recognition as one of the more influential musical artists of the latter half of the 20th century. In total, Campbell earned 10 Grammys including three Hall of Fame Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award, and was the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year in 1968. Campbell was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and he was the recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. A full-length album of original material was released in 2011, just before his Alzheimer's diagnosis. This June, Campbell's final studio work, Adiós, was issued. Campbell died in Nashville on Tuesday, August 8, after battling Alzheimer's disease, he was 81.
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IN THE BASSMENT
Ready for some great bass? Then clear your schedule, because it is time to celebrate No Treble's favorite top 10 most watched videos of the month. Thanks as always for watching, commenting and sharing. Enjoy.
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The Official 12 Tone Music Cap is
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WATCH THIS
Stanley Jordan made a major splash in guitar circles back in the Eighties, in large part because of his innovative "touch" tapping technique and unusual all-fourths tuning. One of the many highlights of his popular 1988 album, Flying Home, is his jaw-dropping instrumental cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." Here is a live performance of the tune, shot around the same time the album was released. What makes the video so special is that, at one point, Jordan plays the song on two guitars at once, treating both guitar fretboards as one big fragmented keyboard.
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John Abercrombie, renowned jazz and fusion guitarist, has died at 72. An alum of the Berklee College of Music, Abercrombie became hugely influential within the jazz fusion genre through his recordings for the ECM label. Albums like 1975's Timeless-which Abercrombie recorded with Jack DeJohnette and keyboardist Jan Hammer-would come to define the label's groundbreaking sound. Abercrombie remained active until he was sidelined by a stroke earlier this year, releasing Up and Coming with his John Abercrombie Quartet back in January. Listen and learn from the master himself.
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GREAT GEAR
Repairing Willie Nelson's Trigger
Willie Nelson has inspired generations of players to pick up Martin acoustics. But I very much doubt that Martin would ever produce a replica based on Trigger, Nelson's stalwart classical ax, even if such a thing were possible. That's for the best. Trigger is and should remain an entirely unique object. It has an aura of its own, much of it emanating from a huge hole in the middle of the guitar. Like its owner, Trigger is weathered and worn, and instantly recognizable.
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ARTIST AWARENESS
Brother Noland has deeply influenced contemporary Hawaiian music. Fluid in both Slack Key and standard guitar tunings, Brother Noland goes wherever the music carries him. Popular for his unique interpretations of songs that remain respectful of traditional Hawaiian music and culture. Brother Noland lives aloha and you can hear it in every note he plays. Brother Noland is most famous for his original song "Coconut Girl," which birthed the "Jawaiian" contemporary style music. He has won numerousNa Hoku Hanohano Awards and is regularly featured in Slack Key Guitar festivals around the islands. He was honored in 2014 by the State of Hawai'i for a "Lifetime Achievement in Music" award.
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