She put her kettle on the stove and got the water boiling after a bit. The minute she poured the hot water onto the coffee bags, the rich aroma filled the air. Paul came in, took a cup and kissed Beth. "Thank you, luv," he said. "Have any sugar?" "Yeah, right here," she said, handing him the sugar bin. "I'm going to go get dressed. Hang around for a while?" "Sure," he said.
Beth went back to her room and chose some clothes to wear; an Indian printed long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. She brushed her hair and put on her glasses and jewelry. After putting on some make up, she compiled another outfit and some p.j.'s into a bag, as well as some other notebooks of songs. She took that bag and put it next to her purse in the living room.
She sat with Paul on the couch and drank her coffee, savoring the morning silence. "So, what are you planning on recording today?" Paul asked. "First off, I'm going to direct the strings for 'Children of the Night'. And John is coming in to record a number with me called 'Then I'll be Dead', and then I want to record a jazzy number called 'You're Not the Same' that I have yet to mention to George. By then, it should be about lunchtime, and after that I want to do 'It's Not You' and 'Light'. Then, I'll need to converse with John about helping me with an album cover."
Paul cogitated. "Will you come over to my place when you're done?" he asked. "Not a problem," Beth said. She took their empty coffee cups to the sink and washed them, afterwards drying them and placing them neatly in the cabinets. She picked up her bags and took out her keychain, to which she had added her car keys. "Sorry," she said, "But I'm going to have to kick you out now." Paul stepped outside and shrugged. "I knew it was inevitable," he laughed. Beth locked up and they went outside.
"Call me if you need anything," he said, getting in his car. "I will," she said, getting in her own. She tossed her bags in back, and put the top down. She turned the key in the ignition, and rocketed off to Abbey Road Studios.
* * * * *
"Madge, can you turn the third tuning knob a hair to the right?" Beth asked. "That note bugged me last take because it sounded a bit sharp, and I know it's not your fault." Madge tuned her bass accordingly. "Let's hear it," Beth said. Madge drew the bow across the string and the note sounded much better. "Perfect," she said. "Now, from measure sixteen, everyone." She gave them two measures of three-four time and they started. This take was the best, and Beth congratulated them. "Very good!" she said. "You've done it! Now, go home, you have lives to live! Thanks for coming in, you can pick up your checks from Mr. Martin in his office." She shook their hands as they left, and opened up her notebook to "Then I'll Be Dead".
She looked over her notes to it and played a bit on her acoustic. John walked in just as she started to sing some of it. "Oh, hi John!" she said. "Hi," John said. "I understand you want me to sing a duet with you." "Yeah," Beth said. "I've written a bluesy song that I thought sounded like you backwards and forwards. So, I had George call you up and ask you to come in. I know it's a bit forward of me, but I thought once you heard the song, you'd like it." "Beth, this is great!" John said. "I was hoping you'd ask me for some help, because truthfully, it's a bit boring being at home all the time. I don't mind at all."
"Splendid!" Beth said. "Now, come here. I want you to listen to this." She sang and played the song. "I thought we'd sing at the same time," she said, "with corresponding guitar parts. As you can see, I make good use of my free time." "Indeed!" John said. "Now, say...would this still work if I put a capo here" -he put a capo behind one of the frets on his guitar- "and played in harmony?" "I think it ," Beth said. "Let's try it."
Beth tutored mightJohn on the chords and such, and they played it together. Every time they came up with something new to add, Beth wrote it down in the score. They did this until they were happy with the sound, and had the vocals solid. Five takes merited a good one, and Beth laid a drum track to finish it. Next, she went to the piano for "You're Not the Same".
You knock at my door
I look at your face
Seems to me
Somethin's outta place
So strange
You're not the same
You buy me flowers
And fancy perfume
But you'll never buy
The role as my groom
Who's there?
You're not the same
I saw you last night
Don't pretend you didn't see
The one who's yellin' at you
Is the one who's supposed to be
Your one and only
Love and true blue
I thought I'd made a mistake
My mistake was you!
Drownin' your sorrows
In a bottle of beer
Shouldn't result
In her bein' here!
No more
You're not the same
I won't stand for it
Cause you're
Not
The same!
This took Beth about eight takes, because of the complexity of the piano part. When she finished, it was one, and time for lunch. "Care to go out?" Beth asked John. "Sure," he said. "Have you been to the Indian place over by the park?" "Not yet," she said. "That sounds good, though. Let me drive?" "Sure," he said. "George," Beth called, "We're going out for lunch! I'll be back around three." "Go ahead," George called. "See you then."
* * * * *
Beth tolerated the Indian spice with a little difficulty. "Strong stuff," she commented. "Not as strong as Schnapps, I see," he snickered. "Hmm, very funny," she said. "You finished?" "Yes, I think I am," he said. "Check, please!" He called to the waiter. The waiter obliged, and Beth paid the check. They got back in the car and she started it up. "Where to now?" John asked. "I have some shopping to do for car accessories," she said. "Are you interested?" "Yeh, I'm game," he said. "But where do you plan on going?" Beth pulled up to the curb and parked next to a store. "Right here," she said. "Help me put the top up."
He did, and they went into the store. This place also had an Indian theme to it. Beth bought a couple bright scarves and a chain of bells. "And these are for...." John inquired. "To hang on the rearview mirror," Beth said. They walked out of that store and went into an art supply store. Here, she picked up some miniature picture frames, some paper to go in them, and a few calligraphy pens. "What could you use these for?" he asked. "I want to make my car more personal, I guess, so I thought maybe I could get a few people to draw something in them. Then I'll hang them up inside the car." "Clever," John said.
They went back to the car, because they couldn't walk to the next place. Beth drove them to the fabric store. "Be on the lookout for bright material," Beth told John. "I'm going to make seat covers!" "I see," John said. "I'll try." John found some furry zebra striped fabric that Beth liked, and she decided upon a paisley and a dark celestial cotton print. She picked up some cotton, thread, and needles, and paid for it all. They put the bags in the back and decided where to go next.
"Hmm," said John. "Have you bought a new guitar yet? I know a great place for them." "No, but that is an excellent idea," Beth said. She started the engine and John directed her to the store. Its sign was a 3-D neon guitar. On it were the words "Stringed, Sealed, and Sanded"(a great joke for classic rock fans, and a distinctive name). Inside were thousands of guitars: acoustic, electric, and bass, all running around and sitting pretty. The two musicians browsed until they found a suitable acoustic for the one with pre-amp, as she'd been longing for. Beth fell in love with an older '62 Silvertone and picked that one up, too, as well as a pastel purple Fender Stratocaster (which had been ordered in such a custom color, then rejected and put on the sale rack), and an orange Gretsch Country Gentleman. Her last find was a beautiful Hofner bass. (It was cheap, small enough to fit comfortably, and this model, unlike the President, was in more of a traditional guitar shape.) She bought these, about a billion accessories, and a couple Crate amps. They were able to fit the Hofner, the Strat, and the amps in the trunk, but everything else was jammed into the back seat.
After this splurge, Beth decided that she'd put some money in the bank. She met with an accountant who already had an account open for her. She put into it most of what was left of her money, but kept out a couple hundred pounds to account for general expenses. Having finished all their business on the town, she and John went back to the studio. He helped her unload some of her guitars and their counterparts. "Are you sure you want to stay?" Beth asked. "You don't have to." "I want to listen to you," John said. "I'd leave if I didn't want to be here." "Alright," Beth said. "If it suits you."
Beth took out her Country Gentleman, and started work on "It's Not You".
Are you still my friend
Or are we coming to an end?
Will you be here never
Though I need you more than ever?
I'm starting to see where you come in...
I thought these fields would go on and on
(It would never last)
But now I see I'm really on the run
(Runnin' from the past)
(Ah) And right now what I need is a friend (ooh)
But it's not you!
(Who knew?)
I see you're hiding
You're afraid that I'll be chiding
If I try to see you now
And find a way to make it up somehow
You don't know that I'm telling you good bye!
I thought these fields would go on and on
(It would never last)
But now I see you're really on the run
(Runnin' from the past)
(Ah) And I thought you'd be with me to the end (ooh)
But it's not you!
(Who knew?)
It's not you!
(Who knew?)
I knew
Woo hoo, I knew
It's not you!
John added some backing vocals because he felt the need (in parenthesis), and suggested a Hammond Organ part. Beth liked that idea, and messed around with it a bit until she found a groove. She took out her wonderful Hofner(which had a great sound for such a cheap thing) and made a rudimentary (but fitting)bass track, and then went to the drum set to kick out a track for it. Having finished that song, she went on to record "Light" and "We Are All We Have" before nine o'.
"That's it," George said. "I won't keep you any longer. Come back in at nine again tomorrow and we'll finish and get the mixing done. I'll need you to tell me tomorrow what we're going to do for your album cover, and have a decision on the single cover." "Thanks, George," said Beth. John helped her reload her instruments into her Jag. "Care to go out for dinner?" he asked. "My treat. I think I can help you with your album cover, and I want to talk about it." "That's just what I was going to ask you to do," Beth said. "Sure. Where to?" John jumped in the passenger side of the car. "Tried the Ad Lib yet?" he asked. "I've seen it, but I haven't been there," she said. "Let's go!"
* * * * *
"Alright," John said. "First things first. What's your album's name?" "The Dawn of the Sunset," Beth said. "Very nice," John said. "Opposites have always been one of my favorite things to mess around with. So, you don't want your picture on the cover?" "I want my picture on the cover, but I don't want that to be the end of it," Beth said. "I'd like something a little more personal than one of the PR shots I had done on Sunday. I want to have little drawings and things around it, too." "I see," John said. "We could put your picture in the middle of it, and then have a white border around it with little doodles all over the place. Then on the back you have the track listing." "Sounds great!" Beth said. "So, when do you want to get together to work on it?" "Well, I think you'll probably be going to see Paul tonight, if I'm guessing correctly, so I wouldn't want to ask you over tonight. And you'll be finishing your album tomorrow...that shouldn't take too long. But then lunch...." John laughed. "Paul phoned me to say he's having lunch with you tomorrow, so no...ah, what about tomorrow evening at my house? Come over around six and I'll make dinner, and we can get to work."
"That's great," Beth said. "I'll be there. But what's this about Paul calling you to say he'd have lunch with me tomorrow?" "Oh, it's nothing," John laughed. "Just...nothing." "Alright then," Beth said. "Are you ready to go?" "Yeah, just let me fix my hat a little more...you wouldn't believe the attention I get without it," John said. "It's not hard to believe, considering that you ride around in a Rolls-Royce," Beth said. "That's a dead giveaway, John!" "Don't say my name!" he said. "It's Mister Winston!" They stood up from the table and went out the door.
* * * * *
"Paul?" Beth called. "Hey Paul! Yoo-hoo! Mister Yeah-Yeah?" Paul was nowhere to be seen. Beth put her overnight bag and purse down. She went upstairs and saw a light in his room. The door was open, so she stepped inside. She saw light shining underneath the bathroom door and heard water running. She knocked on the door. "Paul?" she asked. The water stopped running and Paul opened the door. "Oh, hi honey!" Paul said. "So, everything's going well in the studio?" "Yes, quite well," Beth said. They migrated from Paul's bedroom downstairs to the couch, while still holding the conversation.
"I should finish the album tomorrow, mixing and all, before lunchtime. John and I talked about the album cover, and I'm going over to his place at six tomorrow to work on it," she said. She looked at her watch. "Have you had supper yet?" she asked. "Yes, I have," Paul said. "But thank you for your concern. So, I understand you built up your guitar arsenal today?" "I most certainly did!" Beth said. "I got a new Taylor acoustic with preamp, a Gretsch Country Gentleman, a beautiful Hofner bass, a wonderful '62 Silvertone, and a Fender Stratocaster! And since I bought an electric, I had to buy an amp. So I got two Strawberry Blondes." "My goodness!" Paul said. "John wasn't joking when he said you bought out the store!"
"Yeah. Hey, when did you talk to John, anyway?" Beth asked. "Oh, I called George's office, and John answered the phone," Paul said. "I had to talk to him about a couple things." Something is up. Something they're planning...John was talking about tomorrow. I don't know what, but something will happen tomorrow. "Oh," Beth said. Suddenly, she thought of something she'd neglected. "Oh Fudd!" she said. "What?!" Paul said. "That's my soft-core cursing," Beth said. "I forgot to talk to John about what I should do for the sleeve of my single, and now I'll have to use one of those shots that I had on Sunday for it..." "Never fear," Paul said. "We can take care of that. What are you wanting to do for it?"
"I want a picture, but something that's not posed. Something of me in my natural environment," she said. "But I have to have the picture by tomorrow, so I don't think we can do anything." "Au contraire, ma cherie," Paul said. "I have a developing room." "Paul saves the day again!" said Beth. "Now, what kind of picture could we take....I know! To the music room!" They went upstairs to the music room, where Paul happened to have a camera stowed away. Beth sat down at the piano and began to play.
She went into "Moonlight Sonata" and concentrated on her playing. Paul's taking pictures could have mattered less. She finished dramatically, and finally came out of her trance when Paul snapped another picture. "Maybe the guitar now," she said. She picked up one of Paul's acoustics and sat Indian-style in a wicker chair. "And now," she said, "I shall attempt to play 'It's Only Love'."
I get high when I see you eat pie
My-oh-my
When you sigh my grouse inside just flies
Butterflies
Why am I so shy
When I'm beside you
It's only love
And it's a ball
Why should I feel
The way I do
It's only love
And that is all
But it's so hard
Loving you
Is it right that you turn on the light
Every night
Just the sight of you makes nighttime bright
Very bright
Haven't I the right
To do the same?
It's only love
But it's a ball
Come drink a beer
Out of my shoe
It's only love
And that is all
But it's so hard
Loving you
Yes, it's so hard
Loving you
Loving you
Paul laughed hysterically. "Almost got the lyrics, dear," he said. "Oh, behave!" she said. "I did that on purpose." "I know, I know," he said. "But I must admit, you got that guitar part to a T." "I hope I'm playing it right," Beth said. "When I first got Help!, I listened to that song over and over trying to figure out the chords and tablature. I finally got it by practicing up in my room, where nobody could hear. And that's only because Ward didn't approve of 'impressionable young ladies' playing guitar, if you get my drift." "Ah," Paul said. "Uptight parents?" "Not my mom, but Ward's got this "Master of the House" complex," Beth said.
"That should be enough shots," Paul said. "Ever had any experience with developing?" "Yeah, I took a photojournalism course in high school," Beth said. "Care to show me where your darkroom is?" "Sure," Paul said. He showed her downstairs to a tiny room. "You sure you remember how to do this?" he asked her. "I remember the basics, but I might need a little help," Beth said. "How do we start again?"
Quite a while later...
"Let's look at these; I think they're done," Paul said. "Which ones do you like best?" "I like this one of me at the piano, but I'm not smiling," Beth said. "Oh, here we go. The picture." It was a picture of Beth with her guitar in the wicker chair, strumming away, and smiling. "That's the one I want," she said. "Okay," Paul said. He took it and a couple others he liked down from the clothes line/drying rack. "Very good," Paul said. "Everything should be perfect once we get this to George. Don't you just love doing this?" "Paul?" Beth said. "Yes, luv?" Paul said. "This is loads of fun, buuut...Can we get out of here? I'm getting an awful headache," she said. "Sure," Paul said.
* * * * *
They conversed over a pot of chamomile tea. "Hmm," Beth laughed. "What?" Paul asked. "Oh, I was just thinking about last Wednesday," she said. " All that about chamomile tea...that was just rubbish, wasn't it?" "Yeh, it was," he said. "I had to find a way to talk to John alone, though, and tell him what was going on." "What was going on?" Beth asked. "Beth, how it started out was...I knew you had a shot at making it big, and your heart was set on it. I knew that if I could convince John you were as good as I thought you were, he'd back me up when I went to talk to George Martin about you." "Oh!" Beth said. "You've had faith on me since the very beginning." "Of course I have!" Paul said. "But even then, I was rather smitten with you. Have I told you how much I love your voice?"
Beth burst out laughing. "What?" Paul said. "Oh, it's just something John and I were talking about that night," Beth said. "In a matter of words, he told me you liked my voice." "So that's what you two were chattering about in the back seat!" Paul exclaimed. This made Beth laugh all the more.
"But really...that's what first attracted me to you," Paul said. "I first heard your voice on that plane, and I had to get you to talk more!" "You don't know how strange it is for me," Beth said. "I never imagined I'd hear your voice aside from a record." "Funny how things turn out," Paul said, sipping his tea. "Very funny."
* * * * *
The next morning, Paul went with Beth to the studio. They gave the finished photo to George and Beth told him her plans for the album cover. Beth got right to work on "Pieces", "Self-Portrait No. 1", and "The Blossom". She worked tirelessly on these, and had them done by eleven-thirty. Having finished these, she was done with recording. "Congratulations," said Geoff Emerick, from the recording booth. "You're done with the hard part! Now, come up here and we'll mix it up."
Beth went up to the booth and Paul followed. They sat down and Geoff proceeded to tell Beth about the procedure. "Now, for the basics," he said. "I really don't think that'll be neccessary," she said. "My dad's in radio, and I learned to work tape decks and reel-to-reels before I learned to walk." "That's good, then," Geoff said. "It'll save us time. Have you had any experience in dubbing?" "Plenty," Beth said. "Mixing is a bit like dubbing," Geoff said, "but we dub different parts of many tapes onto one master." "I see," Beth said. "Do you have high speed transition dubbing decks?" "Why, yes," Geoff said. "I'd assume we're using copies of the originals?" Beth asked. "Of course," Geoff said.
Paul was a bit out of the loop because they were using all technical terms, so he sat back and watched. The mixing took about an hour and a half, and Beth told Geoff what she wanted on the instrumental tracks (so she could use them for the tour). Geoff told her he'd finish up, and that she should go out and celebrate.
George congratulated Beth for a job well done, and gave her a six thousand pound finishing pay. "I won't expect to see you in here for a while," George said. "Brian will get the proceeds for your album to you as they come in."
Continued in Chapter 8
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