via the Beatle Photo Blog. via Wikipedia: "Electronic Sound is George Harrison's second album. Released in May 1969, it was the second and final record released on the Beatles' short-lived Zapple Records label, a subsidiary of Apple Records. The album features two lengthy pieces performed on the Moog synthesizer. It was one of the first albums to make exclusive use of the instrument.
Zapple was intended as a creative outlet for avant-garde musical works. Not long after the release of this album The Zapple label was folded at the insistence of the Beatles' then-manager Allen Klein. Because of its experimental and highly non-commercial nature, Electronic Sound failed to chart in the United Kingdom, and barely made the United States Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at #191.
The album was issued on CD for the first time in late 1996. CD versions of the album have the recordings (but not the titles) in the wrong order. In recent years this error has led many listeners to confuse the two tracks.
The track on LP side one "Under The Mersey Wall" (25 minutes) begins with a series of gunshot-like sounds and appears to be a performance of a single Moog instrument, though often making use of tape delay and echo effects. Portions of white noise from this track are used throughout "I Remember Jeep," one of several jams included on Harrison's third solo album, All Things Must Pass, released in 1970.
The second LP side "No Time Or Space" (18 minutes) uses the sound of two Moog instruments playing at the same time, an effect made possible through the use of overdubbing.The cover of Electronic Sound was painted by Harrison himself. The inside sleeve included minimal notes on the album and a quotation attributed to Arthur Wax: "There are a lot of people around, making a lot of noise; here's some more."
Synthesist Bernie Krause later pursued legal action against Harrison, claiming that "No Time Or Space" (side two of the original vinyl album; track one of the CD) was essentially a recording of him demonstrating the Moog III to Harrison (this is detailed in Krause's book Into a Wild Sanctuary). Krause also claimed that the demonstration was recorded without his knowledge or consent. Krause's name was originally credited on the front cover under Harrison's cover credit, but it was painted over at his insistence. Despite this, the words "Assisted by Bernie Krause" can still be read from under the silver ink on the original LP pressings.
The words "Produced by George Harrison" appear on front cover of the original LP pressings printed in light blue ink, but were recolored in dark blue and red on later re-issues.
Track listing
All pieces credited to George Harrison.
Side one
"Under the Mersey Wall" – 25:10
Recorded in Esher, England, in February 1969 with the assistance of Rupert and Jostick, the Siamese Twins
Side two
"No Time or Space" – 18:41
Recorded in California in November 1968 with the assistance of Bernie Krause
Note: This is how the titles appear on the original LP pressings. Later CD versions incorrectly switched the actual order of the recordings and the timings but failed to switch the titles."
This one in via Steve Sciulli of Life In Balance & Raised by Machines
Also see:
George Harrison's Electronic Sound
John Lennon playing the Moog at Abbey Road Studios
this is without question one of the worst albums in modern electronic music. And if you had asked me before I heard it, I would have said George was extremely proficient on the Moog. His parts on Abbey Road shows real strokes of genius, but this sounds like some sort of a joke record. Maybe when John and Yoko put out Unfinished Music, George must of thought that the buying public would swallow anything, as long as it was somehow associated with the Beatles. He might of been right, but still...
ReplyDeleteGeorge hated this LP later on, called it "Avant Garde A Clue". I thought it was interesting, I bought it when it was first released. "Rupert and Jostick, the Siamese Twins" were George and Patti Harrison's Siamese Cats.
ReplyDeleteSo whatever happened to George Harrison's Moog ?
ReplyDelete