The Beatles played none of it live and the Songs of the “White Album” were considered to be unplayable. “The Analogues” show on their Tour, that it works. With original instruments, passion and attention to detail.
The Jet flies past, the drummer to count – and we are “Back in the U. S. S. R.”. We listen to the Beatles. But what we see are the Analogues. A Band from the Netherlands, which has made it a Mission to bring Beatles music to the stage, played by the Fab Four never live. This evening in front of almost 1000 people in Cologne’s E-Werk to be awakened to the Songs of “White album” to life, goose bumps, tears, and pure Wonder in the audience. So much perfection and authenticity has not expected. However, the musicians on stage are not only excellent singers and Multi-instrumentalists, but also the absolute Nerds who create it, your audience 50 years back.
Live is not playable?
The Beatles had in 1966, the nose is full of the shouting of Teens to their concerts and gave their preliminary final Live concert on August 29. In August of 1966 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. From there, they barricaded themselves in the Studio or went to India. One of these trips led them to the Ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, where they made a multi-week meditation course. A result of this stay, the “White Album”.
Listening to: compositions and Arrangements, as there was in this variety, never on a plate. Live is absolutely not playable. It was thought at the time.
A Bunch Of Nerds
Until the Dutchman Fred Gehring continues in the head, that was create with the right people and instruments. As a former CEO of the fashion label Tommy Hilfiger, Gehring has enough money in the back, to start such a ambitious project. He’s the producer and arranger Bart van Poppel into the boat, and recruited the musicians. Guitarist Jac Bico told, Bart had called him and asked if he wanted to play in a Beatles cover band. He had initially rejected with thanks – it there was finally enough.
And then told Bart that what they were doing, really: The Songs of quasi – “to the millimetre” with original instruments to play. “And then the Whole was interesting for me,” recalls Jac. Just as was the fate of the pianist and guitarist Diederik Nomden and the other musicians bring in 2014, than The Analogues of the supposedly non-live playable the late work of the Beatles on the stage. Here have found musicians who bring with them in addition to their Can also your passion for the Beatles, for old instruments, and an unconditional love for the Detail.
The Recent you are, for the most part. You don’t look like the Beatles. You are fifth to seventh to sixth, and in the case of a number of pieces of a ten piece wind and string orchestra is on the stage. For each song, it is fitting and unobtrusive video projections.
More than black and white keys
Their instruments are rarities, not only collectors ‘ hearts beat faster. For example, a Mellotron from the 1960s, with the serial number 10. “Paul McCartney was number 9,” says Diederik, the shows before the concert, the rare instruments.
There are no synthesizers or other modern Keyboards, on the right, the Mellotron
The Mellotron is considered the archetype for the later Sampler. With a large rotary switch to select individual tapes in the interior, where different sounds are located. You press a button to hear the sampled sound. On the White Album you can hear the Mellotron, among other things, in the case of “Bungalow Bill”. To listen next to it an old Hohner Pianet, an electric Piano, the Beatles, “Savoy Truffle” and other Songs. There is a normal piano and a Honky-Tonk Piano, the Wooden sticks equipped with small metal caps. For the typical Sounds in “Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da” and “Rocky Racoon”.
Guitars with history
The stringed instruments are originals. There’s a Fender Jazz Bass and a plurality of Rick Becker-bass, and of course the Hofner Violin Bass, Paul McCartney’s favourite piece. The Fender amps are from the 60s. Still well-preserved and still sensitive. If one fails, there’s always a Backup on stage.
On the guitar stand multiple electric and acoustic guitars; Gibsons from the late 1950s, and of course THE Beatles guitar of the late years, the was played by John and Paul: The Epiphone Casino. John Lennon was in India from his friend Donovan explain that the wood of a guitar can breathe without the paint better. So cut John, back in England, his beloved Casino. So bright and clear you can admire them in the Rest of the Rooftop concert of the Beatles.
Jac Bico shows the Gibson SG
Of course, George Harrisons Gibson SG is a must – and the show-piece had recorded the Les Paul – the guitar of Eric Clapton for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Solo. Jac Bico plays the guitar, the distinctive Sound in the ears. Jac will later re-enact on stage the Clapton-Solo 1:1.
A treasure trove for music geeks
The microphones on the stage, the same almost that the Beatles had on the Rooftop Concert. Silver stand with Swan-necks and round-in microphone capsules. The attention to detail of the Analogues, so much so that she sought for a single Song, forever after a certain bell, which has the sound “E”. In fact, you was found. In the chorus to “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey” is now sharpened cheerful around her.
The search for old instruments does not stop, says Jac Bico. Also music shops to register with the Analogues, if you have found an interesting Instrument. Of course, this is expensive. But first, money enough behind it, and secondly, the acquisition of an original instrument is not a money issue, but a value system, explained Diederik Nomden.
Jac Bico to play the Clapton Solo on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” 1:1
All guitars and some Keyboards are available in multiple versions, because the musicians during the Gigs, switch the instruments. For music freaks, there is a treasure chest. What stands here on the stage, has inestimable value, not only for collectors. The Equipment of the Analogues, is transported in two huge Trucks.
Absolute Perfection
To find the instruments which was a challenge. The second: the music itself. The Analogues have no Arrangements, scores or the like. Nomden has a few individual tracks, otherwise you have heard out of everything: “That was hard work, especially if the orchestra was doing.” Bico remembers how the teeth on “Honey Pie” out of this mouthful: “there’s a typical brass from the’ 20s, with this particular type of Arrangement is very difficult to hear what is going on.”
Perfectionism is also popular for singing, no matter whether Diederik Nomden, Paul’s singing songs or Felix Maginn-the songs of John. This not only makes the microphone setting on the mixer – but the absolute passion of the Band for the Beatles Sound. So every little Nuance is almost, every delay, every minimal unclean vocal tone. Bico: “We are discussing every tiny Note. Even if we are on Tour, honing the tones, lengths and Sounds.”
“Revolution No. 9” is likely to be the least scratched piece on the “White Album”…
In front of a piece of the White album, even the Analogues had to capitulate. The 8-Minute sound collage “Revolution No. 9” by John Lennon live is not playable. Instead, Bart van Poppel has recreated the entire Collage. At the concert a tape recorder on stage, the visual archived Sounds will be projected on the screen.
What Paul and Ringo say?
“Paul calls all the time, but we simply do not have time, therefore, is never an answer,” grins Bico. Seriously: no one has reported the still living Beatles at the Analogues. Although the Band has already played in Liverpool, is still nothing from the Beatles-haze circle to take you through.
In all the excitement: The Analogues is one of thousands of Beatles projects, there were and are. Why should they notice now from Olympus from this chapel from the Netherlands? Since the guys are also quite realistic, as Nomden explains: “What we do is unique, and I also believe that Paul has heard of us, but we are not so important that he would now pick up the phone.”
The next Live Album comes out in autumn
It mucksmäuchenstill in the hall is singing, as Diederik Nomden “Blackbird”
The rights are clarified in the Rest of the – it had to be, because the Analogues have, in the meantime, three Live albums out on “Magical Mystery Tour”, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely heart club Band” and now the “White Album”. The next project is already planned: In the autumn of The Analogues start in Amsterdam, their “Abbey Road”-Tour, which will also lead to the end of 2020. The current and almost sold out of the “White Album”-the Tour ends at 12.4. in Munich, Germany.
Most of the members of the Analogues are professional musicians. For Jac Bico and Diederik Nomden life is, however, not only to the Analogues. You also have your own projects – Diederik has released under his last name the Album “Wingman Returns” Nomden just – and on closer inspection, one discovers the one or the other Sound you heard in the Beatles. No wonder – for Diederik, the music of the Beatles is “simply the best music ever written by anyone.”