The quality of this recording is truly superb. Remember Happy Road studios and still has some of the finest studio microphones in the world. And although four tracks may...
More »The quality of this recording is truly superb. Remember Happy Road studios and still has some of the finest studio microphones in the world. And although four tracks may sound limiting by today’s standards in terms on what’s available, these tech machines were truly world class. This was 1 inch tape for 4 tracks so they get what’s known as very good single to noise ratio even when compared to a modern analog 24 track recording on 2 inch tape. George then mixed those 4 tracks down to a stereo pair, 2 tracks on a fresh piece of tape leaving the last two tracks free for John and Paul to add vocals. So let’s start with Paul’s lead vocal:
Wednesday morning at five o'clock
as the day begins
The audio quality in the vocal performance is truly superb.
Silently closing her bedroom door
Leaving the note that she hoped would say more
She goes downstairs to the kitchen
clutching her handkerchief
Now in the bridge Paul adds a second harmony,
Quietly turning the back door key
Stepping outside she is free
That’s the cord and as George said because he only had two tracks to work with both vocal parts were recorded at the same time.
She (we gave her most of our lives)
is leaving (sacrificed most of our lives)
Paul and John had separate mics but with John’s he added some…
Home (we gave her everything money could buy)
She's leaving home after living alone for
And then on the last track they both double tracked. Again on hands left and right just as it is on the stereo…
She (we gave her most of our lives)
is leaving (sacrificed most of our lives)
During the mix these vocal channels had to be manually pan from the center versus the left and right for the chorus. Easy today but even that was tricky back then.
She's leaving home after living alone for
so many years (bye bye)
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