Customer Reviews

Lost Decca Sessions

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

For what this is,the item description says it all.If you are a Beatles fanatic,this is a must have.If you aren't,beware.Anyone who is used to hearing studio master quality,this is not it.While the songs have been cleaned up compared to the worst bootleg versions,they are not really very high quality.That's the down side.The up side is that this is the first CD I have ever seen with the entire Decca session recordings.I have heard all of these recordings on various bootlegs over the years and almost all of them have appeared in better sound somewhere,but,in order to get all of those better sounding versions,you would have to track down at least a half dozen different CD's and drop over a hundred dollars.So,if all you want is the complete Decca session,this is your best choice.

Through the years, we've heard snippets of these songs, many of which were often scratchy renditions. Not anymore. Recall Records (www.beatles-lost-decca-sessions.com) has removed most of the unwanted noise from songs that were only available on bootlegs and and as a single issue here and there, including the Anthology I recordings.

All 15 songs come presented on colourful cd's, which are sure to become collectors items. Anyone who has seen my reviews knows that when I say "collector's items"--- I mean it. I haven't seen these songs in one place, on one cd, anywhere else, not even Russia's CDMaximum have got these in their entirety !!

Now the collection is really complete, starting with the songs that Brian Epstein hand carried all over England in search of a recording contract for the Beatles, in the days before Ringo Starr. John, Paul, and George sing their early material, together, clearly, for the first time. My initial favourite from the get go was cut #8...'Til There Was You,' sung by Paul McCartney as it first sounded prior to it's offical release in 1963 on the U.S."With The Beatles."

Other songs include George Harrison's singing 'Take Good Care of My Baby", John Lennon on 'To Know Her is to Love Her' and both Paul McCartney and John Lennon teaming up on 'Hello Little Girl' and 'Sure to Fall'. Pete Best, still touring as I write this, is featured on the cd as the Beatles drummer.

I have to admit that some of the songs get into your head and still cause your foot to tap, even if the cd is no longer playing. Depending upon the quality of the device you'll be using to reproduce the sound, little bits come out that haven't been heard this bright in many, many years. Very little track noise can be heard and none of it will take away from the songs, at all. I am really impressed with this package and I am very glad to have it to complete a collection in one cd where once I had to search all over to get them, and put up with poor quality to boot. No more having to buy a record player and a small fortune for needles wasted on tracks that were deteriorating in the first place.

When they are gone, they're gone, as I like to say....

You have to be a nut like I am about the Beatles to buy and enjoy this, but I have been very pleasantly surprised to find this album is exactly what it claims to be - the Decca sessions. This is the raw stuff, Decca's big, historic Mistake (not signing the Beatles). There are no originals (Lennon-McCartney) here, and the songs are not something that anyone but an enthusiast will enjoy, compared to the Beatles' later work. But this is the real deal - the first studio recordings by the band alone (not backing Tony Sheridan). Best, the sound quality is just fine.

I don't know how this small company got the rights to market these recordings as they say they the do, but this album is a very pleasant surprise and a happy addition to a collector's pile.

There are many, many moments of musical interest, starting with the clear but raw sound here - the boys played poor quality instruments, you can hear it -- they were just poor kids, banging their hearts out - continuing with - sorry Pete Best fans - how poor a drummer Pete Best was (compare these versions with the now-available BBC versions of the same covers to see how superb Ringo Starr is, bless him - and how plodding Pete Best is, sorry again) -- and continuing with the unanswered question, that we don't have to answer, thankfully

From the open note of "Money" to The coda at the end of "love of the loved" this CD a performance of unique Beatles History, I'd heard 6 of the tracks on the Beatles Anthology CD collection (Shiek of Araby, Three Cool Cats, Besame Mucho, Searchin', Like dreamers do and Hello Little Girl) and mistakenly thought that was all that existed of the Beatles Decca audition, but as my interest and knowledge of Beatle history grew I discovered that not to be the case.

Discovering this on amazon I was undecided whether to purcase it, and I am so glad that I did. I had read and heard bad things about the audition tapes but they're actually pretty good. The Beatles here sound more fresh and new than ever, over two years before "I want to hold your hand" was number one in America and eight months before "love me do" (there first single) was released in Britain. Here they are in the classic days of the Cavern Club and Hamburg this Cd is an anparrelled glimpse into a period often unknown.

As a performance the CD does vary in quality, though the audio sound quality is good, the performance of the band alternates in quality, although having prevously recorded with Tony Sheridon the year before, the Beatles sound very nervous, especially at the beginning, but the CD picks up and by the end the performances are near perfect. Pete Best's drumming is fine, although it isn't as good as Ringo's he still does a pretty good job. John Lennon's rhythm guitar is powerful on rock numbers and sweet and melodic on the slower ballads, his singing is also fresh and powerful. Paul McCartney's bass playing is simple, but why complicate anything on an audition? His singing isn't at it's best, indeed the perfomance of "Til there was you" is off pitch and lacks the power later recordings of the song have. The tracks though really bring out the early development of this talented young musicain soon to take the music world by storm. George Harrison's guitar playing is clean and capable, if sounding nervous to fully express his true abilty, his singing sounds much more confident, if the choice of song he sings it, to me, are not the best.

If you are a true Beatles fan I strongly recomend buying this. I'm proud to put it alongside the rest of my Beatles collection, it is an essential part of Beatles history. As a casual listener of the Beatles I wouldn't recommend it, it isn't the Beatles at their best. It does though offer a unique glimpse at a young band from Liverpool hoping to one day make it big as a rock and roll band, you listen to this and realise just how much they developed and just how fantastic they really became.

First off, since there seems to be a bit of confusion about the product on this page, let me be clear that the item I am reviewing is a CD that comes from Recall Records as indicated at point of sale. It arrived instanteously, without any additional postage, I kid you not!! The box was in perfect shape and the CD plays perfectly. The seller is a delightful communicator as well.

Although the term "bootleg" has been thrown around some in reference to this product, according to the vendor this is a fully licensed product, so those of you with super scruples need not fear!!! Just because it is not issuing forth from the bowels of the hallowed Beatles Industry, and just because there are no fruit-juicy graphics is no reason to stay away!!! If you have read any of my other Beatle product reviews you will know that (in my not so humble opinion) the Beatle Industry typically gets it all quite wrong these days, and I can report that in not putting this little gem out they have blown it once again.

Fortunately, someone did have the wisdom and guts to put out this early, early Beatle blow, dating from an audition on a cold New Year's day in London, 1962. This audition--unlike it's 1970 rooftop bookend--is one that the Beatles didn't pass, however, much to the eternal chagrin of Decca's A&R man and corporate balance sheet. Yes, the Beatles, lovable moptops though they were to become, were rejected for a recording contract based on the contents of these very tapes, recorded in a couple of hours by some unwitting witnesses to non-history, or so they thought. Playing inferior and malfunctioning equipment, the pre-Ringo Beatles went through their paces and gave it their best shot--and were passed over in favor of another, more promising act. The record company exec confidently told their earnest and incredulous manager, Brian Epstein, that "Groups with guitars are on the way out". Fortunately for the cause of planetary evolution, Mr. Epstein was not swayed, and the ears of George Martin were only a few months up the old abbey road...

Most likely, the new or casual Beatle fan will not be too pleased with the music or performances on this disc, and I would suggest they stick with the main-line releases. For the die-hard Beatle fan or collector, though, this brisk document of the Beatles first trip into the studio under their own name holds plenty of charm and intrigue. Despite the tonally-challenged harmonies & instrument tunings, the wanna-be Elvis-hiccups, the fumbling leads, and less-than-propulsive drumming of Beatle-manque Pete Best, there is still plenty of good rockin' to be heard here. The songs were chosen for the Beatles by Brian Epstein from their stage act, and one can feel that many of these might have played better to the moist thighs at the Cavern than to our distant ears. The boys were a few months away from Love Me Do and Please Please Me, but they still throw their all into these ditties, both covers and fledgling originals.

The shift in vocal styles from what we would hear only months later is quite interesting. Lennon moans out his version of Money in a much more sensual fashion than with the bold entitlement we are used to hearing. Paul's familiar fresh delivery is lost in a swamp of Elvis moves. George seems so much more forward and brash here than on the dark, moody tunes he delivered later on. In addition, the lead playing is sometimes painfully clumsy, and it is clear that George was in the woodshed over the next year or so, as his chops and lyrical sense vastly improved.

So this disc is lots of fun and quite fascinating even though not musically enthralling. Three things emerge as salient. First, just how miraculous and rapid was the unfoloding of the song-writing genius and musical talent of these lads, as one could hardly see the resemblance between these cats and the ones who were doing Please Please Me and She Loves You about a year later. Wow!!!

Next, the absolute correctness and necessity of replacing Pete Best is quite clear, as he is definitely not driving the bus like his replacement will. The drumming is weak and unremarkable, sorry to say. Ringo, though no Keith Moon or John Bonham, is nonetheless an incredibly solid, tasteful, and driving percussionist, one who completely understands and respects song structure in ways that perhaps no other rock drummer ever did.

Lastly, the importance of having good music gear is quietly evident. The engineers at Decca complained about the Beatles' buzzing amps and this was echoed 6 months later by the techs at EMI when the Beatles came to play for George Martin. Their gear was not intrinsically bad (Fender Deluxe Amp, Rickenbacker/Gretsch guitars, Premier drums), it was just tired and frayed. Fortunately, Brian took notes, and in very short order, the boys all had new Vox amps, spanking new guitars, and that lovely Ludwig drum kit. Presto chango!!!! (If you are really interested in this kind of stuff I recommend Andy Babiuk's "Beatles Gear" to you, it's all in there!) Hmmm...I wonder if these early traumas were the source of the lines about "Buzzing" in recording session scene early on in Help!

And so, just a few months after this recording, it all came together--the flowering of the talent, the brilliant gear, the amazing alchemy of the new combo. And, of course, those collarless jackets....These guys would never get rejected again.

So if you are the right sort of Beatles fan, you will dig this little treasure, which is well made and sounds pretty darn good, considering the total conditions the recording was made under, and the fact that it was slated to be throwaway stuff. I think some liner notes would have classed the package up a bit, but it is still very well done, at a very reasonable price, and at your door in the blink of an eye. Get one and see what it is like to sit at the edge of history....

As the owner of a 1980s picture disc of the Decca sessions, I have to say that the sound quality of this product is far superior. To those who've submitted strong criticism in that regard, the originals were demo tapes - not full-blown studio masters.

As a part of 60s musical history it's priceless, and the fact that it includes the 3 Lennon/McCartney compositions (my vinyl doesn't) makes if all the more precious.

If you're a Beatles compleatist like me, or if you're just interested in hearing some pre Fab Four material, this is essential listening. Oh, the song selection is cheesy and pretty squirm-worthy, but the Fab Four clearly lurk just beneath that cheesiness.

Do yourself a favour, and buy now!

Context. Look at this in context.

These are the recordings that were turned down by every major recording company in England. Every one of them. Bar none. It was just interesting enough for George Martin, A & R man for the comedy label Parlaphone, to give the band another audition in the Abbey Road studios. Not to sign them on the strength of this recording. Just enough to give them another audition.

Nobody knew what they were going to become, least of all the Beatles themselves. The recording is mediocre, the drumming stale. Yep, sure is. You were expecting Sgt. Pepper? Get a grip.

The sound of these, which probably came from an acetate, is quite good, all things considered. First, they were all recorded and mixed in one day. Second, that day was January 1, 1962, and the boys had partied the night before after a long drive from Liverpool and were feeling a might worse for the wear. Third, their drummer was average at Best - pun intended. Still, there is some energy to some of the songs, although many sound absolutely flat. Listening to the earliest Lennon-McCartney songs are a blast, and you can see their growth from here (1/1/62) to their June 6 session at Abbey Road with George Martin, both playing and writing.

This CD is an artifact and a pleasure to add to my collection. Recommended for historical purposes. Three stars.

The truth is, I don't own this particular CD, but several reviewers are mistaken about the facts of this material. First, it has been available in very high quality form since Joe Pope released it on a series of 45s on his own Deccagone label in approximately 1974. It then appeared on several LPs, two of which I own, in the 80s. These were not "bootlegs" in the traditional sense. They were excellent quality and were probably legal recordings at that time. I don't know if there has ever been a legal release of this material on CD, but there are at least two (probably many more) really good quality bootleg CDs that contain this material, in true studio quality, with no hiss or surface noise.

Finally, there are 3 original Lennon/McCartney songs: Loved of the Loved, Hello Little Girl and Like Dreamers Do. While not lost classics by any means, they provide a valuable glimpse into their really early writing style.

This is the email I sent the Amazon Merchant after receiving and listening to the CD.
"Hi, I received this disc today, thanks for the quick shipment. Every song on the disc sounds like the source was a vinyl record, complete with groove hiss, clicks and pops. Was the music on this disc sourced from from vinyl? Thanks!"
And this is the response I received.
"Hi, It came from the acetate that was carried around from record label to record lable, so yes, it did come from vinyl, and we cleaned it up as well as possible... Those acetates were designed to be played one or two times, and this was played no telling how many times before we got it... They are the original recordings. Some of them were done on later Beatles works, but were totally re-recorded! Thanks a million, and I am sorry we could not get it all out... Billy Boyd, Recall Records"

Raw, crude and an almost bizarre, certainly unfocused mix of songs showcase the Beatles before they hit it big. This is a snapshot in time that reflects the energy, stamina and enthusiasm coming out of Liverpool and Hamburg but not yet the finesse that would come with further work and bloom more fully in their relationships with Brian Epstein and George Martin. The set list is not as great as the classic rock chestnuts from the Hamburg tapes, but I was glad to finally lay hands on a copy of this after reading about it for years. Not for the casual listener but for the real Beatles fan.