rain into a paper cup (part 1 of 2)

This morning before one of my classes, one of my students (hi, Crystal!) was talking about her unusual, context-light preferences in consuming music (favoring the music strongly over its packaging, physical and informational), which led to an amusing set of confusions over the authorship of the song "Across the Universe." Essentially, she experienced the song in reverse chronological order.

But it gave me an idea: since there are a number of tracks in my collection that I have in multiple versions, why not trace the evolution of a particular track by walking through several of them in order? So, sure 'nuff, that's what I'm doing. "Across the Universe" is as good a place as any to start.

First up is the version found on Anthology 2, recorded on February 3, 1968. This version features autoharp, two acoustic guitars, and a tamboura drone (at least that's what I think it is). We have a rare, relatively un-FX'd Lennon vocal as well. (Beatles scribe Mark Lewisohn tells us that Lennon often insisted on having effects on his vocals even in his headphones as he recorded, so insecure was he about the sound of his voice.)

Next is the version released on a charity album for the World Wildlife Fund in December 1969. This version was recorded a month or so after the first one (it appears on the Past Masters: Volume Two compilation). It's noticeably sped-up, the distinction between the two guitar parts is lacking, the autoharp is gone (replaced by a wah-wah electric, more or less), and there are backing vocals on the chorus, by two schoolgirls who were apparently called in off the street (or so the story goes) as well as by Lennon. I'm particularly fond of the wordless, descending line after "nothing's gonna change my world." This version is also the first to feature that ascending bassline you hear on the fade of the best-known version (Phil Spector's arrangement).


The next version, recorded in January of 1969, wasn't officially released until a couple of years ago, on the unfortunately titled Let it Be...Naked CD. True to the CD title, there seems to be little on this track except Lennon's voice and one acoustic guitar...although the tamboura drone shows up on the second verse and afterwards. On the last chorus, there's something or other that sounds like a backwards guitar run through a Leslie speaker. The fadeout adds a lot of reverb, and we're more or less back to the original pitch (slightly flat relative to the 2/3/69 version).

Finally, the most familiar version, the one most people heard first, as it appeared on Let it Be after Phil Spector worked on it during the first few months of 1970. The base track is the same version as on Past Masters, slowed down somewhat (if you have ears sensitive to concert pitch, my apologies for the havoc this set of songs plays with that sensitivity) and slathered in hovering strings, a celestial choir, and I think a harp or two. Lennon's vocal is phased so it sounds as if he's been hitting the cough syrup hard (the slowed-down effect contributes to that feel as well). Additionally, note the percussion provided by Spector rhythmically riddling members of the orchestra with bullets. (Okay, that didn't actually happen. At least, it's not audible.)

My preference? The initial demo - although I do like that backing vocal line I mention above as well as that ascending bassline from the second version. So Yoko? Get right on that, 'kay?

Tomorrow (or whenever I get around to it): four covers.

The Beatles "Across the Universe" (Anthology 2 version)
The Beatles "Across the Universe" (Past Masters version)
The Beatles "Across the Universe" (Let it Be...Naked version)
The Beatles "Across the Universe" (Let it Be version)