Sgt. Pepper vinyl picture disc

[plastic paul]

I was listening to the aforementioned record on Saturday night and discovered that as the picture of them goes around, the rotation creates the effect that Faul is slitting his throat with the oboe, thus decapitating himself.

Rather spooky indeed.

[B]

This would work better if you could post a video of the effect.

[SavoyTruffle]

I think you mean, cor anglaise? An oboe is very different from that.

Just an idea, but perhaps this could be clue that Paul might have slit his throat.

[iameye]

If anyone can provide a visual, please do so.

[iameye]

or it could mean a little of something else, too

The two orchestral clarinets are the B flat and A, written a tone and minor third higher respectively, thus both are transposing instruments. The E flat clarinet (or alto clarinet) is used in military bands, and many 18th century scores included a basset horn - the tenor member of the clarinet family. More seldomly seen are the contrabass clarinets, the lowest pitched of the clarinet family.


How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people?
Tuned to A natural E
Happy to be that way.
Now that you've found another key
What are you going to play?



when I'm 64
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TSv5CR6oF0 see/hear

In his 1980 interview for Playboy he (McCartney) said, "I would never even dream of writing a song like that."

The song was nearly released on a single as the B-side with either "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Penny Lane" as the A-side. Instead, Martin decided on a double-A-sided-disc, and now calls that decision, "the biggest mistake of my life." As a result of the double-A designation, sales for the single were split, and even though more discs were sold than the competition ("Release Me" by Engelbert Humperdinck), each of the two songs got credit for only half. The single did not make #1 in the UK, breaking a string of #1 singles going back to 1963.[6] If "When I'm Sixty-Four" had been issued as a B-side, it would not have appeared on Sgt. Pepper.

The song was recorded on 6 December 1966, during one of the first sessions for the as-yet-unnamed next album that became Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There were multiple overdub sessions, including the lead vocal by McCartney on 8 December and backing vocals by McCartney, Lennon, and George Harrison on 20 December. The clarinets were recorded on 21 December.

The song is in the key of C sharp major. The Beatles recorded the song in C major but the master take was sped up in order to raise the key by one semitone at the insistence of McCartney. Martin remembers that McCartney suggested this change in order to make his voice sound younger.[9] McCartney says, "I wanted to appear younger, but that was just to make it more rooty-tooty; just lift the key because it was starting to sound turgid." wiki


"The form is an unusual perfect arch; there is no doubling up of any sections, and the intro and outro are identical. There is no specific refrain section, though the verse here is of the type whose last phrase is refrain-like.
I am puzzled, in the lyrics by the comment in the first bridge about: "If you say the word, I could stay with you." Without a doubt, the rest of the song bespeaks of a long-married (at least long-cohabiting) couple. Does the hero somehow envision them inexplicably separated in their autumn years, or merely sleeping most of the time in separate beds?

Melody and Harmony
The tune is built primarily out of triadic (bugle call-like) riffs and chromatic (half step-wise) runs.
The harmony is almost clunkily straightforward on the one hand, yet as consequence of the chromaticism of the tune, we also find a strong showing from "added note chords" (e.g. V13), "secondary chords" (e.g. V-of-whatever), and harmonizing of chromatic bassline motion

Whatever typical Beatles' instruments are used on this track, you're bound to walk away remembering the piano part, those guest appearances of clarinets (both a pair of regular ones plus a bass model) and those tubular bell chimes. If you have any doubt that Paul is putting you on with this arrangement, you need only to dig how flat the high B-flat is on that clarinet each time it comes round in the bridge; and if you cannot tell that it is really flat, you need some ear training :-)
Paul's sped up lead vocal is single tracked. John and George provide tasteful, intermittent backing." www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/wisf.



E and B flat and woodwinds are interesting

[LOVELYRITA]

Makes me think more of a metaphor as Bill cutting Paul's throat, as stealing Paul's identity...

But that would make for a strange imagery.

[plastic paul]

savoytruffle said:

I think you mean, cor anglaise? An oboe is very different from that.

Just an idea, but perhaps this could be clue that Paul might have slit his throat.

My mistake 'tis a Cor Anglais.

To be fair though, they're very similar, only varying in key I believe.

[plastic paul]

I hate posting twice in a row, however I think I need to make this post separate.

I can't show this effect unfortunately because I don't have a video camera but please trust me, it is there and it is clear. Perhaps someone else has the ability to help me out?

Though I would be worried that it would only work with the naked eye anyway...

[Doc]

iameye said:

or it could mean a little of something else, too

The two orchestral clarinets are the B flat and A, written a tone and minor third higher respectively, thus both are transposing instruments. The E flat clarinet (or alto clarinet) is used in military bands, and many 18th century scores included a basset horn - the tenor member of the clarinet family. More seldomly seen are the contrabass clarinets, the lowest pitched of the clarinet family.


How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people?
Tuned to A natural E
Happy to be that way.
Now that you've found another key
What are you going to play?



when I'm 64
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TSv5CR6oF0 see/hear

In his 1980 interview for Playboy he (McCartney) said, "I would never even dream of writing a song like that."

The song was nearly released on a single as the B-side with either "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Penny Lane" as the A-side. Instead, Martin decided on a double-A-sided-disc, and now calls that decision, "the biggest mistake of my life." As a result of the double-A designation, sales for the single were split, and even though more discs were sold than the competition ("Release Me" by Engelbert Humperdinck), each of the two songs got credit for only half. The single did not make #1 in the UK, breaking a string of #1 singles going back to 1963.[6] If "When I'm Sixty-Four" had been issued as a B-side, it would not have appeared on Sgt. Pepper.

The song was recorded on 6 December 1966, during one of the first sessions for the as-yet-unnamed next album that became Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There were multiple overdub sessions, including the lead vocal by McCartney on 8 December and backing vocals by McCartney, Lennon, and George Harrison on 20 December. The clarinets were recorded on 21 December.

The song is in the key of C sharp major. The Beatles recorded the song in C major but the master take was sped up in order to raise the key by one semitone at the insistence of McCartney. Martin remembers that McCartney suggested this change in order to make his voice sound younger.[9] McCartney says, "I wanted to appear younger, but that was just to make it more rooty-tooty; just lift the key because it was starting to sound turgid." wiki


"The form is an unusual perfect arch; there is no doubling up of any sections, and the intro and outro are identical. There is no specific refrain section, though the verse here is of the type whose last phrase is refrain-like.
I am puzzled, in the lyrics by the comment in the first bridge about: "If you say the word, I could stay with you." Without a doubt, the rest of the song bespeaks of a long-married (at least long-cohabiting) couple. Does the hero somehow envision them inexplicably separated in their autumn years, or merely sleeping most of the time in separate beds?

Melody and Harmony
The tune is built primarily out of triadic (bugle call-like) riffs and chromatic (half step-wise) runs.
The harmony is almost clunkily straightforward on the one hand, yet as consequence of the chromaticism of the tune, we also find a strong showing from "added note chords" (e.g. V13), "secondary chords" (e.g. V-of-whatever), and harmonizing of chromatic bassline motion

Whatever typical Beatles' instruments are used on this track, you're bound to walk away remembering the piano part, those guest appearances of clarinets (both a pair of regular ones plus a bass model) and those tubular bell chimes. If you have any doubt that Paul is putting you on with this arrangement, you need only to dig how flat the high B-flat is on that clarinet each time it comes round in the bridge; and if you cannot tell that it is really flat, you need some ear training :-)
Paul's sped up lead vocal is single tracked. John and George provide tasteful, intermittent backing." www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/wisf.



E and B flat and woodwinds are interesting

Actually, good research. Truly, there's a butt-load of different types of clarinets.

hem.passagen.se/eriahl/clarinet.htm

musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/clarinettypes.htm

It amazes me that in the world there are so many types beyond what is customarily used or familiar in European/Western style traditions:

sarrusophones, saxophones, hecklephones, flutes, recorders, tenor and bass oboes, bassoons,
mussettes, tenoroons, ophicleides, (which are really a brass)...etc...

to say nothing of other winds from non western origins, like the dirigidoo from native Australian people.

I guess in Western music, the once most often used demonstrate the principle of "survival of the fittest".........

I once knew a professional Sarrusophonist. He owned one of every member of the Sarrusophone family. And then one day he was brutally murdered on the subway by thugs who nabbed his horns to hock for drug money.


He was really the only one intown with a contrabass Sarrusophone, and assuredly the only one who could play it. Since that day, the sound of the Sarrusophone has been silenced in this town.

Actually, that's fine with me but I sure am sorry that my acquaintance died in the bargain.
I would gladly suffer through it's flatulent squonks once again if only he could be among us today.

Here is what I mean:

www.contrabass.com/pages/cbsar1.wav

[Doc]

People who like these instruments MAY be suffering from a certain condition:

www.contrabass.com/

and may need treatment like this:

www.contrabass.com/pages/maniac.html

Here are recordings of how these fartemous instruments are utilized in orchestras and some more fascinating, germaine discussion on them:

www.contrabass.com/pages/sarrus.html

If you REALLY want to hear the contrabass Sarrusophone playing a popular melody, here it is:

www.contrabass.com/sounds/paprmoon.wav

And here is an audio file revealing WHY it is these instruments remain unpopulsr with the masses:(click the instrument name)

www.contrabass.com/pages/cb-reed.html

Here's a refreshing sound:

www.contrabass.com/pages/gbsord.html

from here:

www.contrabass.com/pages/gb-sordune.html

You are blessed! Now, you too have heard a Great Bass Sordune.

Here is a master list of most (I hope) of all these low pitched, gassy sounding instruments, in case anyone here might suddenly have the urge to know:

www.contrabass.com/pages/compendium.html

Ah, but the Hecklephone can make prettier sounds. It's a bit higher, more like a Saxophone in sound, though it's a double reed.

Here's 2 samples:

www.contrabass.com/sounds/rigoleto.mp3

www.contrabass.com/sounds/picture.mp3

from this informative page:

www.contrabass.com/pages/heckel.html


I think I've been exhaustive on this off-topic topic tonight; I know I'm worn out on it, but so much more enriched.

My overview? Paul, etc., COULD have selected a woodwind for the photo session from HUNDREDS of types, keys, and fingering systems.

Yet, he chose the cor anglais, the English horn. WHY?

Well-------Where'd the name come from?

Nobody REALLY knows--read this! I was wrong for years about it:

www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~gbrowne/geoff9.htm

Based on that, we'll NEVER really know how it got the name.

Clearly, there has been a cover up for centuries over HOW the name came about, and
instituted at the highest levels. We'd sooner deduce the details of what really happened with Paul/Bill/Baby Wiggle than this musical mystery of an oversized English oboe.

Er, uhm, I mean hautbois.

[LOVELYRITA]

Whaaaaaa?

[Doc]

lovelyrita said:

Whaaaaaa?

Aaaauuchhh, you're right. The last two posts PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am categorically insane. Or insane period. I don't know what "category" has to do with it.
Insane in EVERY category, probably. Well, I mean well when I get started, and then something
goes wrong in the process.

Suffice it to say, there is tremendous variation in the design of musical instruments. Point One. And, point two, there are 5 musical instruments used on the cover of Pepper. A flute, a cornet, a French Horn (corno in F), an English Horn (cor anglais in F), and a tuba. It's probably a European tuba, meaning it probably is ALSO pitched in F.

The flute is pitched in C (non-transposing), the cornet in Bb (up one step), and the other three instruments are "written up" 7 half steps, or a perfect fifth. Ringo has the cornet, he goes up a little bit; George has the flute, he does not transpose, Paul and John must transpose the same amount, and the tuba which is on the ground, unheld, transposes as much as Paul and John have to.

All this info is most likely meaningless, and one again, establishes my insanity for all to see.

Well, at least give me a B+ for effort. I won't graduate this year from PID, but I can enroll in a special discussion board for PID next year---for the truly web-poster challenged. All I can say for myself is---well, I did what I could.

Perhaps the real diagnoses for me is simply this: Long term PID burn out, or LT PID BO.

Let me tell you, if you sit for hours on end, not getting up, not taking breaks, not drinking any water, not bathing, and you might develop a serious case of PID BO too. Trust me.
My BO is real, and I may be inline for a PID detox.

BUt what strikes me as peculiar about the fact of Bill/Paul (whoever that is) playing a cor anglais is the fact that any conductor in the world knows that an English horn is a

TRANSPOSING DOUBLE REED.

Let me elucidate.

Clarinets and saxes are played with one reed. Double reeds like oboes, english horns, and bassoons, are played with DOUBLE REEDS. Two reeds that are BOUND TOGETHER, Without this, the instrument will make NO SOUND. It requires TWO REEDS to play it, for it to articulate any music.

It also requires that the music be written up A FIFTH. Because it TRANS POSES.

George's instrument trans POSES.

John's instrument trans POSES.

RIngo's instrument does NOT trans POSE. It sounds where written.

And Paul's instrument trans POSES up a fifth, like John's, but, also, requires A

DOUBLE READ.

Trans menas "across", or"over to the opposite side".

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans

So, the picture of Paul holding an english horn pictorially presents the ideas as follows:

5. The number 5. You must "count five steps" in order to get the notes on the right line in the music.

Something is Across, or opposite from.

And something is Double.

And,

Read. Look at this and see a "double read', or this reads as a double........

And mouthpiece. The two reeds, which are bound together, form the MOUTHPIECE of the instrument, which is an English horn, or perhaps, "heart", as "cor" can be heart as well as "horn."

But, what no one has pointed out, is, he is HOLDING IT WRONG.

The left hand goes ABOVE the right hand. The left hand plays the higher keys--on EVERY keyed woodwind instrument, bar none, period. The right hand plays the lower keys.

William, who conducts the orchestra in the ADITL video, who composed and created a MIDI score of his beautiful Requiem recently, and who plays the trumpet fluently, KNOWS this.

He KNOWS that that position of the hands is incorrect. There is a deliberate switch is hand position by someone who knows how the hands should be......

The positioning is ON PURPOSE.

It says---I am having to on purpose REVERSE MY HAND POSITION.

So, we have a the picture of a man who is having to REVERSE HIS HAND POSITION ON PURPOSE while holding a DOUBLE READ instrument as he POSES for an album cover,
ACROSS his body from left to right, and I might add--he is the only one SUPPORTING the instrument by his LEFT HAND. Meaning, the thing that supports the double read here in this posed picture, is the use of the OPPOSITE hand from the one normally used. The hands are CROSSED. Meaning, the unnatural or artificial use of the left hand with this DOUBLE READ is the clue to the whole thing. The others are supporting their instruments with their right hand. Bill's mouthpiece is also CROSSED over to his left shoulder; the "bell" appears to come down across his body to the right side and connect to the bass drum at a nice perpendicular angle. Also, it comes down on the third "P". The sequence "EPPE" is in the midst of Sgt. Pepper; this might be a nod at "Eppy" or, Brian Epstein. Maybe it's "Eppy's Lonely Hearts CLub Band" and the Sgt. and the Ers is merely an enclosure to hide the central idea--Eppe.

THe bell of John's French horn forms an ellipse which is very nearly repeated in the blue braid on Ringo's topcoat.

And the tuba at wax statue Ringo's feet is too small to be a tuba--it must be a type of euphonium..........

[ramone]

Wow doc- good stuff! You should think about getting
into the music field or something with all that knowledge.
Does all this mean anything? Maybe not, but I gotta tell you
-the two reed points and the hand positioning points
really struck me.
How many would have knowledge of the two reeds?
Not your avg. person. Just someone with special knowledge (or
'inside' knowledge. And so who would know about two Pauls?
Insiders.
And who would know about the hand positioning.? Ditto.
Faul would be playing JPM's instrument backwards if he
played it righty.
Again-good stuff!

[Doc]

Thanks.

If I knew photography, or military uniforms, I might see more about it.

Also, look at the four "wax dummies". (If they all are........hmmmmmmm....)
See Ringo. See Ringo's shoulder. There is a hand on each shoulder.

Are they both John's hands, left and right, or is one hand Paul's right hand?

We see 7 HANDS in the picture. 2 for George, 2 for Ringo, 2 on Ringo's shoulder, and Paul's LEFT hand.

Where is Paul's right hand?

Which hand is NOT SHOWN in the picture? Paul's right hand, or John's LEFT hand?

Is there a meaning for it? Did somebody lose a hand?

[Doc]

Also, George, John, and Ringo only use ONE HAND each on their instrument. And, they are turned at a slight angle. They are sideways, as it were.

William is turned straight out FRONT, i.e., he is the FRONT man of the four.

The other three have their right hands at hip level or below. William's right hand is OVER HIS HEART (cor, coeur).

Hmmm. Ha! ALso, there are a number of palm plants and palm leaves in the picture.

PAUL M. LEAVES.

Get it?

Palm Leaves?

Also--

Ruby sliPPERS and Sgt. pePPERS.

[Doc]

Also, all the black areas in the picture, the truly black-black, not just dark but flat black like painted areas, appear to be EDITED IN. I.e., the black area next to Diana Dors has been painted into the picture------that area of nothingness has been created after the fact. It looks like the Black Hole of Calcutta. Most unnatural. There are others. Why? Aesthetics? The "maker" of thie picture was VERY deliberate, very specific. And as I study it tonight, it seems that where the actual raw photo might have missed intended results, it was edited to achieve closer to a perfect intent. But WHOSE intent? And why? This cover is as maddeningly enigmatic as the gol'dern Mona Lisa---and she's at least smilin' about it! Sort of...........

[Doc]

ramone said:

Wow doc- good stuff! You should think about getting
into the music field or something with all that knowledge.
Does all this mean anything? Maybe not, but I gotta tell you
-the two reed points and the hand positioning points
really struck me.
How many would have knowledge of the two reeds?
Not your avg. person. Just someone with special knowledge (or
'inside' knowledge. And so who would know about two Pauls?
Insiders.
And who would know about the hand positioning.? Ditto.
Faul would be playing JPM's instrument backwards if he
played it righty.
Again-good stuff!

Well, would it also speak to "agents in the field", so to speak, er uhm, a la "A Beautiful Mind"--but not crazy--just people "trained" to see patterns, anagrams, cyphers, hidden spellings, etc.

I wonder about George Martin, who by logic must know nearly everything about this affair from the ground up--how could he not? Logic dictates.
'
And that's fine.

But, could Sir Geo. have suggested the English Horn?

[fireman]

doctorrobert said:

Thanks.

If I knew photography, or military uniforms, I might see more about it.

Also, look at the four "wax dummies". (If they all are........hmmmmmmm....)
See Ringo. See Ringo's shoulder. There is a hand on each shoulder.

Are they both John's hands, left and right, or is one hand Paul's right hand?

We see 7 HANDS in the picture. 2 for George, 2 for Ringo, 2 on Ringo's shoulder, and Paul's LEFT hand.

Where is Paul's right hand?

Which hand is NOT SHOWN in the picture? Paul's right hand, or John's LEFT hand?

Is there a meaning for it? Did somebody lose a hand?

I don't see the other hand on wax Ringo's shoulder...I only see 6 hands total...

[iameye]

doctorrobert said:

Thanks.

If I knew photography, or military uniforms, I might see more about it.

Also, look at the four "wax dummies". (If they all are........hmmmmmmm....)
See Ringo. See Ringo's shoulder. There is a hand on each shoulder.

Are they both John's hands, left and right, or is one hand Paul's right hand?

We see 7 HANDS in the picture. 2 for George, 2 for Ringo, 2 on Ringo's shoulder, and Paul's LEFT hand.

Where is Paul's right hand?

Which hand is NOT SHOWN in the picture? Paul's right hand, or John's LEFT hand?

Is there a meaning for it? Did somebody lose a hand?

thanks doc for all that info. Speaking of hands though, and military men.......from the opening of MMT movie.

Two hands, one on each a male and female pillar. As he leaves. Does anyone else hear a voice yell "Paul" ? www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2qLjQbRv3w&feature=related





Just Thought I "wood" throw that in, for speculation purposes, only.

[JoJo]

Fascinating Doc, one of your best. Btw Ramone, perhaps Doc is too modest to mention it, but he IS in the music business. (sometimes known as "The Piano Man" around here)

About transpose, I had to look up its meaning for music, and I get the basic idea of moving the notes together either down or up.. But what about linear algebra?



You may have stumbled on a major clue?

It says---I am having to on purpose REVERSE MY HAND POSITION.

Wow.

[ezwizard]

From Doc:

Hmmm. Ha! ALso, there are a number of palm plants and palm leaves in the picture.

PAUL M. LEAVES.

Get it?

Palm Leaves?


All those palms have always bothered me - I've never been able to deduce their significance.

Doc, right or wrong, the connection you've made to PAUL M. LEAVES is freakin' genius. Nice job!

[Doc]

fireman said:

doctorrobert said:

Thanks.

If I knew photography, or military uniforms, I might see more about it.

Also, look at the four "wax dummies". (If they all are........hmmmmmmm....)
See Ringo. See Ringo's shoulder. There is a hand on each shoulder.

Are they both John's hands, left and right, or is one hand Paul's right hand?

We see 7 HANDS in the picture. 2 for George, 2 for Ringo, 2 on Ringo's shoulder, and Paul's LEFT hand.

Where is Paul's right hand?

Which hand is NOT SHOWN in the picture? Paul's right hand, or John's LEFT hand?

Is there a meaning for it? Did somebody lose a hand?

I don't see the other hand on wax Ringo's shoulder...I only see 6 hands total...

I wans't sure if I was seeing something on the left shoulder. I need to enlarge the shoulder more. You are probably right. My laptop is only a 15" screen and frankly my vision is off on that detail. SOmething small and light seems to be there; I don't see fingers; I thought maybe it was so little of a hand was showing---but you must be right. Only 6 hands.

[ramone]

''Btw Ramone, perhaps Doc is too modest to mention it, but he IS in the music business. (sometimes known as "The Piano Man" around here)''
Yeah, I figured Jo- just kidding around.

I'm thinking about the two reed stuff again.
The music could not be played with only one.
Does this thought bring us to the theory that JPM was 'around'
in some capacity. But, would be out of the public eye-for whatever
reason (didn't want to be; had an accident...)
So, couldn't be out there making music.
Faul didn't have that JPM skill or whatever,
-yet COULD BE 'out there-out front' making the music.
One needed the other to really make the music (in tandem with
the other lads).
Not one, but two reeds needed.

[Doc]

ramone said:

''Btw Ramone, perhaps Doc is too modest to mention it, but he IS in the music business. (sometimes known as "The Piano Man" around here)''
Yeah, I figured Jo- just kidding around.

I'm thinking about the two reed stuff again.
The music could not be played with only one.
Does this thought bring us to the theory that JPM was 'around'
in some capacity. But, would be out of the public eye-for whatever
reason (didn't want to be; had an accident...)
So, couldn't be out there making music.
Faul didn't have that JPM skill or whatever,
-yet COULD BE 'out there-out front' making the music.
One needed the other to really make the music (in tandem with
the other lads).
Not one, but two reeds needed.

But not DONNA Reed.....




So many reeds to choose from:







AHA!

[Doc]

Are you saying that JPM might be alive and among the world at this time?

I lend that mucho PAUL-aus-ability. Even credence, yea, verily. Even unto a Credence Clearwater Revival Revival. It's all up to Fogherty.

But seriously folks---

Maybe if we check in the cadillac, or the limo......



Nothing----and no one----that isn't already shown.

It's friggin' cold out there tonight. It's nearly Christmas! December 20th!
I KNOW he's got the heat running.

And what would Paul do if he were around? (WWPD?)


Well, he'd still be writing great songs.

And he'd probably be very polite to his chauffeur.

The above fantasy-improv-construction was DokkoLokko Productions......(formally "Crazy Doc Ventures.") All photographs chosen at random with no credits to anyone anywhere.
Side effects include hyperurinaria, upper bowel gas, and spotted toenails. And that's just what usually happens to me. Discontinue immediately if you experience the above and contact your qualified health care provider.


My sleeping pill just kicked in and I am slurring my words like the Drowsy Chaperone on Quaaludes.