The Beatles' First Take Of 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds'

[DFW]

4. That's how it's done

I have been recording music in studios for over 40 years (my top brass knows, and they STILL let me keep my day job!), and what something sounds like at the end is usually the product of an idea that is like a seed, but needs a lot of watering and TLC before it is a flowering plant, as "Lucy In The Sky" clearly demonstrates.

In the case of The Holland-America Line, I was working with two guys from Holland with completely different musical backgrounds from my own. With The Freedom Toast, every one except me is a seasoned professional. The core idea usually remains, but when you have a few musical geniuses working along side you, the final result is often way beyond the expectations of the composer/arranger (Talkin' TSA Blues was a major exception), especially when you have a rare combination of four guys like the Beatles, whose imaginations didn't have an "off" switch.