John Lennon Using Tape Loops as Early as 1966

[regenerativemusic]

John Lennon: Private Home Tapes Part 1 (1966-1968)

Check out the 14 minute mark.

[ronmac]

"Tomorrow Never Knows" from '66 has tapes loops.

[Dave (in MA)]

Onotronics

[Scrotum Scissor]

I believe Daevid Allen did it too, as early as the mid-60s. The didn't ensurface until later, of course.

[Mr.Krautman]

And then ? Tape loop techniques were used since the fifties (maybe earlier) by many avant-garde/concrete/experimental musicians. Of course Pierre Schaeffer and Hugh Le Caine are less know than John Lennon.

... and George Harrison also recorded an (awful and unlistenable) experimental electronic music piece using an early Moog synth (well, actually he didn't really seem to know how to use it).

This doesn't make neither John or George inventors or pioneers in these fields.

[Scrotum Scissor]

And then ? Tape loops techniques were used since the fifties (maybe earlier) by many avant-garde/concrete/experimental musicians. Of course Pierre Schaeffer and Hugh Le Caine are less know than John Lennon.

But no one denies the fact that "serious" composers/musicians were way ahead. The point, I suppose, was that these were early steps in pop/rock expressions of integrating experiments with methods hitherto explored exclusively in art musics. I remember Reading an article long ago which designated The Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer In the City" major hit as also a landmark pop recording, in that it basically displayed extracts of attemptive musique-concréte. And while this may be stretching it just a tad, there's a definite air of difference to that song if you remove the traffic sounds and honking.

Musicians - even younger and vastly popular ones - would actually test things back then; abilities, insights, even the patience and resilience of their own audiences on serving them stuff like "Revolution no.9".

[Mr.Krautman]

But no one denies the fact that "serious" composers/musicians were way ahead. The point, I suppose, was that these were early steps in pop/rock expressions of integrating experiments with methods hitherto explored exclusively in art musics. I remember Reading an article long ago which designated The Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer In the City" major hit as also a landmark pop recording, in that it basically displayed extracts of attemptive musique-concréte. And while this may be stretching it just a tad, there's a definite air of difference to that song if you remove the traffic sounds and honking.

Musicians - even younger and vastly popular ones - would actually test things back then; abilities, insights, even the patience and resilience of their own audiences on serving them stuff like "Revolution no.9".

Valid points, but should Terry Riley (who also used tape loops way before Lennon) be considered as a "serious/experimental" musician or rock ? Most of his audience (and recognition) came from the later category.

[happytheman]

And here I thought McCartney was the brain child behind TNK's tape loop technique..

[Scrotum Scissor]

should Terry Riley (who also used tape loops way before Lennon) be considered as a "serious/experimental" musician or rock ? Most of his audience (and recognition) came from the later category.

Not to begin with, when he first established himself as composer. The advents of "highbrow" cultural integration in film, literature, music and the general arts during the later 60s and all through the 70s certainly also made "pop-cultural" names of Riley, Glass, Reich and (to a somewhat lesser extent) LaMonte Young, Pauline Oliveros, Pierre Schaeffer, Perre Henry, Charlemagne Palestine etc. But I hardly think it was their "pop" following who secured them enduring careers. Once institutional formalities are in order (educational degrees and/or tenures, scholarships and funding, a productive resumé, commissions of various sorts, profiled performance programmes etc.), the rest is usually history.

Of course, it helped how decidedly "rock" musicians like John Cale, Mike Oldfield, Klaus Schulze and so on would draw from the lot and present their abbreviations of influences.

[Mister Triscuits]

And here I thought McCartney was the brain child behind TNK's tape loop technique..

He was the one who brought the idea to the table, but he encouraged the other Beatles to create their own. The loops of sitar music are presumably George's.

[Staun]

Onotronics

Never liked Onotronics especially when used in or influencing Beatles music.

[joeymakesmusic]

This isn't news to me. As Mr.Krautman said, these techniques had been used earlier. Given the direction of the Beatles by 1966, and the general tone of music experimentation around this time, it shouldn't be surprising that Lennon was experimenting with them too.

Of course, he seems ahead of his time because you don't really expect a mainstream musician to delve into the nitty gritty of a still experimental technique.

Props to him though. He's getting his hands dirty. Lots of "musicians" and singers today offload all this work to their producers

[the winter tree]

I read it was McCartney that put together the tape loops for TNK. McCartney doesn't get enough credit for being an innovator. He was the one who was out on London going to avant garde art exhibits and such and incorporating many of the ideas he discovered.

[ronmac]

McCartney doesn't get enough credit for being an innovator.

Sure he does.

[bRETT]

The first Beatles tape experiment was really "Rain", and that came from John. After that they slipped backwards effects into other songs (I'm Only Sleeping), and TNK was an outgrowth of that. It was just another case of the Beatles trying out a novel idea-- the fade-in beginning of "EIght Days a Week" was a first too.

[the winter tree]

Sure he does.

Many often just assume that anything artsy, cutting edge, or innovative came from John, but often, especially early on, it was Paul.

[regenerativemusic]

He wasn't just using a tape loop in the piece I referenced. He's composing an odd melody on top of it.