THE BEATLES "Only A Northern Song" V. RARE ACETATE DEMO

Song: Only A Northern Song

Label: EMI (Parlophone’s parent label)

Country of origin: Great Britain

Format: 7” one sided acetate

Mode / Speed: Mono / 45 rpm.

Date of Recording: 1967 (13^th, 14^th February and 20^th April) at Abbey Road Studios, London

About acetate: An acetate disc is basically a demo recording taken directly from the master recording tape. A typical acetate disc is aluminium with a thin layer of lacquer over the top, which wears out quickly. They are highly prized for their rarity, Beatles acetate typically selling for £1,000-£10,000. They are also unique which means unless you can get hold of the original master tape reel you will NEVER get closer to the source material than listening to this disc. You can hear the song as the Beatles intended it to be heard. It is a real piece of musical history.

About the song: ‘Only A Northern Song’ was recorded in 1967 during the sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and featured on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack. ‘Only a Northern Song’ has been described as Harrison's “personal denunciation of the Beatles' music publishing business”. Northern Songs was a music publishing company formed in 1963 to exploit Lennon/McCartney songs. The company was floated in 1965, but where Lennon and McCartney each owned 15% of the public company's shares, Harrison owned just 0.8%. Harrison was contracted by Northern Songs as a songwriter only, and because Northern Songs retained the copyright of its published songs, this meant Lennon and McCartney, as major shareholders, would earn more from Harrison's songs than he did. Hence the ‘suppressed bitterness’ of some of Harrison's lyrics, such as "It doesn't really matter what chords I play/What words I say or time of day it is/As it's only a Northern Song." This complex psychedelic arrangement involves an unconventional musical form and unusual instrumentation, including distorted trumpet played by Paul McCartney, Harrison's reverbed organ, and a glockenspiel played by John Lennon. This acetate version is clearly recorded from the master tape and has probably been handled by producer George Martin and all of the Beatles at some point. It is shorter than the original (3:27 rather than 3:27) and is a very slightly different mix.

About the condition: The condition is very good (+). These acetates tend to wear out very quickly so you never find one in excellent condition. There are a few surface marks and a little background noise but audio is still very enjoyable, with no skips. The typical plain EMIDISC labels have a little browning with age, which is to be expected from a 45 year old record. But generally the acetate has been well looked after and I hope this rare piece of pop history finds a good home with a collector who will look after it with the care and love it needs.

-----------------------------------------------

About me: I love music and work in a record shop. I am a trusted ebayer with 100% rating, please buy with confidence. Please drop me a line if you have any questions.

About payment and postage: Records will be dispatched within 24 hours of payment being received (paypal, UK pounds sterling cheque/postal order or direct bank transfer only). Every item will be packaged in a strengthened record mailer to ensure it reaches you in the same top condition as when I sent it.