"Summertime" [demo version]

Backdated, archival post

[link to original on tumblr]

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To-day in 1964, the Zombies recorded a demo of "Summertime."  As far as the parts I know, it's pretty much the same as the version they recorded at their first Decca session on 12 June.  The electric piano solo is longer, and Paul Atkinson's guitar sounds more electric than acoustic (he used the same guitar for most of the Decca sessions, but he had an electrified acoustic guitar, so he could get different sounds out of it).

While learning the bass part during the solo, the backing vocals caught my attention, and I discovered some really interesting things about them (specifically, how they seem to have influenced a later Zombies song).  In order to write about that properly though, I need to work on some notation, so it'll be a few days before I get around to it (plus I still have things that I noticed when I recorded my annual Odessey and Oracle that I need to write about).

Also while learning the bass part during the solo, I discovered I had one part wrong in the studio version.  I think a fair bit has been written about its being in 6/8, but I think it's actually in 3/4.  In any case, the rhythms seem like they would be relatively easy to notate, so at some point, I'd like to do that too.