Five Bullets 11.4.22
This week: The Beatles, Rudy Van Gelder, King Tut & more
Hello and welcome back to Circles In Space for Five Bullet Friday, where each Friday I share some stuff I found interesting during the week.
We’ve made it to a new month! I hope you’re making the most of this first week of November. Here in New York, we’ve been lucky to have warm temperatures near the 70s, the strong afternoon sun baking the fallen leaves and releasing a pleasant, sweet smell synonymous with Fall (I’m not sure if that’s how this process works but that’s how I imagine it!). I’ve mostly been writing and listening to lots of music, including the new edition of The Beatles Revolver - more on this below (full album review coming soon).
OK - onto this week’s (aural-heavy) bullets:
The Beatles 1966 album Revolver was recently re-released as a remixed and expanded Super Deluxe edition. With Revolver, The Beatles pushed further into new territory by experimenting with LSD, recording techniques, avant-garde and Eastern music and philosophy. Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer Sir George Martin, remixed the new edition by separating the individual elements from the original four-track tapes. This edition sounds modern - clean and tight - and highlights certain sounds which tend to get lost in the original recording, though I still miss the weirdness of those old four-tracks.
Recording engineer and mastermind behind jazz classics by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, & more, Rudy Van Gelder would’ve celebrated his 98th birthday on November 2nd. Born in 1924, Gelder began recording bands at night in his parent’s living room while working during the day as an optometrist. In 1959, he built his iconic studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey where he worked until the 2000s. The Van Gelder sound - warm, clear, and present - became synonymous with Blue Note records as Gelder engineered almost every record on the label from 1953-1967. In 2016, Van Gelder passed away at the age of 91 having worked on over 2000 records.
Friends of Circles in Space, Little Ears Theater has released a podcast series of refreshingly modern takes on children’s tales including Hansel & Gretel, The Three Little Pigs, and Jack & the Beanstalk. With engaging voice actors and entertaining sound design, Little Ears Theater brings these classic stories to life and into the present era for the whole family to enjoy.
King Tut, the 18th Dynasty Pharoah Tutankhamun, ascended to the throne at age 9 and died at 18 or 19. His tomb was discovered in 1922 by English archaeologist Howard Carter. There’s been an ongoing debate by some that Nefertiti, possibly Tut’s stepmother and predecessor, is also buried in the tomb and has yet to be discovered. Perhaps Egypt holds a few more mysteries buried beneath the sand.
If after watching Philomena Cunk or listening to The Beatles, you’re wondering about British accents, check out this video which dives into 20 accent variations found in the United Kingdom.
Got something to share? Leave me a comment! I’m always on the lookout for something new to dive into.
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That's all for this week! As always, thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Until next time,
KW
Great newsletter! I’m excited to listen to Revolver remaster while browsing through Klaus Voorman’s illustrations. Any more information on his partner and collaborator Astrid Kirchherr?
Thanks for reading!
Klaus and Astrid met The Beatles during their Hamburg years, Astrid later was engaged to early Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. She photographed the band during these years and is also credited with influencing the band’s moptop hairstyle. Klaus, aside from working on the Revolver album art and collage for The Beatles Anthology, was also a close friend and collaborator, adding his bass playing to several post-Beatles recording sessions with Lennon, Harrison and Starr.