The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 3: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band through Magical Mystery Tour (late 1966-1967) (Beatles Recording Reference Manuals)

Want to know about a piece of equipment used by The Beatles? Get Andy Babiuk's book Beatles Gear. Want info about specific Beatles recording sessions? Try Mark Lewisohn's seminal 1988 book Complete Beatles Recording Sessions. Want to know how specific songs were recorded? Look for Recording the Beatles by Kevin Ryan & Brian Kehew. Want to save some money and enjoy the highlights of all three of these classics? Buy Jerry Hammack's The Beatles Recording Reference Manual (in this case, Volume 3).This is an outstanding book! (As are the other four volumes in the series.) It's divided roughly into four sections: [1] song narratives that discuss the development and participants (studio personnel, guest musicians, etc.) for each song; [2] detailed song diagrams that break down the individual instruments used on each track and for each session; [3] individual session info including dates and times with details about instruments played, studio equipment used, superimpositions added, and specific session notes; and [4] appendices that list technical recording equipment, details about each studio used by The Beatles, and lists of all instruments and amplifiers they used. To write, organize, and cross-reference this data is a phenomenal achievement.In response to some criticisms the author has received for his work:1. Hammack merely reorganizes and re-presents (some might say plagiarizes) info from other authors' work: With the literally thousands of books written about The Beatles, it would be rare indeed to find and present previously unknown information. While there are new findings in Tune In, the first volume of Lewisohn's epic Beatles biography, there is also a ton of repetition from previous biographies. Moreover, Hammack in his Introduction generously cites the work of Ryan/Kehew, Lewisohn, and Babiuk as integral to his books. What is new about Hammack is combining the best of these heavyweights into one easily accessible source, in addition to adding a lot of original scholarship not found in their works.2. Hammack's books are overpriced for what they offer: I respectfully disagree. Try to buy new copies of Lewisohn, Babiuk, and Ryan/Kehew; you will most definitely shell out hundreds of dollars. The Ryan/Kehew book, especially, commands monumental prices. (The last new copy I saw on Amazon was selling for nearly $1,000!) At it's going price for a brand-new copy, Hammack's book is a bargain.3. The author is overly repetitious and monotonous: In the Introduction of this book, Hammack actually agrees with this assessment but says he deliberately chose repetition to keep the reader from having to skip through numerous pages and sections merely because the same info pertains to more than one song. This approach is not everyone's cup of tea, but reading something for one song that is presented practically verbatim for another song is OK with me if I don't have to riffle through the book to read that something.4. There are some typographical and factual errors in the book: Yes, I've also found a few errors and I've brought them to the author's attention. Hammack has always replied and been courteous and respectful in his answers. What's most impressed me is that since the introduction of this book in 2018 another new edition has been issued to correct factual errors, add new information, address grammar and typographical issues, and improve internal consistency among the book's sections (and with other volumes). Compare this to Lewisohn (1988, no revisions), Ryan/Kehew (2006, no revisions), and Babiuk (2001, one revision). I purchased the newest edition of this book to replace my first edition. Cheap at the price to stay current (IMO).All five volumes of this series are a treasured part of my Beatles library. I'd strongly recommend they be part of anyone's. As a closing comment, I'll be following Hammack's approach and essentially repeating what I've written here in my reviews of the other four volumes. They're all equally good. (The books, that is!)

very good book aboutthe recirding sessions, with many details.

Very well researched and organized. If you are looking to make your "own" records sound like the Beatles, this series of books are for you.

Excellent reference book that continues with great info. as the first 2 volumes do!

You think that it will tell you what guitar was played by whom and to an extent it does except that after the guitar collections expanded I dont need to be reminded which guitars were available to be played I want to know which one was not which ones were available, lack of photos didnt help.

I've purchased all three of the volumes (to date) and can't wait for the 4th. It's so much fun to sit down and read each song's reference while listening to the actual song. You'll totally enjoy all of the little details about each song - even the little mistakes that happened during production. Great books.

These Books are so Boring, Mark Lewisohn, and Andy Babiuk's books are more interesting, and more informative, These books were written for Musicians, I don't need what kind of Microphone was used, These set of books are overpriced, The Author could have condensed all 5 books into 1, with editing and not repeating details.

An amazingly specific catalogue and reference point inventory to later period BeatleSong productions by Mr. Jerry Hammack, a fellow Canadian eh ! Quoted chapter and verse, this will be my personal emulator device for beatlesque productions done in my basement in 2019-2020. Don't laugh...listen...and feel the magic for the girls and boys. WELL DONE Mr. Hammack. I may camp out near you in Toronto when we get beyond pre-production stage. THANK YOU MUCHLY...BigHug from Aldon Fairfield.

Everything you want to know about Sgt.Pepper is right in there.Thanks!

Amazing detail

To see Who played what instrument.

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