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November 2023 Archive
22.11.23 > Katie Bite: 14 Windows
12.11.23 > Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance
Katie looked amazing and sounded a little emotional in a beautiful performance of Fields of Gold as part of the Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall last night. Click the image to find the show on iPlayer. Katie performs at 41:00.
05.11.23 > Now And Then: Fitting Closure For The Beatles
The last ever Beatles song has been released. And, thanks to incredible technology involving AI, all four Beatles perform on it. Let's clarify the AI bit—computers have not simulated John and George but the AI is able to separate their original work on the track from other instruments. Hence, John's vocals emerged crystal clear from a tape demo where they had been intertwined, seemingly forever, with muddy piano playing. This is one of the best examples to date of exactly how astonishing AI can be. Isolating voices and instruments that have been mixed together on tape seems like science fiction but it is now a reality, thanks to pioneering work done by director Peter Jackson in developing such software during development of his wonderful Get Back documentary.
Paul McCartney had been in possession of the Now and Then demo tape for over thirty years. It is a song written by Lennon and recorded on a standard audio tape. The remaining Beatles tried, whilst George Harrison was still alive, to record the track but they ultimately had to give up due to John's vocals being compromised by the piano playing. Finally, in 2023, AI was able to separate John's vocals from the piano and Paul and Ringo were able to lay down new performances on bass, guitar and drums to be mixed in with John's original vocals and some of George's work from the abandoned earlier attempt. The result is astonishing. A true Beatles track, one in which all four are participating. It is almost a miracle, and a perfect way to give proper closure to the greatest band of all time. Even the title could not have been better—although intended by Lennon in the sense 'occasionally', it poignantly can also be seen as a nod to the Beatles, both now and then.
If you haven't seen the official video I urge you to do so right away. Just click the pic to go see it on YouTube. Warning: you will probably need tissues because it is one of the most moving videos ever created.
03.11.23 > Call Off The Search is 20!
Happy birthday to Call Off The Search! A truly iconic album and, for yours truly, probably the greatest debut album ever. Twenty years is a third of my lifetime and more than half of Katie's—this album has been in her life longer than it hasn't. Katie hasn't aged and nor has this album. Newly remastered, it sounds crisp and clean, fresh as forest air on a spring morning. The brilliance of Mike Batt cannot be underestimated, not just for taking a chance on Katie but for writing songs for this album and picking perfect ones for Katie to cover and then arranging them all so beautifully as well as getting the very best out of the amazing raw talent he suddenly had on his hands. All credit to Katie for taking on board the guidance and advice given her and producing work of such maturity and control it beggars belief. Although Katie has spent more than half her life as a self-confessed student of songwriting it is clear that she had already graduated by the time this album appeared. Her songs Belfast and Faraway Voice are gorgeous. Mike Batt was not indulging her including them on this album, they are there on merit and hold their own with all the other material and though Katie's blockbuster early hits were with Mike's songs she was always encouraged to write her own music and be known as a singer-songwriter. She seems to like the process of collaborating with others but she is perfectly capable of going it alone. We'll never know what might have happened if her debut album had consisted of all her own songs—personally, I think she would still have been a success—but I thank Mike for getting her to cover classics because it showed the world what a truly sensational interpreter of a song she is. This anniversary isn't just about a record, it is about the day we all gave a piece of our heart to a young woman who has never let us down in the two decades that have passed since.
