The Beatles “Rain”(Actual Recorded Speed) Ringo Starr - Drum Cover

I think it’s pretty well known that the song Rain was recorded at a faster tempo and in a different key from what was ultimately released. When The Beatles originally recorded the backing track for in April 1966, they intentionally played it at a fast and frantic tempo so that it would sound heavy, deep, and "sludgy" when slowed down for the final master tape. When Giles Martin compiled the 2022 box set for Revolver, he attempted to present Take 5 at the exact speed the band performed it in the studio. However, the version included on the official release is blistering fast and is pitched in the key of B-flat (Bb) / A-sharp (A#). Neither the tempo or key sound realistic in relation to what is being played. I remember hearing this for the first time and immediately thinking that it didn’t sound correct. The tempo was almost laughable, and the pitch of Ringo‘s drums was way too high for how he was tuning at that time. Beatles researchers and audio restoration experts quickly identified several issues with this mix: • The Wrong Key: Playing the song in B-flat forces the guitars into an incredibly awkward, unnatural fingering position for the open chords heard on the track. • The "Cartoonish" Tempo: At 140+ BPM, Ringo Starr’s drumming and Paul McCartney’s intricate basslines sound unnaturally frantic, almost like a cartoon soundtrack. • The Correct Target: It is a consensus among musicologists that the backing track was originally performed in the key of A major at roughly 128 BPM. To achieve the heavy, lowered sound of the final commercial release (which sits in G major), the tape machine only needed to be slowed down by a standard 12% tone step. By mastering the track at the wrong tape frequency cycle, the box set version accidentally pushed the song up an extra semitone into B-flat, making the "Actual Speed" outtake an inaccurate representation of how the band actually sounded in the room. For this video I was able to change the key to A Major and bring the tempo down to 138 BPM. That’s what I played along to while recording the drums. Feel free to check out my other Beatles/Ringo videos at the playlist link below.    • Ringo Starr Beatles Drum Covers