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<p><strong>E L E C T R I C L A D Y S E S S I O N S</p>
<p>ENGINEER HARRY MASLIN TAPE OPERATORS KEVIN HERRON & DAVID THOENER</strong></p>
<p> On 1st January 1975, work on the new album switched to New York’s Electric Lady Studios where David booked some studio session time. While he was there David wrote, developed and recorded ‘Fame’ – a song that had been adapted from ‘Footstompin’ – with Carlos Alomar, and recorded the Beatles song ‘Across The Universe’. David also invited John Lennon to play on both tracks. Both ‘Fame’ and ‘Across The Universe’ would later replace previously recorded Sigma Sound tracks ‘Who Can I Be Now’ and ‘It’s Gonna’ Be Me’, both of which had been on the album’s final short-listing. It’s also conjecturally reported that further unheard recordings were made during these sessions with John Lennon, including the American standard ‘Too Fat To Polka’ (or more commonly titled ‘You Can Have Her, I Don’t Want Her, She’s Too Fat For Me’) – the master tape of which is rumoured to have been ceremonially burned at the end of the session! </p>
<p><strong>Across The Universe</strong>:<br />
Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York, in January 1975. Mixed at Record Plant, New York. This is the completed and original 1975 album cut.</p>
<p><strong>Across The Universe (alternative and extended mix)</strong>:<br />
Same as previous track (above), but this is an alternative and extended mix, which includes the full ending without fade, together with some studio background chat from John Lennon cutting off at the end.</p>
<p><strong>Across The Universe (striped-down mix)</strong>:<br />
Again, same as previous track (above), but this version is a stripped-down mix with just David’s vocals, John Lennon’s guitar track and Willy Weeks’ bass.</p>
<p><strong>Fame</strong>:<br />
Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York, in January 1975. Mixed at Record Plant, New York. This is the completed and original 1975 album cut.</p>
<p><strong>Fame (instrumental backing track)</strong>:<br />
Same as previous track (above), but this is the completed instrumental backing track without all vocals.</p>
<p><strong>Fame (stripped-down mix)</strong>:<br />
This is a stripped-down mix, leaving just some of the instrumental pieces and more prominent vocals.</p>
<p><strong>Fame (stripped-down vocal only mix)</strong>:<br />
This is a stripped-down mix, leaving just David’s vocals.</p>
<p><strong>Fame (alternative “flute” mix, with full ending)</strong>:<br />
This alternative mix is thought by some to be a fake. However, this version is interesting because it includes a flute accompaniment throughout and David’s clearly-audible studio backchat at the very end, which is lacking from the album version and which a “fake” would not have. According to Toni Visconti, he reports: “I’ve heard about this flute recording before and someone asked me if John Lennon played it. Mary [Visconti’s wife] informs me that John couldn’t play flute. I don’t know any more about this version”. </p>
<p> Once Tony Visconti had completed mastering the tapes in London in January 1975, David then contacted Harry Maslin to mix the entire tapes again, including the newly-recorded Electric Lady tracks, but minus the now-titled ‘Young Americans’ track, which was by then in the hands of RCA and at the pressing plant ready for manufacture as a single. At the point were Harry Maslin took over, some extra recording of instruments and backing vocals were also made to some of the Sigma tracks later in January, with Maslin over-seeing production. It’s likely that the flute version of ‘Fame’ was also done at this late stage and therefore without Visconti’s knowledge. </p>
<p> – HARRY MASLIN –</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p> In September 2009 a reel of tape was discovered for sale in a street market in Philadelphia. It appears to have come from one of David’s earlier recording sessions (dated 13th August 1974) at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, although how it ended up in a street market may never be certain.</p>
<p> What is known is that the majority of the tapes recorded during Sigma Sound Studios’ history has now become part of the Drexel University Audio Archive in Philadelphia, following the sale of the studios in 2003. So this may have been the source of the “stray” tape in question.</p>
<p> The tape – which is a 2″ multi-track recording – contains four songs in their early stages of rehearsal and recording. These tracks are<br />
<strong>‘Young American’ (takes 1, 2 and 3)</strong>, <strong>‘Lazer’ (take 1)</strong>, <strong>‘After Today’ (take 1)</strong> and <strong>‘Shilling The Rubes’ (take 1)</strong>. Up until the discovery of this tape, it was originally believed that ‘Shilling The Rubes’ was merely a working title for the album. However, its emergence on this tape now confirms that it is indeed a recorded song in its own right. In total there are 25 minutes worth of recording on the tape and according to the hand-written notes that came with the tape, there is reference to a 2nd reel.</p>
<p><strong>– THE NEWLY-DISCOVERED 2″ STUDIO REEL IN ITS ORIGINAL CARDBOARD BOX WITH STUDIO NOTES –</strong></p>
<p> Tony Visconti was contacted within days of the discovery of the tape. When asked for his thoughts on it, he said, “I think it’s a rough mix tape on quarter inch (just stereo), a work in progress. It’s rare to have four masters on a two inch reel. But then again it could be a back up tape. But it’s a great find for Shilling The Rubes alone. I don’t even remember how that goes!”</p>
<p> The tape was on offer on Ebay for a massive $15,000.00! However, the seller removed the item, but not before these 4 short samples of some of the tracks were circulated:</p>
<p><strong>Young American (take 3, demo sample)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shilling The Rubes (take 1, demo sample)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lazer (take 1, demo sample)</strong></p>
<p><strong>After Today (version 1, take 1, demo sample)</strong></p>
<p> <img src=