My MOST Embarrassing Stories In Music

In this video I discuss my Embarrassing Stories as a Producer.
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[@Sooby007]

My whole library (hundreds of tunes) is all demos. I’m waiting for the world to lower its standards so I can hit em with a $1000 box set.

[@RickBeato]

Sooby Haha! Exactly!!!

[@starttherebellion9146]

Good one Sooby!

[@russwilson2305]

Sooby -Solid plan.

[@gr8kzoo]

I think they already have, based on what I'm hearing on the radio. Fire away Sooby!

[@metalmadness9760]

Dude peoples standards have been dropped, just look at rap

[@ruggerosmith1167]

Rick is fast becoming my favorite KZbin uncle

[@Defenderman123]

It's your humanity Rick, and the way you can relate to a camera in such a way as to give us, the viewers, a feeling of being actually in a conversation with you. I'm not surprised you're at 702,000 subscribers. How you do what you do is quite rare. And then there's your knowledge, and your ability as a teacher. Keep it up buddy (yeah, I feel like you're a buddy at this stage!).

[@RickBeato]

Thanks Eamonn!! Btw, we are buddies :)

[@pniclasen]

Eamonn Mooney I wholeheartedly agree, this cat’s a moodlifter. I could listen to Beato talk for hours.

[@MixmanD28]

@@pniclasen Yes. Rick is so great, man.

[@ToddtheExploder]

Eamonn Mooney Hear, hear!

[@tonykrch357]

@@ToddtheExploder I'm happy to see someone on KZbin who doesn't use "here here" or some other equally cringey variation. Thank you! :)

[@RossCampbellGuitarist]

Your lighting looks great in this video, Rick!

[@JoeLabisch]

It's a demo lighting... don't get used to it too much

[@razorgarf]

What do you mean by demo lighting and why not get used to it when it's great and should be used for this kind of video!?

[@perry2592]

And... I don't see auto focus on... Maybe it's because he's not holding a guitar.

[@soulriverdogs]

razorgarf lol...look above you..its flying by faaaaaast! :-)

[@c.amoroso]

razorgarf ur name is razor but your about as sharp as a marble

[@paulmay2990]

I just discovered this guy. I can’t stop watching! He has mad music knowledge!

[@bucknaked31]

C'mon Rick... let's hear that cassette demo track and the studio recording so we can A/B them!

[@RickBeato]

It’s so bad!!! To hear it is even more embarrassing :) it’s a total “what was I thinking?”

[@libertarious]

@@RickBeato What makes this song great... or not!

[@joechip1232]

If he posted it, it might be the first time that someone issued a copyright takedown of themselves XD

[@BillDerBerg]

Vai recorded Flexable with a Fostex cassette tape recorder and it was great. You cant polish a turd... if your playing songwriting and instrument tones suck and you record them on top quality vintage or high tech modern gear and it still sucks then it's you.

[@JackStrong777]

We are still waiting Rick :)

[@Gpapadopulos]

So bloody honest, so bloody humble guy.....Thank you Rick for being our lighthouse to our musical journey

[@sirbaronvoncount4147]

When I was in high school my band got a gig at the local school for the deaf. Yup they loved it. We got 100$ and 3 pizzas

[@Hevvvyyy]

Oh damn

[@DrumWild]

I had a band in the 2000s, and the president of our fan club was deaf.

[@matsf8268]

They felt the vibe? 🤔

[@jasonbone5121]

In the 90's my band would play in a city that had a school for the deaf, and they would always bring a group of students to our shows - they could 'feel' it indeed. I always thought that was pretty cool.

[@RH-xs8gz]

I hope you're not joking.

[@logancooper3625]

Here's an embarrassing music story. I went to High School in a town of probably 400-ish people. Not big at all, people know who you are. So there was a varsity basketball game one week against our rival team, bleachers were packed with visitors for both the home team and away team. I was asked to play the National Anthem on guitar for this game. I accepted, seemed easy enough. A couple days beforehand, a buddy of mine loaned me his beautiful Fender Strat, so I opted to play the Anthem like Hendrix's famous performance. So I'm shredding this Anthem in front of like 300 people, feeling good, having a good time, and hit this sick dive bomb with the whammy. Only problem was, when I came back up from the dive bomb, I forgot where I was in the song. Didnt know what came next, no clue what note I should play. So I panicked and did the only thing that came to mind, I started the whole song over. My Mom was so excited to see me play that day, she came to record it.

[@kellyjackson7889]

Recording or it didn't happen...

[@secondlifearound]

Please post the recording!!!

[@antimidotcom]

Same thing happened to me. Same song, but on trumpet, and for maybe 100 people. I saw my girlfriend's mom and sister filming in the bleachers, and then forgot the whole middle of the anthem. I made a few goose noises then played the ending. I turned to the girl next to me after it was over and asked, "was it really that bad?" She said, "I was laughing so hard I almost dropped the flag!"

[@marendenison3550]

I don’t blame you though. That dive bomb sequence... wow. I only heard Jimi play it and even I forgot what song I was listening to.

[@curtiseverett1671]

That made me laugh!!

[@superspeederbooster]

i have opposite demoitis, longer i listen to somthing the worse it sounds.

[@maninthecrowd5076]

Luki Same here. I think it loses the tastes and appears a little more bland each time.

[@jasoncarraway966]

Same here man, then I’ll start to think “how the hell did I think this sounded ok to begin with ha?!”

[@hannuback]

That's why it takes me so long with my home recordings, I listen to them and find something that could be better. If I'm satisfied with something, chances are that on the next day I'll do something over. It's not like I'm even aiming for high quality as I do songs for fun. Sometimes I listen to some old song I made and wonder why I didn't publish it, then I listen to it once more and... well, I guess some songs are never going to get released :D

[@robinflick5516]

I have both

[@RJrules64]

If you aren't already, you should become a mix engineer. That would be invaluable and I'm very jealous. Mix engineers struggle because the more they listen to a track, the more they get used to how it currently sounds and don't hear the bad things anymore. We have to take regular breaks to come back and listen with fresh ears.

[@priyonjoni]

This is why re-recorded albums, even if they sound sonically better, don’t have the same impact as the original release.

[@389383]

It's always the drum that gives it away-too clean. Or the fake strings replacing the real ones.

[@priyonjoni]

@@389383 clarity of the drums is definitely a big factor

[@kerryfoster1]

Never heard a 'digitally remastered' that I thought sounded as good a the original. I have the original Alice Cooper ' Elected' sounds great on vinyl. CD versions were CRAP....

[@ghostownaproach]

When I listen to re recorded oldies I imagine that I'm at a live performance hearing how they would sound in that way because it's the only way to accept the differences.

[@drawkiain]

Yeah, I accidentally bought an ELO greatest hits album that were actually all 2012 re-recordings rather than the originals. It just sounded so wrong compared to the originals ... I totally have this feeling

[@SerjBassist]

In my case, it hits me even before. I normally write full songs on my own which I then send to my band. The arrangements tend to be quite simple so the other members have the freedom to add their own ideas. Once it's processed by three different brains and techniques, the song is way different from what I first heard in my head. I've learned to live with that. Making music is all about to know when to let go, and trust the ones they're working with you.

[@Zoltan1251]

i love the way i believe Queen or GnR wrote their songs.... each band member wrote the song and directed others so it sounds like they intended... this i think created great variety in their music

[@flash001USA]

"That initial inspiration is usually the best." I couldn't agree more with that statement.

[@indiefilmandmusic]

In the film business, it's widely known as "Temp-itis". Unreasonable love for the temp score. Composers are driven crazy by this. The director and editor have heard the temp score 5 million times. It's part of the film now. Just try writing something different. Go ahead...I dare ya!

[@RickBeato]

INDIE FILM MAKER That makes sense.

[@thomasbunce4342]

Saw a video that went into this. What's bad is that they edit the movie around the temp score and they they have to match all the beats. The comparisons of the 'original score' they played were basically copies of the temp. How they don't get sued for plagiarism is beyond me. Maybe they pay for the temp tracks as well.

[@DynamicRockers]

ahah it's always like this. For 2001 space odyssey, Kubrick commissionned Alex North, to write the original soundtrack. In just two weeks, North delivered a spectacular score but, late in the day, Kubrick chose to abandon North’s music in favour of the Strauss which he had previously used in an early show reel of footage from 2001. This is temporary-accommodationitis.

[@skylightmusicshowree]

Rick, the next time you speak with Christian Henson, ask him what he thinks about temp scores!

[@389383]

@@DynamicRockers Thanks for the info, just looked it up and will listen. Don't know if I can un-hear the soundtrack.

[@jonasholm6345]

Rick, love your channel and really appreciate what you are giving to the world. It would be really interesting to hear more about your unemployed period at 32, about your psychological state at the time and the struggle you went through to push on. There surely must be a lot of struggling musicians out there with psychological issued, depression and feeling of hopelessness so I really think it would be a worthwhile topic.

[@RCAvhstape]

Reminds me of a story from a few years ago. My band is not "punk rock" but it's "punk" in the sense that we're almost completely DIY, no money, and very little formal music training. At the time, I think I was the only one who had taken lessons (to play bass, years ago), and we had no support from any label or anyone else. We decided to try and make a demo recording in one of the guys' dingy basement. I used my little Korg handheld recorder, on a coffee table in the middle of the room, between the drum kit, the amps, and the little PA speaker, and we just played 2 takes of each of our tunes, about 8 or 9 originals. We were fairly well rehearsed, so the playing and singing were fine, but obviously the recording was very lo-fi, and not in a good way, and worse, there was an extra snare drum in the corner of the room that rang constantly. But the band was on fire and the recordings were high energy, with all the things that make rock bands cool, all the little finger squeaks and small mistakes and feedbacking guitars. Later we went into an actual studio and recorded an album, and while the pro versions of the songs sound way better, they seem to lack a bit of that magic that we got in that filthy basement, bad sound quality and all. If only we'd captured that basement session with good gear and somebody who knows what he's doing...

[@andreizhitkov5012]

No artist can be objective about their creations, just like no parent can be objective about their kids.That's where the critics, producers and school counselors come in.

[@yuggothproductions]

I’ve experienced this though like everyone and I think a lot of what it is is the energy thing. The energy is usually better on demos for some reason because it’s fresh. So then you get in the studio and it sounds a million times better but it lacks that original energy. I read somewhere that Mike Patton set up a pro studio in his house and said, “Now the demo IS the final recording!” 😊

[@jakemitchell1671]

Can't everyone relate to this??? Lord knows I can! This is one of my favorite RB videos. No theory, no breaking down the best songs of all time, no compelling commentary on the state of music or products....just recounting past experiences and passing along funny, interesting stories. I'd like to see 50 more of these! Couple months ago some old band buddies came into town and we got together to hang out and reminisce. I somehow found a cassette of our very first demo tape from 1982 - back before the home recording revolution when studio time was very costly. We made a demo that we thought was one of the greatest sounding things ever produced. We even sold it at gigs for several years. I remember thinking my guitar tone rivaled Eddie Van Halen, and JJ's (my best friend) drum sounds would make John Bonham jealous! Well....I was WRONG. Very, very, very....oh so very....WRONG! Lol....We sat around the table listening to this horrid POS, literally unable to believe there was a day when we thought it sounded GREAT. The drums sounded like cardboard boxes; the guitars were thin and fuzzy, the bass was almost non-existent, and the vocals were so compressed you couldn't detect volume or intensity changes at all. It was just crazy! I'll never understand why I ever thought those recordings sounded good. It's sort of a "Twilight Zone" feeling, where I can't imagine what I was hearing 35 years ago.

[@ShiningEyeBrigade]

Man that advice on recording it great the first time is just golden wisdom. Have had that experience many times where the first performance was the best.

[@HobzyMcRuse]

I thought Rick was going to talk about sharting during an important record company meeting.

[@jamesstinebaker1290]

This is easily the best comment on this video

[@martysmith7038]

He's not ready to laugh about that yet

[@aaaaaaahhhhhhhh926]

I need the backstory to this lol

[@LaMarcGasoldridge]

what 😳

[@Linnerd]

@@aaaaaaahhhhhhhh926 me too lol

[@joelvalentineruiz796]

You should do a "What Makes This Song Great" for some John Williams; I've always wondered about the polytonal methods in "The Walls Converge."

[@davidf8749]

"What makes this song great" - 4'33" by John Cage. I'd love to see the STEMs for this one :)

[@MrCREWCRUSHIN95]

Easy: what makes this song great John Williams? Albert Korngold.

[@KozmykJ]

I'm glad that you pointed out that Demo-itis can work both ways. In that 1st anecdote I wondered at what point the engineers at the posh studio stopped 'trying' because 'Frank's' mic had been snubbed. Years back, decades even, I made a demo on an 8-track Fostex. That got picked up and in an 'Island'ish deal they decided to run with the demo tracks (copied to 2") but add new drums, largely gate triggered.

[@hansangb]

You know, I'm not a music aficionado. I hardly know any current musicians with a few exceptions. I like talk radio over music. But I absolutely *LOVE* listening to Rick. I don't understand half the stuff he talks about when it comes to music theory, but the genuineness and passion comes through loud and clear. This is why KZbin will live on, thanks to people like Rick.

[@stupendousmusic4190]

Excellent Rick! Thank you for this one! One question: With the first band in Capitol, why didn't everyone just say "OK" and make the band think they were going through all the cheap stuff? It seems to me that all that had to be done was put the two mics next to each other, and pretend that the PreSonus mic pre and the AT were connected, or cut two vocal tracks at once; surely there are more than enough tracks on that Neve to facilitate this.

[@Table-Top]

Lol... you're a great storyteller Rick !

[@DennisAlvarezMusic]

Rick, I can so relate to what you're saying here! I once worked with a producer who would ask "Are you married to that part?". I usually demo my songs by myself and when it comes to playing and/or recording with other players I do my best to be opened minded to their creativity and abilities. It's so easy to get very attached to what we create and loose sight of how fresh input from the right people in the whole creative process can make our cherished ideas so much better.

[@justproducer1716]

This is amazing. You need to do a series. Story time with Rick.

[@StevenPrince777]

Oh man! I can SO relate to this video. Great work Rick. Thank you for your honesty and generosity sharing your formidable knowledge and experience. I really appreciate it. THE BEST music channel on KZbin period.

[@HiVoltish]

Clicked for the hope of Ricks air-drumming, stayed for the great stories. a drum machine? A DRUM MACHINE!?!?

[@underwoodvoice9077]

That Fostex X15 brings back memories of my first multi-track experiments. Man, I'm glad none of them survive.

[@Duke_Silver]

These things happens because our brains get used to the sounds, and starts to treat them as the "right" sounds. Best example would be the first Doors album. I remember when I`ve heard it for the first time - I`ve immediatelly stopped and checked if the stereo is not "eating" my tape, which it sometimes did, because "Break on Through" sounded to me as its too slow. Then I got used to the sound and never think about it again, until I`ve read in the 2006 mixes liner notes, that this album was available for 40 years with incorrect pitch (mastertape casette player was too slow). Isn`t that crazy?

[@orlock20]

Jimmy Page, when he was in Led Zeppelin is an example. The recordings were mostly done with a telecaster plugged into the sound desk yet almost everyone that covers a Led Zeppelin song uses a Les Paul Gibson guitar plugged into a Marshall amplifier because that's what it showed in the pictures and videos of the live performances.

[@imacmadman22]

I had an X-15 many years ago, I think it was about 1985-86, I bought it based on the ad where they claimed Sgt. Pepper's was made in a 4-track studio. Well, the X-15 didn't come with Sir George Martin inside.

[@mythillogic]

They did use 4-track machines, but they had more than one tape machine, so effectively it was at least an 8-track studio.

[@JohnAlbertRigali]

@imacmadman22 🤣

[@noone-t8y]

Sometimes the demo is the right thing. Sometimes it isn't. But by all means, be flexible.

[@backwatersandbackroads]

You're the most valuable fan music and musicians have Rick. Thank you

[@dr.guyshkolnik_composer]

What you said at the end is so true! making sure that initial recording is done right. Great video Rick :)

[@MoneyCrespin]

Foo Fighters 1995 self titled album. The best selling “demo” of all time?

[@Bigtubes]

I was just checking that album out yesterday and thought it was pretty great. I think one of the reasons it sounds raw and good is that he did it in a week and had to commit to get it done without obsessing over every track or take. I checked out a newer Foo album from 2017 and didn't care much for it. The best albums I have personally worked on were done fairly quickly with lots of first takes.

[@leafbelly]

That's such a great album. The production value isn't the greatest, but Grohl's songwriting more than makes up for it.

[@GlenBerry]

@@laartwork Yes! Springsteen's Nebraska was recorded on a Tascam 4-track cassette Portastudio. It was literally Bruce's self-made demo tape for the album. They tried recording the album with the full band and the best gear available, but nothing ever pleased Bruce more than his original cassette demo tape. So, they just released that!

[@karlosed]

And The Strokes' "Is This It" the best "debut demo" of all time? hahaha

[@artturnerjr]

Boston's first album (25 million copies sold, per Wikipedia) is basically their demo tape.

[@johnreid6742]

Really enjoyed this Rick especially as we had a rotten experience in our first studio recording session years ago. A really good engineer producer was helping us out as he knew our keyboard player and was charging us a lower fee. 3 songs came out perfect but the one we were so excited to record was a disaster, we never wanted to hear it again. It was a learning experience for sure, I really thought that you record a song with a pro and he/she would just know what to do, like make it the classic you knew it could potentially be lol. Oh dear, lesson learned ; )

[@jamesf2918]

The initial inspiration is always the best/record it as good as you can the first time. Probably the best advice you can give anybody. I have so many demos that I love and I know will never get any better if I go back and record them again. Great video.

[@seanld444]

I literally can't think of a reason to not like Rick. Engaging and interesting stories, good lessons, it feels like you're conversing with me and not at me, and you're super open-minded and humble. Your content is excellent.

[@clockdva20]

One of the stories that springs to my mind involves Joy Division , they suffered from your above mentioned subject . Their first studio recording was disastrous recorded wrong to the point of sounding terrible when it was pressed to record , though it has since been fixed for a later re-issue . But the main story is when they got a proper producer Martin Hannett of Factory records , they band members wanted to sound like a punk band , when the final mix was played to them they hated it with a passion . But it went on to become one of the defining post punk albums and was wondering he start of the Manchester golden age of bands , like the Fall , the Smiths , Happy Mondays and so on . Even the band members later said they were wrong to have not listened to the producer at first . Loving the Video's thanks .

[@kospandx]

Glenn Fricker is going to love this.

[@ruggerosmith1167]

These two guys really compliment each in terms of extremes of personalities, production values and styles/genres of music they produce etc. But both are so very knowledgeable and professional. Glenn is more loud, "in your face" everyman/hard rocker if you will, whereas Rick is calm, smooth and deliberate. Both are straight shooters and wouldn't steer you wrong, have no ego and can recognize when they're wrong and have true passion for learning and teaching. Both are invaluable resources for any musician!

[@tomszymusic]

Rick is still pretty stern at times, which is great. I see Warren Huart as the anti Glen Fricker.

[@RickBeato]

Tom Szy Music Stern haha! Like my Dad :)

[@DrumRoody]

Glen is incapable of love

[@Coleanhydros]

@@DrumRoody Glenn loves real drums.

[@JimmyBComputerGuy]

"I'm sorry I was an idiot." :-) I've had to use this countless times throughout my life. Good work, Man.

[@aneyesky]

My all time fav Rick! I listen WAAAY too much to my crappy vocal harmony tracks , because I couldn’t believe that I actually learned and sang my harmonies relatively in tune! I love how real you are.

[@ashworthwiltshire7446]

Of all your great content here, I always gravitate to the stories you have to tell. Thanks for sharing.

[@MrVasile]

To paraphrase Faulkner, "...you must kill your darlings". Great video, Rick!

[@beachcomber2008]

I think you're absolutely right. A crisp and unmodified mix helps one appreciate the 'nuances'. As soon as one adds any modifications whatsoever, presence is lost. Less is more.

[@bartnettle]

Your totally right about the initial inspiration often doesn't reproduce well and first few takes are often the keepers. Record everything!

[@ClearAdventure]

Jovi sang his amazing song "Santa Fe" demo in his home studio then tried to "Beat the demo" in a real studio with a better vocal performance. He tried and tried, but couldn't. So they had to work like hell to get that demo version vocal up to par. Point is, some days you have "It" and some days you don't. You just never know, so treat every take like it will be the master. Because you are not really in control.

[@mindcontrol67]

I've made so many demos using a basic drum machine got used it after many listens, then brought it to the band with my brother who is an amazing drummer and it was never the same as the demo,I always wanted him to dumb down the drums with no fills to recreate what I was used to.He wasn't happy.Demo- Itus is real.

[@mraymo1977]

Recorded through a Neve console many moons ago at Pyramid Studios in Ithaca. Blew my 21 year old mind!!!! Love these videos, Rick. I’ll be buying a book soon!

[@montraix]

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic was a demo vocal, seriously. They re-recorded EVERYTHING else, even brought in Jean Michael-Jarre to re-record the piano and synths, but alas, as great a singer as Sting is, he couldn’t match his vocal energy from the demo. You notice how it sounds a little cloudy in the low mids, that’s because it’s a cassette transfer. I read about this back in the 80s, but it’s even funnier now. They also had power surge issues on Monserrat that hosed other aspects of the recording and had Sting thinking he couldn’t sing in tune anymore!!??

[@kevanchristian5196]

Wow! I've always wondered why it felt so difficult to play a song nicely when I've played it hundreds of times.

[@tdubveedub]

When I was a kid (100yrs. ago), I made a point of NOT listening to any recording (LP or radio) of a band I was going to see that weekend. Now I know why.

[@RichardHare]

Thomas Wright I hate it when people play the band you’re going to see on the way to a gig.

[@peterbechtel9824]

Totally disagree...I listen to nothing but the band leading up to the show. Is it because the live performance usually can't live up to the studio recording?

[@tdubveedub]

@@peterbechtel9824 Not exactly; it's just that the live performance was always different, probably because of the live stage equipment and acoustics being so different from the studio (out of necessity). I just wanted to come to the performance with 'fresh ears', not with a version of 'demoitis' burned into my expectations; it was the sixties and seventies, after all. ;~)

[@valvenator]

@@tdubveedub Most bands seem to screw up my favorite song live, probably because it's the one I'm most familiar with Sometimes a live version can be a real treat but too many times it sounds either rushed through or dragged on and on ruining the groove of the song.

[@tdubveedub]

@@valvenator Yeah, I get that. Back then, every band was a 'jam band' when it came to live playing, and we got some awesome solos. If I listened to the band all week, I would have certain expectations and miss the moment entirely, so by letting the 'demoitis' subside, I had a better appreciation for what was happening in front of me, for better or worse. Usually better.

[@cristianrsepulveda]

Hi Rick, I'm a big fan of you. This is a beautiful story, to say "I'm sorry for what I did" it shows you a humble person no often case in the showbiz. It's amazing think about how often of this cases in the whole music and the way you told what happened it is awesome. I totally agree with you about initial inspiration will always be the best cut. I left my musician career to work in a desk 20 years ago, but eighth notes are always running through my blood and watch your videos connects me into it. Warm regards from Chile.

[@dgrantgibson]

Excellent advice Rick! Do it RIGHT the first time, as it may the be the ONE that is final, the best one. I appreciate your down to earth communicating style relating stories in the music industry. I wrote a song which I paid studio to my song done with a professional female cuban singer, professional bass guitarist and myself on Gibson electric rhythm and background vocals. Sounds raw and slightly unfinished but to this day I still love it! Called 'I'm The One'. Kudos for sharing...

[@giordash]

There’s a great story Bill Bottrell tells in a SOS article about tracking Michael Jackson’s demo vocals for Black or White. A year after putting them down, they had gone completely untouched throughout production and nobody objected to their quality - obviously. It’s Michael. One of few cases where I imagine demoitis was fully warranted.

[@JbfMusicGuitar]

Apparently, the rhythm guitar for I'm Coming Out (Diana Ross) was just a guide track that they got attached to in the studio. Probably a good choice in the example though!

[@guitarstevehobbs]

Rick I love your humility. Love this channel

[@coat.thik1]

I never been in a studio recording but I love music and instruments. This channel Is pure gold, thank you Rick ✌️

[@Sommertest]

Whenever I listen to early AC/DC, the amp hissing, room acoustics and live sound mean as much or more than the actual music being played. Whole lotta Rosie would not be the same song if it were completely scrubbed of the amps. Some bands actually benefit from that rough demo sound. But, that being said, Highway to Hell was simply brilliant and clean sounding which kinda picks my theory apart.

[@matsf8268]

Agree, that whole album sounds so real

[@tgrules565]

I think Powerage has the best of both.

[@RCAvhstape]

Modern stoner bands do that on purpose, to the point where's it's not only obvious but also cliché. But when it's done honestly it's pretty awesome. Dead Moon was a garage rock band whose every record was like a lo-fi version of AC/DC and I loved them.

[@joeambly6807]

If the production means more to you than the music, then you have seriously lost the focus about what music is all about

[@wickedlee664]

Astethics are a valid part of any art form. When u look at a painting the type of paint, canvas and technique all are part of the art. Even what a band wears IS a part of the artistry of rock and roll.

[@sethchrisman1645]

Great vid. I think a great idea for another video would be one about theories of what rock music might sound like in the 2020s. What themes might it have? What might inspire a rock n roll revolution again if it were to take place?Give us some of your theories and/ or creativity!

[@tod3msn]

Rick....You needed to tell us how stupid we all can be when we think we are being smart. That band story about the cheap mike is important for all to hear because it is deadly when we start to believe our own nonsense. Great story. Thank you so much!

[@kw9172]

Basically, that´s the Neil Young approach. He is known to use not only first takes but also run-troughs of session musicians who sometimes weren´t even aware that they have been recorded. James Taylor was quoted that his banjo part on "Old Man" was really just a sketch.

[@charliekelland7564]

Same with JJ Cale - he'd let a guest have a run through and then say thanks we got it :D

[@charliekelland7564]

I believe Clint Eastwood films in a similar 'fast & loose' way too :)

[@debvalle7466]

Haha. This kind of reminds me of an old Elton John album I bought as a kid. One tune skipped in the same place. When I finally downloaded the digital version, I couldn’t connect with the tune without that skip. You can get used to anything, which is a little scary to consider! 😊

[@txtamaman]

I can't belive, as a musician, I'm just finding your work on here... LOVE YOUR STUFF BROTHER!.. love the song breakdowns too

[@fbrustywalker4395]

I've been streaming your stuff for about a year now I suppose. I started with WMTSG You Ought to Know. It blew me away so I went back and started from the beginning. I usually stream something of yours daily. However, today while working, I've streamed over 12 hours of your content to keep me company. I've already bought your book in the recent past to kind of feel like I was "paying you back" for what you give me. But it isn't enough- So I just joined your Beato club because I cannot imagine where I can get this much high quality content for a fraction of your monthly membership price. Keep it up- this is bad ass stuff, and well worth the monthly price. I hope others see the value as well. Thanks!

[@RickBeato]

Thank you!

[@geopro9390]

Hi mr Beato. I was wondering if u could please do a “what makes this music great” on Mad Seasons River of deceit. It’s an amazing song and also be good to learn about the breakdown of Layne’s melody. All the best!

[@audio_odyssey]

Yes please! There are quite a few songs on there that would be awesome to see on WMTSG

[@sallyschildcare]

I'd love that it's in my top ten

[@geopro9390]

Audio Odyssey very true my friend. All alone is just so god damn heartbreaking. Beautiful piece of music. 👍🏻

[@geopro9390]

Leon Drake 👍🏻

[@gr8kzoo]

That's a fantastic idea. That album rocks.

[@67davbeav]

Hey Rick, this video makes me think of Springsteen's " Nebraska" album; a suped up demo.

[@fluxerflixer1]

Awesome advice. Some of the things we do in our earlier years can be very embarrassing years later. And sometimes I hear things in my earlier playing that blow my mind🎸🥁🎼🎹! The spontaneity and being in the moment can turn out to be your greatest achievements. 👍🏻

[@moosetopherrobin6147]

Thanks for sharing these stories! A lot of budding artists need to hear it. I mean, embarrassment is kind of necessary to form a solid sense of self, but if a few of the edges can be rounded off... It could definitely save some folks from giving up too soon.

[@annekedebruyn7797]

That is rookie level embarrassment. When I was an intern I had to do audio mixing for multiple live broadcasters. Basically my job was making sure 8 of the biggest broadcasting channels got audio live. Never done any of it at that point but it didn't sound too hard. But it was a digital mixer that I wasn't allowed to change settings on so I had no idea really what the hell I was doing. It turned out for the entire intro piece I was blasting into the ear of the second speaker because I was told the wrong layer. Sure as an intern I can't be held responsible but it isn't pleasant getting screamed at by multiple directors and producers while not know what to do. I fixed it before any serious things were said luckily but still. That was the most silent 30 seconds I will ever hear in my life. Every since that moment I quit live broadcasting and bought the first analog mixer I saw. Digital. Never again. (I still managed to end the internship for those wondering. They were glad I could fix the issues before any of the numbers were going out.)

[@Leotardoification]

Man, as a musician I deal with artists every once in a while, who ask me to "add my flavor" to the track. But when it comes down to it, they can never get used to anything other than what they programmed on their dynamicless iPad Garageband shithouse session, so I end up having to copy every single stroke from that on the final recording.

[@kereamohau]

'My Heart Will Go On' is actually Celine Dion's demo session. She was meant to re-record her vocal part later, but since she killed the session, the producers decided to use that for the final recording.

[@melodyvalentine8779]

Yeah, she actually didn't like the song but was pursuaded to record the demo so she did but didn't think she'd actually go ahead with an official recording so that's her not even trying. That's how good she is

[@diamonddavemc]

Spot on Rick. I've recently had an episode of Rough Sketchitis, where me, a bassist and another guitarist were arranging one of my songs in rehearsal to a basic click track. We recorded it on a smartphone so we wouldn't forget when we came to demo it, but we happened to catch a feel and performance that we then had trouble recreating on the demo. The rough smartphone version of the song is the best. Life can be cruel.

[@offcenterconcepthaus]

Good one -- good insight into artistic neuroticism.

[@Ryandgeorgi]

Demoitis.. Inflammation of the demo.. It finally has a name!

[@Franklinjohn6709]

I see what you did there 😏

[@acetate909]

*Infatuation with the demo.

[@operastudio1238]

I still have that 4ch fostex cassette recorder somewhere.. with Dolby S, if I remember correctly. Loved the thing. ☺️👍🏻 Great video. 👌👌

[@AsherMandrake]

Rick, I agree with your statement that the initial inspiration is the best. I find that if I overthink something I just played, or that I can do it better after some thought, it's usually not better after the first try. Interesting story and thanks for sharing that.

[@yngveknudsen7915]

Ok Rick's got a new upload. Must see now.

[@dhpbear2]

I would love to hear that demo vs. the final version. I know for legal reasons, you probably can't post them :(

[@sixfingr]

Your intro. That has ended more than one band I've been in. HA! And going from demo mode back to working on new music live. That demo is hard to get past. So funny and spot on.

[@celestialscripture]

Oh my, I have lived this video. Right on point at the end regarding first takes; usually everything you need is in that first iteration. Amazing how it happens that way.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Riveting. Could listen to you for hours. If I'm not mistaken, "Jagged Little Pill" is almost entirely the demos. Hence the ropey vocals, dodgy tuning and playing in places. But it was an example where the demos really did capture something that couldn't be re-found. Probably more often the opposite is true though, as you say :)

[@Bacopa68]

Rick's done a video on You Outta Know. Production is a little more complex than you might think, but it was recorded in some now defunct format that never caught on.

[@AlexBallMusic]

@@Bacopa68 Thanks. I'll check that video out!

[@kitano0]

@@AlexBallMusic When you listen to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" (yeah, I know, I know) that is basically the demo...recorded in one take.

[@dhpbear2]

They should've worked more on this album. Was there any way they could've eliminated the whiny vocals ? :)

[@matturner6890]

"Ropey"?

[@DarkItachi1]

man I had so many Embarrassing Memories in my life

[@markgigiel2722]

Haven't we all. Shhhh, don't tell anyone.

[@juanaltredo2974]

means you tried things man

[@marcomazzucco7104]

Man I could listen to you for hours 'cause you have a talent and you refer in such an awesome way that even a Story like this is mega exiting - even for me as a German guy can follow this - love it - inspirational and instructive

[@robertoj.fernandez2189]

Thanks Rick for bring this out, I had a similar experience and too embarrassed to talk about it! 😜

[@kevinnorris2970]

This is a big danger when using "temp tracks" for scoring. It's the old, "I don't know what I like, I like what I know" syndrome.

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

Hi Rick, have a request for a video discussion on Guitarists who suffered cervical Spondylosis ( or any neck pain issues in their music career ) and they recovered from it and back to guitar practice they love. I suffered from this 1 year back and unable to play guitar which i love and needed your help on any success stories of musicians who overcome this and leading a normal life. Even though i am taking medications for it, a motivational video on this who faced such challenges will be helpful for me and other musicans who suffered from this. Thanks in advance .

[@willywayne5299]

yes you are not alone,bass player who had neck pain creep into my life had to search for light basses it helps then visit chiropractor,then sit down and play when possible!!!

[@danielspangler8358]

Check out a doctor on KZbin that goes by the name of "motivationaldoc". He has a lot of great videos regarding neck issues and various other healthcare videos. I wish you well, you're not alone.

[@Starcrunch72]

40 years with a Stratocaster (mostly) hung from the left shoulder, overlap 10 early years with a variety of saxophones hung from my neck, overlap 15 later years wearing suspenders to keep my pants up just wrecked havoc on my back, neck and left arm nerve trunk...was not carpel tunnel, was the entire cordial nerve for my left arm--still can't sleep on my left side....there's more than just hearing and liver damage being a gigging musician.

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

@@danielspangler8358 Thanks Daniel . Will check out.

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

@@willywayne5299 Thanks Willy for the kind words and support.

[@ModularLanding]

"Record things right the first time." Yes, absolutely true. Far better than trying to re-create a moment of magic -- which rarely works.

[@rockstarfriend2049]

Great advice!!! I have worked with a drummer/songwriter for 30+ years. We’ve recorded and re-recorded different versions of the same 30-40 songs over the years. Some of the best versions are the originals but we didn’t have the knowledge or budget to record them right back then.

[@theplanetruth]

I love this channel.

[@gabecrouse8766]

Can we hear the demo that was released? (last song discussed)

[@mutee333]

Read hundreds of comments scanning for any info regarding this.

[@SuperLeica1]

Glad to hear you confirming my old notion; 1st take gives the best music. Unfortunately sometimes there´s a flaw right then. Further on to 2nd take, repair the flaws. Comes out technically good, but stiff. 3rd take (after a short break) may be the solution. I can´t recall anytime the 4th or later takes were used, they don´t usually express enough of the 1st take´s feeling.

[@soulagent79]

I remember when we made demo recordings on our 4-track recorder back in the 90s, we always thought that if we ever got signed, we'll have to do it all over again in a professional studio, which scared us a bit.

[@joelsom]

Demoitis!! Happened to me with the “Go Diego Go” theme song. The famous TV song that played for years on NICKELODEON...that’s the demo. They wouldn’t accept my well-done, finely-tuned, re-recorded version. Ugh!! Haha!

[@JohnAlbertRigali]

@Joel Someillan I seem to remember Carl Royce telling me that story...

[@DavidDiMuzio]

Great advice! Appreciate it. I will heed it :)

[@ronaldanderson9263]

The third story smacks of Robyn and Riley "When I found you". First heard while surfing the net with my wife watching the hallmark channel. This song came on as story support and it caught my attention so that I spent the next waking hours trying to locate the song as I had to hear it again and find out who did it etc. I found it and my, it sure didn't sound like it did coming from the TV. I blamed it on the TV's SRS but it sounds like an unmastered demo albeit very good and catchy. The vocal track is spot on.

[@eladreltuc]

So cool, if you think of more do another one. This could be a side segment with guests sharing stories. Keep up the awesome work!

[@johnlightfoot9967]

I watch a lot of your video's, you often mention different mics, any chance of a vid showing the difference in sound of a cheap mic compared to more expensive ones.

[@ddavidson67]

John Lightfoot yes! This!