From jukefox@jukejoynt.com Mon Dec 30 15:55:26 2013
Subject:"I'm A Believer" trivia: Re: Use & abuse of VB3 organ...

I have it on good authority that the "calliope" sound used in "I'm a Believer" (a Neil Diamond tune by the way) was the standard factory Ab preset on the lower manual of a studio Hammond C-3, which is generally known as a "Tibia Clausa," (or 8' Tibia in the stock Theatre presets ... the G#/Ab is identical between them) with the registration 008030000, or 8" full and 2 2/3 out a smidgen.



I'm told that "The Wrecking Crew" didn't really contribute much to "I'm A Believer" or the 2nd album, "More of the Monkees" (the best-selling of all the "Monkees" franchise), at all, as it was largely recorded in NYC, with major production oversight by Don Kirshner and fellow-New Yorker Jeff Barry line-producing the actual tune (he was also a prominent Neil Diamond producer back in the day).



i was not able to find out which studio they used ... only that it was one in NYC and that the "sound" came from a Hammond console's lower manual Ab/G# preset.



I'm also told that the band's "cast" (they not considered by the "band"/brand's owners to be an actual band, rather actors hired to play roles) was quite angry when the album was released (without their prior knowledge) and that they didn't even receive pre-release copies ... they first heard the songs from it on the radio while on a promotional tour and had to purchase a copy from a record shop to hear this body of "their own work" in its entirety.


Peace,
Fox

---In CloneWheel@{{emailDomain}}, wrote:

Thanx for your interest. Its the 8' drawbar with 4' pulled out about halfway.