An 8-bit time is guaranteed for all

January 4, 2017 4:37 PM

The 8-Bit Beatles
posted by paleyellowwithorange (32 comments total)

8 bits a week
posted by saturday_morning at 5:08 PM on January 4, 2017 [3 favorites]

I always get stuck on the Maharishi mini boss level; I can never find the Magical Mystery Walrus suit power up.
posted by leotrotsky at 5:16 PM on January 4, 2017 [2 favorites]

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Byte.
posted by quinndexter at 5:20 PM on January 4, 2017 [7 favorites]

I always get stuck on the Maharishi mini boss level. Tips?

Use your Sexy Sadie power-up.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 5:20 PM on January 4, 2017

The 'escort Ringo' mission on Hard Day's Night is also pretty frustrating.
posted by leotrotsky at 5:21 PM on January 4, 2017 [2 favorites]

She Came In Through The Bit-Room Window!
posted by TwoWordReview at 5:27 PM on January 4, 2017 [4 favorites]

Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 01000000?
posted by wanderingmind at 5:35 PM on January 4, 2017 [18 favorites]

I have a piece of software called Guitar Pro that plays the tablature through general midi. If you can think of a song, chances are someone's transcribed it. It's pretty hilarious to listen to Metallica in midi. Reminds me of this.
posted by adept256 at 5:41 PM on January 4, 2017 [2 favorites]

Number 00001001... number 00001001..... number 00001001
posted by MtDewd at 5:42 PM on January 4, 2017 [9 favorites]

Needs more arpeggiation.
posted by egypturnash at 5:58 PM on January 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

It's pretty hilarious to listen to Metallica in midi

People used to do this up to a remarkable degree. I think I still have some Zappa and King Crimson MIDI files around.
posted by thelonius at 6:05 PM on January 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

Maxwell's silver hammer is waaaay OP.
posted by mbd1mbd1 at 6:39 PM on January 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

Needs way more arpeggiation, yes. These sound way beyond even 16-bit SoundTracker capabilities.
posted by scruss at 6:45 PM on January 4, 2017

Sorry the beautiful thing about 8 bit retro music when it wasn't retro is that you were limited to 4 or 5 channels.... so what you cut out created as much of the soundscape as what you left in.
posted by Nanukthedog at 6:56 PM on January 4, 2017

They un-swung or de-syncopated or did something to All You Need Is Love. It's like they surgically removed all the fun out of it. I listened to it while falling asleep and it actually gave me nightmares about robots taking over and setting up a joyless dystopia. It's a hell of a thing to follow It's All Too Much with, anyway.
posted by darksasami at 7:15 PM on January 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

YOU MAY BE A BITTER BUT YOU AIN'T NO DANCER.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 7:19 PM on January 4, 2017 [2 favorites]

"She Played It Through Her Dad's Nintendo"
posted by Atom Eyes at 7:27 PM on January 4, 2017 [12 favorites]

They un-swung or de-syncopated or did something to All You Need Is Love.

Oh man, the second part of the verse where George Martin's strings do their thing (from 17:09) is a thing of beauty!
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 7:28 PM on January 4, 2017

Also, very creative aeroplane emulation at the beginning of the White Album.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 7:29 PM on January 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

Strawberry fields is missing the sung melody, which makes it feel incomplete.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:56 PM on January 4, 2017

Did you guys listen to The Walrus? It's pretty good.
posted by Team of Scientists at 8:05 PM on January 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

This brings me back to earlier pre-Audiogalaxy days of the internet, when you'd FTP into simtel or mirror sites. Instead of mp3s, you'd find directories full of meticulously crafted midi files, sounding much like these, of which dozens could fit on a floppy drive. The verisimilitude of wav and mpeg files changed the world forever but in some respects they were a step down from the amazing work created by the best midi artists.
posted by xigxag at 8:10 PM on January 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

Did you guys listen to The Walrus? It's pretty good.

Awesome! Especially the background vocals in the choruses and the beginning of the outro.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 8:15 PM on January 4, 2017

Yeah that whole outro actually got me all amped up. It's good!
posted by Team of Scientists at 8:20 PM on January 4, 2017

I was like doing the vocal chant parts to myself.

I dunno if they go a-chup chupa over that outro but I imagined they did and made it happen.
posted by Team of Scientists at 8:22 PM on January 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

It MUST be noted that the 'working title' for their second movie "HELP" during production was "Eight Arms to Hold You". Them Beatle boys knew the 8-bit bit before it was cool...
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:57 PM on January 4, 2017

Also, the volkswagon number plate on the Abbey Road cover was originally
2^8
BIT
but they realised it was too early in computing history for anyone to get the joke so killed Paul instead.
posted by quinndexter at 10:06 PM on January 4, 2017

>They un-swung or de-syncopated or did something to All You Need Is Love.

Yeah, the lack of swing deadens it along with the unrelenting drum beat. (That's in the original, but it's quiet, not a metronome of fuzz.)
posted by tchemgrrl at 6:36 AM on January 5, 2017

@saturday morning: I'm surprised you didn't go with Eight Bits to Hold You.
posted by koavf at 8:14 AM on January 5, 2017

Ring my friend, I said you call Doctor Wario
posted by Lucinda at 10:00 AM on January 6, 2017

Super Ringo Starrio Bros.!
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:05 PM on January 10, 2017

Alternatively: Happiness is a Warm Joystick
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:05 PM on January 10, 2017