Film Focus: “Deconstructing The Beatles’ White Album”

Scott Freiman’s latest film on The Beatles’ classic White Album hits theaters Wednesday, November 16th, 2016.

Will The Beatles ever get old? To those who connect with the massive charisma of the men and their music, all things Fab Four means endless fascination.

A flurry of recent films focusing on The Beatles backs that up, including the newly released Deconstructing the Beatles’ White Album, hitting theaters nationwide on November 16th. The movie takes the deep research that Scott Freiman routinely presents live in his “Deconstructing the Beatles” series, and makes it much easier to experience.

An NY-based composer, producer and engineer, Freiman has long been entrancing audiences with rare audio and video of the Beatles in action, stories from the studio, and more. But even though “Deconstructing” has been a hot ticket for years, Freiman realized there were only so many people he could Fab face-to-face.

The result is the film release of Deconstructing the Beatles’ White Album, giving fanatics everywhere access to mondo info about the legendary double album, technically entitled The Beatles, that came out on November 22, 1968. Freiman focuses in on the album’s tracks that have the most interesting backstories or that best demonstrate the way that The Beatles were writing and producing their music during this time, highlighting classics like “Blackbird,” “Revolution,” “Lady Madonna,” “Dear Prudence,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and many more.

In this “5 Questions” Q&A, Freiman tells SonicScoop why he went cinematic with the “Deconstructing” series, which will continue with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Revolver, and Rubber Soul on film in 2017.

When did it occur to you to make a film version of your “Deconstructing” series – what was the impetus?

I was approached by Richard Abramowitz, one of the most respected producers/distributors out there, about the possibility of turning my lectures into films. I have always wanted to bring the magic of The Beatles’ creative process to a wider audience.

From there, how did you decide to make the White Album the focus of your first film release?

My White Album lecture has always been an audience favorite. And it’s a fantastic album to “deconstruct”! So many different styles of music. Really interesting things happening with the individual Beatles. Relationships changing with the staff at Abbey Road. All the makings of a great story.

Were you concerned about anything getting lost in the film version, vs. a live presentation? Conversely, what was the opportunity to improve the experience?

We wanted to make sure the film preserved what audiences enjoy about my lectures. A chance to watch and hear The Beatles in action and learn about their creative process. I think we succeeded with the film.

You say in the film that “you can’t really dissect a piece of art without understanding where and when it took place.” Why is that true in general, and especially true for the White Album?

The creation of Art is often tied to time. It’s tied to what it going on in the artist’s life and in the world.

The White Album is a perfect example of this: The Beatles were each building their own identities, and to some extent this reached a turning point leading up to 1968 with each Beatle pursuing interests that often differed from their fellow Beatles. Throw in the formation of Apple Corps. and a world with political revolution and cultural taboos being broken. That brings us the White Album.

You play early versions of songs, like “Lady Madonna” before they’re fully finished. What’s particularly magical to you – and audiences – about hearing these songs in their rawer states?

When one hears a song evolve, s/he get a sense of how the songwriter makes decisions – how a good idea can become better, and sometimes worse, as it develops. Another example is “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” which I play in its original acoustic demo version. It’s so different from the version that ended up on the White Album, and some would say more poignant.

Find “Deconstructing” at a theater in your area.

• David Weiss

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