Beatles DNA In A Badfinger Hit - 'COME AND GET IT' Two 2025 Remixes Including Paul McCartney's Demo

Details
Title | Beatles DNA In A Badfinger Hit - 'COME AND GET IT' Two 2025 Remixes Including Paul McCartney's Demo |
Author | britt2001b |
Duration | 5:04 |
File Format | MP3 / MP4 |
Original URL | https://youtube.com/watch?v=GkuX_1MOkI8 |
Description
On August 2, 1969, four very excited young men entered EMI Studios to record a brand-new song written by Paul McCartney. Though they would soon be known as Badfinger, at the time they were still called The Iveys. This session marked their first single under the name Badfinger for Apple Records—making them the first rock group other than The Beatles to release music on the new Apple label. Not only did McCartney write the song, but he also produced the band’s recording of it.
Just days earlier, on July 24, 1969, Paul had rushed into EMI Studios about thirty minutes before the other Beatles arrived to continue work on the Abbey Road album. With the studio already prepped for recording (“Mean Mr. Mustard” being one of the songs tackled later that day) Paul quickly laid down a complete demo of “Come and Get It,” which he had written the night before, following the hit-making formula of the era. With engineer Phil McDonald, McCartney recorded all the instruments and vocals himself, completing the demo in under an hour. He then cut an acetate for Badfinger to learn the song from.
When it came time for Badfinger to record their version, Paul insisted they follow his demo exactly, warning that they could only have the song if they didn’t alter it. He was confident it would be a hit just as it was. Reluctantly, the band agreed not to put their own spin on it, and instead recorded a version that closely mirrored Paul's demo—though at a slightly faster tempo. As Paul predicted, the song became a massive hit. Not only was it written specifically for Badfinger, it was also featured in Ringo Starr’s film with Peter Sellers, The Magic Christian.
This brings us to the purpose of this video: a new remix of Badfinger’s officially released version of “Come and Get It” with a remix of Paul McCartney’s original demo. Presented side by side, the comparison offers a deeper dive into the song’s history and highlights the musical vision behind both recordings. It’s a simple yet magnificent, in-your-face melody—proof of how even an under-produced track can resonate with listeners. Such is the enduring power of great songwriting.
For the Badfinger version, I made several key moves to enhance the stereo image while keeping the spirit of the original intact. In the original mix, the drums were isolated in the left channel. Now, they’re spread more naturally across the stereo field, much like how they’re presented in Paul’s demo. The bass, originally anchored in the right channel, has been repositioned to the center, where it now locks in more effectively with the drums, creating a more dynamic rhythm section.
With the drums moved out of the left channel, I relocated the piano (originally centered) to the left, filling that space. The harmony backing vocals, which previously overlapped the lead, have been shifted to the right channel to occupy the area vacated by the bass. The maracas and tambourine remain on the right. Overall, this remix aims to reflect the stereo style more typical of late 1960s recordings, offering a more balanced and immersive experience than the original release.
Paul’s demo, by contrast, presented more of a challenge due to its raw, stripped-down nature—as most demos are. Using the version released on Anthology 3 as my source, I shifted the piano to the left and moved the bass (which plays more like a rhythm guitar) to the right. Unlike Badfinger’s version, there were no harmony vocals to reassign, so the adjustments were more subtle.
The drums in Paul’s demo were already well-positioned with a natural stereo spread (likely the result of Ringo’s drum mics being set up for the Abbey Road session scheduled later that same day) so I left them untouched. The only change I made to Paul’s vocal was to reduce the excessive stereo reverb. Rather than removing it entirely, I narrowed the spread so that the reverb now feels more contained and focused, preserving the character of the original while improving clarity.
I realize this project steps a bit outside the usual Beatles remix path, but this is about as close to a Beatles-related remix as you can get—without it actually being a Beatles track.
Thanks so much for listening to both remixes!