Monday, August 18, 1969
Recording and mixing "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", "The End"
For The Beatles
Last updated on December 31, 2021
Monday, August 18, 1969
For The Beatles
Last updated on December 31, 2021
Feb 22 - Aug 25, 1969 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Abbey Road
Recording studio: EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Aug 17, 1969 • "Que Sera Sera" session
Session Aug 18, 1969 • Recording and mixing "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", "The End"
AlbumSome of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "Abbey Road" LP
The day started with the stereo mixing of “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight“. The orchestra overdub recorded on August 15 was first treated through ADT (Automatic Double Tracking):
During the mix, track eight, which contained the straight orchestral overdub, was positioned on one channel of the stereo landscape, while the orchestra with slightly delayed ADT was positioned on the other side, thus creating a lush orchestral backdrop to the released recording.
From beatlesebooks.com
Two attempts at creating the stereo mix were needed. The second mix was deemed the best and was released on “Abbey Road“.
“The End” then received its final overdub. Paul McCartney recorded the four-second piano overdub, that appears prior to the line “And In The End The Love You Take Is Equal To The Love You Make” in the final section of the track.
The Beatles were a challenge because they always wanted to add more. We actually filled up the 8-track; there was no room when we wanted to add the big sweeping strings on the last few bars of ‘The End’. So we recorded it ‘wild’ on a separate 4-track with the 8-track playing. Then I had to press the button at exactly the right time to play that ‘wild’ recording onto the mix.
Assistant engineer Alan Parsons, Uncut Magazine, October 2019
Six attempts at creating a stereo mix were done, but more attempts would follow the next day.
The session, which started at 2:30 pm, ended at 10:30 pm.
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 1 from take 17
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 2 from take 17
AlbumOfficially released on Abbey Road
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 1 from take 17
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 2 from take 17
AlbumOfficially released on Abbey Road
Recording • SI onto take 7
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 1 from take 7
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 2 from take 7
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 3 from take 7
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 4 from take 7
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 5 from take 7
Mixing • Stereo mixing - Remix 6 from take 7
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions • Mark Lewisohn
The definitive guide for every Beatles recording sessions from 1962 to 1970.
We owe a lot to Mark Lewisohn for the creation of those session pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details - the number of takes for each song, who contributed what, a description of the context and how each session went, various photographies... And an introductory interview with Paul McCartney!
Solid State: The Story of "Abbey Road" and the End of the Beatles
Acclaimed Beatles historian Kenneth Womack offers the most definitive account yet of the writing, recording, mixing, and reception of Abbey Road. In February 1969, the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to the Beatles' sound, and included "Come Together," "Something," and "Here Comes the Sun," which all emerged as classics.
If we modestly consider the Paul McCartney Project to be the premier online resource for all things Paul McCartney, it is undeniable that The Beatles Bible stands as the definitive online site dedicated to the Beatles. While there is some overlap in content between the two sites, they differ significantly in their approach.
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