Wednesday, July 3, 1968
Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
For The Beatles
Last updated on October 19, 2024
Wednesday, July 3, 1968
For The Beatles
Last updated on October 19, 2024
"The Beatles" (aka the White Album) sessions
May 30 - Oct 18, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording studio: EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Article Jul 02, 1968 • Paul McCartney discusses Apple at lunch with EMI chairman and banker
Session Jul 02, 1968 • Recording "Good Night"
Session Jul 03, 1968 • Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
Session Jul 04, 1968 • Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
AlbumSome of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "The Beatles (Mono)" LP
On this day, The Beatles began the challenging task of recording “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” a process that would lead to tension within the group. Three versions were worked on:
The session lasted from 8 pm to 3:15 am the next morning. George Martin was listed as the producer on the EMI sheets for this session, but Chris Thomas may have been the acting producer, as suggested by engineer Geoff Emerick:
George happened to be absent on the first night The Beatles started running down ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,’ so Chris was the de facto producer. Initially, we all enjoyed doing the track because of its lighthearted up-tempo feel.
Geoff Emerick – From “Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles“, 2006
Seven takes of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” were recorded with Paul McCartney on acoustic guitar and guide vocals, and Ringo Starr on drums. Between takes, George humorously declared, “I’m standing up this time,” and jokingly referred to Duane Eddy’s instrumental hit with, “I’m ‘Movin’ ‘n’ Groovin’!” During the session, they also seemingly played “Bye Bye Love,” an early hit by the Everly Brothers.
Take 3 was released on the 2018 reissue of “The Beatles.”
Take 7 was initially favored, with Paul adding a proper lead vocal and another acoustic guitar part. However, Paul changed his mind, and added another acoustic guitar onto take 4. Vocals were worked on the following day.
Recording • Take 1
Recording • Take 2
Recording • Take 3
AlbumOfficially released on The Beatles (50th anniversary boxset)
Recording • Take 4
Recording • Take 5
AlbumReleased on bootleg White Album Sessions Volume 1
Recording • Take 6
Recording • Take 7
Recording • SI onto take 3
Recording • SI onto take 7
Written by Felice Bryant, Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant
Recording
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!
The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 4: The Beatles through Yellow Submarine (1968 - early 1969)
The fourth book of this critically acclaimed series, "The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 4: The Beatles through Yellow Submarine (1968 - early 1969)" captures The Beatles as they take the lessons of Sgt. Pepper forward with an ambitious double-album that is equally innovative and progressive. From the first take to the final remix, discover the making of the greatest recordings of all time. Through extensive, fully-documented research, these books fill an important gap left by all other Beatles books published to date and provide a unique view into the recordings of the world's most successful pop music act.
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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londonlou54 • 2 years ago
THIS IS THE BEST McCARTNEY WEBSITE FOR DATA RESEARCH - THANK YOU!
The PaulMcCartney Project • 2 years ago
Thanks a lot, londonlou54 :)
