"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 Three, Abbey Road
Previous session May 31, 1968 • Recording "Revolution 1"
Article Circa June 1968 • Mary Hopkin is filmed for Apple promo film
Film June 1968 • Shooting of "Apple promotional film" promo film
Session Jun 04, 1968 • Recording "Revolution 1"
Session Jun 05, 1968 • Recording "Don't Pass Me By"
AlbumSome of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "The Beatles (Mono)" LP
The third day of recording the new album was also the third day spent on “Revolution 1“. John Lennon had brought his new partner, Yoko Ono, to the previous session, and Paul McCartney responded by inviting Francie Schwartz to this session, who would soon become his girlfriend.
John Lennon opted to re-record his lead vocals while lying on the floor of Studio Three, aiming to modify his voice. Accompanied by Francie Schwartz, George Harrison and Paul McCartney recorded “shoo-be-doo-wop” backing vocals. Those overdubs were added onto Take 19.
At this stage, the song was still 10 minutes long. The Beatles experimented by adding extra tape loops at the track’s end. John, Paul and George already recorded some backing vocals singing “Mama… Dada… Mama… Dada… Mama…” Those additions were ultimately not used.
Take 19 went through a tape reduction, resulting in Take 20. Additional overdubs were then added onto it: a new drum track from Ringo Starr, a guitar part by George, and an organ part played by Paul.
The session concluded with an unnumbered mono mix of the song, lasting 10:17 minutes.
The final overdubs were added on June 21.
The session, which began at 2:30 pm, wrapped up at 1 am.
John decided he would feel more comfortable on the floor so I had to rig up a microphone which would be suspended on a boom above his mouth. It struck me as somewhat odd, a little eccentric, but they were always looking for a different sound; something new.
Brian Gibson, technical engineer – From “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, 1988
The phone rang, finally. He said hello and I said hello and I thought it was someone else. He said, “No it’s me.” The Great Me. […] “When are you recording?” He excused himself, and as if the other three were sitting there digging the whole conversation, yelled, “Hey fellas, when are we recording?” He came back to the phone, That evening. Eight, Abbey Road, EMI studios. Could I make it? Could I ever. Opening the big double doors to the cavernous studio, I caught a frieze of four Beatles, gathered around a grand piano, four owls, gazing with half-amused looks at me approaching. Paul was wearing his tightest and sexiest dark green pants; no more the baggy businessman, now the rave-up rocker. He seemed taller, ready for the music, and I had to reach up when he asked me to massage his shoulders.
At the beginning, I huddled in a corner, digging Yoko’s sweetness, but by the time the hash and goodies were out, I was dancing to a pulsing “Revolution.” The music filled the flesh, and was alive all by itself, carrying us along into the night. I sang backing with George, smiling and doing a Ray Charles falsetto. There was much laughter and electricity, and a covering cloud of incense.
The chauffeur drove John and Yoko and Paul and me to his house, and they disappeared behind the black gates, Paul still strumming “Wait and see, wait and see.” The chauffeur drove me home.
Francie Schwartz – From “Body Count“, 1972
Recording • SI onto take 19
Creation of tape loops
Recording
Tape copying • Tape reduction take 19 into take 20
Recording • SI onto take 20
Mixing • Mono mixing - Rough remix from take 20
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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