Recording "Revolution 1"

During the second day of recording their new album, The Beatles added overdubs on “Revolution 1” Take 18, which they had recorded the previous day. The session spanned from 2:30 pm to midnight.

This session marked Yoko Ono’s first time in the studio during a Beatles recording, accompanying her new partner John Lennon.

John added double-tracked vocals and played the mellotron, while Paul McCartney contributed a bass line. They also incorporated electronic sound effects that John and Yoko Ono had previously created. At one point, at 7:31, John Lennon declared, “Ok, I’ve had enough,” yet the recording proceeded. The final six minutes descended into a cacophony of mismatched instruments, screams, and a barrage of sounds from Yoko Ono’s tape machines, including random phrases like “Maybe if you become naked.” These elements foreshadowed “Revolution 9,” and several elements recorded on this day were later utilized in its production. The state in which they concluded the song that day was later released as an outtake in the 2018 reissue of “The Beatles” album.

A reduction mix was then made, named Take 19, to allow for further overdubs. The team resumed their work on “Revolution 1” on the following workday, June 4.

Because we’d been such a tight-knit group, the fact that John was getting pretty serious about Yoko at that time, I can see now that he was enjoying his newfound freedom and getting excited by it. But when she turned up in the studio and sat in the middle of us doing nothing, I still admit now that we were all cheesed off…Lots of things that went down were good for us, really. At the time, though, we certainly did not think that.

Paul McCartney – Interview with Q Magazine, 2013

The next afternoon, George Martin, Phil, and |were sitting in the control room having a quiet chat when John suddenly burst through the door, in a hurry as usual. Trailing closely behind was a petite Japanese woman with a camera slung over her shoulder. Ignoring us completely, John sat her down on a chair in front of the plateglass window, and then immediately dashed out of the room and into the studio, joining the other three Beatles, who were waiting patiently for the session to begin. She just sat and smiled at us, but she didn’t say a word.

A moment later, John burst back in; he obviously realized that he had neglected to say anything to us.“This is Yoko,” he said breathlessly, giving her a small peck on the cheek before disappearing out the door again. That was our introduction to John’s girlfriend and future wife, Yoko Ono. For the next couple of hours Yoko just sat quietly with us in the control room. It had to have been even more uncomfortable for her than it was for any of us. […]

Eventually John plucked up the courage to bring her into the studio. Taking Yoko by the hand, he led her out of the control room and into the small recording area where the other three Beatles were rehearsing. They completely ignored her at first. To begin with, John sat her down with Mal. A little while later, he motioned her over and she plunked herself beside him… and that’s where she stayed for the remainder of the Beatles’ career. […]

No one other than Neil and Mal had ever infiltrated Beatles sessions to that degree, and you could tell from the icy chill and the looks on the faces of Paul, George, and Ringo that they didn’t like it one bit. Their ranks had always been so closed, it was unthinkable that an outsider could penetrate their inner circle so quickly and so thoroughly. […]

Geoff Emerick – From “Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles“, 2006

I was in the control room of studio three and there on the other side of the glass was a figure in semi-darkness going over and over some lines of a song. I knew the voice and sure enough I knew the face. John Lennon was about 30 feet away! He was working on “Revolution”, the slow one, and I remember him going through the song again and again in rehearsal, changing a word or two every time. Each time, it would alter very slightly, it would develop and evolve. ‘When you talk about destruction… you can count me out.’, ‘When you talk about destruction… you can count me in.’

Alan Brown – technical engineer at EMI Studios – From “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, 1988

Session activities

1. Revolution 1

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • SI onto take 18

   AlbumOfficially released on The Beatles (50th anniversary boxset)

2. Revolution 1

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Tape copying • Tape reduction take 18 into take 19

3. Revolution 1

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • SI onto take 19

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