Recording and mixing "Got to Get You Into My Life"

This was the 21st day of the recording sessions for the “Revolver” album.

“Got To Get You Into My Life“ had been worked on during the first sessions for the “Revolver” album, on April 7, 8 and 11, then shelved for more than a month. On this day, in a session lasting 12 hours (from 12:30 pm to 12:30 am), The Beatles returned to it.

First, a horn section was recorded and added onto take 8.

We put trumpets on because it sounded like a trumpet number. None of the others did, so we haven’t used them on any other tracks, so it’s a nice novelty.

Paul McCartney – From “The Beatles: Off The Record” by Keith Badman, 2008

Eddie Thornton and Glenn Hughes were members of Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, a British rhythm and blues group whose repertoire spanned jazz, soul, ska, and calypso, that Paul McCartney and John Lennon had seen live a few times in some London nightclubs. Through this connection, they were invited to this session by Paul. However, Glenn Hughes fell ill and was replaced at the last minute by Peter Coe, another member of the Blue Flames. Three other freelancers joined them.

I was playing with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames so I knew The Beatles – John and Paul particularly – from the studios and also from the London nightclub scene. In fact, Paul met Linda Eastman when he was at the Bag O’Nails Club watching us perform. But it was at the Scotch (of St. James) that Paul asked me to do this session with them.

Eddie Thornton – Trumpet player – From The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn, 2004

That led to a lot of extra work for me. Through working with The Beatles I played with Jimi Hendrix, Sandie Shaw, The Small Faces and The Rolling Stones.

Eddie Thornton

Georgie (Fame) called me, so I rushed up to the EMI Studios. Because I play tenor sax it meant having two tenors instead of a tenor and baritone…The Beatles wanted a definite jazz feel. Paul and George Martin were in charge. There was nothing written down but Paul sat at the piano and showed us what he wanted and we played with the rhythm track in our headphones. I remember that we tried it a few times to get the feel right and then John Lennon, who was in the control room, suddenly rushed out, stuck his thumb aloft and shouted ‘Got it!’ George Harrison got a little bit involved too but Ringo sat playing draughts in the corner.

Peter Coe – Trumpet player – From The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn, 2004

It was interesting and unusual. I’ve never done a session quite like it before. The tune was a rhythm & bluesish sort of thing. We were only on one number. Apparently, The Beatles felt it needed something extra. As for the song’s arrangement, well, they didn’t have a thing written down! We just listened to what they had done and got an idea of what they wanted. Then we went ahead from there and gradually built up an arrangement. We tried a few things, and Paul and George Martin decided between them what would be used.

Les Condon – Trumpet player –  From “The Beatles: Off The Record” by Keith Badman, 2008

No one had ever heard strings like that before, and neither had they heard brass the way I recorded it on “Got To Get You Into My Life.” Again, I close-miked the instruments — actually put the mics right down into the bells instead of the standard technique of placing them four feet away — and then applied severe limiting to the sound. There were only five players on the session, and when it came time to mix the song, Paul kept saying, “I wish we could make the brass sound bigger.”

George Martin replied, “Well, there’s no way we’re bringing them back in for another session — we’ve got to get the album wrapped up and there’s no more budget for outside players anyway.”

That’s when I came up with the idea of dubbing the horn track onto a fresh piece of two-track tape, then playing it back alongside the multitrack, but just slightly out of sync, which had the effect of doubling the horns. I loved Paul’s singing on that song, too — he really let loose. At one point while Paul was recording the lead vocal, John actually burst out of the control room to shout his encouragement — evidence of the camaraderie and teamwork that was so pervasive during the Revolver sessions.

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

‘Got to Get You Into My Life’ is off Revolver, and we were having fun trying out different instruments in the arrangements. Earlier on that record there’s ‘Eleanor Rigby’, which is just violins, viola and cellos. ‘Love You To’ has George playing the sitar. Then here we have the brass section. I’d been listening to a lot of American R & B and soul, and there were horn sections on those records – Joe Tex, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, people like that. That was enough impetus for me to think, ‘I’ll have a go at that.’ That’s often how things happen with me. I’ll hear something on the radio and think, ‘Oh wow, I’m going to do my version of that.’ So we got some horn players – trumpets and saxophones, I think – into Abbey Road Studio Two, and I explained to them how I wanted it, and they got it immediately.

Paul McCartney – From “The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present“, 2021

As the tape was full, a reduction mix was needed to allow for more overdubs. Three attempts were made – labelled takes 9 to 11 – with take 9 deemed the best. As part of this process, Paul’s lead vocals, recorded on April 11, were scrapped and two tracks were made available.

Paul then re-recorded his lead vocals (utilising frequency control – they were recorded at a slower-than-normal speed and played back at a slightly higher pitch). John Lennon and George Harrison recorded some backing vocals that weren’t used in the released version of the track.

Ringo Starr also added a tambourine part, John some organ and George and Paul some electric guitar.

Track three also features (from 1’49” to 2’06”) a ‘dropped-in’ guitar part played by Paul and George. This passage wiped the tambourine and Paul’s second vocal so that his singing is not doubled from that point on.

From “Revolver (2022)” book

Two mono mixes, which were not used, ended the session. One final overdub would be added on June 17, 1966 to complete “Got To Get You Into My Life“.

BEATLES PLUS JAZZMEN

IT’S Ringo, Paul, George and John week! And in this week of “Paperback Writer” (it’s out tomorrow, Friday), comes the news the Beatles have recorded an LP track with top British jazzmen.

Georgie Fame advised the Beatles on the best musicians available that would “think Beatle”. On the session were Ian Hamer, Les Condon and Eddie Thornton (trumpets), Alan Branscombe and Peter Coe (tenors).

Trumpeter Les Condon told the MM of his reaction to working on a Beatle date: “Interesting and unusual — I’ve never done a session quite like it before. The tune was a rhythm-and-bluesish sort of thing — we were only on one number which they had recorded previously. Apparently they felt it needed something extra. That’s why we were there. The arrangement? Well, they didn’t have a thing written down. We just listened to what they’d done and got an idea of what they wanted. Then we went ahead from there and gradually built up an arrangement. We tried a few things, and Paul McCartney – he’s really the prime mover who gets everyone at it — and recording manager George Martin decided between them what would be used. But most of it went right the first time. Ian and I jotted down some voicings but everybody chipped in and credit for the arrangement must be evenly divided. I suggested something for the trumpets for an ending, and we dubbed that on. They didn’t think it was quite strong enough, so we dubbed it on with the three trumpets again. You’ll really be hearing six trumpets in that coda. It was the most relaxed session I’ve ever been on. The Beatles all seemed very nice fellows. And do you know what? They didn’t tell us anything. They kept asking things.”

From Melody Maker – June 11, 1966

BEATLES DISC SURPRISE, NEW PLANS

THE Beatles’ next LP will feature their first-ever jazz recording on which they are backed by five top British jazzmen. On the track with all four Beatles are trumpet players Ian Hamer, Les Condon and Eddie Thornton: and tenor players Alan Branscombe and Peter Coe. No release date for the album has been scheduled.

The Beatles leave London for their concerts in Germany a day earlier than planned — they fly from London Airport at 11 am on Thursday, June 23. Four days later they fly direct from Hamburg to Tokyo arriving there on June 28 for the first of their three nights of concerts two days later. After their concert in Manila, they return to London on July 5.

A change in the Beatles American itinerary takes them to Cleveland on August 14 instead of Louisville. They leave London Airport to start the tour on Thursday, August 11 and return on Tuesday, August 30.

The Beatles film clip was not being inserted in last night’s edition of Granada’s “Scene At 6.30” but will probably be used on Monday.

From New Musical Express – June 10, 1966

Session activities

1. Got To Get You Into My Life

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • SI onto take 8

2. Got To Get You Into My Life

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Tape copying • Tape reduction take 8 into takes 9-11

3. Got To Get You Into My Life

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • SI onto take 9

4. Got To Get You Into My Life

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 1 from take 9

5. Got To Get You Into My Life

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 2 from take 9

Staff

Musicians on "Got To Get You Into My Life"

Production staff

Going further

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