Trying To Make A Dove Tail Joint

The next song on the LP/CD "The Beatles" white album is another Lennon/McCartney original written mainly by John entitled "Glass Onion". This song included references to other - mainly McCartney written - titled that had been previously recorded by the Beatles including "Strawberry Fields Forever" "Lady Madonna" "Fixing a Hole" "I Am the Walrus" and "A Fool On The Hill". The lyrics were directed at Beatles fan who would dissect every word for supposed "meaning" or "clues". One of the lines in the songs states that the walrus was Paul. This lyric line was dedicated to Paul by John.

"Glass Onion" was first recorded as a basic track on Wednesday September 11 1968 at EMI studio two. The instrumentation included the drums and bass with acoustic and electric guitar. There were 34 takes and take 33 was chosen as the commercial version.

The next day on September 12 1968 at EMI studio two, John Lennon added his lead vocals and a tambourine was also overdubbed - all onto the basic take 33.

The next day on September 13 1968 and again from EMI studio two piano and an additional drum track were both overdubbed onto take 33.

On September 16 1968 at EMI studio two, an idea was created wereby a recorder would be added to the song where the mention in the lyrics of "The Fool On the Hill" as a sort of parody. The recorder was overdubbed at this session and double tracked.

On September 16 1968 from the control room of EMI studio two, it was decided to add some sound effects to "Glass Onion". These sound effects included a telephone ringing, a soccer announcer broadcasting "It's A Goal!" with a crowd cheering and finally a window being smashed. These sound effects happen mainly at the end of the song but some were sprinkled throughout the song. There were two mono mixes using the sound effects version but in the end none of them were used for the upcoming LP. One of the mono mixes can be heard on the Apple 3-LP/2-CD "Anthology 3".

On October 10 1968 in EMI studio two, the sound effects were scrapped and eight string players were added at the end. This overdub was done on this date. Also completed on this date was the stereo mix in two attempts as well as the mono mix done in two attempts as well. Both of these mixes appeared on the respective LPs/CDs.

"Glass Onion" can be found on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles" white album.

The Sun Is Up, The Sky Is Blue

The second song presented on "The Beatles" double White album is a Lennon-McCartney original composition written mainly by John entitled "Dear Prudence".

This song was written for a woman named Prudence who was the sister of Mia Farrow. While the Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation in India, they noticed that Prudence was constantly meditating in her hut and she would never come out. There was a lot of competition to see who could meditate the longest while the Beatles were in India and I'm sure that Prudence won out most of the time. The noticeable time that Prudence meditated did not escape John Lennon as she was the inspiration for this song.

The guitar picking style used in the song was used by John Lennon as shown to him by their friend who also went to India to study Meditation Donavan. This picking style would be used in various forms on recordings by Lennon for the rest of his career.

The basic tracks for this song was started on Wednesday August 28 1968 at Trident House, St. Anne's Court in London. Trident studios at the time had an eight track machine and this was recorded on eight track, The Beatles realizing that EMI did not yet have a workable eight track maching installed in their studios. On this night, take 1 was completed with John and George playing their guitars with the picking style of John Lennon very evident while Paul played the drums.

The next day on August 29 1968, the Beatles returned to Trident Studios in order to overdub onto the eight track master of "Dear Prudence". On this evening/night the overdubs included Paul's bass, the double tracked lead vocals from John and backing vocals from Paul, George, Apple artist Jackie Lomax and Mal Evans. Handclaps and tambourine were also added.

Finally the next day on August 30 1968 again at Trident Studios, a piano track and a blast of fugelhorn were added to the recording and it was finished. Rough mixes of "Dear Prudence" were attempted on this night, but they remained unused. A rough mono mix can be heard on the Midnight Beat bootleg CD "Gone Tomorrow, Here today".

On Sunday October 13 1968 from EMI studio two, "Dear Prudence" was mixed for stereo after one attempt and the mono mix was completed after five attempts.

"Dear Prudence" can be found on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles".

They Leave The West Behind

The first song on "The Beatles" is a Lennon/McCartney original composition written mainly by Paul and entitled "Back In The USSR". This song was probably written in India and is a bit of a sarcastic tongue-in-cheek parody of the surf/early Rock And Roll type Chuck Berry/Beach Boys number. Interestingly, Mike Love of the Beach Boys was present in India at the same time as The Beatles.

The basic track for the song was recorded on August 22 1968 at EMI studio two and the instrumentation consisted of Paul on drums (Ringo had temporarily left the group ), George on guitar and John on the bass guitar. It took 5 takes to perfect the recording.

The next evening on Friday August 23 1968, the recording of the song was brought to a conclusion with a reduction mix taking the song into take 6. Onto this were overdubbed two more drum tracks (played by George and John), two more guitar tracks (played by John and Paul) and two more bass tracks (played by Paul and George). John, Paul, and George essentially took turns playing the three instruments which were than mixed all together for the recording. More overdubs included a piano, the lead vocals by Paul and the backvocals by John and George (doo-wop style). Handclaps were also added. At the end of the session, a mono mix was completed and used on the commercial version. Four tape copies of the song were made and taken away by the Beatles' road manager.

The stereo mix for "Back In The USSR" was completed on October 13 1968 from EMI studio two.

"Back In The USSR" can be found on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles White Album". It is also available on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles 1967-1970" and on the compilation EMI/Capitol 2-LP set "Rock 'N' Roll Music". "Back In The USSR" was released as a single in the UK on June 25 1976 as Parlophone R 6016 with the B side being "Twist and Shout". "Back In The USSR" can also be found on the Apple/EMI/Capitol "Love" soundtrack.

The Beatles

"The Beatles" was the first double LP of original material released in the UK on November 22 1968. The LP was released three days later in North American on November 25 1968.

"The Beatles" was released on the Apple label (the first Beatles LP to do so) although the distribution of the Apple label was still handled by Parlophone in the UK and Capitol/ Capitol of Canada in the United States and Canada respectively.

"The Beatles" was released in two formats for the UK: A mono version ( PMC 7067/68 ) and a stereo version ( PCS 7067/68 ). "The Beatles" was released in only one format for North America: a stereo version (SWBO-101). There were no mono versions of "The Beatles" produced for the North American market.

"The Beatles" cover consisted of an all-white front and back with "The Beatles" embossed on the front and a serial number stamped onto the front cover. The numbers vary due to the various pressing plants manufacturing the cover as well as the country of origin. The LP also contained two vinyl records with a full Apple label on the first and third sides and half of a sliced Apple on the second and fourth sides. Due to the cover being completely white (although the numbering, the writing on the spine and the word "stereo" on the UK/north American stereo pressings are a light grey ). The double LP also came with four individual glossy photos of each Beatles and there was also a poster with a collage of photos on one side and the lyrics and credits on the other side. Due to the fact that the cover was wholly white, the double LP came to be known as "The White Album".

There are , of course, label variations. Original UK pressings came with the "Sold in UK..." print on the labels. Some US pressings have "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" simply written on the label as "Bungalow Bill".

"The White Album" is one of the top selling double LPs of all time.

The first recording session for the "White Album" was on Thursday May 30 1968 and the last recording session for the "White Album" was on Monday October 14 1968.

You Ain't Gonna Make It With Anyone Anyhow

The B-side of the Beatles second single of 1968 (and the first single on their Apple Label) was an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by John entitled "Revolution". The song was basically a political statement by Lennon and was switten during the Beatles' stay in India. The song was also demoed at George Harrison's home earlier in the year with the uptempo feel related to this single version rather than the later LP version (which was recorded first).

This single version was recorded after the first version that appears on the upcoming LP. The variant is much more uplifting and rough, rockier with distorted guitars and compressed drums.

The first session for "Revolution" took place on Wednesday July 10 1968 from EMI studio three whereby 10 takes of the song were completed. The electric guitars were not fed through amps but instead fed through the recording board itself with the channels overdriven giving the guitars that over-distorted sound. Ringo overdubbed his own drum part and a reduction mix of the four track tape was completed in three attempts bringing the song into take 13. John Lennon added his lead vocal (doubling it twice) while some handclaps and Ringo's hit in the third bar of the intro was completed. Now the reduction of the four track was completed with two attempts and bringing the song into take 15. This version of "Revolution" as it sounded at this time can be heard on the Yellow Dog bootleg CD "Unsurpassed Masters Volume 07".

The next day on Thursday July 11 1968 again from EMI studio three, the electric piano part and solo was performed by the incredible Nicky Hopkins. Once this was completed, the four track tape was reduced taking the song into take 16. Paul overdubbed his bass line during this session but he must not have been too happy with it as the overdub was not used on the commercial version.

The final overdubs for "Revolution" were completed the next day Friday July 12 1968 at EMI studio two. Paul once again overdubbed his bass guitar and John Lennon added some distorted guitar in certain spots including the high note at the end of the electric piano solo. Once this was completed, four mono mixes were attempted but none of them were used for the commercial version.

Three days later on Monday July 15 1968 at EMI studio two, two more mono mixes were attempted with the last mono mix being used for the single. It's an amazingly powerful mix with the compression and the heavy guitars being "in your face" so to speak.

The stereo mix for "Revolution" was completed almost a year and a half later on Friday December 05 1969 from room 4 at EMI studios. There was only one attempt at the stereo mix.

"Revolution" was originally released as a B-side of the "Hey Jude" single in the UK (Apple R 5722) and in North America (Apple 2276). The song was also available in North America only on the Apple compilation LP "Hey Jude/The Beatles Again" as well as the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles 1967-1970". The song can also be found on the EMI/Capitol 2-LP compilation "Rock 'N' Roll Music" as well as the EMI/Capitol/Apple 2-LP/CD "Past Masters Volume 2". The remastered Apple/EMI 2-CD "Mono Masters" and the stereo remastered Apple/EMI "Past Masters" also contain "Revolution". Finally, it can also be found on the Apple/EMI 2-LP/CD "Love" soundtrack.

The Beatles mimed to both sides of this single "Hey Jude/Revolution" which was originally featured in the UK on the "David Frost" show and in the US on the "Smothers Brothers" show. Both of these recordings featured the original backing track with live vocals.

Remember To Let Her Into Your Heart

The A-side of the second Beatles' single of 1968 was a definite masterpiece. This was the Beatles most successful single in their career (chart wise and volume wise). The song is an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by Paul entitled "Hey Jude". This song was inspired by John Lennon's son Julian as Paul was driving out to John's home in order to console Julian and his mother Cynthia after the break up of John and Cynthia Lennon. The song title was sung as "Hey Jules" but was changed to "Hey Jude".

This single was also the first Beatles single released on their own Apple label. The A-side featured a whole Granny Smith Apple while the B-side of the label would featured half of a Granny Smith Apple. The label was designed by Gene Mahon. The vinyl format (45/EP and LP) were released on the original Apple Records label from 1968 until the end of 1975. The label once again became active in the early 1990s and the Apple label is now featured on many of the Beatles issues including LPs, CDs, DVDs, etc.

"Hey Jude" was recorded during the White Album sessions but was always intended as a contender for the single. It is also their longest single at over seven minutes.

The first recording session for "Hey Jude" took place on Monday July 29 1968 at EMI studio two. Six takes of the song were recorded. The instrumentation for these takes included Paul on piano and voice, John on acoustic, George on electric and Ringo on the drums. The complete takes of the song were on takes one, two and six. Take two of the song at this stage can be heard on the Apple/EMI/Capitol 3-LP/2-CD "Anthology 3".

The next day on Tuesday July 30 1968, more takes of "Hey Jude" were performed and this time the location of the recordings were at Trident Studios in St. Anne's Court, London. These takes ranged from take 7 to take 25. The specifics included a film crew being hired to film the Beatles recording the song although at this stage it sounds as if the Beatles are simply rehearsing the song. The instrumentation for this evening includes Paul on voice and piano, John on acoustic guitar and Ringo on drums. George had no role but was present in the control room as can be seen in the film. Some of the takes from this evening appear on Yellow Dog's "Unsurpassed Masters" series...namely volumes four and six. A stereo mix of the last take was completed and given to George Martin (probably for the orchestra arrangement).

The next day on Wednesday July 31 1968, the Beatles essentially started the song from scratch and recorded the basic track on this evening. Once again the song was recorded at Trident Studios. This was an eight track recording rather than using the four track at EMI. This instrumentation consisted of Paul on piano and guide vocal, John on acoustic and Ringo on drums . Take one was used for the commercial version.

The next day on August 01 1968, and again at Trident Studios, overdubs for the commercial recording of "Hey Jude" were completed. Paul added his bass guitar and his fresh vocals while John and George added background vocals. Also added this evening were the orchestra and the sing-along at the end with handclaps performed by the orchestra members.

The next day on Friday August 02 1968 the song was mixed for stereo from the control room at Trident Studios. It took three attempts and the last attempt was deemed as best.

"Hey Jude" was mixed for mono at Trident Studios on August 06 1968 from the control room but this mix was not used as it was simply a fold down of the stereo mix.

On August 07 1968, it was back to EMI studio two where a tape copy of the Trident mono mix was completed.

On August 08 1968, proper mono mixes (three attempts) continued from the control room of EMI studio two and the last one was deemed for the commerical version and the single. A tapy copy was made and given to George Martin.

On December 05 1969, proper stereo mixes were conducted from room 4 of EMI studios and two attempts were made. The mixes made at Trident were not used in the end.

"Hey Jude" was originally released as single in the UK (Apple R 5722) and in North America (Apple 2276). The song is also available on the North American Apple LP "Hey Jude/The Beatles Again" as well as the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles 1967-1970". It is also contained on the EMI/Capitol UK and North American version of "The Beatles 20 Greatest Hits" as well as being contained on the EMI/Capitol of Canada LP "The Beatles Ballads" and also on the Beatles EMI/Capitol 2-LP/CD "Past Masters Volume 2" and the Apple/EMI/Capitol 2-LP/CD "1". Finally, it can be found on the remastered Apple/EMI 2-CD "Mono Masters" as well as the remastered Apple/ EMI 2-CD "Past Masters"

The Farther One Travels

The original B side to the Beatles first single of 1968 is a George Harrison original composition entitled "The Inner Light". This is a song that has various Indian musicians and instruments and none of the Beatles play any instruments on this tune. The vocals are by the Beatles, however. This B side was the first B side to feature a George Harrison song. The lyrics for this song were inspired by a Japanese poem of the same name composed by Roshi.

The backing Indian instruments were recorded in India on Friday January 12 1968 at the Indian EMI recording studio, Universal Insurance Building, Bombay. There were five takes of this instrumental raga and the fifth take was used commercially. At this point the song remained untitled.

On Tuesday February 06 1968 back in London at EMI studio one, the instrumental tape was copied from two track to four track taking the song into take 06 and named "The Inner Light". Upon take 06 George Harrison added his main vocal. The song was then mixed for mono but not used commercially.

Two days later on February 08 1968 at EMI studio two, John and Paul harmonized with George on the two last vocal lines of the song. Once this was complete, three attempts at a mono mix were completed with the last mix being used commercially.

The song remained in mono until January 27 1970 when "The Inner Light" was finally mixed for stereo in one attempt from the control room of EMI studio two.

"The Inner Light" first appeared on the B side of the "Lady Madonna" single in the UK (Parlophone R 5675) and in North American (Capitol 2138). The song also appears on both the UK and North American versions of the Parlophone/Capitol "Rarities" LP and on the bonus Parlophone EP contained in the EP box set entitled "The Beatles" ( This was it's first official stereo appearance). Lastly, "The Inner Light" is also available on the EMI/Capitol 2-LP/CD "Past Masters Volume 2" as well as the Apple/EMI 2-CD "Mono Masters" and on the remastered stereo Apple EMI 2-CD "Past Masters".

A nice live version appears from 2002 from the George Harrison Tribute concert CD/DVD "Concert For George" performed by Jeff Lynne and a variety of Indian and western musicians.

Tuesday Afternoon Is Never Ending

The A side of the first single released by The Beatles in 1968 was an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by Paul entitled "Lady Madonna". The subject of the song consisted of a tribute to women raising children. This underrated song is a great boogie type piano song and is often overlooked in the singles canon of the Beatles catalogue. It was decided in the first two months of the year to have a single release in March for the Beatles as they would be off to India with no particular return time frame. "Lady Madonna" was the last single released on the original Parlophone/Capitol labels during the Beatles' active career.

The recording of "Lady Madonna" started on Saturday February 03 1968 at EMI studio three. The basic track consisted of three takes featuring Paul on the piano and Ringo on drums (using the brushes instead of the sticks). After the third take was completed and considered the best, overdubs of Paul's bass guitar, Ringo on drums again (this time using his sticks) and John and George on distorted electric guitars was completed. On the last track of the four track tape went Paul's lead vocal and the backing vocals of John and George.

Three days later on February 06 1968 at EMI studio one the four track was reduced with the previously overdubbed bass, electric guitars and drums all put on one track. This took the song to take four. Once this was completed, the piano part was thickened by overdubbing the similar notes over the existing ones, as well as overdubbing of handclaps, Paul's second vocal and the backing noises of an imitation brass of John, Paul and George. A tambourine was shook during the process and a bit of organ during the "See How They Run" section was also added.

It was decided by Paul at some point during the session that real brass was needed. The four track was once again reduced which now took the song to take 05. Added onto the empty track were four saxophones. Ronnie Scott played the lead on the commercial version of the song. Also at this session, the song was mixed for mono with two attempts and the second one eventually being discarded. A rough stereo mix of take 4 before the saxes were added can be heard on the vinyl bootleg "Ultra Rare Trax, Volumes 5 and 6". A stereo mix with the instruments faded up and down including the brass from take 5 is available on the Apple/EMI/Capitol 3-LP/2-CD "Anthology 2".

"Lady Madonna" was mixed for mono (8 attempts from take 5) on Thursday February 15 1968 in the control room of EMI studio three. Since this was a single only, there was no need for a stereo mix.

Almost two years later on Tuesday December 02 1969 from the control room of EMI studio two, "Lady Madonna" was finally given it's stereo mix. Only one attempt at the stereo mix was performed. The main reason at the time of the mix was so that it could be released in North America for a compilation LP on Apple planned by Allen Klein (Hey Jude/The Beatles Again).

"Lady Madonna" is available originally as a single in the UK (Parlophone R 5675) and in North America (Capitol 2138). A picture sleeve was issued for the North American release. some copies of the single in North American came with a Fan Club application.

"Lady Madonna" is also available on the North American only Apple LP "Hey Jude/The Beatles Again" (although re-issued by Parlophone in the UK in 1979 as PCS 7184) as well as the worldwide Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles 1967-1970". The song is also available on the UK Parlophone LP version of "The Beatles 20 Greatest Hits" as well as the EMI/Apple/ Capitol 2-LP/CD "Past Masters Volume Two" and the Apple 2-LP/CD "1" along with the Apple 2-CD "Mono Masters" remasters as well as the EMI/Apple 2-CD "Past Masters" in the stereo remasters.

A live version of the song can be heard by Wings and is available on the EMI/Capitol 3-LP/3-CD "Wings Over America". Another performance by Paul in 1993 can be heard ont he EMI/Capitol 2-LP/CD "Paul Is Live".

1968

This was the last phase of the Beatles' recording career starting in 1968 and lasting until the first month of 1970. The Beatles had now moved on and had gotten past the psychedelic phase and starting with the first single of 1968, gotten back into the "Roots Rock" phase of their career. They did not completely abandon the psychedelic tinge at the beginning of 1968 as witnessed by the B-side of the first single of the year as well as the early takes of "Across The Universe" which featured some studio trickery and Indian instruments.

This was also the year that saw the Beatles release their music on their own label (Apple) and also saw the first double LP from the group containing all new recordings. Most of the songs for the new double LP would be written or inspired by a trip to India made early in the year. Eventually, demos for the songs would be recorded and then the proper recordings at EMI studio would start in May and basically go through the summer into October.

Another amazing feat would transpire when the Beatles released their career best single in August of 1968 which would feature to very different songs staying for the longest time in the charts.

1968 was also the year where the Beatles would work a little less collectively in certain instances as they were slowly drifting apart professionally and personally.

We will now look into the commercial recordings of the Beatles from the beginning of 1968 up until the last recordings in January 1970.

You Say High, I Say Low

The first song on side two of the Capitol LP/CD "Magical Mystery Tour" is an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by Paul entitled "Hello Goodbye". This tune was also released as a single and was the last single released by the Beatles for the year 1967. The B side of the single was "I Am The Walrus".

The working title for the song was "Hello Hello". The basic track for the song was recorded on Monday October 02 1967 at EMI studio two (too late to appear in the television special "Magical Mystery Tour" although the coda can be heard at the end of the film). Fourteen takes were completed, with the fourteenth kept as the keeper. The instrument for song include piano, organ, drums and tambourine. Maracas were also added. Once this was complete, two reduction mixes of the four track were completed putting all of the basic track instruments onto one track. This took the song into take 16.

Two and a half weeks later on October 19 1967 at EMI studio one; the vocals and back up vocals were overdubbed onto the basic track including the ending vocals. Also overdubbed were two lead guitar parts. Once this was complete, another tape reduction of the four track was conducted taking the song into take 17. This version appears on the Apple/EMI/Capitol 3-LP/2-CD "Anthology 2"

The next evening on October 20 1967 in EMI studio three the overdubbing of two violas was added to "Hello Goodbye". Paul added his bass guitar after four tape reductions taking the song to take 22 five days later on October 25 1967 at EMI studio two.

Finally, on Thursday November 02 1967 in EMI studio three, a second bass guitar was added by Paul to "Hello Goodbye" and the song was complete. Six mono mixes were attempted with the last attempt being used on the commercial version.

Stereo mixing for "Hello Goodbye" took place four days later on November 06 1967 and only two attempts were completed with the second stereo attempt being used on the commercial version.

"Hello Goodbye" was originally released as a single in the UK (Parlophone 5655) and in North America (Capitol 2056). The B side for both versions is "I Am The Walrus". The song also appears on the "Magical Mystery Tour" 2-EP set in the UK and on the Capitol LP/CD in North America. "Hello Goodbye" also appears on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles 1967-1970" as well as the UK and North American versions on the Parlophone/Capitol LP "The Beatles 20 Greatest Hits" and the Apple/EMI 2-LP/CD "1".

Sitting On A Cornflake Waiting For The Van to Come.

The next song on the marvellous Capitol LP/CD "Magical Mystery Tour" is an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by John entitled "I Am The Walrus". The subtitle on the inner cover of the LP stating "(No You're Not) said Little Nicolas".

The exceptional tune is a highlight and one of my favourites. It encapulates the times and I must say I really enjoy the strings and vocals arranged by George Martin. This is probably one of the finest psychedelic songs ever written. A great tune, excellent lead vocal by John and great playing by The Beatles. A classic.

"I Am The Walrus" began life on Tuesday September 05 1967 at EMI studio one. The basic track was recorded which consisted of Ringo on the drums, George on guitar, John on electric piano and Paul initially playing the bass (later switching to tambourine). There were sixteeen takes recorded and the last one was considered best. Only five takes were complete.

The next day on Wednesday September 06 1967 at EMI studio two, a reduction mix was completed into take 17. Onto this were overdubbed the bass guitar by Paul and some extra drums by Ringo. The fantastic lead vocal was also overdubbed at this session by John. Once completed, four mono mixes were attempted while one of the mixes was used for the miming of the "Magical Mystery Tour" television special. A version of the song at this stage is available on the Apple/EMI 3-LP/2-CD "Anthology 2".

Three weeks later on Wednesday September 27 1967 at EMI studio one, overdubs were conducted for 16 more instruments including a clarinet, four cellos, eight violins and three horns. As the overdubs continued, the tape reductions also continued. Seven takes/tape reductions were completed with the orchestra bringing the song to take 24. Once this was complete, the recordings moved to EMI studio two where 16 singers (8 boys and 8 girls) added their backing vocals. The singers were from a singing troupe entitled "The Mike Sammes Singers" and they were instructed to sing the "Ho-ho-ho, hee-hee-hee- ha-ha-ha" as well as the "Got one, got one, everybody's got one" and "Oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumper" (both of the last lines sung at the same time).

On September 28 1967 "I Am The Walrus" was edited after a reduction mix (bringing the song to take 25) and four attempts at a mono mix were completed with the last mono mix being deemed for commercial use (although in the end this didn't happen).

The next day on September 29 1967, 17 more mono mixes were attempted as John Lennon had decided to add a live radio feed during the mixing stage. It ended up that the radio feel picked up the BBC where a recital of the Shakespeare's play "The Tragedy Of King Lear" was being performed. This was added to the mix and the final mono mix was complete. The radio feel comes in halfway through the song.

On Monday November 06, there were seven attempts at the stereo mix for "I Am The Walrus". Since the live radio feed entered halfway through the song during the mono mix and could not be separated in the mid 60s, this mix is half stereo and half mono. The difference can be heard at about two minutes into the song. Near the end of the fadeout, the mono signal is merely panned left and right

"I Am The Walrus" can be found on the B side of the "Hello Goodbye" single in the UK (Parlophone R 5655) and in North America (Capitol 2056). The song is also on the Parlophone double UK EP "Magical Mystery Tour" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Magical Mystery Tour". The song is also found on the Apple 2-lp/2-CD "The Beatles 1967-1970" and in North American on the Capitol version of "Rarities" with different edits. "I Am The Walrus" opens side two of the Parlophone/Capitol LP "Reel Music" and is also featured on the Apple/EMI/Capitol "Love" soundtrack.

Lift Up Your Hearts And Sing Me A Song

The next song on the North American Capitol LP/CD is an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by Paul entitled "Your Mother Should Know". This is a vaudeville type number that was used as one of the last songs mimed in the film.

The basic track for the song was recorded on August 22 1967 but not at EMI studios. The session for this day and the next day were both held at Chappell Recording Studios in London. EMI studios were booked for the two evenings so the Beatles and George Martin decided to use this differenct studio instead. At this session, the piano played by Paul and drums played by Ringo were recorded in eight takes as the basic track and lead vocals were overdubbed by Paul on take 08.

The next session at Chappell took place the next day on August 23 1967 and the four track tape was reduced to two. Overdubbed at this session were the backing vocals during the chorus. An acetate of the recording as it stood is available on the bootleg LP "Not For Sale".

On Saturday September 16 1967, the Beatles returned to EMI studios number three and tried a re-make of the song due to being unsatisfied with the earlier version recorded at Chappell. 11 more takes were required and the song was started from scratch. Paul played the harmonium and sand a guide vocal while Ringo added a military style beat . Also added were bongos and a piano. None of these 11 takes were ever commercially released with the exception of take 27 being feaured on the Apple/EMI/Capitol 3-LP/2-CD "Anthology 2". This version was eventually scrapped and the Beatles returned to the original version done at Chappell.

On Friday September 29 1967 at EMI studio two, it was decided to finish up the recording of the song. A tape reduction occurred and Paul added his bass to the song, while on another track John added the organ and Paul shook a tambourine. The song was complete and "Your Mother Should Know" was mixed to mono although this attempt was not released commercially.

Four more mono mixes were attempted on Monday October 02 1967 from EMI studio two. The last one was used on the commericial version. A lot of ADT and flanging was used for the mono mix.

The song was mixed for stereo on November 06 1967 from the control room of EMI studio three. This time the vocals on the stero mix were panned left and right and there is a lot less flanging on the stereo mix compared to the mono mix.

"Your Mother Should Know" was released on the Parlophone UK 2-EP set "Magical Mystery Tour" as well as being released in North America on the Capitol LP/CD "Magical Mystery Tour".

Please Don't Be Long

The next song on the Capitol LP/CD "Magical Mystery Tour" is an original composition written by George Harrison entitled "Blue Jay Way". The song was written while Mr. Harrison was in Los Angeles, California and was waiting for a friend (Derek Taylor) to arrive. "Blue Jay Way" was the name of the street in the Hollywood Hills where George was staying in a rented house at the time.

The basic track for the song was recorded on Wednesday September 06 1967 from EMI studio two. This consisted of George playing a hammond organ along with John, Paul on bass and Ringo on the drums. This recording filled up the four tracks

The next day on Thursday September 07 1967 also at EMI studio two, the tape reduction occurred in order to have all four tracks mixed down to two tracks brining the song to take 2. Added to this were the following overdubs: two George Harrison lead vocals with plenty of "flanging" added. Another reduction brining the song to take 3. Now the backing vocals of John and Paul were added to the song as another overdub and this was also treated with "flanging" and occasionally were played backwards !!

On September 16 1967 in EMI studio three, a mono demo mix was made for the "Magical Mystery Tour" film producer Denis O'Dell and taken away for the film production. Although this version was never released commercially, this is the version that George mimes to in the film.

The final recording overdub for "Blue Jay Way" was carried out on Friday October 06 1967 at EMI Studio two where the last track of the tape filled out with tambourine and a cello.

On Thursday October 12 1967 in EMI studio three, eight mono mixes were attempted for "Blue Jay Way" as well as placing an edit in the song (although there is no documentation as to where exactly that edit occurs). None of the eight mono mixes from this day were released commercially.

Finally, on Tuesday November 07 1967 from the control room of EMI studio two, several attempts at a stereo mix was completed for "Blue Jay Way". It was decided during the stereo mixing to add some additiona backwards tape inserted randomly into the song. This was too difficult to reproduce during the mono-remixing, therefore the commercial versions of the song have the backwards tapes in stereo but not in mono. Both mono and stereo mixes for "Blue Jay Way" were completed at this session. A tape copy of the mixes were also tape copied and sent away to Capitol Records in Los Angeles for commercial release.

"Blue Jay Way" is available on the Parlophone UK 2-EP set: "Magical Mystery Tour" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Magical Mystery Tour".