3rd
Help!
Maureen October Cleave, journalist, suggests that John use more than one-syllable words in his lyrics
George had trouble recording the descending guitar part for the lead single
Final tape is sped up during the mixing process
o Produces brighter sound
o Decreases apparent rhythmic imperfections
Help!, the movie
Originally proposed to be Beatles II
And then Eight Arms to Hold You
Album cover
o Is not spelling out help, spells out NUJV, a SEMAPHONE and means nothing
Ticket to Ride
John describes it as one of the earliest heavy metal records made
Paul describes the title as an actual train ticket to the town of Ryde
John tells a journalist that in Hamburg, clean girls carry tickets so that they are rideable
There was an influence of pot; Lester was well aware
Eric Cousins, a made-up name for a real dentist, spikes The Beatles teas with LSD (John, Cynthia,
George, Pattie); the four start club hopping
George has a productive trip, writing music on the guitar; John starts drawing, imagines Georges
house as a giant submarine
Both show Paul and Ringo LSD
I Need You (by Harrison)
George Martin introduces the tone pedal (essentially a watered-down wah wah)
Youve Got to Hide Your Love Away (by Lennon)
influenced by Bob Dylan
John offers three different explanations for the songs meaning
o Own feelings about a girl that he had lost
o A warning to Brian Epstein, telling him to hid his homosexuality away from the law
o A secret affair of Johns
Flutes at the end left uncredited; first time since Love Me Do that an outsider plays on a Beatles
record
Yesterday (by McCartney)
played by Paul back in Hamburg, but without decent lyrics (would sing scrambled eggs)
left behind on the second disc of the accompanying Help! Album
Paul plays acoustic guitar, George Martin introduces and arranges for a string quartet, Paul records
voice track
Guitar: panned right, Quartet: panned left, Voice: both sides (center)
Most covered song in history (3,000 recordings by 2000 AD)
Credited as a Lennon/McCartney
The Beatles given the honor of the MBE (members of the British empire)
Help! the album was released on August 6th, 1965; embark on their second world tour
Play at the Hollywood Bowl, 2 shows for $90,000/show
Help! lies at the end of their pop album phase
Rubber Soul
This Bird Has Flown
o Johns working title for Norwegian Wood
o George introduces the sitar (the Rolling Stones had featured the sitar in Paint It Black
Drive My Car
o George plays slide guitar in the middle section
Daytripper (by John)
o not found on the album, as it was originally intended to be a single
o John refers to the song as a forced single
o Georges tone pedal distorts the main riff just enough to bring attention to the guitar line (also guitar
doubling)
o Just a rock song about people who take day trips, on a ferry or something
We Can Work It Out (by Paul)
o b-side to Day Tripper
o took up 525 minutes just to record a usable rhythm track
o George suggests that they bounce between 4/4 and
o Paul did the verses; John did life is very short
o Harmonium: tiny little organ w/ pedals that you had to pump; this rhythm has nothing to do with speed
of the song
o The band releases their first double-A single, unsure of which song to promote over the other
o Band releases the album and single on the same day, though the single was intended to be released
previously
In My Life (by John)
o started from a poem John wrote about his childhood memories, specific places
o knowing these places wouldnt relate to his audience, John tries to form a sense of mourning around
things/places/people hes lost throughout his life
o John wants a classical piece in the bridge; George Martin isnt talented enough to play all the trills
Lennon wants; Martin plays at half speed and then tries to speed it up
o Piano actually alters its pitch when sped up; people think that its a harpsichord
October 5th
October 10th
In My Life
Middle Eight: George Martin playing piano recorded at 1/2 speed
Nowhere Man- John
-As soon as John turns his attention to writing about something he knew well. The places in his
hometown that he used to know and the people he used to know that are now gone.
Im Looking Through You- Paul
The most- recorded song on the album. Paul unsatisfied with attempt after attempt.
- they did take after take. They would do one and Paul would say I dont like that.
Michelle-Paul
These are words that go together well
French
Jan Vaugn- wife of Ivan who introduced Paul to John
French teacher suggested Michelle ma Belle
MBE
- paul always thought it felt French. John suggested he revive it and give it some real lyrics. Paul did
not speak french and wanted to put french in there so he went to Jan Vaughan who was the wife of
Ivan vaughn. She was a french teacher and when paul played the song for her she suggested that
opening Michelle ma belle.
MBE
- John secreted several joints in his boots just before the ceremony they went into the restroom and
smoked a joint. We dont know if this is true. Buckingham Palace Is where the ceremony took place
What Goes On
Just after Love Me Do
George martin has asked do you guys have anymore songs they played Please Please Me, Thank- you
Girl, The One after 909, What Goes On- ringo sings and plays
Please Please Me
Thank-you Girl
The One after 909
What Goes On-Ringo sings and plays the credit says Lennon/McCartney/ Starkey(Ringos legal name)
done in one take
Ringo said he contributed about 5 words song was done in one take
12-Bar Original
Lennon / McCartney / Harrison / Starkey
George - tone pedal guitar
John - guitar
Paul - bass
Ringo - drums
George Martin - harmonium
- they spent a considerable amount of time working on this but yet they left it off the album
Instrumental...
- one of the pieces they assumed would never be heard by the public
George Harrison
Wont Be There With You
- as they started working on this song this became the working title thinking for yourself
Think For Yourself- the song does not have a strong hook like most of the Beatles songs.
Fuzz box on the bass(overdrive device)-at this time there was no standard line of fuzz boxes several
musicians had used them but you couldnt just go out and buy one so one of the technicians at the studio
with the name of Ken Townsend built one on the spot
Ken Townsend - built one on the spot
Girl-John
Johns first Naughty Song-he is intentionally trying to put little things that are naughty.
Sounds like John is toking
Paul+George- tit-tit-tit
On December 3, 1965- Album released and single released- We Can Work It Out and Day Tripple both
sides were A. Double A single.
- number 1 all over the world.
Title of Album - Rubber Soul
Paul - woulds always say Plastic soul man plastic soul
- this was a phrase coined by black musicians in london to describe Mick Jagger
- whatever rubber soul actually means it does mark some changes. This was there second album.
2nd Album in 1965
1966- only released on album
They slowed down after this record and took more time to record.
Last Album with Norman Smith as Engineer
- Norman Smith had been with them from the beginning . The engineer is the one who changes all the
knobs etc. The producer directs the session the engineer is the one who does the actual work. Norman
Smith was in a funny situation because within the abbey road structure you were tape operators and
then theyd go work in the library then go off and work as engineer and then go off and become A&R
operativesd
A+R(talent Scout)- Artists +Repertoire- repertoire - lists of songs. Within a+r sense its songs by song
writers. Talent scouts are not looking for good performers they are looking for good song writers
Norman smiths logical next step was to become an A+R man but that meant he would leave the Beatles.
It was time for him to move up the ladder within two year he walked into the studio and asked john and
paul if he could bring a group he was working with to watch the beatles he asked if pink floyd could watch
them.
Smith- Pink Floyd. Smith found pink floyd.
Geoff Emerick - he replaced norman smith as the engineer under the suggestion of George Martin
George Martin - Quit. he is just making salary too. If he continued to do what he was doing he would
continue making regular salary even though he was producing the Beatles. He Quit.
Freelance-the beatles would now have to go to him and Martin would name his price. George Martin was
integral to their sound the Beatles did not want to work with anyone else. There would be times when the
Beatles would want him but he was busy.
George Martin started his own company called AIR( Associated Independent Recordings)
Revolver- a whole new ballgame. The Beatles really stretching the envelope and becoming experimental.
Rubber soul was a stepping stone to this. When they got to revolver they could do anything they want.
John The Beginning of the groups self - conscious period and the end of the Beatles tribal child - like
stage.
John and Paul have been reading books.
Possible Title: ABRACADABRA- Aleister Crowley he signed document The Beast 666
-most of us recognize this word as magical. The word actually has a history it can be traced back to
Aleister Crowley who popularized the word decades before. He liked to be called The Wickedest Man on
Earth
- he was a notorious ceremonial magician
Other names suggested for album
Magic Circles
Beatles On Safari- also suggested
Cover of album- ink drawing
Geoff Emerick- unusual choice of engineer because he was very young and had not been exposed to a
lot of recording sessions. For example he introduced concept of close- miking
Close- Miking- putting mics up close
Dry(direct)
Wet(reflections)
- put a mic on every single thing and have as close to instrument as you can. A mic on each and one of
every one of ringos drums.
Ken Townsend - Doubling the vocals.
- the Beatles did this a lot. John hated doubling. The reason was John liked remote he wanted to wail
when he sang but when you double a vocal you need to listen to what you have just done and duplicate it.
Duplicating a wailed vocal is hard.
Recorded Vocal
Variable speed- if you listen to the variable speed tap you probably wont even notice that its going up and
down but when you take the variable speed versioning mix it with the original the original has the original
pitch but the varying has a varying sound.
Kens Townsend - invented ADT- artificial double tracking. JFlanged- Kens Flanger- electrically takes
signal from guitar . Splits it into two.
Leslie Speaker- way back into the 1920s someone invented a Hammond Organ. Leslie speaker - doppler
shift- as something approaches you the frequency goes up. The speaker makes the sound of the organ
go slightly up and slightly down.
Leslie speaker is going to be something the Beatles use.
Emerick was the young man who first thought to put his voice through the Leslie speaker a tactic
that was then used by John in tomorrow never knows.
- Tape Loops- on a tape machine you have a supply, takeup and head. A tape loop is simply wear you
take a piece of tape which has something on it that you want. You would take a tape that has a word on it
for instance and you would cut it out and edit the two ends together.
Pauls electronic seaguls
Tomorrow Never Knows
Dr. Timothy Leary - he was conducting lsd experiments on grad students at harvard. He was asked to
leave. It is not as though he was slipping it without his knowledge they had volunteered.
Translation- paraphase of the Tibetan Book of the Dead inspiration for Beatles
1/2- Johns voice ADT
1/2- Leslie
-first song recorded for album Revolver. Ended up being last song on the album . Set the tone for the
whole album. The whole album was very experimental. The songs become more and more weird. A song
from about the Tibetan Book of Dead is weird enough. Rubber souls was more simple and the Revolver
was less simple.
Barry Miles- Indica Books
October 12th
Revolver 1966
- May
China: Chairman Mao proclaims Cultural Revolution in a strategy to regain control of the Chinese
Communist Party
- June
U.S. Civil Rights
James Meredith shot during civil rights March on Fear in Mississippi
Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael take his place in the March
Ronald Regan wins the Republican nomination for Governor of California
- Vietnam
April: 8,000 protesters encircle the Pentagon in an effort to levitate it - organized by Abbie
Hoffman
June: Johnson authorizes U.S. plans to bomb Hanoi and Haiphong
- Muhamed Ali
Applied for Selective Service for Conscientious Objector Status on religious grounds.
- Muhamed Ali
Applied for Selective Service for Conscientious Objector Status on religious grounds.
- August
Charles Whitman massacres 12 with a rifle from the tower of Texas University, Austin.
- Black Panther
Black Panther party is formed by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in October
Free breakfast in Baltimore for students
Formed out frustration for Lyndon B. Johnson
History of Music in 1966
- Top Albums in the UK August, 1966
#1 Revolver
#2 Sound of Music-Sound-track
- US Top 5, 1966
#1: Sgt. Barry Sadler Ballad of the Green Berets
#2: The Association Cherish
#3: Righteous Brothers Youre My Soul and Inspiration
#4: The Four Tops Ill Be There
#5: And the Mysterians 96 Tears
* (at this time, families becoming increasingly wary of Vietnam war, deal with constant separation with
family)
- Other pop artists experimenting in the recording studio
Up until 1965, pop groups could do exactly what they did in recording studio live
Between 65-66, cant do exact stuff live, more experimenting going on in songs
Synthesizers
Heightened vocal arrangements
Influences on Beatles music at the time..
- Aspects of Indian Classical Music
Based on single raga
Raga: musical mode or scale
Uses just intonation, a different tuning system than Western equal temperament
Melody floats above a drone
Drone: one pitch that just sits there
Based on set rhythmic circles called talas
Beatles used sitar (George Harrison) and other aspects of Indian music
Influenced by Ravi Shankar
- Ravi Shankar
Legendary sitarist and composer
Considered Indias most esteemed musical Ambassador
Single-handedly responsible for introducing Indian music to the West
Taught Harrison to play sitar
Ravi Shankar became a huge icon in the Hippie Movement
- Stockhausen (composer)
one of the first people to experiment with tape loops
one of first to experiment with electronic music
German Composer
McCartney listened to him
favorite song = Song of the Youths
On the cover of Sgt. Pepper Album
Songs on Revolver
- She Said She Said written by John
Describes an experience John had while on LSD
extremely scared/paranoid - Youre making me feel like Ive never been born
Recounts Peter Fondas near-death experience
- And Your Bird Can Sing written by John
Complex guitar arrangement
Originally called You Dont Get Me
- For No One written by Paul
About Pauls problems with Jane Asher
George Martin hires a famous French horn player for the solo
Pauls classical trend
- Im Only Sleeping written by John
John withdrawing from everyday life
George Martin transcribed Harrisons guitar solo backwards
Slowed cymbal sound to create blurry atmosphere
Anthology 5 (The Middle Years)
- Why was the Beatles Shea Stadium concert considered a milestone in rock history? August 15, 1965
Set records for attendance
first open air, open stage concert
Largest amp (100 watts) made for this concert
- What do you think accounts for the mania experienced by the audience? Do you think this type of
hysteria for a rock band will ever be witnessed again? Why or why not?
- What does John do to ease the tension of playing to such a large crowd for the first time?
Make comical faces, gestures
- Where do the Beatles first meet Elvis Presley? What was Elvis doing when they arrived?
At Elvis mansion in Bel Air
Elvis was sitting on his couch playing his bass with the TV on
- How does Johns recollection of meeting Elvis differ from the others?
John said he jammed with Elvis
- What about Elvis Ringo does find disheartening?
Elvis had to experience the pressures of fame alone, the Beatles had each other
- What are some of the negative effects of Beatlemania on the Beatles themselves? Which Beatle seems
most disturbed by this and why?
They couldnt go anywhere publicly. There musicianship also suffered during live performances.
Ring was especially alerted by this
- What album marks the turning point in the Beatles creativity as songwriters and musicians? Why?
Rubber Soul
all getting into different kinds of music, different material, different sounds
Not afraid to use other musicians
Move away from just poppy souds
- How does George get interested in the sitar? Whats the first song he uses the sitar on?
On set of Help there were Indian musicians, played around with the sitar then
Began to listen to Ravi Shankar
Used it in Norwegian Wood
- How does the photo of the Beatles on the Rubber Soul album get its unique warped look?
Photographer = Bob Freeman
Cardboard that was used to project the photo on fell backward elongating the projected photo
- Why were George and Ringo reticent at first to bring their own songs into the studio?
Because felt small compared to Lennon/McCartney
Didnt know how to present songs
- What songs from Revolver does George Martin consider a great innovation?
Tomorrow Never Knows
- As the Beatles began innovating in the studio performing live became increasingly difficult. Why?
Hard to do tricks, loops, etc. on stage
October 17th
Revolver
Tomorrow Never Knows
o
first song to be recorded
o
last song on the album
o
written primarily by Lennon, with help from McCartney
Love You To
o
written by George
o
Indian-style: George plays sitar, invites Anil Bhagwat to play table (multi-tuned bongo)
o
Ringo plays some tambourine
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Pauls high harmony is left off the final cut
Working title: Granny Smith
Paperback Writer
written by Paul
single
Paul complained about his bass not being loud enough; ATOC (Automatic Transient Overload
Control) is invented and allows for louder bass
dynamic microphone is the same as a speaker
Rain
slowed down mix (as opposed to other songs, which were usually sped up to avoid rhythmic
mistakes)
written by Lennon
a bit of backwards vocal at the end of the song
Taxman
written by George
discovered that he pays $0.96/$1.00
Lennon says that he and George cowrote the song, but he left his name off so that George could
get the money
Paul gets the guitar solo, including an Indian scale for George
Eleanor Rigby
written by Paul
includes a string octet (4 violins, 2 violas, 2 celli)
George Martin produces the arrangement
Paul sings leads vocal; George and John sing background
Another example of close micing, to get the sawing sound of the strings
Got To Get You Into My Life
written by Paul
brass section: 3 trumpets, 2 tenor saxophones
Yellow Submarine
written w/
lots of sound effects: waves (made by chains dragged through a metal bathrub full of water),
clinking glasses (made by Ryan Jones of the Rolling Stones), John in the echo chamber, birds,
etc.
folk singer: Marianne Faithful
Single (June 10, 1966): A) Paperback Writer and B) Rain
Single (August 5, 1966): A) Eleanor Rigby and A) Yellow Submarine
World Tour #3
Everything that couldve gone wrong DID
The band didnt play anything from Revolver, save for Paperback Writer
Stop #1: Germany
o
Want to go see all the places they used to play at
o
Too bad, everything was demolished or refurbished beyond recognition
Stop #2: Japan
o
There was a typhoon in the China Sea; the band is transferred to Anchorage
o
Right-wing movement in Japan threatens to murder the group
Stop #3: the Phillipines
o
Leader: Ferdinand Marcos
Military dictator
His wife: Imelda Marcos
Throws a party and asks the Beatles to attend
o
The Beatles do not attend the party, Brian Epstein says they are in need of rest
Headline next day: Beatles Snub President, party was for disadvantaged children
Pretty much run out of the country; the Beatles announce on the plane out of the
Phillipines that theyll no longer go on tour
Maureen Cleave, reporter for the Evening Standard (British tabloid)
John said some things about Christianity that would piss people off
Nobody in the homeland cared
Cleaves story came out in Datebook, a publication designed for teenage girls
o In the Bible Belt, Beatles records were burned
o 35 radio stations banned the Beatles from the air
Revolver hits #1 for about 2 months
Brian considers cancelling the American leg of the tour
October 19th
As the Beatles began innovating in the studio performing live became increasingly
difficult. Why?
How are the Beatles first introduced to LSD?
John Cynthia George and Patty were at dinner, had heard vaguely about LSD, it was put in their
coffee, he advised them not to leave, left their car, he drove them, screaming in the lift at the
nightclub because they thought it was on fire, George drove them home the next day
Which Beatles was frightened at first about trying LSD?
Paul was really scared about it, heard you were never the same after, John was excited by that
and Paul was frightened by it, Paul stalled within group
What do the Beatles do in lieu of making TV appearances to promote their songs? What
does this promotional technique give rise to about 15 years later?
Out on convenience they didnt want to go into the studios, they decided to make their own
little films and put them out, couldnt fit in all the live TV shows all around the world, so to
accommodate them they made promo films. Sent to America especially. "In a way we invented
MTV". Nowadays it's normal to have a film to go along with a single.
Why were the Japanese authorities upset about the Beatles playing at the Nippon
Budokan Hall?
It was supposed to be a special spiritual hall that is reserved for martial arts, it would set a bad
example by leading them away from traditional values
What unusual technique did the Japanese police use as a means of controlling concert
goers when the Beatles played the Budokan?
Police on each corner, they were herded there by the police. Anyone who looked like they would
run towards the stage would have a picture taken of them by the police
Yoko Ono
Born 1933 in Tokyo
Dropped out of Sarah Lawrence College and became involved in NYC avant-garde art world -->
eloped with first husband
Conceptual art:
Requires audience participation/interaction
And artistic event can influence thought patterns and spur social change
The idea behind the work is more important than its material qualities
Her work was controversial
John Cage was a good friend of hers
Famous piece in 1964 called "cut" -- where she would go on stage and have people from
the audience come up and cut off parts of her dress
Fluxus -- group of artists who made music from everyday sounds
Grapefruit -- Ono's book of surrealist poems and meditations
Bottoms -- Ono's most famous avant-garde film
Met John in London when he attended her art exhibit -- friends for about a year before they
started a romantic relationship, both were married
REVIEW
Tomorrow never knows is one of most important innovative songs
Developments in the studio
Tape loops -- Seagull sound, tape the tap together and play it backwards, composer that
started this was Stockhausen
ADT - Artificial Double Tracking -- a way of doing vocal doubling, does it by tape,
ATOC -- happens in post production, how you get bass, compress bass to get it on the
record -- automatic transient overload control
Ken's Flanger -- Ken Townsend, guy who invented ADT, Flanger is a made up word by
George Martin, gets double tracking of the voice, electronically unlike ADT
Leslie Speaker -- spins, John wanted to be hung upside down from the ceiling and spun
while singing to create this effect. On Tomorrow Never Knows where John's voice goes
through speaker and It's Only Love where the guitar goes through
Half of tomorrow never knows has ADT, and half has John's voice going through Leslie
Speaker
Beatle influences
Indian classical music
LSD
Stockhausen
Beatle People
Maureen Cleave -- encouraged John to write songs with more than one syllable (larger
vocab in song Help), published article quoting John saying the Beatles were more
popular than Jesus
Ravi Shankar
Yoko Ono
Brian Epstein
George Martin
Geoff Emerick -- put his voice through Leslie Speaker
Revolver
Taxman by George, guitar solo by Paul, uses indian scale
Eleanor Rigby by Paul, with 2 string quartets, no beatles playing this song
Love you to by George, a lot of good sitar playing, first real highly influenced song by
indian classical music, originally called Granny Smith
Yellow submarine sung by Ringo, sound effects, george martin not there that day and the
beatles went crazy
She said she said, about an LSD experience, by John
And your bird can sing -- originally called You Don't Get Me
Got to get you into my life, uses brass for the first time
Tomorrow never knows
Rubber Soul
Norwegian wood, first time with sitar, by John
Nowhere man, by John, tight vocal harmonies, difficult to perform live
Girl -- smoking sounds
If I needed someone -- by George, sounds like the Byrds, indian influence
Think for yourself -- by George,
In my life -- by John, in the middle the piano is sped up, played by George Martin, sounds
like a harpsichord, based on long poem that John writes about his life in which me
mentions Penny Lane
Help!
Run for your life -- by John, he thinks the lyrics are sexist later in life, response to an Elvis
song, becomes a feminist later in life
I'm looking through you -- by Paul, about Jane Asher
We can work it out (single) -- verse written by Paul, B section written by John more
pessimistic, took them a long time to record
Yesterday -- written, sung, played by Paul, string orchestra, most covered song ever
Ticket to ride -- first heavy metal
Help! -- originally written as slow song, sped up, Paul wrote the counter melody
I need you -- wah wah used by George
I've just seen a face -- by Paul, skiffle song, drums are brushes
You've got to hide your love away -- a flute at the end of song, flutist's name is Johnny
Scott, possible meanings behind song about Brian Epstein
What was the reception the Beatles failed to attend?
Madame Marcus's dinner, it was their day off they didnt know, was at presidential palace, seen
as the Beatles snubbing the first family
How did the Beatles find out about their reception?
They found out on TV, where they were showing a show of the first family waiting for the Beatles
who never showed up
What happened when the Beatles arrived at the airport?
Treated as "regular passengers", people were shoving a booing etc, hid behind nuns,
What did Brian Epstein agree to do so that the plane would be allowed to depart?
He had to give them
What was the controversial remark that John made in an interview with Maureen Cleave?
Were now more popular than Christ
What were the repercussions in America?
1. The general attitudes toward drug use while in the recording studio for the Beatles was
ignorance. George Martin didnt confront him, and the Beatles didnt flaunt their drug use in his
face.
Ch. 25 from Davies
1. The controversial remark that John Lennon made in an interview with Maureen Cleave was were now
more popular than Christ.
2. The concert programs in Tokyo were impressive because it contained academic information, the title of
every song theyd ever sung up to that time and its chart position.
3. When the Beatles toured in Manila they were kicked and punched by the crowds and the police
because the Presidents wife invited them to the palace and they never showed up.
4. The Beatles last live performance was in San Francisco on August 29, 1966
Pg. 211 223 Miles
1. John Dunbar was a friend of Peters that Paul met when he lived at Wimpole Street. He was a student
at Churchill College, Cambridge, and born in Mexico of a Russian mother and a Scottish father.
2. Paul met John Dunbar through Peter Asher because he was a frequent visitor to Wimpole Street.
3. Dunbar is important to the history of the Beatles because he and Paul would create little tapes
together. Through making those tapes Paul got into tape loops, and playing wine glasses.
4. Marianne Faithfull met Paul when John took her to meet Peter Asher, who was Johns good friend.
5. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote the song As Tears Go By for Marianne Faithfull.
6. At Lennox Gardens Paul was exposed to heroin.
7. The musical creations that Paul brought to Lennox Gardens were experimental tape recordings such
as one called Unforgettable by Nat King Cole.
8. Faithful performed the Beatles song Yesterday on the TV special, The Music of Lennon and
McCartney.
October 24th
Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
Bands time off
o Paul: bohemian lifestyle
o George: trip to India to study sitar w/ Ravi Shankar
o John: acted in How I Won the War, directed by Richard Lester
Got the part of Muskateer Gripweed
Tiny part in the film; face on the cover
o Ringo: comforts John when he realizes his acting sucks
o Johns glasses become a hit: Lennon glasses in UK, granny glasses in US
o In London, John stops by the Indica Gallery (owned by John Dunbar) in London
Yoko Ono has a gallery on display
Ladder->dot on ceiling->reads Yes
Yoko tells John Dunbar she doesnt know who Lennon is, when she rejects him from hammering
a nail
Lennon and Ono hit it off
o John reads Yoko Onos Grapefruit
o John befriends John Alexis Mardas (magic Alex), the lighting director for the Rolling Stones
Group began recording again on Nov. 24, 1966
o Single release: A) Strawberry Fields Forever and A) Penny Lane
First time a Beatles single did not reach #1 in the UK
Engelbert Humpardinc: Release Me stays at #1
Single release puts faith in the fans that the Beatles continue writing
o Strawberry Fields Forever
written by John
had many different versions
Harrison attempts a slide guitar
Paul ends up playing the mellotron (basically a rustic sampler)
Take 7: Paul changes mellotron to flute sound, mellow sounding take
Take 26: becomes large production (4 trumpets, 3 cellos, George whips out a swordmandel [table
harp]), intense take
If take 7 is sped up, take 26 slowed down, and crossfade the two at 60 seconds into the song, the
song blends
Doesnt appear on the album, but the song sparked the beginning of Sgt. Pepper
o Penny Lane
comes from one of Pauls childhood memories
begins with 3 tracks of Pauls piano
John adds in another layer of piano, Paul the bass, John guitar, and Ringo the drums
4 flutes, 4 trumpets, 2 oboes, 2 piccolos, 1 flugelhorn, 2 engl. Horns, a double bass
Paul sees David Mason playing trumpet on a BBC production of one of Bachs concertos
o Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
name invented by Paul
Pauls bass goes through another transformation: transformer connects bass to console in what
o
o
o
Ken Townsend calls direct injection
Audience sounds come from library recordings
An orchestra tunes in the background: from A Day in the Life session
Brass band: scripted by George Martin, includes 4 French horns, Harrison plays a stinging guitar
Implies that the Beatles are a new band
Audience screams = audio from the Hollywood Bowl
A Little Help From My Friends
Ringo is introduced as Billy Shears
Song written by John and Paul for Ringo to sing
get high with a little help from my friends caused the band to have issues with publicity: BBC
wouldnt play the song
initially known as Bad Finger Boogie (mostly Pauls writing)
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Lennon and George Martin both agree that the song was not a veiled reference to LSD
In fact, based on a drawing Johns son made in preschool
John plays with vocal masking (plays guitar and voice at the same time; two instruments begin to
blend)
Getting Better
Harrison uses a tamboura (creates a bass drone)
George Martin plays the piano mallets on the inside of the instrument
Paul: beat his woman?