Doctor Robert
Lennon-McCartney / 2:13
1966
SONGWRITER
John
MUSICIANS
John: vocal, rhythm guitar, harmonium
Paul: bass, piano, backing vocal
George: lead guitar, backing vocal, maracas
Ringo: drums
RECORDED
Abbey Road: April 17 and 19, 1966 (Studio Two)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 7
MIXING
Abbey Road: April 19, 1966 (Studio Two) / May 12, 1966 (Studio Three) / May 20, 1966 (Studio One) / June 21, 1966 (Studio Three)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Assistant Engineers: Phil McDonald, Jerry Boys
Genesis
The identity of Dr. Robert was the subject of many hypotheses. Some thought it was Robert Fraser, who owned a gallery; others Dr. Charles Roberts, a doctor who treated Andy Warhol; still others Dr. John Riley, who had turned the Beatles on to LSD. It was more likely Dr. Robert Freeman, the owner of a New York clinic whose specialty was a cocktail of vitamin B12 with massive doses of amphetamines that he prescribed for celebrities in the Big Apple. In 1967 Paul said, “We’d hear people say, … this fellow who cured everyone of everything with all these pills … is like a joke. He just kept New York high. That’s what ‘Doctor Robert’ is all about.”1 As for John, he confided that he wrote it about drugs and pills: “It was about myself: I was the one that carried all the pills on tour.”2 Pete Shotton remembers, “When John first played me the acetate of ‘Dr. Robert,’ he seemed beside himself with glee over the prospect of millions of record buyers innocently singing along.”3
Production
On Sunday, April 17, the Beatles were in Studio Two at Abbey Road. They spent this day recording the rhythm track of “Doctor Robert.” Everyone played his usual instrument. The sound overall sounded like rock, and slightly “garage band.” The superb guitar parts by George and John were reminiscent of the Byrds or the Kinks. The seventh take was the best. George then added maracas and on the bridge (which contrasts with the rest of the song), John was on harmonium and Paul on piano (but the latter is hardly audible in the mix). This type of rhythmic break was used once again in 1967 in “Your Mother Should Know.” Two days later, they recorded the vocal parts. John sang lead, supported by the backing vocal of Paul, and then George, who joined them at the bridge. A first mono mix was carried out the very same day. On May 12, other mixes followed and the song was reduced from 2:56 to 2:13. The mix was meant for the American LP Yesterday and Today. On May 20, the stereo mixes were made for the American and British versions. It was noticeable that John’s voice was highly processed: on the left, you could hear the ADT signal and on the right, his original voice. Finally, on June 21, the definitive mono mix was done.
FOR BEATLES ADDICTS
Whereas the Beatles described the uppers prescribed by the good “Doctor Robert,” the Rolling Stones preferred barbiturates and in early July released “Mother’s Little Helper.”
I Want To Tell You
George Harrison / 2:26
1966
MUSICIANS
George: vocal, lead guitar, hand claps
John: backing vocal, tambourine (?), hand claps
Paul: bass, piano, backing vocal, hand claps
Ringo: drums, maracas (?), hand claps
RECORDED
Abbey Road: June 2–3, 1966 (Studio Two)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 5
MIXING
Abbey Road: June 3, 1966 (Studio Two) / June 21, 1966 (Studio Three)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Assistant Engineer: Phil McDonald
Genesis
“I Want to Tell You” was George’s third song on Revolver. It was the first and last time he placed so many songs on a single album (the White Album includes four, two per record). Even if John, Paul, or George Martin did not consider him as an equal, he gradually asserted himself. The influence of Indian philosophy and culture on him was becoming increasingly obvious. He wrote later in his autobiography, “‘I Want to Tell You’ is about the avalanche of thoughts that are so hard to write down and say or transmit.”1 It was also this difficulty that gave him the look of a “calm and relaxed Beatle.” As usual, George struggled to find a title for his song. Geoff Emerick, who had already suggested “Granny Smith” as the title for “Love You To,” jokingly proposed “Laxton’s Superb” (another variety of apples). George used this title until the next day, when he renamed the song “I Don’t Know,” as a reply to Martin, who was asking him for the title. At the time of the mix, he finally chose the first line of the lyrics.
Production
On June 2, the Beatles recorded five takes of “I Want to Tell You.” George was on lead guitar, Paul on piano, and Ringo on drums. It seems that John did not play guitar. George chose the third take as the basis for the overdubs. He overdubbed his lead vocal, accompanied by John and Paul’s backing vocals. Paul incorporateed Indian intonations in the song’s coda, no doubt to please his colleague. Then there were other overdubs: a (dissonant) piano, maracas, and tambourines. After a reduction, the Beatles added hand claps; the only thing missing was Paul’s bass. It was recorded the very next day and the song was complete. This was a rather quick production at this stage of their career. “I Want to Tell You” was not George’s best song, and definitely not as good as “Taxman.” Nevertheless, it was well done. The mono mix was done on June 3 and the stereo on June 21.
FOR BEATLES FANATICS
In 1979, Ted Nugent did a superb remake of this song, which tends to show that with more arrangements and more work, George’s song could have been much better.
Got To Get You Into My Life
Lennon-McCartney / 2:27
1966
SONGWRITER
Paul
MUSICIANS
Paul: vocal, bass
John: lead guitar, organ
George: lead guitar, tambourine
Ringo: drums
Eddie Thornton, Ian Hamer, Les Condon: trumpet
Peter Coe, Alan Branscombe: tenor saxophone
RECORDED
Abbey Road: April 7, 1966 (Studio Three) / April 8 and 11, 1966 (Studio Two) / May 18, 1966 and June 17, 1966 (Studio Two)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 9
MIXING
Abbey Road: April 25, 1966 (Room 65) / May 18, 1966 and June 17, 1966 (Studio Two) / June 20, 1966 (Studio One) / June 22, 1966 (Studio Three)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Assistant Engineers: Phil McDonald, Jerry Boys
Genesis
As strange as this seems, “Got to Get You into My Life” was an ode to cannabis. Paul, who wrote the song, simply wanted to sing its praises, because he claimed it helped him withstand the stress of life without the disadvantages of alcohol. “In my mind, I’ve always likened it to the peace pipe of the Indians.”1 At first glance, the words sounded rather harmless, like the lyrics of any love song. However, sweet little Paul, who barely four years before was singing “Love Me Do,” let go and delivered here a text with a hidden meaning. John especially liked it. “… the lyrics are good and I didn’t write them. You see? When I say that he could write lyrics if he took the effort, here’s an example.”2 A year later, Paul would deal with the same subject in “Fixing a Hole,” on Sgt. Pepper.
FOR BEATLES FANATICS
Even after they were replaced by the brass, the fuzz guitars could easily be heard in the left speaker of the stereo mix, each time the brass stepped in.
Production
The Beatles went to the studio on April 7 to record “Got to Get You into My Life,” the second song recorded for Revolver. Five takes were required to record the first version of the song. This version was radically different than the final one: an
intro on organ, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, lyrics in different parts (see Anthology 2). They returned to it the next day and, on April 11, added fuzz guitars. On April 25, a rough mono remix was made for the purpose of cutting acetates for listening purposes.
The group tried the song again over a month later, on May 18. Paul decided to replace the fuzz guitars with brass. Two members of Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames were recruited (Eddie Thornton and Peter Coe), as well as three session jazz musicians (Ian Hamer, Les Condon, and Alan Branscombe). Paul was on piano and, at his request, George Martin explained to the musicians what he expected from them. Geoff Emerick positioned the microphones inside the bells of the instruments. With a limiter up to the maximum, the sound was blaring but without distortion. The brass was recorded on two tracks, instead of the fuzz guitars and the voices. A new rhythm guitar was added. After a reduction, Paul sang lead once again (and doubled his voice) on track 3, while John played the organ on the coda and George played tambourine. Two mixes were carried out for listening purposes. Finally, on June 17, John and George recorded a guitar solo with strong vibrato. As the guitars were inserted on track 3, the tambourine was suddenly cut off (at 1:44) and the doubling of Paul’s voice disappeared (starting at 1:56). On June 20, Emerick reinforced the brass part by copying it (with a slight delay) by overdubbing, starting at remix 7, and the final mono mix was reached this way. The stereo was done on June 22. “Got to Get You into My Life” is a vibrant tribute to the “Tamla Motown” sound, specifically Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight.”
Tomorrow Never Knows
Lennon-McCartney / 2:57
1966
SONGWRITER
John
MUSICIANS
John: vocal
Paul: bass, organ (?), piano, lead guitar (?)
George: lead guitar (?), tambura
Ringo: drums, tambourine
RECORDED
Abbey Road: April 6–7, 1966 (Studio Three) / April 22, 1966 (Studio Two)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 3
MIXING
Abbey Road: April 27, 1966 (Studio Three) / June 6 and 22, 1966 (Studio Three)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Assistant Engineers: Phil McDonald, Jerry Boys
Genesis
“[John] said, I wanted my voice to sound like the Dalai Lama chanting from a hilltop. Can you do something for me?” That was more or less the request that John addressed to George Martin. He had just written a new song, with a style inspired by Indian music, light-years away from “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” He borrowed the theme from The Psychedelic Experience, a psychedelic adaptation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which had been written by the famous Dr. Timothy Leary: “Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream.” John said in 1972, “I did it just like he said in the book, and then I wrote ‘Tomorrow Never Knows,’ which was almost the first acid song.”1
John presented his composition, built around a single chord in C, during a meeting at the London house of Brian Epstein. Paul found the concept brilliant, and George Martin, who was a bit surprised, found it very interesting. But when he heard Lennon in the studio, trying to sound like the Dalai Lama, Martin was dumbfounded. “It’s a bit expensive going to Tibet. Can we make do with it here?”2 The studio would have to be enough. This was a good thing, because afterwards, John realized he had in mind thousands of monks, chanting.
In order to lighten up the semi-philosophical, semi-esoteric lyrics, John chose for the title another malapropism by Ringo: “Tomorrow Never Knows.” This was the title, representing the entire album, that they showed to Klaus Voormann, who was in charge of designing the record cover, to make him capture the essence of Revolver. “What was coming out of the loudspeakers into my ears, even in an incomplete state, was absolutely new … I perceived the beginning of a new musical era,”3 he wrote in 2006. The Beatles brought rock music to new heights: they prefigured their future masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper.
Production
Under the working title “Mark I,” John brought his colleagues toward unheard-of musical horizons. The first session took place on April 6. “Tomorrow Never Knows” was the first song to be recorded since “Girl” on November 11, 1965. The first take consisted of Ringo’s drums, Paul’s bass, and John’s vocal that was turned into a loop. Slowed down and drowned in the reverb, the effect was enticing. Meanwhile, George Martin was talking to Geoff Emerick (this was his very first recording session) about Lennon’s “Dalai Lama” request. Emerick thought of passing John’s vocal through a Leslie speaker, something that had never been done before. When the Beatles recorded this first take, their minds were totally blown away by the effect Emerick achieved. Emerick had just won them over. But the Beatles decided to do everything over again. The third take served as the basis for additional over-dubs. Emerick then decided to break the rules of EMI and experiment with a new way to record the drums. “I moved the bass drum microphone much closer to the drum than had been done before. There’s an early picture of the Beatles wearing a woolen jumper with four necks. I stuffed that inside the drum to deaden the sound. Then we put the sound through Fairchild 660 valve limiters and compressors.”4 The results were magical: the sound was huge! Ringo was astonished and Emerick secured the job of Beatles’ engineer.
FOR BEATLES FANATICS
Timothy Leary made another appearance in John’s life. In 1969, when he was running for governor of California, Leary asked him to write a song for his election campaign. The campaign’s slogan was “Come together, right now, join the party.”
At the end of the day, the rhythm track and John’s vocal were recorded. Paul, who was a fan of contemporary music, solicited everyone to bring back loops. He worked on it all night and through to the next morning, bringing in a little plastic bag with about twenty tape loops. George and Ringo contributed to this as well. George said, “I don’t recall what was on my loop; I think it was a grandfather clock.”5 Five loops were chosen, and five technicians were then assigned to various tape recorders throughout the entire Abbey Road complex to monitor the playback of the loops. The five loops went directly into the console of Studio Three. Martin, Emerick, Paul, and John manipulated the faders to create the ideal mix (that was recorded on track 2). Sounds of laughter, glasses, sitar, guitars, slowed down, sped up, or passed through backwards created a surrealistic atmosphere.
During the third session, on April 22, John recorded his lead vocal again with the Leslie effect on the second part of the song; George simultaneously played a tamboura, which produced a hypnotic buzz. Then, on the last track, they added a second vocal by John, a tambourine, an organ, a piano part taken from the first take on April 6 and a guitar solo reproduced backwards and played by Paul. Twelve mono mixes were carried out between April 27 and June 6, as well as six stereo mixes on June 22. The Beatles had just outdone themselves.
Technical Details
A loop was a piece of magnetic tape of variable length, on which a sound was recorded and which was taped together at each of its extremities. Played back on a tape recorder, the tape loop ran indefinitely.
Paperback Writer / Rain
1966
SINGLE
RELEASED AS A SINGLE
Great Britain: June 10, 1966 / No. 1 on June 23, 1966
United States: May 30, 1966 / No. 1 on June 25, 1966
Paperback Writer
Lennon-McCartney / 2:17
1966
SONGWRITER
Paul
MUSICIANS
Paul: vocal, bass, lead guitar
John: rhythm guitar, backing vocal
George: guitar, backing vocal, tambourine
Ringo: drums
RECORDED
Abbey Road: April 13–14, 1966 (Studio Three)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 2
MIXING
Abbey Road: April 14, 1966 (Studio Three) / October 31, 1966 (Studio One)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Assistant Engineers: Richard Lush, Phil McDonald
Genesis
One day, Paul recalled an article he had read in the Daily Mail about the authors of paperback books and got the inspiration to write “Paperback Writer,” a song in the form of a letter written by one of these authors to a publisher. “Penguin paperbacks was what I really thought of, the archetypal paperback,”1 Paul said to Barry Miles. He had already attempted to write a song in the form of a letter with “P.S. I Love You,” but this time, it was a real letter he wrote under the approving and amused look of John. On the original manuscript, you could read the signature, Yours sincerely, Ian Iachimoe; Ian Iachimoe being the phonetic rendition of Paul’s name passed backwards on a tape, which his friends used to use to write him! In the song, he mentioned a novel inspired by someone called Lear. Some people think this is a reference to Edward Lear, a nineteenth-century writer and illustrator who wrote humorous and absurd poems and whose work Lennon loved. But Paul said in 1966, “… I can tell you our songs are nearly all imagination—90 percent imagination. I don’t think Beethoven was in a really wicked mood all the time.”2 And he added later in an interview, “There’s no story behind it and it wasn’t inspired by real-life characters.”3 After having written the lyrics by himself, he worked with John on the music. “Then we went upstairs and put the melody to it. John and I sat down and finished it all up.”4 John stated in 1980, “‘Paperback Writer’ is the son of ‘Day Tripper’”5
FOR BEATLES FANATICS
The Beatles filmed several promotional clips for the song. In the one for The Ed Sullivan Show, you could see Paul at 0:38 with a piece of tooth missing, the result of a moped accident on December 26, 1965!
All the Songs Page 25
