đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: When Iâm Sixty-Four (1966)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
The Beatles hadnât worked on âWhen Iâm Sixty-Fourâ since 8 December 1966, but turned their attentions to it once again during this 7pm-1am session.
Three tracks of the four-track tape had been filled by the end of the previous session. On this evening, onto the fourth, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison added backing vocals while Ringo Starr played chimes.
Two reduction mixes were then made to free up new tracks. These mixes were numbered 3 and 4, with the latter being marked best. The bass, drums, piano and guitars were combined onto one track, leaving space for the clarinet overdub recorded on the following day.
đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatlesâ first photo session (1961)
In December 1961 The Beatlesâ manager Brian Epstein contacted a local wedding photographer, Albert Marrion, to see if he could take some pictures of the group.
The session, which took place on this day, was The Beatlesâ first professional photography session. They had been photographed several times before, most notably by Astrid Kirchherr and Jurgen Vollmer in Hamburg, but never before as part of a contractually-arranged and paid-for session.
On 17 December 1961 The Beatles and Epstein arrived at Marrionâs studio at 268 Wallasey Village, Wallasey, Merseyside.
"Midway during the month of December 1961, Brian Epstein called me and asked if I could take some photos of four boys he had started to manage. At first, I was reluctant to accept the task. We were primarily a portrait and wedding studio. In fact, the reason Epstein called me was I had been the photographer for his brother Cliveâs wedding. Brian had told me they were a scruffy-looking group in all-leather outfits, but quite harmless. I agreed and told Brian to have them meet me at my Wallasey studio the following Sunday, December 17. At first, I asked my partner, Herbert Hughes, to take the photo session, but he flatly refused, wanting nothing to do with the beat group. Sunday morning arrived and the four Beatles arrived at my studio. I remember those leather pants and jackets, the polo sweaters, and suede shoes to this day. Brian had spoken to them prior to the meeting so they were half serious in attitude. Every once in a while, John Lennon would stick his tongue out and make a wisecrack. John and Paul joked and laughed throughout most of the session. George Harrison was quiet and Pete Best didnât speak almost at all. It was pouring down rain and Lennon was beginning to irritate me. I, being bald at the forehead, Lennon frequently referred to me as âCurly.â This photo session was done for Epstein as a friendly gesture against the wishes of my partner, Hughes. I took about thirty photographs of the Beatles but discarded all but sixteen negatives because many showed Lennon and McCartney acting up and spoiling the pose. No doubt, those negatives should have been kept, looking back." â Albert Marrion
Although Marrion remembered 16 photographs surviving, 17 still exist. One of the images later became famous when it appeared on the front cover of Mersey Beat magazine in January 1962 and was used for promotional cards.
đ ON THIS DAY: Album release: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
John Lennonâs remarkable first solo album, the soul-baring John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, was released in the US and UK on 11 December 1970.
"All these songs just came out of me. I didnât sit down to think, âIâm going to write about my motherâ or I didnât sit down to think, âIâm going to write about this, that or the other.â They all came out, like all the best work of anybodyâs ever does." â John Lennon, Lennon Remembers
In the United Kingdom it peaked at number eight on the albums chart. It fared slightly better in the United States, reaching number six.
One single was issued from the album. âMotherâ, backed with Yoko Onoâs song âWhyâ, was released in the US on 28 December 1970. It was not a success, peaking at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band saw the closure of a chapter of Lennonâs past, a fresh beginning with a blank page, and a cautiously optimistic look towards the future. His subsequent career had its highs and lows, both commercially and artistically, but never again would he release a collection with such consistent vibrancy, purity and revelation.
"I came up with âImagineâ, âLoveâ, and those Plastic Ono Band songs â they stand up to any songs that were written when I was a Beatle. Now, it may take you twenty or thirty years to appreciate that; but the fact is, these songs are as good as any f*****g stuff that was ever done." â John Lennon, 1980
John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 December 1980 at the entrance of the Dakota building, New York City, where he lived with his wife Yoko Ono. He was 40 years old.
Lennon began 8 December 1980 with breakfast at 7.30am at La Fortunaâs, New York City. At 9am he visited a local barber shop where he had his hair cut into a 1950s-style quiff. At around 9.45am he returned to his home at the Dakota to give an interview to Dave Sholin, Laurie Kaye, Ron Hummel and Bert Keane for an RKO Radio Network show.
The interview lasted 90 minutes. In the early afternoon Rolling Stone photographer Annie Leibovitz arrived at the Lennonsâ apartment for a photo session, which lasted from 2-3.30pm. One of the images, of a naked Lennon lying on a clothed Yoko Ono, was the last ever taken of the couple together.
Lennon and Ono left the Dakota at 5pm with the RKO team. Before they entered their car, Lennon was stopped for several people seeking autographs, among them 25-year-old hospital worker Mark David Chapman. Lennon signed Chapmanâs copy of Double Fantasy, after which he asked, âIs this all you want?â Chapman nodded in agreement. The encounter was photographed by Lennon fan Paul Goresh.
At the Record Plant Studio at 321 West 44th Street they mixed Onoâs song âWalking On Thin Iceâ, which featured Lennon on lead guitar. During the evening session Lennon also telephoned his aunt Mimi in England, and record label owner David Geffen called by with the news that Double Fantasy had been certified gold in its first two weeks on release.
The recording session came to a close at 10.30pm. Lennon and Ono discussed going for a meal at Stage Deli, but decided to first return to the Dakota to say goodnight to five-year-old Sean Lennon. Their son was being minded by Helen Seaman, the aunt of their assistant Fred.
Although it was late on a December night, the outside temperature was unseasonably warm. Lennon and Ono decided to stop their limousine at 72nd Street and walk the remaining short distance, despite a secure courtyard being available to park in at the Dakota.
Lennon walked a couple of paces behind Ono. As he approached the archway leading to the Dakotaâs courtyard, Mark Chapman emerged from the shadows. The time was 10.52pm.
Chapman is said to have adopted a combat stance and fired five hollow-point rounds at Lennon from a Charter Arms .38 Special revolver. One bullet missed, passing over Lennonâs head and through a window of the Dakota building. Two struck Lennon in the left side of his back, and two others penetrated his left shoulder. At least one of these pierced his aorta.
Lennon staggered up six steps to the Dakotaâs reception area and said âIâm shot,â before collapsing. The tapes from the earlier recording session, which Lennon had been holding, were scattered across the floor. The other witnesses to the shooting were an elevator operator, a New York taxi driver, and the passenger he had just dropped off.
Duty concierge Jay Hastings immediately triggered a police alarm before covering Lennon with his blue Dakota uniform and removing his glasses. Yoko Ono cradled Lennonâs head as he whispered âHelp meâ, with blood pouring from his mouth. Hastings attempted to reassure him, whispering, âItâs okay John, youâll be all right.â
Outside the Dakota, doorman Jose Perdomo shook the gun from Chapmanâs hand and kicked it out of reach. âDo you know what youâve done?â he shouted, to which Chapman calmly replied, âYes, I just shot John Lennon.â The gun came to rest in nearby bushes, close to Chapmanâs autographed copy of Double Fantasy.
Chapman removed his coat and hat in preparation of the police arriving, and stood to the left of the Dakota archway on West 72nd Street. He began reading a copy of JD Salingerâs 1951 novel The Catcher In The Rye, inside which he had written: âTo Holden Caulfield. From Holden Caulfield. This is my statement.â
đ ON THIS DAY: US album release: All Things Must Pass by George Harrison (1970)
George Harrisonâs third solo album, All Things Must Pass, was released in the United States on 27 November 1970, three days before its UK release.
All Things Must Pass was a triple album, and Harrisonâs first release after the break-up of The Beatles. It is widely held to be his masterpiece.
All Things Must Pass was the first triple album by a single act; Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More had predated it by six months.
âMy Sweet Lordâ was chosen as the first single. Released in the US on 23 November, it contained a different mix from the album version, with less echo and different backing vocals.
Exceptional public demand and radio airplay forced Apple to belatedly release âMy Sweet Lordâ as a single in the UK, on 15 January 1971.
âMy Sweet Lordâ was an international number one at the end of 1970 and the early months of the new year. It was the first solo Beatles song to top the charts, and became the biggest seller by any member of the band in the 1970s.
All Things Must Pass was similarly successful, topping the album charts in Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, and USA. It remained at number one in the UK for eight weeks, from 6 February to 27 March. In the USA the album topped the Billboard chart for seven weeks.
The album was also released as a double 8-track cartridge set, Apple 8XWB-639. This release, which sported the rarely-used red Apple logo, contained a different running order from the vinyl edition.
đ ON THIS DAY: John Lennon returns his MBE to the Queen (1969)
John Lennon returned his MBE to the Queen on this day, as an act of protest against the Vietnam war.
Lennonâs chauffeur Les Anthony returned the insignia of the award to Buckingham Palace in the morning, also delivering handwritten letters to the Queen, prime minister Harold Wilson, and the secretary of the Central Chancery, explaining his actions.
The letters were written on notepaper headed Bag Productions, the company Lennon had recently set up with Yoko Ono.
"Your Majesty,
I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britainâs involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against âCold Turkeyâ slipping down the charts.
With love. John Lennon of Bag"
The action was predictably seized on by the media. Lennon gave an interview to David Bellan of BBC Radio Four in which he explained that he had been âmulling it overâ for the past two years, and that the My Lai massacre carried out by the US Army in March 1968 had contributed to his decision.
He also said he had not consulted the other Beatles before returning his MBE, and that he had only accepted it after being persuaded by Brian Epstein. Lennon also held a press conference in the afternoon at Apple, and filmed an interview for Reuters.
The Beatles had each been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queenâs 1965 birthday honours. The news was announced on 11 June that year, and the group received the awards at the palace on 26 October.
Lennonâs MBE insignia was rediscovered in a royal vault in January 2009, 40 years after it was returned. It was found at the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood at St Jamesâs Palace, where it had been kept from its day of return. It was still in its original presentation case alongside Lennonâs letter to the Queen.
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: Strawberry Fields Forever (1966)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
With touring behind them, The Beatles retreated from public view to begin work on their eighth album. They were keen to use the studio to its full potential, experimenting with different sounds with the intention of producing their best work to date.
The first song of the late-1966 sessions was John Lennonâs âStrawberry Fields Foreverâ, which was issued as a standalone single with âPenny Laneâ in February 1967.
"I came back to England [from India] towards the end of October and John got back from Spain. It was all predetermined when weâd meet again. Then we went in the studio and recorded âStrawberry Fieldsâ. I think at that point there was a more profound ambience to the band." â George Harrison, Anthology
Following considerable discussion and rehearsal, just one take of Strawberry Fields Forever was recorded on this first day. The Beatles performed the song in the key of C, as had Lennon on his most recent home demos of it.
The backing track had Mellotron played by Paul McCartney in the introduction and coda, and bass guitar during the rest of the song; Lennon and Harrison playing electric guitars; and Ringo Starr on drums.
Lennon overdubbed his lead vocals onto a second track, with Harrison simultaneously adding a slide guitar sound played on the Mellotron. These were recorded with the tape machine running faster than normal, so the sound was slower upon playback.
Onto a third track Lennon double tracked his vocals in the first chorus and third verse. The fourth track was then filled with harmony vocals from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. These latter two parts were omitted when the song was remixed for Anthology 2 in 1996. The backing vocals were included on the remix of âStrawberry Fields Foreverâ on the Love album in 2006.
"Now we were off the road and in the studio with new songs. âStrawberry Fieldsâ is the song that John had, about the old Salvation Army home for kids he used to live next door to in Liverpool. We related it to youth, golden summers and fields of strawberry. I knew what he was talking about. The nice thing is that a lot of our songs were starting to get a little bit more surreal. I remember John having a book at home called Bizarre, about all sorts of weird things. We were opening up artistically and taking the blinkers off. We used a mellotron on âStrawberry Fieldsâ. I didnât think it would get past the Musiciansâ Union, so we didnât advertise it; we just had it on the sessions. It had what would now be called âsamplesâ of flute, which are actually tapes that play and then rewind. We had eleven seconds on each tape, which could be played on each key." â Paul McCartney, Anthology
The complete version of take one was made available on the 2017 super deluxe box set edition of Sgt Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Band.
đ ON THIS DAY: Filming: promos for We Can Work It Out, Day Tripper, Help!, Ticket To Ride, I Feel Fine (1965)
The Beatles returned to Twickenham Film Studios on this day to film promotional videos for their forthcoming single âWe Can Work It Outâ/âDay Tripperâ, as well as older songs âHelp!â, âTicket To Rideâ and âI Feel Fineâ.
The decision freed them from having to make personal appearances for British and foreign television shows. By self-producing a series of promotional clips, The Beatles were able to cheaply and quickly ensure they would be seen by audiences around the world with minimum effort.
This dayâs filming was funded by NEMS Enterprises, whose Tony Bramwell and Vyvienne Moynihan were on set. Joe McGrath was the director and the sets were designed by Ready, Steady, Go!âs Nicholas Ferguson. Four cameramen, a lighting technician, sound man and a runner completed the crew.
"At Twickenham we shot up to three versions of each promo and simply sent copies of the best, free of charge, to every TV station The Beatles had ever been on. But it was too expensive, so we were told. When EMI called and complained that we had spent a total of seven hundred and fifty pounds, we fell about the office laughing. Their accounts office said it was far too much." â Tony Bramwell, Magical Mystery Tours
Each of the videos was shot on a set constructed at Twickenhamâs Stage Three. The Beatles arrived late in the afternoon and continued work until the early hours of the following morning. In total, 10 separate films were made, each of which featured The Beatles miming in a different scenario.
Three versions of âWe Can Work It Outâ were made, for each of which John Lennon sat at an organ. One opened with a photograph of Lennon with a sunflower over an eye, and in another they wore their stage costumes from their Shea Stadium concert in August 1965.
There were also three separate clips made for âDay Tripperâ. In the first the group again wore their Shea Stadium suits, and George Harrison and Ringo Starr stood behind a railway carriage prop; Starr brought out a saw and began dismantling the set. Lennon and Paul McCartney were positioned behind a nearby 1920-style aeroplane. The other two clips were similar, but with slight variations.
One film for âHelp!â was made. The Beatles sat at a work bench and mimed to the song. Starr held a white umbrella, and towards the end fake snow landed on the group.
A single clip of âTicket To Rideâ saw The Beatles mime before a backdrop of supersized bus and train tickets.
There were two versions of âI Feel Fineâ, the oldest song of the day. In the first Lennon, McCartney and Harrison walked on set, and Harrison sang into a punch ball while the other two sang into the camera. Starr rode an exercise bicycle.
In the second The Beatles made little attempt to mime, and merely sat on the floor and ate newspaper-wrapped fish and chips. Towards the end of the song George Harrison climbed onto the exercise bicycle. This was the only one of the 10 clips not to be sold to television companies, as Brian Epstein was unhappy with the results.
The rest were quickly sold and distributed by NEMS. The BBC paid ÂŁ1,750 for the right to broadcast several on Top Of The Pops, their flagship music show, on various occasions throughout December, and deals were struck with numerous other broadcasters around the world.
đ ON THIS DAY: UK album release: The Beatles (White Album) (1968)
The Beatlesâ ninth original UK album was their self-titled double, commonly known as the White Album.
It was issued on Apple, and had the catalogue numbers PMC 7067/8 (mono) and PCS 7067/8 (stereo). The album was The Beatlesâ last to have a unique mono mix, with a number of variations between the two versions.
The White Album entered the UK charts at number one on 1 December 1968, and spent seven weeks there. It returned to the top spot for a final week from 1 February 1969, spent a further four weeks in the top 10, and a total of 24 weeks in the top 40.
The album had advance orders of more than 250,000. It was The Beatlesâ third long-player to debut at number one in the UK, after Help! and Revolver. It was the first double album ever to reach number one in the UK, and sold so many copies that it also briefly made the UK singles chart, which at the time was based purely on sales rather than disc diameter.
In contrast to the psychedelia of 1967âs Sgt Pepper, the album came in a stark white sleeve, designed by Richard Hamilton, with the groupâs name in embossed letters. Initial quantities also featured a unique stamped number.
Inside the gatefold cover were song titles and black-and-white portraits of the group. The sleeve opened at the top, and the vinyl was enclosed in black paper. A fold-out poster and colour versions of The Beatlesâ portraits were also included.
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đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: When Iâm Sixty-Four (1966)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
The Beatles hadnât worked on âWhen Iâm Sixty-Fourâ since 8 December 1966, but turned their attentions to it once again during this 7pm-1am session.
Three tracks of the four-track tape had been filled by the end of the previous session. On this evening, onto the fourth, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison added backing vocals while Ringo Starr played chimes.
Two reduction mixes were then made to free up new tracks. These mixes were numbered 3 and 4, with the latter being marked best. The bass, drums, piano and guitars were combined onto one track, leaving space for the clarinet overdub recorded on the following day.
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đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatlesâ first photo session (1961)
In December 1961 The Beatlesâ manager Brian Epstein contacted a local wedding photographer, Albert Marrion, to see if he could take some pictures of the group.
The session, which took place on this day, was The Beatlesâ first professional photography session. They had been photographed several times before, most notably by Astrid Kirchherr and Jurgen Vollmer in Hamburg, but never before as part of a contractually-arranged and paid-for session.
On 17 December 1961 The Beatles and Epstein arrived at Marrionâs studio at 268 Wallasey Village, Wallasey, Merseyside.
"Midway during the month of December 1961, Brian Epstein called me and asked if I could take some photos of four boys he had started to manage. At first, I was reluctant to accept the task. We were primarily a portrait and wedding studio. In fact, the reason Epstein called me was I had been the photographer for his brother Cliveâs wedding. Brian had told me they were a scruffy-looking group in all-leather outfits, but quite harmless. I agreed and told Brian to have them meet me at my Wallasey studio the following Sunday, December 17. At first, I asked my partner, Herbert Hughes, to take the photo session, but he flatly refused, wanting nothing to do with the beat group. Sunday morning arrived and the four Beatles arrived at my studio. I remember those leather pants and jackets, the polo sweaters, and suede shoes to this day. Brian had spoken to them prior to the meeting so they were half serious in attitude. Every once in a while, John Lennon would stick his tongue out and make a wisecrack. John and Paul joked and laughed throughout most of the session. George Harrison was quiet and Pete Best didnât speak almost at all. It was pouring down rain and Lennon was beginning to irritate me. I, being bald at the forehead, Lennon frequently referred to me as âCurly.â This photo session was done for Epstein as a friendly gesture against the wishes of my partner, Hughes. I took about thirty photographs of the Beatles but discarded all but sixteen negatives because many showed Lennon and McCartney acting up and spoiling the pose. No doubt, those negatives should have been kept, looking back." â Albert Marrion
Although Marrion remembered 16 photographs surviving, 17 still exist. One of the images later became famous when it appeared on the front cover of Mersey Beat magazine in January 1962 and was used for promotional cards.
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đ ON THIS DAY: Album release: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
John Lennonâs remarkable first solo album, the soul-baring John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, was released in the US and UK on 11 December 1970.
"All these songs just came out of me. I didnât sit down to think, âIâm going to write about my motherâ or I didnât sit down to think, âIâm going to write about this, that or the other.â They all came out, like all the best work of anybodyâs ever does." â John Lennon, Lennon Remembers
In the United Kingdom it peaked at number eight on the albums chart. It fared slightly better in the United States, reaching number six.
One single was issued from the album. âMotherâ, backed with Yoko Onoâs song âWhyâ, was released in the US on 28 December 1970. It was not a success, peaking at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band saw the closure of a chapter of Lennonâs past, a fresh beginning with a blank page, and a cautiously optimistic look towards the future. His subsequent career had its highs and lows, both commercially and artistically, but never again would he release a collection with such consistent vibrancy, purity and revelation.
"I came up with âImagineâ, âLoveâ, and those Plastic Ono Band songs â they stand up to any songs that were written when I was a Beatle. Now, it may take you twenty or thirty years to appreciate that; but the fact is, these songs are as good as any f*****g stuff that was ever done." â John Lennon, 1980
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đ ON THIS DAY: John Lennon dies (1980)
John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 December 1980 at the entrance of the Dakota building, New York City, where he lived with his wife Yoko Ono. He was 40 years old.
Lennon began 8 December 1980 with breakfast at 7.30am at La Fortunaâs, New York City. At 9am he visited a local barber shop where he had his hair cut into a 1950s-style quiff. At around 9.45am he returned to his home at the Dakota to give an interview to Dave Sholin, Laurie Kaye, Ron Hummel and Bert Keane for an RKO Radio Network show.
The interview lasted 90 minutes. In the early afternoon Rolling Stone photographer Annie Leibovitz arrived at the Lennonsâ apartment for a photo session, which lasted from 2-3.30pm. One of the images, of a naked Lennon lying on a clothed Yoko Ono, was the last ever taken of the couple together.
Lennon and Ono left the Dakota at 5pm with the RKO team. Before they entered their car, Lennon was stopped for several people seeking autographs, among them 25-year-old hospital worker Mark David Chapman. Lennon signed Chapmanâs copy of Double Fantasy, after which he asked, âIs this all you want?â Chapman nodded in agreement. The encounter was photographed by Lennon fan Paul Goresh.
At the Record Plant Studio at 321 West 44th Street they mixed Onoâs song âWalking On Thin Iceâ, which featured Lennon on lead guitar. During the evening session Lennon also telephoned his aunt Mimi in England, and record label owner David Geffen called by with the news that Double Fantasy had been certified gold in its first two weeks on release.
The recording session came to a close at 10.30pm. Lennon and Ono discussed going for a meal at Stage Deli, but decided to first return to the Dakota to say goodnight to five-year-old Sean Lennon. Their son was being minded by Helen Seaman, the aunt of their assistant Fred.
Although it was late on a December night, the outside temperature was unseasonably warm. Lennon and Ono decided to stop their limousine at 72nd Street and walk the remaining short distance, despite a secure courtyard being available to park in at the Dakota.
Lennon walked a couple of paces behind Ono. As he approached the archway leading to the Dakotaâs courtyard, Mark Chapman emerged from the shadows. The time was 10.52pm.
Chapman is said to have adopted a combat stance and fired five hollow-point rounds at Lennon from a Charter Arms .38 Special revolver. One bullet missed, passing over Lennonâs head and through a window of the Dakota building. Two struck Lennon in the left side of his back, and two others penetrated his left shoulder. At least one of these pierced his aorta.
Lennon staggered up six steps to the Dakotaâs reception area and said âIâm shot,â before collapsing. The tapes from the earlier recording session, which Lennon had been holding, were scattered across the floor. The other witnesses to the shooting were an elevator operator, a New York taxi driver, and the passenger he had just dropped off.
Duty concierge Jay Hastings immediately triggered a police alarm before covering Lennon with his blue Dakota uniform and removing his glasses. Yoko Ono cradled Lennonâs head as he whispered âHelp meâ, with blood pouring from his mouth. Hastings attempted to reassure him, whispering, âItâs okay John, youâll be all right.â
Outside the Dakota, doorman Jose Perdomo shook the gun from Chapmanâs hand and kicked it out of reach. âDo you know what youâve done?â he shouted, to which Chapman calmly replied, âYes, I just shot John Lennon.â The gun came to rest in nearby bushes, close to Chapmanâs autographed copy of Double Fantasy.
Chapman removed his coat and hat in preparation of the police arriving, and stood to the left of the Dakota archway on West 72nd Street. He began reading a copy of JD Salingerâs 1951 novel The Catcher In The Rye, inside which he had written: âTo Holden Caulfield. From Holden Caulfield. This is my statement.â
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đ ON THIS DAY: US album release: All Things Must Pass by George Harrison (1970)
George Harrisonâs third solo album, All Things Must Pass, was released in the United States on 27 November 1970, three days before its UK release.
All Things Must Pass was a triple album, and Harrisonâs first release after the break-up of The Beatles. It is widely held to be his masterpiece.
All Things Must Pass was the first triple album by a single act; Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More had predated it by six months.
âMy Sweet Lordâ was chosen as the first single. Released in the US on 23 November, it contained a different mix from the album version, with less echo and different backing vocals.
Exceptional public demand and radio airplay forced Apple to belatedly release âMy Sweet Lordâ as a single in the UK, on 15 January 1971.
âMy Sweet Lordâ was an international number one at the end of 1970 and the early months of the new year. It was the first solo Beatles song to top the charts, and became the biggest seller by any member of the band in the 1970s.
All Things Must Pass was similarly successful, topping the album charts in Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, and USA. It remained at number one in the UK for eight weeks, from 6 February to 27 March. In the USA the album topped the Billboard chart for seven weeks.
The album was also released as a double 8-track cartridge set, Apple 8XWB-639. This release, which sported the rarely-used red Apple logo, contained a different running order from the vinyl edition.
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đ ON THIS DAY: John Lennon returns his MBE to the Queen (1969)
John Lennon returned his MBE to the Queen on this day, as an act of protest against the Vietnam war.
Lennonâs chauffeur Les Anthony returned the insignia of the award to Buckingham Palace in the morning, also delivering handwritten letters to the Queen, prime minister Harold Wilson, and the secretary of the Central Chancery, explaining his actions.
The letters were written on notepaper headed Bag Productions, the company Lennon had recently set up with Yoko Ono.
"Your Majesty,
I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britainâs involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against âCold Turkeyâ slipping down the charts.
With love. John Lennon of Bag"
The action was predictably seized on by the media. Lennon gave an interview to David Bellan of BBC Radio Four in which he explained that he had been âmulling it overâ for the past two years, and that the My Lai massacre carried out by the US Army in March 1968 had contributed to his decision.
He also said he had not consulted the other Beatles before returning his MBE, and that he had only accepted it after being persuaded by Brian Epstein. Lennon also held a press conference in the afternoon at Apple, and filmed an interview for Reuters.
The Beatles had each been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queenâs 1965 birthday honours. The news was announced on 11 June that year, and the group received the awards at the palace on 26 October.
Lennonâs MBE insignia was rediscovered in a royal vault in January 2009, 40 years after it was returned. It was found at the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood at St Jamesâs Palace, where it had been kept from its day of return. It was still in its original presentation case alongside Lennonâs letter to the Queen.
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đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: Strawberry Fields Forever (1966)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
With touring behind them, The Beatles retreated from public view to begin work on their eighth album. They were keen to use the studio to its full potential, experimenting with different sounds with the intention of producing their best work to date.
The first song of the late-1966 sessions was John Lennonâs âStrawberry Fields Foreverâ, which was issued as a standalone single with âPenny Laneâ in February 1967.
"I came back to England [from India] towards the end of October and John got back from Spain. It was all predetermined when weâd meet again. Then we went in the studio and recorded âStrawberry Fieldsâ. I think at that point there was a more profound ambience to the band." â George Harrison, Anthology
Following considerable discussion and rehearsal, just one take of Strawberry Fields Forever was recorded on this first day. The Beatles performed the song in the key of C, as had Lennon on his most recent home demos of it.
The backing track had Mellotron played by Paul McCartney in the introduction and coda, and bass guitar during the rest of the song; Lennon and Harrison playing electric guitars; and Ringo Starr on drums.
Lennon overdubbed his lead vocals onto a second track, with Harrison simultaneously adding a slide guitar sound played on the Mellotron. These were recorded with the tape machine running faster than normal, so the sound was slower upon playback.
Onto a third track Lennon double tracked his vocals in the first chorus and third verse. The fourth track was then filled with harmony vocals from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. These latter two parts were omitted when the song was remixed for Anthology 2 in 1996. The backing vocals were included on the remix of âStrawberry Fields Foreverâ on the Love album in 2006.
"Now we were off the road and in the studio with new songs. âStrawberry Fieldsâ is the song that John had, about the old Salvation Army home for kids he used to live next door to in Liverpool. We related it to youth, golden summers and fields of strawberry. I knew what he was talking about. The nice thing is that a lot of our songs were starting to get a little bit more surreal. I remember John having a book at home called Bizarre, about all sorts of weird things. We were opening up artistically and taking the blinkers off. We used a mellotron on âStrawberry Fieldsâ. I didnât think it would get past the Musiciansâ Union, so we didnât advertise it; we just had it on the sessions. It had what would now be called âsamplesâ of flute, which are actually tapes that play and then rewind. We had eleven seconds on each tape, which could be played on each key." â Paul McCartney, Anthology
The complete version of take one was made available on the 2017 super deluxe box set edition of Sgt Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Band.
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Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: Filming: promos for We Can Work It Out, Day Tripper, Help!, Ticket To Ride, I Feel Fine (1965)
The Beatles returned to Twickenham Film Studios on this day to film promotional videos for their forthcoming single âWe Can Work It Outâ/âDay Tripperâ, as well as older songs âHelp!â, âTicket To Rideâ and âI Feel Fineâ.
The decision freed them from having to make personal appearances for British and foreign television shows. By self-producing a series of promotional clips, The Beatles were able to cheaply and quickly ensure they would be seen by audiences around the world with minimum effort.
This dayâs filming was funded by NEMS Enterprises, whose Tony Bramwell and Vyvienne Moynihan were on set. Joe McGrath was the director and the sets were designed by Ready, Steady, Go!âs Nicholas Ferguson. Four cameramen, a lighting technician, sound man and a runner completed the crew.
"At Twickenham we shot up to three versions of each promo and simply sent copies of the best, free of charge, to every TV station The Beatles had ever been on. But it was too expensive, so we were told. When EMI called and complained that we had spent a total of seven hundred and fifty pounds, we fell about the office laughing. Their accounts office said it was far too much." â Tony Bramwell, Magical Mystery Tours
Each of the videos was shot on a set constructed at Twickenhamâs Stage Three. The Beatles arrived late in the afternoon and continued work until the early hours of the following morning. In total, 10 separate films were made, each of which featured The Beatles miming in a different scenario.
Three versions of âWe Can Work It Outâ were made, for each of which John Lennon sat at an organ. One opened with a photograph of Lennon with a sunflower over an eye, and in another they wore their stage costumes from their Shea Stadium concert in August 1965.
There were also three separate clips made for âDay Tripperâ. In the first the group again wore their Shea Stadium suits, and George Harrison and Ringo Starr stood behind a railway carriage prop; Starr brought out a saw and began dismantling the set. Lennon and Paul McCartney were positioned behind a nearby 1920-style aeroplane. The other two clips were similar, but with slight variations.
One film for âHelp!â was made. The Beatles sat at a work bench and mimed to the song. Starr held a white umbrella, and towards the end fake snow landed on the group.
A single clip of âTicket To Rideâ saw The Beatles mime before a backdrop of supersized bus and train tickets.
There were two versions of âI Feel Fineâ, the oldest song of the day. In the first Lennon, McCartney and Harrison walked on set, and Harrison sang into a punch ball while the other two sang into the camera. Starr rode an exercise bicycle.
In the second The Beatles made little attempt to mime, and merely sat on the floor and ate newspaper-wrapped fish and chips. Towards the end of the song George Harrison climbed onto the exercise bicycle. This was the only one of the 10 clips not to be sold to television companies, as Brian Epstein was unhappy with the results.
The rest were quickly sold and distributed by NEMS. The BBC paid ÂŁ1,750 for the right to broadcast several on Top Of The Pops, their flagship music show, on various occasions throughout December, and deals were struck with numerous other broadcasters around the world.
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Beatles Bible
Best song on The White Album?
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Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: UK album release: The Beatles (White Album) (1968)
The Beatlesâ ninth original UK album was their self-titled double, commonly known as the White Album.
It was issued on Apple, and had the catalogue numbers PMC 7067/8 (mono) and PCS 7067/8 (stereo). The album was The Beatlesâ last to have a unique mono mix, with a number of variations between the two versions.
The White Album entered the UK charts at number one on 1 December 1968, and spent seven weeks there. It returned to the top spot for a final week from 1 February 1969, spent a further four weeks in the top 10, and a total of 24 weeks in the top 40.
The album had advance orders of more than 250,000. It was The Beatlesâ third long-player to debut at number one in the UK, after Help! and Revolver. It was the first double album ever to reach number one in the UK, and sold so many copies that it also briefly made the UK singles chart, which at the time was based purely on sales rather than disc diameter.
In contrast to the psychedelia of 1967âs Sgt Pepper, the album came in a stark white sleeve, designed by Richard Hamilton, with the groupâs name in embossed letters. Initial quantities also featured a unique stamped number.
Inside the gatefold cover were song titles and black-and-white portraits of the group. The sleeve opened at the top, and the vinyl was enclosed in black paper. A fold-out poster and colour versions of The Beatlesâ portraits were also included.
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