đ ON THIS DAY: UK single release: Paperback Writer (1966)
The Beatlesâ 12th Parlophone single was their lowest-seller since âLove Me Doâ.
âPaperback Writerâ was The Beatlesâ first single not to be a love song, and although the subject matter may not have been a significant hit with the public, it showcased their growing maturity as songwriters. Paul McCartney created the fictional tale of an aspiring writer, and with the rest of the group created a bluesy, bass-driven sound that was quite unlike any of their previous singles.
Its b-side, âRainâ was perhaps even more ambitious. Written by John Lennon, it was inspired by LSD and the feelings of introspection it inspired, and boasted a coda featuring â for the first time on a Beatles record â backwards vocals.
The single was released as Parlophone R5452, and entered the UK singles charts on 16 June 1966. One week later it reached the number one spot, where it remained for a second week. In all it spent 11 weeks on the charts.
đ ON THIS DAY: John Lennon meets Harry Nilsson (1968)
John Lennon met American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson for the first time on 8 June 1968.
The Beatles were admirers of Nilssonâs debut album, Pandemonium Shadow Show, and Derek Taylor had persuaded Lennon to speak to Nilsson on the telephone in April 1968. On 13 May Lennon and Paul McCartney had told US reporter Larry Kane that Nilsson was their favourite âgroupâ.
Nilsson took a brief trip to London, and on 8 June visited Kenwood, Lennonâs Weybridge home.
"When we first met he was very open and friendly as though weâd known each other for a long time. He was very gracious and genuinely enthused about hearing the new album I was making, Aerial Ballet. He was full of praise and was charming.
If anything, I guess I would have appeared shy because I was intimidated a bit. Not that John was that intimidating to me, he was always open. There were moments when he could turn it on and be whichever John Lennon he wanted to be that day. We got along great. I felt closer to him than to the others. Itâs odd that Ringo and I have ended up being great pals for so long because he was a tough guy to get to know. Much tougher to get to know than John. I was invited by Derek Taylor to come to England during the making of the Beatlesâ White Album. Everything was happening at the same time for me. The phone wouldnât stop ringing with offers of movies and stage. I was overwhelmed⌠I went over and stayed at Johnâs house in London and hung out. It was a great night. We spent the whole night talking about music and divorce and marriage and life and what does it all mean and fame and fortune. The next thing you know itâs morning, the sun is coming up, and a guy comes in with a camera crew doing the movie Smile, Yokoâs movie. It was also the day that Yoko moved in and Cynthia moved out. We were in the kitchen making tea in the morning; we were just standing around, and I realized the impact of what was going on now that that night was over. And as I was studying the impact of it I happened to notice this jacket on a coat hanger. It was the woolly one John wore for âI Am The Walrusâ. It was inside-out, and I said, âThatâs wild,â and he said, âHere, try it,â and he gave it to me. I said, âNo, I canât take that,â but he insisted and said, âI want you to have it.â After that we wrote each other notes and letters and cards and started some projects together like âYou Are Hereâ." â Harry Nilsson
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (1967)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
This was the second session for one of The Beatlesâ most bizarre recordings: âYou Know My Name (Look Up The Number)â, following initial work on 17 May 1967.
Although take 10 had been labelled best at the end of the previous session, on this occasion overdubs including piano were firstly added onto take nine. The Beatles then began a remake and recorded five takes, numbered 20-24.
These new recordings featured drums, electric guitar, organ, tambourine and flute. The results strayed so far from the melody of âYou Know My Name (Look Up The Number)â that the tape box was labelled âInstrumental â Unidentifiedâ.
The session began at 7pm, and ended at 2am on the morning of 8 June.
This was also the day that an article was published in the Daily Mirror about John Mustard, a 65-year-old Scotsman whose wife was granted a divorce due to his meanness. John Lennon read the article and was inspired to write the Abbey Road song âMean Mr Mustardâ.
đ ON THIS DAY: Paul and George watch Jimi Hendrix in London (1967)
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr had first seen The Jimi Hendrix Experience performing on 11 January 1967 at the Bag OâNails club in London. On this night McCartney and George Harrison watched them headline a bill at the cityâs Saville Theatre.
The bill also included the Stormsville Shakers, Procol Harum, The Chiffons, and Denny Laine & His Electric String Band. Hendrix opened his set with a version of the title track from The Beatlesâ Sgt Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Band album, which had been released just three days before.
"It would be one of his first gigs in London. Jimi was a sweetie, a very nice guy. I remember him opening at the Saville on a Sunday night, 4 June 1967. Brian Epstein used to rent it when it was usually dark on the Sunday. Jimi opened, the curtains flew back and he came walking forward, playing âSgt Pepperâ, and it had only been released on the Thursday so that was like the ultimate compliment. Itâs still obviously a shining memory for me, because I admired him so much anyway, he was so accomplished. To think that that album had meant so much to him as to actually do it by the Sunday night, three days after the release. He must have been so into it, because normally it might take a day for rehearsal and then you might wonder whether youâd put it in, but he just opened with it. Itâs a pretty major compliment in anyoneâs book. I put that down as one of the great honours of my career. I mean, Iâm sure he wouldnât have thought of it as an honour, Iâm sure he thought it was the other way round, but to me that was like a great boost." â Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now
Hendrixâs set included eight songs: âSgt Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Bandâ, âFoxy Ladyâ, âLike A Rolling Stoneâ, âManic Depressionâ, âHey Joeâ, âPurple Hazeâ, âThe Wind Cries Maryâ, and âAre You Experiencedâ.
đ ON THIS DAY: US single release: The Ballad Of John And Yoko (1969)
Five days after its UK release, The Beatlesâ second single of 1969, âThe Ballad Of John And Yokoâ, was released in the United States.
Its catalogue number was Apple (Capitol) 2531. As with the UK version, its b-side was George Harrisonâs âOld Brown Shoeâ.
Although it topped the charts in The Beatlesâ home country, in the US it fared less well. A number of radio stations refused to play it, considering the lines âChrist you know it ainât easyâ and âtheyâre going to crucify meâ to be blasphemous, particularly in the wake of John Lennonâs 1966 remarks that The Beatles were âmore popular than Jesusâ.
"The Ballad Of John And Yoko, by the way, was banned over here [in the USA]. So what they did was, because they donât like the word âChristâ â unless youâre wearing a white robe, you canât say âChristâ here â they turned it round so it would go: âRrrrp, you know it ainât easyâŚâ" â John Lennon
Earlier in the week Lennon had explained from his Montreal bed-in the thoughts behind the lyrics. Speaking to Bob Lewis of WABC-FM in New York, he said:
"Itâs like a prayer. You know, âJesus, you alone should know it ainât easy.â And it has that street language connotation, too. But even when itâs used irreverently, itâs in effect a prayer, too. Itâs a gospel song. Iâm a big Christ fan â the song is a prayer."
US audiences remained largely unimpressed, however, and the single peaked at number eight in the charts.
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
The Beatles began recording their double album, simply titled The Beatles but more commonly known as the White Album, on this day. The session lasted a little over 12 hours, beginning at 2.30pm and ending at 2.40am the following morning, and saw the group work on âRevolution 1â.
At this point it wasnât known as âRevolution 1â, however. The title was âRevolutionâ until it was vetoed for single release, after which a new, faster version was taped under that name.
The Beatles recorded 16 takes of âRevolution 1â on this day. These were numbered 1-18, although there were no takes 11 and 12. The recording had piano, drums and acoustic guitar all on a single track of the tape, and Lennonâs vocals on another.
Take 18 was markedly different from the others, running to 10â17â. It included an extended jam in the coda, which lasted well beyond Lennonâs call to the studio control room at 7:31: âOK, Iâve had enoughâ.
The final six minutes featured feedback, screaming and moaning, including vocal contributions from Lennonâs new girlfriend Yoko Ono. The full take was released in 2018 on the super deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of the White Album.
Overdub work on âRevolution 1â continued during the next two sessions, on 31 May and 4 June, before Lennon made the decision to create the sound collage âRevolution 9â from the final minutes of the song.
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: Wah-Wah, My Sweet Lord, Iâd Have You Anytime by George Harrison (1970)
Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, John Leckie
Thursday 28 May 1970 was the third recording session for George Harrisonâs third solo album All Things Must Pass, and the first to feature a full band line-up.
The three songs worked on were the ones that opened the album: âWah-Wahâ, âMy Sweet Lordâ, and âIâd Have You Anytimeâ. Precise band line-ups were not documented, but Eric Clapton was on guitar during the session.
Three takes of âWah-Wahâ were recorded, the last of which was selected as the best. With subsequent overdubs it appeared on the album. The take was edited from the tape reel and moved to a new one, named âBESTS VOL. 1â.
Five takes of âMy Sweet Lordâ were then recorded, with vocals, guitars, and harmonium. None of the takes were complete, and a full band line-up was used for the remaining takes, 6-16. The last of these appears on the album.
"They had to learn the songs all together with Badfinger playing on âMy Sweet Lordâ with George, four acoustic guitars. I put this screen around the acoustic guitar because when youâve got an acoustic guitar the mic is fairly live so you want a bit of protection, so I put this half soundproof box around George." â Phil McDonald
The final song of the day to be tackled was âIâd Have You Anytimeâ. Six takes were recorded, but none were considered good enough and the song was returned to the following day.
Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: UK single release: Paperback Writer (1966)
The Beatlesâ 12th Parlophone single was their lowest-seller since âLove Me Doâ.
âPaperback Writerâ was The Beatlesâ first single not to be a love song, and although the subject matter may not have been a significant hit with the public, it showcased their growing maturity as songwriters. Paul McCartney created the fictional tale of an aspiring writer, and with the rest of the group created a bluesy, bass-driven sound that was quite unlike any of their previous singles.
Its b-side, âRainâ was perhaps even more ambitious. Written by John Lennon, it was inspired by LSD and the feelings of introspection it inspired, and boasted a coda featuring â for the first time on a Beatles record â backwards vocals.
The single was released as Parlophone R5452, and entered the UK singles charts on 16 June 1966. One week later it reached the number one spot, where it remained for a second week. In all it spent 11 weeks on the charts.
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Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: John Lennon meets Harry Nilsson (1968)
John Lennon met American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson for the first time on 8 June 1968.
The Beatles were admirers of Nilssonâs debut album, Pandemonium Shadow Show, and Derek Taylor had persuaded Lennon to speak to Nilsson on the telephone in April 1968. On 13 May Lennon and Paul McCartney had told US reporter Larry Kane that Nilsson was their favourite âgroupâ.
Nilsson took a brief trip to London, and on 8 June visited Kenwood, Lennonâs Weybridge home.
"When we first met he was very open and friendly as though weâd known each other for a long time. He was very gracious and genuinely enthused about hearing the new album I was making, Aerial Ballet. He was full of praise and was charming.
If anything, I guess I would have appeared shy because I was intimidated a bit. Not that John was that intimidating to me, he was always open. There were moments when he could turn it on and be whichever John Lennon he wanted to be that day. We got along great. I felt closer to him than to the others. Itâs odd that Ringo and I have ended up being great pals for so long because he was a tough guy to get to know. Much tougher to get to know than John. I was invited by Derek Taylor to come to England during the making of the Beatlesâ White Album. Everything was happening at the same time for me. The phone wouldnât stop ringing with offers of movies and stage. I was overwhelmed⌠I went over and stayed at Johnâs house in London and hung out. It was a great night. We spent the whole night talking about music and divorce and marriage and life and what does it all mean and fame and fortune. The next thing you know itâs morning, the sun is coming up, and a guy comes in with a camera crew doing the movie Smile, Yokoâs movie. It was also the day that Yoko moved in and Cynthia moved out. We were in the kitchen making tea in the morning; we were just standing around, and I realized the impact of what was going on now that that night was over. And as I was studying the impact of it I happened to notice this jacket on a coat hanger. It was the woolly one John wore for âI Am The Walrusâ. It was inside-out, and I said, âThatâs wild,â and he said, âHere, try it,â and he gave it to me. I said, âNo, I canât take that,â but he insisted and said, âI want you to have it.â After that we wrote each other notes and letters and cards and started some projects together like âYou Are Hereâ." â Harry Nilsson
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Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (1967)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
This was the second session for one of The Beatlesâ most bizarre recordings: âYou Know My Name (Look Up The Number)â, following initial work on 17 May 1967.
Although take 10 had been labelled best at the end of the previous session, on this occasion overdubs including piano were firstly added onto take nine. The Beatles then began a remake and recorded five takes, numbered 20-24.
These new recordings featured drums, electric guitar, organ, tambourine and flute. The results strayed so far from the melody of âYou Know My Name (Look Up The Number)â that the tape box was labelled âInstrumental â Unidentifiedâ.
The session began at 7pm, and ended at 2am on the morning of 8 June.
This was also the day that an article was published in the Daily Mirror about John Mustard, a 65-year-old Scotsman whose wife was granted a divorce due to his meanness. John Lennon read the article and was inspired to write the Abbey Road song âMean Mr Mustardâ.
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What was the best year for the Beatles?
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đ ON THIS DAY: Paul and George watch Jimi Hendrix in London (1967)
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr had first seen The Jimi Hendrix Experience performing on 11 January 1967 at the Bag OâNails club in London. On this night McCartney and George Harrison watched them headline a bill at the cityâs Saville Theatre.
The bill also included the Stormsville Shakers, Procol Harum, The Chiffons, and Denny Laine & His Electric String Band. Hendrix opened his set with a version of the title track from The Beatlesâ Sgt Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Band album, which had been released just three days before.
"It would be one of his first gigs in London. Jimi was a sweetie, a very nice guy. I remember him opening at the Saville on a Sunday night, 4 June 1967. Brian Epstein used to rent it when it was usually dark on the Sunday. Jimi opened, the curtains flew back and he came walking forward, playing âSgt Pepperâ, and it had only been released on the Thursday so that was like the ultimate compliment. Itâs still obviously a shining memory for me, because I admired him so much anyway, he was so accomplished. To think that that album had meant so much to him as to actually do it by the Sunday night, three days after the release. He must have been so into it, because normally it might take a day for rehearsal and then you might wonder whether youâd put it in, but he just opened with it. Itâs a pretty major compliment in anyoneâs book. I put that down as one of the great honours of my career. I mean, Iâm sure he wouldnât have thought of it as an honour, Iâm sure he thought it was the other way round, but to me that was like a great boost." â Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now
Hendrixâs set included eight songs: âSgt Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Bandâ, âFoxy Ladyâ, âLike A Rolling Stoneâ, âManic Depressionâ, âHey Joeâ, âPurple Hazeâ, âThe Wind Cries Maryâ, and âAre You Experiencedâ.
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Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: US single release: The Ballad Of John And Yoko (1969)
Five days after its UK release, The Beatlesâ second single of 1969, âThe Ballad Of John And Yokoâ, was released in the United States.
Its catalogue number was Apple (Capitol) 2531. As with the UK version, its b-side was George Harrisonâs âOld Brown Shoeâ.
Although it topped the charts in The Beatlesâ home country, in the US it fared less well. A number of radio stations refused to play it, considering the lines âChrist you know it ainât easyâ and âtheyâre going to crucify meâ to be blasphemous, particularly in the wake of John Lennonâs 1966 remarks that The Beatles were âmore popular than Jesusâ.
"The Ballad Of John And Yoko, by the way, was banned over here [in the USA]. So what they did was, because they donât like the word âChristâ â unless youâre wearing a white robe, you canât say âChristâ here â they turned it round so it would go: âRrrrp, you know it ainât easyâŚâ" â John Lennon
Earlier in the week Lennon had explained from his Montreal bed-in the thoughts behind the lyrics. Speaking to Bob Lewis of WABC-FM in New York, he said:
"Itâs like a prayer. You know, âJesus, you alone should know it ainât easy.â And it has that street language connotation, too. But even when itâs used irreverently, itâs in effect a prayer, too. Itâs a gospel song. Iâm a big Christ fan â the song is a prayer."
US audiences remained largely unimpressed, however, and the single peaked at number eight in the charts.
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Beatles Bible
Favorite Beatles movie?
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đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: Revolution 1 (1968)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
The Beatles began recording their double album, simply titled The Beatles but more commonly known as the White Album, on this day. The session lasted a little over 12 hours, beginning at 2.30pm and ending at 2.40am the following morning, and saw the group work on âRevolution 1â.
At this point it wasnât known as âRevolution 1â, however. The title was âRevolutionâ until it was vetoed for single release, after which a new, faster version was taped under that name.
The Beatles recorded 16 takes of âRevolution 1â on this day. These were numbered 1-18, although there were no takes 11 and 12. The recording had piano, drums and acoustic guitar all on a single track of the tape, and Lennonâs vocals on another.
Take 18 was markedly different from the others, running to 10â17â. It included an extended jam in the coda, which lasted well beyond Lennonâs call to the studio control room at 7:31: âOK, Iâve had enoughâ.
The final six minutes featured feedback, screaming and moaning, including vocal contributions from Lennonâs new girlfriend Yoko Ono. The full take was released in 2018 on the super deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of the White Album.
Overdub work on âRevolution 1â continued during the next two sessions, on 31 May and 4 June, before Lennon made the decision to create the sound collage âRevolution 9â from the final minutes of the song.
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đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: Wah-Wah, My Sweet Lord, Iâd Have You Anytime by George Harrison (1970)
Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, John Leckie
Thursday 28 May 1970 was the third recording session for George Harrisonâs third solo album All Things Must Pass, and the first to feature a full band line-up.
The three songs worked on were the ones that opened the album: âWah-Wahâ, âMy Sweet Lordâ, and âIâd Have You Anytimeâ. Precise band line-ups were not documented, but Eric Clapton was on guitar during the session.
Three takes of âWah-Wahâ were recorded, the last of which was selected as the best. With subsequent overdubs it appeared on the album. The take was edited from the tape reel and moved to a new one, named âBESTS VOL. 1â.
Five takes of âMy Sweet Lordâ were then recorded, with vocals, guitars, and harmonium. None of the takes were complete, and a full band line-up was used for the remaining takes, 6-16. The last of these appears on the album.
"They had to learn the songs all together with Badfinger playing on âMy Sweet Lordâ with George, four acoustic guitars. I put this screen around the acoustic guitar because when youâve got an acoustic guitar the mic is fairly live so you want a bit of protection, so I put this half soundproof box around George." â Phil McDonald
The final song of the day to be tackled was âIâd Have You Anytimeâ. Six takes were recorded, but none were considered good enough and the song was returned to the following day.
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