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Home , Abbey Road, Anthology 3, Beatles Day, Carry That Weight, Cold turkey, Eight Days a Week

HR. 1

Plastic Ono Band – Considered one of ’s “most disturbing ,” it had to do with his battle with addiction. The track includes (guitar), (bass), (drums) and Yoko (wind).

The Beatles – - Recorded July 21st 1969 Borrowing more that a line from ’s “You Can’t Catch Me”. Agreed to record 3 songs from the publishing Co. BIG SEVEN MUSIC on his R’n’R LP. SHOOT ME….One of John’s favorite Beatle tracks. 1.00

The Beatles - Don't Let Me Down – Single/ Recorded Jan. 28th 1969 Studio’s Recorded Jan. 27th (LP) and single Jan. 28th 1969 Released as a single in UK April 11, 1969 And in the USA May 5th 1969. The Beatles 1st STEREO single in the USA

flip of “”…John’s 3rd B-side in a row Written for .

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The Beatles - – (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Composed in about two hours just days before being recorded, “Little Child” was originally written for Ringo Starr to sing on The Beatles’ second . When he passed, John and Paul penned a similar and simpler for him to sing entitled “.” provides the lead vocal. Overdubs include John’s harmonica part and Paul on . The song was never performed in concert by The Beatles. Recorded September 11 and 12, and October 3, 1963. On U.S. album: Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP

The Beatles - – With The Beatles (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Initially recorded during the marathon “” session on February 11, 1963, the song was not chosen for inclusion on The Beatles’ debut album and the tape containing that day’s recording had been lost, recorded over or destroyed. On September 12, 1963, their fourth recording session for the “With The Beatles” LP, the song was started from scratch. “Hold Me Tight” had been written by Paul and John sometime in 1961 and the song was part of their set list from 1961 through 1963 during their Cavern Club and club days. On U.S. album: Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Money (That’s What I Want) – With The Beatles (Bradford-Gordy) Lead vocal: John Originally recorded by Barrett Strong and released as a single on Motown’s Tamla and labels in 1959 and 1960 respectively, peaking at #23 in 1960. It was a part of The Beatles’ live repertoire from 1960 to 1964. On July 18, 1963, the group, with on piano, performed the song live in the studio -- vocals and all -- for six full takes, the final take being deemed the best. Although The Beatles involvement with the recorded track lasted this one day, George Martin continued to add overdubs and tinker with his piano part until the song was completed to his satisfaction on September 30, 1963.

The Beatles - I Wanna Be Your Man – With The Beatles (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Ringo When Ringo Starr rejected “Little Child,” the song John and Paul had written for him to sing on the band’s second album, they created a similar song, but one that would be easier for Ringo to sing and more in his vocal range. “I Wanna Be Your Man” would be Ringo’s vocal contribution to the “With The Beatles” LP, and was often performed at Beatles concerts. The day before the song was to be recorded John and Paul were walking along Charing Cross Road in when passing in a taxi were and . Paul McCartney: “They shouted from the taxi and we yelled, ‘Hey, hey, give us a lift, give us a lift,’ and we bummed a lift off them. So there were the four of us sitting in a taxi and I think Mick said, ‘Hey we’re recording. Got any songs?’ And we said, ‘Aaaah, yes, sure, we got one. How about Ringo’s song? You could do it as a single.’” John and Paul were invited to ’ rehearsal to their new, but still unfinished song. There Lennon told them, “If you guys really like the main part of the song, we’ll finish it for you right now,” and within minutes, they returned with the song finished on the spot. The Rolling Stones recorded the song and it became their first big British hit, peaking at number 12. The Beatles recorded their version of “I Wanna Be Your Man” the next day, September 11, 1963. The heard faintly in the mix is played by George Martin. On U.S. album: Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP

The Beatles - All I’ve Got to Do – With The Beatles (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Written entirely by John Lennon and introduced to the other Beatles at the session at which it was recorded, The Beatles never played the song again. Lennon has said this soulful ballad was his attempt at making a Smokey Robinson song. Recorded on September 11, 1963 in 14 takes with an overdub (presumably George’s introductory guitar chord) becoming “take 15” and the finished version. “All I’ve Got to Do” marked a rare instance in which John’s lead vocal was not double-tracked. On U.S. album: Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Not A Second Time – With The Beatles (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Written in early September 1963 entirely by John Lennon in the style of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Recorded on September 11, 1963. Featuring George Martin on piano. The A&R staff thought so highly of this song that they chose it to close their “Meet The Beatles!” LP. On U.S. album: Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Every Little Thing - (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John (with Paul on the choruses) Written primarily by Paul between August 31 and September 1, 1964 in Atlantic City during days off on the Beatles’ North American Tour. Recorded on September 29 and 30, 1964 in nine takes. Ringo makes his debut on (the orchestral drum instrument), which appears only on the final take (Take 9) of the song. On U.S. album: Beatles VI - Capitol LP

The Beatles - What You’re Doing - Beatles For Sale (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Recorded in seven takes on October 26, 1964. The most problematic song in the sessions for ”Beatles For Sale.” The Beatles tried different arrangements over three days and finally hit upon one they liked on the last day of recording for the album. Written primarily by Paul between August 31 and September 1, 1964 in Atlantic City during days off on the Beatles’ North American Tour. Paul provides the double-tracked lead vocal. On U.S. album: Beatles VI - Capitol LP

The Beatles - No Reply - Beatles For Sale (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded in eight takes on September 30, 1964. Written entirely by John Lennon. John and Paul had been giving away a treasure trove of original compositions to other artists to record and release because they felt the songs were too pop for Beatles records. John had planned to give “No Reply” to another managed artist, Tommy Quickly, to record, but those plans were cancelled in early August 1964 when it was determined the group was going to be short of new material for their upcoming album. The song’s storyline was based somewhat on “Silhouettes,” a number three hit in the U.S. for the R&B group the Rays, which was later covered with great success by Herman’s Hermits. Lennon: “I had that image of walking down the street and seeing her silhouetted in the window and not answering the phone.” Includes some nice piano work from producer George Martin. On U.S. album: Beatles ‘65 - Capitol LP

The Beatles – Oh Darling - Abbey Road April 20th 1969 Comments by the other Beatles in this year was always interesting…case in point…About “Oh Darling“ George sez…”It’s really just Paul by himself while we do a few things in the background which you can barley hear…but it’s mainly just him shouting”…and Mr. Lennon sez…“Oh Darling is a great one of Paul’s that he didn’t sing too well. I always thought that I could have done it better.” … Paul took a stab at singing the song once a day for a week straight, first thing in the morning to get the right “sound”…. should of just asked John. McCartney 1.00

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The Beatles - – With The Beatles (Berry) Lead vocal: George Chuck Berry’s standard was released as a single in May 1956 on Chess Records. It peaking at #29. A staple of The Beatles’ live show from the earliest days, Beatles fans will be surprised to learn that John Lennon was the lead singer of the song in those very early club days. In 1961 took over lead vocals. “Roll Over Beethoven” was the opening song at The Beatles’ first concert in America, February 11, 1964 in Washington D.C., and opens Capitol’s “The Beatles’ Second Album,” released on April 10, 1964. On U.S. album: The Beatles’ Second Album - Capitol LP

The Beatles - - Beatles For Sale (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded primarily on October 6, 1964. It is the first instance of the Beatles taking an unfinished idea into the studio and experimenting with different approaches to a song. “Eight Days A Week” is the first pop song with a fade-in introduction. Written mostly by Paul, the title was taken from a line spoken by a limo driver. McCartney: “I was being driven over to visit John. The chauffeur was talking away to me, saying how hard his boss worked the staff, so hard that they seem to do eight days a week. We’ve altered the plot a bit for the song, of course. The bloke loves the girl eight days a week.” In later years John Lennon incorrectly referred to this title in interviews as the original working title for the film “Help!” The actual working title of “Help!” was “Eight Arms To Hold You.” On September 20, 1964 as the band and their entourage flew to their final North American Tour concert destination, the press corps on board the Beatles private plane witnessed from a distance, careful not to interrupt, the four Beatles huddled together working on a new song. John, Paul, and George on guitars and Ringo tapping his knees, and all humming the tune of what would become “Eight Days A Week.” Released as a single b/w “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party” in the U.S. on February 15, 1965. On U.S. album: Beatles VI - Capitol LP

The Beatles - You Can’t Do That - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The song was originally intended to be the A-side of the Beatles' sixth UK single, until McCartney came up with “Can't Buy Me .” By 1964 Lennon and McCartney were writing together less frequently, and the quality of “Can't Buy Me Love” spurred Lennon on to write the majority of the “A Hard Day's Night” album. The guitar solo was performed by Lennon - the first such occurrence on a Beatles release. The song was finished in nine takes, only four of which were complete. It featured George Harrison's first prominent use of his new 12-string guitar, given to him while in New York for “.” “You Can't Do That” was filmed as part of the concert sequence in the “A Hard Day's Night” film, but it didn't make the final cut. The b-side of “Can’t Buy Me Love” in the UK and U.S. On U.S. album: The Beatles’ Second Album – Capitol LP

The Beatles - - A Collection Of Oldies (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The Beatles’ eighth single release for EMI’s label. Recorded in nine takes on October 18, 1964. Written entirely by John Lennon. He based the guitar on Bobby Parker’s obscure R&B record “Watch Your Step.” The recording marked the first occasion in which guitar feedback had been deliberately incorporated into a pop song. The sound was achieved by Paul plucking a single bass string and John getting amplifier feedback from his guitar. Issued in the U.S. on November 23, 1964, and in U.K. four days later. Not included on the “Beatles For Sale” LP, which was released on December 4, 1964 in the UK. On U.S. : Beatles ‘65 - Capitol LP

UK: Non-album single (A-side)

On UK album: A Collection of Beatles Oldies - Parlophone LP (1966)

The Beatles - Tell Me Why - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Completed in eight takes on February 27, 1964 in between “” and “.” “Tell Me Why” was written primarily by John and was his attempt to mimic the New York girl group sound The Beatles were so fond of. On U.S. album: A Hard Day’s Night - United Artists LP Something New - Capitol LP

The Beatles - - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded June 2, 1964, the last day of recording for the “A Hard Day’s Night” album. John Lennon: “An effort at writing ‘It Won't Be Long’ - same ilk. C to A minor, C to A minor with me shouting.” The song was in an unfinished state when Lennon brought it to the band to record on June 2. The group worked out the arrangement throughout the day and night. Up against the wall on a deadline to submit the album, the piano section in the middle eight was left without lyrics. They had run out of time. On April 8, 1988, Lennon's handwritten lyrics for “Any Time At All” were sold for £6,000 at an auction held at Sotheby's in London. On U.S. album: Something New - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Can’t Buy Me Love - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul The Beatles’ sixth single release for EMI’s Parlophone label. During their 19-day engagement at ’s Olympia Theatre The Beatles took time out to record German-language versions for two of their biggest hits. “” and “” were chosen to get new vocals to increase sales in the German market. This was at the insistence of EMI’s German branch, Odeon, which felt they couldn’t sell large quantities of records unless they were sung in German. With less than an hour left on their booked recording time, The Beatles recorded four takes of a new song by Paul, “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Issued in the U.S. on March 16, 1964, it sold 940,225 copies in the U.S. the day it was released, earning a gold record award that day and shattering all previous sales records. Within two weeks sales had totaled 2 million copies. The single went on to sell over 3 million by the end of the year. The UK single was released four days later, on March 20, 1964. Recorded Jan. 29, 1964 at Pathe’ Marconi Studio in Paris. It’s inclusion in “A Hard Day’s Night” was a decision by director Richard Lester, who opted for Paul’s fast paced million seller over John’s slower new song “I’ll Cry Instead.” The decision to cut “I’ll Cry Instead” from the film was so last minute that the American LP, which had been rush-released on , included “I’ll Cry Instead” in its song line-up. On U.S. album: A Hard Day’s Night - United Artists LP - Apple LP (1970)

The Beatles - Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby - Beatles For Sale (Perkins) Lead vocal: George The second cover song used for “Beatles For Sale,” “Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby” had been a part of the Beatles’ early stage show. George Harrison provides the lead vocal, his only lead vocal contribution on “Beatles For Sale.” Recorded in just one take on October 18, 1964. The song is notable for its heavy use of vocal echo. Harrison performed this song live throughout the 1965 tours. On U.S. album: Beatles ‘65 - Capitol LP

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The Beatles – Octopus’s Garden (Starkey) - Abbey Road

Recorded April 26 1969 Only the second and last Starkey penned tune to be found on a Beatle LP. Ringo and George can been seen messing about on the tune during the film filmed in January of 1969

The Beatles - - The Beatles (Harrison) Lead vocal: George The basic rhythm track for “Piggies” was recorded on September 19, 1968, with Chris Thomas sitting in the producer’s chair, subbing for George Martin. It was completed in 11 takes and overdubs were finished the following day. Although “” was a derogatory term that young people in America in the sixties called police, George Harrison’s social commentary made light of the upper class, not authority figures. The first utterance of a curse word (“damn”) by a Beatle in a Beatles song came at the suggestion of Harrisons’ mother, who offered her son the line: “What they need’s a damn good whacking” to rhyme with “backing” and “lacking.” Although he did not attend any of the sessions for the song, John Lennon improved on one of George’s lines, suggesting the line “Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon” instead of George’s line “Clutching forks and knives to eat their pork chops.” Chris Thomas supplies the harpsichord part on the song. In fact, the harpsichord had been set up overnight in Studio One for a classical recording the next day. Rather than move it to Studio Two, the Beatles went to the harpsichord in Studio One and recorded “Piggies” there. The rhythm track featured George played his Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar, Paul on his Rickenbacker bass and Ringo on drums. It is presumed he was elsewhere in the building compiling tapes for the still-evolving “.” For the next night’s session Lennon put together a of pig sounds taken from the EMI sounds effects library. Prior to the big finish of the song, George can be heard saying “one more time.” In his book, “,” George provides lyrics to a verse that was not recorded. Everywhere there’s lots of piggies Playing piggy pranks You can see them on their trotters At the piggy banks Paying piggy thanks To thee pig brother!

John Lennon – Give Me Some Truth – Imagine ‘71 This was also composed in the Spring of ’68 in India. It was also “rehearsed” during the Get Back sessions. The song had contemporary lyrical additions, in reference to “Tricky Dicky” () and a desire for such people to give John the truth.

The Beatles - Blackbird - The Beatles (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Another Paul McCartney solo performance for the “White Album.” Paul wrote “Blackbird” at his Scottish farm house and the song was started and finished in 32 takes, 11 being complete run-throughs of the song, on June 10, 1968. Paul has said the music was inspired by Bach’s “Bourree in E Minor,” which he learned to play at a young age. The tapping sound on the recording is not a metronome. The percussion-like sound keeping the beat is actually Paul tapping his foot on the studio floor, which was separately miked onto one of the tracks. Paul has since revealed that the song was a message of solidarity to black people living in the U.S.

“Blackbird” is one of only five Beatles songs Paul chose to perform live during his “Wings Over America” concert tour in 1976.

George Harrison – - ‘70 A track with some “tart lyrical phrasing,” an offending verse was omitted from the printed lyrics included on the inner sleeve.

John Lennon – Imagine - Acoustic ‘04 Live at the Apollo Theater, December 17th, 1971. From Anthology

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The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Recording began on February 1, 1967 for what would become the title track of the new Beatles album. The song was written entirely by Paul McCartney. It was McCartney’s idea to give the Beatles alter egos -- they would become Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band -- for this album. Nine takes were attempted, two of which were complete run-throughs. For the first time ever an instrument (Paul’s ) was directly injected into the recording console instead of through an amplifier. Vocals were added the following evening, and the track sat for a month while the band worked on other material. The group returned to the title track on March 3 with the addition of four French horns played by outside musicians. Paul also came up with the idea of simulating a concert performance by the alter-ego band. The sound of the band warming up was taken from the February 10 session for “.” Other effects (the crowd settling down, applause, and laughter) were taken from the vast Abbey Road tape archives. The screaming at the end of the song was taken from the Capitol- recorded Beatles concert at the Hollywood Bowl. On the “Sgt. Pepper” album the end of the title track segues into Ringo’s “With A Little help From My Friends.”

The Beatles - With A Little Help From My Friends - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Ringo The first instance on a Beatles album where one song segues into another without the usual few seconds of silence between the tracks. This was to give the listener the feeling of a continuous concert performance. Written on the afternoon of March 29, 1967 by Paul with help from John at Paul’s house on Cavendish Avenue in St. John’s Wood specifically as a song for Ringo Starr to sing on the new album. It was recorded that evening. Although he liked the song, Ringo refused to sing the original lyrics to the opening verse. Ringo: “The original first verse to that was ‘What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you throw a tomato at me?’ And I said, ‘I’m not singing that.’” John and Paul quickly changed the line to “Would you stand up and walk out on me?” The rhythm track was recorded in ten takes the same day Paul and John write the song, with Paul on piano, George on Hammond organ, John on guitar and Ringo on drums. Vocals were added as Take 11. Originally titled “Bad Finger Boogie.” The screaming at the beginning of the song was taken from the Capitol-recorded Beatles concert at the Hollywood Bowl. On the “Sgt. Pepper” album the end of the title track segues into “With A Little help From My Friends.”

Badfinger – No Matter What – No Dice

The Beatles - - Revolver (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John John Lennon called this fan favorite “another of my throwaways...fancy paper around an empty box.” On another occasion he simply referred to it as “another horror.” The song, written primarily by John, is notable mainly for the twin guitar riffs -- played live without overdubs by George Harrison and Paul McCartney -- that drive the song, and Paul’s distinctive bass notes at the end of the song. Lennon played the in the D major position with the capo on the second fret to account for the song being in the key of E. John used the second fret capo several times ("Nowhere Man," "Julia," "Norwegian Wood," to name a few). Initial recording of the song commenced on April 20, 1966, with two takes being completed. Take 2 was deemed the best and various overdubs were added. While recording vocals John and Paul got a case of the giggles and laughed their way through much of the song. That hilarious version can be found on the “” compilation. On April 26, the band decided to scrap the previous version and start over from scratch, recording 11 takes. The term “bird” was British slang at the time for girl. Although Lennon never elaborated on the inspiration behind the lyrics, it is believed to refer to the rivalry between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Although the two groups were friends, Lennon saw the Stones as Beatles copyists, and the 'bird' in the title may have been Mick Jagger’s on-again, off-again girlfriend/muse Marianne Faithfull. The working title of the song was “You Don’t Get Me.” “And Your Bird Can Sing” was one of three songs issued in America six weeks prior to their official release in the UK. American and Canadian Beatles fans heard “I’m Only Sleeping,” “And Your Bird Can Sing,” and “” first on Capitol Records’ “” album, issued June 20, 1966. The rest of the world had to wait until the first week of August for them to appear on the “Revolver” LP. "And Your Bird Can Sing" was used as the theme song of The Beatles' cartoon series during its third season. On U.S. album: Yesterday And Today - Capitol LP

The Beatles – Maxwell’s Silver Hammer - Abbey Road Recorded July 1969… This was the first session for John Lennon after his recent car crash at the time. A song which both John and George have both taken a few swipes at over the years. John saying that he hated it because Paul made them do it “over and over a hundred million times” and George saying the song was“ FRUITY. “ Another song, which had been around since the White LP sessions. McCartney 1.00

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The Beatles - - (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocals: Paul and John The lead off track to Rubber Soul on the UK version was recorded on October 13, 1965. This session was the first in Beatles recording history to go past midnight. The music was written by Paul but he needed help with the lyrics. He and John worked through the song and came up with “baby you can drive my car” in place of temporary lyrics Paul was using (“you can give me golden rings”). “Drive my car” is an old expression for sex. The basic track was completed in four takes. Thanks to overdubbing, McCartney plays bass, piano and (his ). Paul provides the guitar solo in the song’s introduction, middle and ending. On U.S. album: Yesterday and Today - Capitol LP

The Beatles - I’m Looking Through You - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Written by Paul after an argument with then-girlfriend, actress . Initially recorded on October 24, 1965, the song was re-recorded from scratch on November 6, but McCartney was still not satisfied. Four days later, on November 10, the group took another stab at it. Paul’s lead vocal was superimposed the next day. The version issued by Capitol Records has two false starts. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - I Need You - Help! (Harrison) Lead vocal: George Recorded in five takes on February 15, 1965, the first day of recording for what was to become the “Help!” album, with overdubs completed the next day. It is the second original George Harrison song to be recorded by the Beatles. Harrison wrote “I Need You” for his future wife, . The track is notable for the first use on a Beatles record of what is now known as a “wah-wah pedal.” George achieved this by playing his 12-string Rickenbacker through a foot-controlled volume pedal. Ringo provides cowbell percussion. On U.S. album: Help! - Capitol LP

The Beatles - It’s Only Love- Help! (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded in six takes on June 15, 1965. The first Beatles song to include a reference to getting “high” (“I get high when I see you go by”). The working title prior to lyrics being written was “That’s a Nice Hat.” George Martin and his Orchestra recorded the instrumental version of “It’s Only Love” using the original title. In 1972 Lennon called “It’s Only Love” “the one song I really hate of mine.” On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - – Past Masters Recorded: 16 October 1965 Rubber Soul sessions Oct. `65 – Yesterday & Today LP here in the US… The eleventh official EMI release. The first official double "A" side release of “” Inspired in part by John and George's first experience with acid, "Day Tripper" was written under pressure for use as a single for the Christmas season. John wrote most of the song, with Paul contributing to each of the verses

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The Beatles - We Can Work It Out – Past Masters Recorded: 20/29 October 1965 RELEASED AS A CHRISTMAS SINGLE ON DEC. 3RD 1965 AND IT KICKED OFF THE RUBBER SOUL SESSIONS IN OCT. 1965 Yesterday & Today in US / Collection of Oldies in UK Written by Paul as a pleading song to Jane Asher, who had just moved away from London to join the theatre. It was the first such instance in their relationship, and one that contributed to their eventual breakup

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HOUR III

The Beatles – - Rubber Soul Recorded Oct.18th 1965 Of all the Lennon/McCartney collaborations only 2 songs have really been disputed by John & Paul themselves one being “” and the other is “In My Life”. John saying that Paul only wrote the middle eight melody and Mr. McCartney saying that he created the entire melody and intro of the song. He adds that John had all the lyrics already down but needed a melody and that he (Paul) has vivid memories of composing it on John’s mellotron while Lennon had a cup of tea in another room.

The Beatles – I’m A Loser - Beatles For Sale John Lennon was quoted saying that at the time he wrote that song part of himself felt like a loser and part of himself felt like God almighty. Recorded August 14 1964 at . Featured a nice lead guitar by George Harrison on his Gretsh Tennessean guitar…model PX6119 we give ALL the info on Breakfast w/ the Beatles. Lennon 1.00 Lead vocal John US - Capitol LP Beatles '65 Capitol EP 4-By the Beatles

The Beatles – Girl - Rubber Soul Recorded Nov. 11th 1965 Written about a dream girl that didn’t really exist and containing a somewhat suggestive background vocal by Paul & George. John says, “it’s one of my best” Lead vocal John. 100.Lennon .

The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever – Recorded Nov/ Dec. 1966 Written in Spain while John was filming “How I Won The War” Strawberry Fields was actually a Salvation Army home in the neighborhood where Lennon grew up. John used to go to parties there and it always brought back happy memories to John. One of the only two HONEST songs that John says he wrote for the Beatles…the other? (HELP!) Lead vocal John Lennon 1.00

The Beatles - - Magical Mystery Tour Recorded 14th June 1967 - 33 takes Released as a single in the UK July 7th 1967. Hit # 1 for four weeks. Released as a single July 17th 1967. Hit #1 for one week. Overdubs 19th June onto take 10 Orchestral overdubs 23rd June 1967 takes 34-43 onto take 10

The Beatles – - Let It Be Recorded 4th February 1968 - 8 takes Overdubs 8th February 1968 onto take 8 Overdubs 1st April 1970 onto take 8 creating take 9 “Across the Universe" was originally donated to a charity album for the World Wildlife Fund. That original song was a faster, higher version than the Let It Be version, which was the original track slowed down and combined with an orchestra by producer .

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The Beatles - Something - Abbey Road (Harrison) Lead vocal: George The Beatles’ twenty-first single release for EMI, and fourth on the label. Although initially crediting Lennon and McCartney as the , legendary crooner called George Harrison’s “Something” “the greatest love song ever written.” Commonly referred to as George’s first Beatles A-side, some sales chart makers at the time considered the single a “double-A,” as both sides of the record received significant radio airplay, and charted both “Something” and its flip side (John’s “Come Together”) as one combined chart listing. The song is the first of two CLASSIC songs George delivered for the “Abbey Road” album, the other being “.” It was a phenomenal one-two punch that had to have Lennon and McCartney wondering what else Harrison had up his sleeve.

George started writing “Something” during the sessions for the “White Album” in 1968. The opening line, “Something in the way she moves,” came from the title of a song on ’s first album. At the time, Taylor was an Apple recording artist. Producer Chris Thomas recalls Harrison playing the song for him during a break in the sessions for “Piggies” on September 19, 1968. George sang it while accompanying himself on harpsichord. George recorded an eight-track demo of the song on February 25, 1969, his 26th birthday, and the first proper recording took place on April 16. Unhappy with the 13 takes recorded, the band re-visited the song on May 2 and 36 takes were recorded with George on rhythm guitar (his Les Paul played through a ), John on piano, Paul on Rickenbacker bass guitar and Ringo on drums. At this stage the song had a long coda and the total running time was 7:48. On July 16, George recorded his lead vocal (replacing his lead vocal that was recorded on July 11), and Paul overdubbed backing vocals. On August 15, George re-recorded his guitar solo and the song was cut to 3:00, deleting the unnecessary instrumental coda. George’s February 25, 1969, demo can be found on the “” album.

The Beatles - I Want You (She’s So Heavy) - Abbey Road (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The Beatles, with on keyboards, and with Glyn Johns as producer, recorded 35 takes at on February 22, 1969. From that session, take 9 was the best for the early part of the song, take 20 had the best middle eight, and take 32 was the best for the rest. The three “best” sections were edited into one all-encompassing master take. On April 18, at Abbey Road Studios, without Preston, and with Chris Thomas producing, John and George overdubbed layers of guitar parts onto the Trident “best” take, and a reduction mixdown was made, called “take 1.” Overdubs were added onto that. More overdubs followed on April 20. Fast forward to August 8. Now with George Martin producing, John overdubs sounds from the white noise generator of Harrison’s Moog which produced the swirling, gale-force wind effect for the last three minutes of the song, and Ringo adds more drums (mostly crash cymbals). To complicate things, the group has been adding overdubs to two different master tapes of the song, so the best of each master is edited together to create the final album version of the song. The final album master has “take 1” for the first 4:37 and the original Trident tape for the remaining 3:07. The final album master of John’s sprawling song ran 8:04, but John opted for a surprise ending. Engineer : “We were putting the final touches to that side of the LP and we were listening to the mix. John said, ‘There! Cut the tape.’ Geoff [Emerick] cut the tape and that was it. End of side one.” At 7:44 it is second only to the sound collage/clip compilation “Revolution 9” as the longest Beatles track. It was the last song to be mixed for inclusion on the “Abbey Road” album. This final mixing date, August 20, 1969, is significant in Beatles history - it is the last time all four Beatles were together in a .

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The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun - Abbey Road (Harrison) Lead vocal: George The second of two CLASSIC songs George Harrison delivered for the “Abbey Road” album. “Here Comes The Sun” and “Something” was a phenomenal one-two punch that had to have Lennon and McCartney wondering what else Harrison had up his sleeve. George wrote the song while walking around the sunny back garden of Eric Clapton’s home, strumming o0ne of Eric’s acoustic guitars. Harrison had skipped out of one of the many Apple business meetings that day. Recording in 13 takes on July 7, 1969, Ringo’s 29th birthday, with George on his Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar, Paul on his Rickenbacker bass guitar and Ringo on drums. John was sidelined for the week due to be hospitalized following a car accident in Scotland. The next day George overdubbed his lead vocal, and Paul and George recorded their backing vocals twice, rather than simply double- tracking. Additions continued on July 16 (handclaps and harmonium), and August 6 and 11 (George’s acoustic guitar). George Martin’s orchestral score was recorded on August 15.

The Beatles - Because - Abbey Road (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John, Paul and George The group recorded 23 takes on August 1, 1969, with George Martin on a Baldwin spinet electric harpsichord matching note with John on his Epiphone Casino electric guitar and Paul on his Rickenbacker bass guitar. For the backing track Ringo kept the beat gently tapping out a beat on the hi-hat. This was for the musician’s headphones and was not recorded on the tape. Take 16 was deemed the best backing track and John, Paul, and George added their lush harmonies to it. On August 4, the three recorded their vocals two more times, adding to the already thick layers of harmony. Lennon was inspired the write the song when he hear Yoko playing Beethoven’s piano sonata in C Sharp minor, opus 27 number two (aka “The Moonlight Sonata”). He asked her to play the chords backwards and wrote “Because” around that reversed chord sequence. The gorgeous three-part harmonies of “Because” are showcased on an a cappella mix of the song on the “Anthology 3” album.

The Beatles - You Never Give Me Your Money - Abbey Road (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul The famous “Abbey Road” medley begins with Paul’s “You Never Give Me Your Money,” a song which itself consists of three segments. In ’ “Many Years From Now,” McCartney states that the first part of the song was him “directly lambasting ’s attitude to us: no money, just funny paper, all promises and it never works out. It’s basically a song about no faith in the person.” The reference to “funny paper” was the numerous bank statements and other official looking documents that claimed they had stocks and bonds or money in various bank accounts, but to the band members it always seemed imaginary; they were rich on paper. The second part is a nostalgic bit about being out of college with money spent, leading to the third section, about an optimistic escape (“Soon we’ll be away from here. Step on the gas and wipe that tear away”) inspired by Paul and Linda hitting the road to get away from it all. Recording began on May 6, 1969, at Trident Studios, with Paul on piano and offering a guide vocal marching the group through 36 takes. John playing a distorted guitar part on his Epiphone Casino, George playing his Telecaster and Ringo on drums. At Abbey Road Studios, Paul recorded his lead vocal on July 1 and added bass guitar on July 11. On July 15, Paul, John and George recorded backing vocals. It was during this session that the nursery rhyme ending (“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, all good children go to heaven”) was recorded. The finishing touch, added August 5, was the crossfade (tubular bells, birds, chirping crickets and bubbles) which takes the song into “Sun King”.

The Beatles – Sun King - Abbey Road Recorded w/ Mean Mr. Mustard as one song on July 24th 1969. Lennon in Playboy interview of 1980…”That’s a piece of garbage I had around”. Many parts of ’s Dark Side of the Moon sound very much inspired by that piece of garbage. Lennon 1.00

The Beatles – Mean Mr. Mustard - Abbey Road Recorded July 24th. Written in India as we heard on the White LP demos from Esher. When the band is playing it during the Let It Be sessions Pam was then a Shirley. Lennon 1.00

The Beatles - Her Majesty – Abbey Road Recorded July 2, 1969. Originally fit between” Mean Mr. Mustard” and “” McCartney 1.00

The Beatles – Polythene Pam - Abbey Road Recorded July 25th w/ “She Came in Through The Bathroom Window “. The only Beatles song inspired by a woman in New Jersey who dressed in polythene (but not jack boots or kilts). Written in India, demoed for the White LP. Lennon 1.00

The Beatles – She Came In Through The Bathroom Window - Abbey Road Recorded July 25th 1969. Written while in NYC to announce Apple. Based on a true story about some Scruffs breaking into Paul house at St. John’s Wood. Paul wrote w/ in mind…who later coved it as he did with most Beatle songs. McCartney 1.00

The Beatles – - Abbey Road Recorded w/ “” as one song on July 2nd 1969 Based on a 400 year old poem by Thomas Decker whose original words were: Golden Slumbers kiss your eyes; Smiles awake you when you rise. Sleep pretty wantons do not cry, And sing a lullaby…..Paul wrote the rest of the lyrics. McCartney .7 / Decker .3

The Beatles – Carry That Weight - Abbey Road Recorded July 2nd 1969 Featuring all 4 fabs on “Carry That Weight” but Ringo bowed out on the “I never give you my pillow” line.

The Beatles – The End –Abbey Road Recorded July 23rd 1969 John, Paul and George take turns on the lead fills at the end….of The End. McCartney 1.00

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