TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Norman Smith
Assistant Engineers: Ken Scott, Richard Langham, Geoff Emerick
Genesis
In 1980, John claimed he had written “I’ll Be Back.” Paul qualified this claim in Many Years from Now: “‘I’ll Be Back’ was cowritten but it was largely John’s idea.”1 No doubt, Paul helped him out, but the harmony and rather complex structure of the song were, in fact, more typical of John’s style. The latter agreed he had done a “variation of the chords in a Del Shannon song,” probably “Runaway,” the 1961 hit. The chord sequence of the first part was similar to the one used in “I’ll Be Back,” although it was a “classical” harmonic descent used in hundreds of songs, for instance, in flamenco. For the first time, a Beatles song included two different bridges. Rather underestimated, “I’ll Be Back” was a small jewel, similar to “Things We Said Today” by Paul, because of its atmosphere and acoustic arrangement. Once again, the lyrics were not full of serenity. John discussed a masochistic relationship (even though he feared his love would experience a nasty surprise upon his return and would make him suffer, he would come back). In a certain way, this song foreshadowed the ambivalent side of the duo, Paul with his optimism and John with his torment. “I’ll Be Back” was a song that John always liked: he said in a 1972 interview, “A nice tune, though the middle is a bit tatty.” Many artists recorded covers of it, for instance, Shawn Colvin, who produced an exceptional version of it in 2004.
Production
“I’ll Be Back” was recorded in sixteen takes, on June 1, toward the end of the day. The first versions were written in 6/8 before being adapted to 4/4. The orchestration of the beginning was more electric; the mood was not yet acoustic. The Beatles then chose a more folklike interpretation, leaving nice maneuvers for the Gibsons J-160S of John and George, Ringo and Paul playing with subtleness. The basic track used was the ninth take. Then there were a series of seven overdubs. The voices were added, John doubled himself, and George performed a nylon string classical guitar part as well as a very effective riff. The results were colored with nostalgia and finesse. The final mono and stereo mixes came from the session on June 22, 1964.
Beatles for Sale:
The Album in Black
1964
No Reply
I’m a Loser
Baby’s in Black
Rock and Roll Music
I’ll Follow the Sun
Mr. Moonlight
Kansas City / Hey Hey Hey Hey
Eight Days a Week
Words of Love
Honey Don’t
Every Little Thing
I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party
What You’re Doing
Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby
ALBUM
RELEASED
Great Britain: December 4, 1964 / No. 1 for 11 weeks
United States: December 15, 1964, under the title Beatles 65 / No. 1 for 9 weeks; June 14, 1965, under the title Beatles VI / No. 1 for 6 weeks
On August 11, 1964, just two months after the recording of their previous album, the Beatles went back into the studio to make Beatles for Sale. Brian Epstein wanted to release two albums a year. This new recording needed to be out for the holiday season. Even though John and Paul were productive, they lacked time to be creative. In six months, they had written thirteen songs, recorded six covers (including two in German), conquered America, and filmed their first movie. On June 4, they began their world tour: Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand … When they were isolated in the Abbey Road Studios on August 11, they were war-weary, utterly exhausted, with their backs to the wall. In three months they recorded sixteen new songs, including ten originals and the new single “I Feel Fine,” which immediately catapulted to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. So 1964 was a year of madness and folly.
The Beatles tapped into their Hamburg and Liverpool repertoires to complete Beatles for Sale. Out of fourteen tracks, six were covers. George still brought no songs to the table, although one of his titles, “You Know What to Do” (see Anthology 1), was considered for the album. John’s writing was more and more autobiographical, dark, and cynical: “I’m a Loser,” “No Reply”; Paul remained optimistic, “I’ll Follow the Sun”; George covered his idol Carl Perkins’s brilliant “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”; and Ringo took the microphone for Perkins’s “Honey Don’t.” The second album was recorded entirely in four track. Little by little, the spirit in the sessions got higher. The Beatles worked on their songs in the studio, recording and polishing arrangements until everyone was satisfied. “For that album, we only rehearsed the new songs,”1 confirmed George. Indeed, the cover songs, their final homage to their early shows, were played live and often in one take. They demonstrated that they were excellent performers. John said in 1964: “We’re really pleased with the record and with the new LP. There was a lousy period when we didn’t seem to have any material for the LP and didn’t have a single. Now that we’re clear of things and they’re due out, it’s a bit of a relief.”2 In the United States, the album was split into two discs: Beatles 65 and Beatles VI, each album being a mix of songs from Beatles for Sale and Help! as well as singles. Just as in England, these albums hit the top of the U.S. charts upon release. The Beatles are for sale? We’re buying!
The cover of the album was photographed once again by Robert Freeman. The Beatles went to Hyde Park, near the Albert Memorial. Paul remembers: “It was easy. We did a session lasting a couple of hours and had a reasonable picture to use.”3 On Freeman’s cover photograph, they look frazzled; you sense their exhaustion.
Beginning with this album, and especially during the recording session on October 26, the Beatles began attending mixing sessions. Until this time, the control room and the mixing were reserved for EMI members and staff, and the artists were excluded.
The Instruments
By the end of 1963, George acquired a new Gretsch, a Chet Atkins Tennessean model, which he played from 1964 to 1965 both in the studio and in concert on “Baby’s in Black.” In February John ordered a Rickenbacker 325 twelve-string that he briefly played in concert during the summer of 1964. The guitar was used in the studio, apparently on “Every Little Thing.” The remaining instruments were the same ones used during the recording of A Hard Day’s Night.
No Reply
Lennon-McCartney / 2:15
1964
SONGWRITER
John
MUSICIANS
John: vocals, rhythm guitar, hand claps
Paul: bass, vocal harmonies, hand claps
George: rhythm guitar, hand claps
Ringo: drums, hand claps
George Martin: piano
RECORDED
Abbey Road: September 30, 1964 (Studio Two)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 8
MIXING
Abbey Road: October 16, 1964 (Studio One) / November 4, 1964 (Studio Two)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Norman Smith
Assistant Engineers: Ken Scott, A. B. Lincoln, Mike Stone
Genesis
Hearing “No Reply,” Dick James, the Beatles’ music publisher, could not help but point out to John, “You’re getting better now—that was a complete story.” John commented in 1972, “Apparently, before that, he thought my songs wandered off.” At age twenty-four, John definitely had abandoned writing for teenagers. He was married and the father of little Julian. His deeper sensibility gave him a glimpse of the cracks in the surrounding world. John could no longer write “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” “No Reply” speaks of failures and ill-fated love. “It was my version of ‘Silhouettes’ [Rays, 1957]: I had that image of me walking down the street and seeing her silhouette in the window, even though she would not answer the phone.”1 Pure fiction, because during his teenage years the phone was rather rare in Britain! But John
expresses once again a sense of latent deception (see “I’ll Be Back” and “I’ll Cry Instead”).
Paul said, “We wrote ‘No Reply’ together, but based on a strong original idea of his.”2 In 1991 (1993 according to other sources), a demo of the song was found, corresponding to a recording dated June 3, 1964. On that day, the Beatles and Jimmy Nicol rehearsed at Abbey Road for a concert the next day in Denmark. Ringo, who was sick, was hospitalized in the morning. After the rehearsal, Nicol left the Beatles, who recorded three demos: George’s never-released title “You Know What to Do,” Paul’s “It’s for You” for Cilla Black, and, finally, “No Reply,” which John intended for Tommy Quickly, a promising youngster in manager Epstein’s stable of artists. Recorded, but never used, John finally decided to keep it for the Beatles.
FOR BEATLES FANATICS
When the Beatles recorded a demo of “No Reply” on June 3, neither Ringo Starr nor Jimmy Nicol, a session drummer who had filled in for Ringo during part of their 1964 tour, were present. However, there are drums in the title (see Anthology 1). Who is the drummer? Paul? Norman Smith? Or someone else?
Production
On September 30, almost four months after the demo on June 3, the Beatles recorded “No Reply” in eight takes. After taping the rhythmic part, George Martin played a part at the piano while Ringo added cymbals and another bass drum (off the left channel in the stereo behind the chorus). Later John and Paul were gathered around a single microphone, a Neumann U 48 bidirectional; Paul was on the upper harmonies; and John, who has a tired voice, on the middle. On the last track, the piano and the vocals are doubled and hand claps are added. They tried to extend the song for more than a minute on the fifth take, before returning to the duration of the original version. The song had a Latin rock sound, due in part to John and George on the Gibson J-160E and Ringo’s rimshot playing. “No Reply” was a success. The mono mix was made on October 16, and the stereo mix on November 4.
Technical Details
Norman Smith used a towel placed on Ringo’s snare drum to dampen the sound.
I’m A Loser
Lennon-McCartney / 2:29
1964
SONGWRITER
John
MUSICIANS
John: vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
Paul: bass, vocal harmonies
George: lead guitar
Ringo: drums, tambourine
RECORDED
Abbey Road: August 14, 1964 (Studio Two)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 8
MIXING
Abbey Road: August 14, 1964 (Studio Two) / October 26, 1964 (Studio Two) / November 4, 1964 (Studio Two)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Norman Smith
Assistant Engineers: Ron Pender, Tony Clark, Mike Stone
Genesis
Although Paul contributed to this song, John was the main composer. Strongly influenced by Dylan, the song surprised: How could John, at the height of his success and fortune, proclaim himself as a loser? He said later with a smile: “Part of me suspects I’m a loser and part of me thinks I’m God Almighty.”1 According to Paul, “I’m a Loser” and “Nowhere Man” were cries for help. John was uncomfortable with his success, as his song revealed: despite laughing and clowning around, it was not the “clown” he let appear. To hold himself together, he used alcohol and drugs. As for the influence of Dylan, he said in 1974: “I objected to the word clown because that was always artsy-fartsy. But as Dylan had used it, I thought it was all right.”2
Production
On August 14, four days before they left for their first North American tour, “I’m a Loser” was recorded in eight takes. For the rhythm track, John was on the acoustic guitar, Paul on the bass (walking bass in the chorus), George played his Gretsch Tennessean, and Ringo his drums. On the next track, George recorded an excellent solo and Ringo added the tambourine over the chorus. Then came the vocals. Finally, on the last track, John doubled his vocal and played a truly inspired harmonica solo (diatonic harmonica in C). The song sounded good. Martin and his team immediately made an initial mono mix, but the final was recorded on October 26 and the stereo mix done on November 4.
FOR BEATLES FANATICS
George played an excellent part on his Gretsch Tennessean. But, carried away by his enthusiasm, we can catch a short skid at 0:52, which was not corrected.
Technical Details
During the recording of I’m not what I appear to be, John invariably produced some plosives on the “p” in appear. George Martin, uncompromising when it came to that kind of error, consistently asked him to redo the line. He regretted not having done so more often, especially in their first period. But in the end, Martin always preferred the feeling to the perfect touch.
Baby’s In Black
Lennon-McCartney / 2:04
1964
SONGWRITERS
John and Paul
MUSICIANS
John: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul: vocals, bass
George: lead guitar
Ringo: drums, tambourine
RECORDED
Abbey Road: August 11, 1964 (Studio Two)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 14
MIXING
Abbey Road: August 14, 1964 (Studio Two) / October 26, 1964 (Studio Two) / November 4, 1964 (Studio Two)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineers: Norman Smith, Hugh Davies
Assistant Engineers: Ron Pender, Tony Clark, Mike Stone
Genesis
“Baby’s in Black” was the first song recorded for Beatles for Sale. Cowritten at Kenwood, the song revealed the determination of the duo to compose songs a little bit darker, more bluesy, “more grown-up, rather than just straight pop.”1 With this title, in which they adopted a waltz tempo, they also began taking liberties with their style. Paul admitted that they loved James Ray’s song “If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody” (1961), “a cool three-four blues thing”2 and the group had included in their live set list. If some people see the image of Astrid Kirchherr, the companion of the late Stuart Sutcliffe, in the woman in black, none of the Beatles has ever confirmed this rumor. It seems that they chose this topic to create a different atmosphere, with no reference to anyone in specific. “In addition, our favorite color was black,”3 said Paul. “Baby’s in Black” is a song they appreciated: it was often part of their set list, and they played this song until their last concert on August 29, 1966, in San Francisco.
The strength of “Baby’s in Black” lies in a two-part vocal harmonization. When Dick James tried to make a transcription of the score, he asked who sang the main tune: John’s lower or Paul’s higher melody? “We did not know what to answer,” said Paul—they were both the main melody. “We rather liked this one. There was a bit more cred about this one. It’s got a good middle.”4
Production
“With songs like ‘Baby’s in Black,’ we had to learn and rehearse them,”5 recalls George. The following Tuesday, August 11, was dedicated to this song. For the basic track, John played the Gibson J-160 E, Paul on the bass, George the Gretsch Tennessean, and Ringo the drums. The Beatles at that time started doubling the instrumental parts; on the second track George doubled his guitar solo, for which he had some problems and requested multiple takes. Ringo, who accompanied him at the tambourine, was struggling to stay in tempo; he slowed down (1:30) before correcting his mistake (1:38). Moreover, at the time he entered (1:30), we noticed on the right channel of the stereo version a sudden strange sound increase, probably due to the playback of the previous take. John and Paul simultaneously sang through the same microphone as they had done for “If I Fell.” They performed a sumptuous vocal part, particularly Paul’s part on the bridge. Then they doubled the bridge vocals on the last track. “Baby’s in Black” was recorded in fourteen takes. The final mix is dated October 26. The stereo version was done on November 4.
FOR BEATLES FANATICS
When the Beatles sang the James Ray hit, “If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody,” onstage in Hamburg and Liverpool, George Harrison did not know that in 1987 he would record another song of Ray’s, giving him his third and final number 1 hit in the United States as a solo artist (and the last number 1 of any of the solo Beatles): “Got My Mind Set on You.”
Rock And Roll Music
Chuck Berry / 2:30
1964
MUSICIANS
John: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul: bass (?), piano (?)
George: rhythm guitar (?), bass (?)
Ringo: drums
George Martin: piano (?)
RECORDED
Abbey Road: October 18, 1964 (Studio Two)
NUMBER OF TAKES: 1 OR 2
MIXING
Abbey Road: October 26, 1964 (Studio Two) / November 4, 1964 (Studio Two)
TECHNICAL TEAM
Producer: George Martin
Sound Engineer: Norman Smith
Assistant Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Tony Clark, Mike Stone
Genesis
Chuck Berry recorded “Rock and Roll Music” in Chicago at the Chess studios, either on May 6 or 21, 1957. This single was released in September; like most of Berry’s songs, a few months later it hit the charts. Also, like most of his songs, “Rock and Roll Music” was covered by many rock bands, starting with the Beatles and the Beach Boys. After “Roll Over Beethoven” (see With the Beatles), it was the second tribute by the Beatles to the creator of the duckwalk. They knew the title perfectly, having performed it numerous times in Hamburg and Liverpool. When they entered the Abbey Road Studios on October 18, 1964 to record it, they did not know that this same day, Chuck Berry blew out thirty-eight birthday candles. What a birthday gift! This title, brought “back to life” on the occasion of this recording session, became part of their new set list: they played it until their last tour.
All the Songs Page 12