Beatles Final Flashcards
Kick ass on finals
Because
By John on Abbey Road
Inspired by Yoko playing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”
9 voice harmony between John/Paul/George (this part written by George Martin)
Come Together
By John - Abbey Road
Originally written for Timothy Learly (fired for LSD experiments on students); running for Governor of California and asked for a political song (lost to Ronald Reagan)
Conflict with Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me” because John uses “her come old flattop”
“Shoot Me!” hissed throughout the song; dark sound with Lennon’s weird
Golden Slumbers + Carry That Weight + The End + Her Majesty
Golden Slumbers, Carry that Weight, The End and Her Majesty all written by Paul - Abbey Road
Golden Slumbers: Paul encounters a book at his father’s home called “Golden Slumbers” by Thomas Dekker, a contemporary Shakespeare
Carry that Weight: Paul reflects how the Beatles’ behavior near the end will eventually catch up with them; feels bad about their ridiculousness
The End: Paul and John play Cassio guitars, Guitar plays a Les Paul
The three of them exchange through guitar solos recorded all in one take
Ringo Starr’s only drum solo and the only time drums are recorded in stereo
“And in the end the love you take/is equal to the love you make” - couplet written by Paul as the last lines in the style of Shakespeare
Her Majesty: Last Song on the album
23 seconds, shortest Beatles song ever
Little lick written by Paul for fun, originally not supposed to be on the album
Here Comes The Sun
By George - Abbey Road
Extensive Moog synthesizer usage; guitar goes through a Leslie speaker
I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
By John - Abbey Road
Love song to Yoko; vocal masking (remembering LSD)
White noise - fixed filter bank on Moog, replayed vamp
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
by Paul - Abbey Road
Written about a serial killer (very upbeat and happy)
George Harrison’s Moog Synthesizer (analog synths)
French hornist chords and countermelody through the 2nd and 3rd verse (played by Paul)
Mean Mr. Mustard - Sun King
Both by John - Abbey Road
Recorded together
Sun King: “Los Paranoias” - made up words and such
Mean Mr. Mustard: based off of a man who died with a bunch of money under his mattress
Octopus’s Garden
by Ringo - Abbey Road
Based on Mediterranean octopi living in urns
Bubbles blowing through straw into glass of water, background Ah’s in condenser
Oh! Darling
by Paul - Abbey Road
Sang once per day to get a rawer sound, him trying to emulate the “Twist and Shout”
Polythene Pam- She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
by Paul - Abbey Road
Recorded together as a continuous mix
Polythene Pam - based off of a girl named Pat from the Beatles’ earlier days who actually ate polythene
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window - George Harrison called the youth outside Apple Studio “Apple Scruff”, some broke into Paul’s home and stole stuff to sell
Something
by George - Abbey Road
Slide guitar features in it, thought of Ray Charles when he wrote about it
Gets a lot of work for playing slide
First offered it to Joe Cocker, then recorded with the Beatles
You Never Give Me Your Money
by Paul - Abbey Road
A medley of unfinished songs leading into a medley of songs that come together
Across The Universe
by John - Let It Be
Lennon wrote this while on LSD
Written in part as a tribute to Maharishi
Meant to be next single, but Lady Madonna went first
Released on a World Wildlife Fund charity LP and later on Let It Be
John was becoming really apathetic because of his LSD use
I Me Mine
by George - Let It Be
Last song recorded in the studio
Written by George
Last song recorded together
George fed up with John and Paul’s egoism (very direct and forward song in the lyrics, not trying to disguise the meaning)
Edited by Phil Spector
“I Me Mine” is also the name of George’s biography, where he only mentions John a few times
Two Of Us
by Paul - Let It Be
Written about Linda, but tends towards descriptions of John (reminder of their duets when they were younger)
Baby You’re a Rich Man
by John - Magical Mystery Tour
Written to Brian Epstein for his “brown bag money dealings” for the Beatles
Recorded and mixed at Olympic Sound Studios in 1 night
First time they recorded and mixed at a different studio
John plays a new instrument - claviolene - an electric instrument that is kind of like an oboe
Blue Jay Way
by George - Magical Mystery Tour
Written during George and Patti’s visit to California in 1967
Written by someone who is bored, nothing too exciting musically
Drone: unfocused, blurred harmony oscillates between major and diminished chords, no guitar
Fool On The Hill
Written by Paul
Speculated it was written about maharishi
Features a flute section and harmonica, plus recorder solo from Paul
Hello Goodbye
Send the song to Ed Sullivan as a promotional film
Also A-side with B-side I am the Walrus
I Am The Walrus
Melody influenced by the sound of a police siren
Started recording on September 5
First time to bring in outside singers (Mike Sammes Singers: first outside vocalists)
Also released as B-side with Hello Goodbye
Magical Mystery Tour
by Paul - Magical Mystery Tour
The idea of a magical tour bus where magical things happen; dissuaded by friends to do so
4 trumpet players, included David Mason on one of the four trumpets
Penny Lane
by Paul - single & Magical Mystery Tour
Recorded during Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band sessions
Released in UK as double A side single with Strawberry Fields Forever in 1967, released in US on Magical Mystery Tour (because US didn’t like singles)
First Beatles single to not reach #1 in England
About a place from Paul’s childhood, in contrast with John’s Strawberry Fields
It’s a shopping district and street, roundabout (bathroom)
Paul says he has been working on it since 1965, but gets to work on it more once the Beatles become big
As many takes for this as Strawberry fields, many piano parts, vocal, guitar, bass and drums last
4 flutes, 4 trumpets, 2 piccolos, 1 flugelhorn, handbell, 2 oboes, 2 English horns, double bass
Paul liked to watch BBC TV Masterworks, played classical music on old instruments. Saw one with a Bach Concerto played by the English chamber orchestra. Saw guy playing a weird trumpet and said he wanted this particular instrument and trumpet player. His name was David Mason, paid 27 pounds and 10 shillings to play the B flat piccolo trumpet. Spend 3 hours playing it out to get it right. Actual recording was done very quickly
Strawberry Fields Forever
by John - single and Magical Mystery Tour
Double A single with Penny Lane
About his childhood, relives the happy memories of his youth, it is drug-fueled but some innocence
One of the most complex recordings they had done (backwards tapes, usage of new instruments in the band/studio/recording)
Mellotron: complicated tape machine, use recordings of taped music and can be played for 8 seconds at a time George Harrison plays a swordmandel (Celtic table harp with metal strings), also brings in slide guitar
Take 1: November 24, 1966 , 7:30 pm - 2:30 am
Paul plays Mellotron using the strings setting but sounds "canned"/fake Peculiar vocal arrangements, lyrics are rearranged
Take 7: the feel for the song has changed
Paul plays flutes, better slide guitar Vocal less choral, distinctive guitar style, opening is that of the final version
Take 26: Locomotive version
4 trumpets, 3 cellos, George plays swordmendel Backwards track of Ringo playing cymbals and high-hat Paul plays timpani - there finally is an ending (cranberry sauce)
John talks with Martin, wants to combine the different takes (light and heavy) - fade out and fade back in
All You Need is Love
by John - single for Our World international concert
5 continent international concert broadcasted on TV to 400 million viewers, first attempt to ever do something like this
BBC asks John to write a simple song, June 25, 1967
John does the verse in 7/4, the chorus in 4/4
4 tracks: 1: pre-taped rhythm track 2: bass, lead guitar solo, drums 3: orchestra 4: vocals
Begins with French national anthem, then greensleeves, then she loves you, then all you need is love then in the mood
Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!
by John - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Intermission track
Inspired by a poster of Pablo Fanque’s Circus Royal from 2/1843
John lifts most of the lyrics from the poster, wants to create a callope/carnival feel
“wants to smell the sawdust on the ground”
Martin has Emerick cut up, toss up, and randomly tape together the sound effects, eerie sound
Martin collapses on the harmonium after playing the rhythm track for so long
Henry the Horse does a waltz; more time changes
A Day in the Life
by John and Paul - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Working title: “In the life of…”
Inspired by newspaper article describing the death of Tara Brown in a car accident
Guiness heir Tara Brown dies on December 18, 1966, recorded on January 19, 1967
John does main parts, Paul does the middle portion
40 musicians overdubbed 4X, for 160 total
4 track machine: first 3 tracks have the Beatles while the 4th has an oscillator (speed control)
On second tape machine orchestra is on four different tracks
Headphones to speaker to dynamic microphones (you can use headphones to record, not most efficient, but doable)
The Big chord at the end is like a barbershop quartet (E chord)
John, Paul, Ringo and Mal Evans play 3 pianos on big chord 9 takes and then had to overdub it 3 times One of the most recognizable sounds of the 20th century (like "A Hard Day's Night") At 53.5 seconds started to fade out Spiral out - dog whistle Locked groove - gibberish, edited just enough to fill the locked groove
Fixing A Hole
by Paul - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Recorded at Regent Sound where the Rolling Stones recorded because Abbey Road was full
George Martin could go as a freelance producer, but not Geoff Emerick because he is tied to EMI
Live recording, Harrison has a guitar solo
Getting Better
by Paul Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Autobiographical song, mallets are played on piano strings and Paul’s guitar, characteristic clang sound
Harrison plays tambura on the last verse, adds a profound effect since its right on the verse where Paul talks about beating his woman (didn’t actually do it, part of the effect of the song, he clears it up later in an interview)
Good Morning Good Morning
by John - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Inspired by a Kellogg’s Corn Flakes commercial
3 saxes, 2 trombones, 1 French horn in the background (very brassy)
They pull together a bunch of random animal sounds at the end and that ends the track, the last hen clucking leads into the beginning of the following track, matching the note (source of pride for Emerick)