Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (UK - 1968)

Track list

Side 1

1. Lady Madonna

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   2:19 • Studio version • A • Mono

   Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass, Handclaps, Mellotron, Piano, Vocals Ringo Starr : Drums, Handclaps, Tambourine John Lennon : Backing vocals, Handclaps, Lead guitar George Harrison : Backing vocals, Handclaps, Lead guitar George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Ken Scott : Recording engineer Bill Povey : Tenor saxophone Harry Klein : Baritone saxophone Ronnie Scott : Tenor saxophone Bill Jackman : Baritone saxophone

   Session Recording: Feb 03, 1968 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road

   Session Overdubs: Feb 06, 1968 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road

   Session Mixing: Feb 15, 1968 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road

Side 2

1. The Inner Light

   Written by George Harrison

   2:35 • Studio version • A • Mono

   Paul McCartney : Backing vocals John Lennon : Backing vocals George Harrison : Vocals George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Hanuman Jadev : Shehnai Hariprasad Chaurasia : Bansuri Mahapurush Misra : Pakavaj Rijram Desad : Harmonium Ashish Khan : Sarod JP Sen : Recording engineer SN Gupta : Recording engineer Unknown musician(s) : Tabla tarang

   Session Recording: Jan 12, 1968 • Studio EMI Recording Studio, Bombay, India

   Session Overdubs: Feb 06, 1968 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road

   Session Mixing: Feb 06, 1968 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road

It is not outright rock, but it’s that kind of thing – we think the time is right.

Paul McCartney – from New Musical Express, February 17, 1968

From Wikipedia:

In Britain, Parlophone issued “Lady Madonna” backed by “The Inner Light” on 15 March 1968, with the catalogue number R 5675. The single was released three days later in the United States, as Capitol 2138. One of the promo clips was aired by the BBC on the 14 March edition of Top of the Pops and then on Alan Freeman’s All Systems Freeman the following day, and in the US on ABC-TV’s The Hollywood Palace on 30 March. In Everett’s description, the single was “at the forefront of a spring–summer 1968 rock-and-roll revival in the United Kingdom”, which included UK-exclusive reissues of singles by Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and Little Richard.

Initial UK pressings came with a two-sided flyer promoting the “Official Beatles Fan Club” on one side and the monthly magazine “The Beatles Book” on the other. New members joining the fan club received a giant colour poster of the group taken during the singles recording session.

The Beatles’ next single will probably be “Lady Madonna”, a Lennon-McCartney song which was recorded in London this week (writes Laurie Henshaw). Two former [Melody Maker] Jazz Poll winners, tenorist Ronnie Scott and baritone saxist Harry Klein, were on the session which used a four-piece sax section.

Four titles were recorded. The B side of the next single, which is expected to be issued on March 12, will possibly be a George Harrison composition.

Said Ronnie: “Lady Madonna is rock ‘n’ roll thing on which I take a solo“.

The Beatles were due to fly to India this week to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

From Melody Maker – February 17, 1968

The Beatles’ follow-up to “Hello Goodbye” is being issued by Parlophone on March 15. Titled “Lady Madonna”, it is described as being “as close to rock ‘n’ roll as The Beatles could get in 1968”. Paul McCartney, who is the featured soloist on the disc, told the NME: “It is not outright rock, but it’s that kind of thing – we think the time is right.”

The B side “The Inner Light” is composed and sung by George Harrison – the first time he has soloed on a Beatles single. Paul described it as an unusual composition, and one of the most commercial George has ever written. It has a backing of Indian instrumentation which was recorded recently in Bombay – the vocal was added at EMI’s London studio last week. […]

From New Musical Express, February 17, 1968

The Beatles’ new single “Lady Madonna”, a Lennon-McCartney composition, will be released on March 15. The B side will be “The Inner Light” written and sung by George Harrison.

George’s song has Indian instrumental accompaniment recorded under his supervision in Bombay last month when he was recording music for the film “Wonderwall”. John and Paul contribute vocal harmony but are not instrumentally involved in this track.

Both recordings were made within the last three weeks but the group have not recorded any tracks for a new album. The group have recorded two film clips for promotional TV spots.

From Melody Maker – February 24, 1968