Friday, July 12, 1968
Recording and mixing "Don't Pass Me By", Recording and mixing "Revolution", Mixing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
For The Beatles
Last updated on September 7, 2021
Friday, July 12, 1968
For The Beatles
Last updated on September 7, 2021
"The Beatles" (aka the White Album) sessions
May 30 - Oct 18, 1968 • Songs recorded during this session appear on The Beatles (Mono)
Recording studio: EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Jul 10, 1968 • Recording "Revolution"
Session Jul 11, 1968 • Recording "Revolution", recording and mixing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
Session Jul 12, 1968 • Recording and mixing "Don't Pass Me By", Recording and mixing "Revolution", Mixing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
Interview Jul 13, 1968 • The Beatles interview for New Musical Express (NME)
Article Jul 15, 1968 • The Beatles move into the Apple headquarters at 3 Savile Row, London
Next session Jul 15, 1968 • Mixing "Revolution", recording and mixing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", recording "Cry Baby Cry"
AlbumSome of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "The Beatles (Mono)" LP
Early June, during the first days of the recording sessions for the new album, The Beatles had recorded the first song written by Ringo Starr, “Don’t Pass Me By“. On this day, they returned to it. A violin overdub, played in a country music style, was added to “Don’t Pass Me By” by jazz bassist Jack Fallon.
Jack Fallon was known from the Beatles, as, besides being a jazz player, he was also a booker/promoter, who had booked The Beatles into their first professional gig on March 31, 1962, at the Subscription Rooms.
George Martin had jotted down a 12-bar blues for me. A lot of country fiddle playing is double-stop but Paul and George Martin – they were doing the arranging – suggested I play it single note. So it wasn’t really the country sound they originally wanted. But they seemed pleased. Ringo was around too, keeping an eye on his song.
Jack Fallon – From “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, quoted in beatlesebooks.com
We played it with a country attitude. It was great to get my first song down, one that I had written. It was a very exciting time for me and everyone was really helpful, and recording that crazy violist was a thrilling moment.
Ringo Starr – From The Beatles Anthology Book, 1995
On the mono version of “Don’t Pass Me By“, there is some extraneous fiddle that then fades away with the song. As Jack Fallon remembers:
I thought that they had had enough so I just busked around a bit. When I heard it played back at the end of the session I was hoping they’d scrub that bit out, but they didn’t, so there I am on record, scaping away! I was very surprised they kept it in; it was pretty dreadful.
Jack Fallon – From “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, quoted in beatlesebooks.com
This violin overdub was recorded between 3 pm and 6:40 pm. Paul McCartney then added another bass part and Ringo a piano part. Four mono mixes were made, but wouldn’t be used.
The last overdub would be added during the July 22 session.
Two new mono mixes of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” were then made. But Paul was still not happy with the result and would re-record his lead vocal on July 15. It was 11 pm and The Beatles took a break.
From 12 pm to 4 am, they worked on “Revolution” and added the final overdubs. Paul recorded another bass part, and John Lennon added a lead guitar part. Four mono mixes were made, but further mixes would be created on July 15.
Written by Ringo Starr
Recording • SI onto take 7
Written by Ringo Starr
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 1 from take 7
Written by Ringo Starr
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 2 from take 7
Written by Ringo Starr
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 3 from take 7
Written by Ringo Starr
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 4 from take 7
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 10 from take 23
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 11 from take 23
Recording • SI onto take 16
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 10 from take 16
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 11 from take 16
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 12 from take 16
Mixing • Mono mixing - Remix 13 from take 16
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions • Mark Lewisohn
The definitive guide for every Beatles recording sessions from 1962 to 1970.
We owe a lot to Mark Lewisohn for the creation of those session pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details - the number of takes for each song, who contributed what, a description of the context and how each session went, various photographies... And an introductory interview with Paul McCartney!
The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 4: The Beatles through Yellow Submarine (1968 - early 1969)
The fourth book of this critically acclaimed series, "The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 4: The Beatles through Yellow Submarine (1968 - early 1969)" captures The Beatles as they take the lessons of Sgt. Pepper forward with an ambitious double-album that is equally innovative and progressive. From the first take to the final remix, discover the making of the greatest recordings of all time. Through extensive, fully-documented research, these books fill an important gap left by all other Beatles books published to date and provide a unique view into the recordings of the world's most successful pop music act.
If we modestly consider the Paul McCartney Project to be the premier online resource for all things Paul McCartney, it is undeniable that The Beatles Bible stands as the definitive online site dedicated to the Beatles. While there is some overlap in content between the two sites, they differ significantly in their approach.
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