Thursday, July 3, 1969
Recording "Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight"
For The Beatles
Last updated on December 23, 2021
Thursday, July 3, 1969
For The Beatles
Last updated on December 23, 2021
Feb 22 - Aug 25, 1969 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Abbey Road
Recording studio: EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Album Jul 01, 1969 • "Battersea Rain Dance" by The Chris Barber Band released in the UK
Session Jul 02, 1969 • Recording "Her Majesty", "Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight"
Session Jul 03, 1969 • Recording "Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight"
Session Jul 04, 1969 • Recording "Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight"
Article Jul 05, 1969 • Paul McCartney attends The Rolling Stones' concert in Hyde Park
Some of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "Abbey Road" LP.
On July 1, 1969, John Lennon was on holiday in Scotland and got involved in a car accident along with his wife Yoko, his son Julian, and Yoko’s daughter, Kyoko. He was hospitalised and stayed at this hospital till July 6. He would rejoin The Beatles’ sessions on July 9, missing five days of work.
On this day, the three other Beatles continued the work on “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight“. The session started at 3 pm, and the first task was to edit together take 13 and take 15, recorded the previous day, to create a satisfactory basic track (the result was still called take 13).
They then started the process of recording overdubs. Paul McCartney recorded his lead vocals. Ringo Starr added drums and Paul some extra vocals on track four. The two Beatles then double-tracked their vocals on the chorus of “Carry That Weight” on tracks four and seven. Finally, George Harrison added a lead guitar and Paul a rhythm guitar.
I remember trying to get a very strong vocal on it, because it was such a gentle theme, so I worked on the strength of the vocal on it, and ended up quite pleased with it.
Paul McCartney, talking about “Golden Slumbers” – From “Many Years From Now” by Barry Miles, 1997
The eight-track being full, two reduction mixes – numbered takes 16 and 17 – were then made to allow for further overdubs.
The session ended at 8:30 pm and work on “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” would continue on the following day.
Editing • Editing of takes 13 and 15, called take 13
Recording • SI onto take 13
Tape copying • Tape reduction take 13 into take 16
Tape copying • Tape reduction take 13 into take 17
Recording • Recorded along with "Golden Slumbers" as one track, under the working title "Golden Slumbers"
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!
Solid State: The Story of "Abbey Road" and the End of the Beatles
Acclaimed Beatles historian Kenneth Womack offers the most definitive account yet of the writing, recording, mixing, and reception of Abbey Road. In February 1969, the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to the Beatles' sound, and included "Come Together," "Something," and "Here Comes the Sun," which all emerged as classics.
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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