Feb 15, 1965 - Jun 18, 1965 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Help! (Mono)
Recording studio: CTS Studios, 47-53 Kensington Garden Square • London • UK
Previous session Apr 13, 1965 • Recording "Help!"
Interview Apr 13, 1965 • The Beatles interview for BBC Light Programme
Article Apr 14, 1965 • Filming “Help!” at Twickenham • Day 16
Session Between April 14 and 17, 1965 • Recording "Help!"
TV show Apr 15, 1965 • Top Of The Pops
Article Apr 17, 1965 • Paul McCartney goes shopping in disguise
Next session Apr 18, 1965 • Mixing "Help!", "The Night Before"
AlbumSome of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "Help! / I'm Down (US)" 7" Single
The Beatles recorded the title track of their new film, “Help!”, on April 13, 1965. However, the lead and backing vocals were re-recorded during a subsequent session at CTS Studios. The exact date of this session is unknown, but it is believed to have taken place between April 14 and April 17, as a new mix incorporating the replacement vocals was prepared on April 18. The identity of the engineering team for the CTS session has not been established.
The Beatles decided to redo the vocal tracks of “Help!”, necessitating a reduction mix (onto a reel which seems to be missing). The new vocal tracks lack tambourine, and have John singing “and now these days” during the first verse. Why redo the vocals? Perhaps to eliminate the tambourine, which they knew nobody would be seen playing onscreen (I guess it was easier than having Mal shake it on camera).
From “Lifting Latches: The Beatles’ Recorded Legacy (Inside The Beatles’ Vaults, Volume Three)” by John C. Winn
For the overdub, a mix of Take 12 without the original vocals or Ringo Starr’s tambourine was used as the backing track. John Lennon recorded a new lead vocal, while Paul McCartney and George Harrison added backing vocals. Both the lead and backing vocals were then double-tracked.
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 2 - Help! through Revolver (1965-1966)
The second book of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC)-nominated series, "The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 2: Help! through Revolver (1965-1966)" follows the evolution of the band from the end of Beatlemania with "Help!" through the introspection of "Rubber Soul" up to the sonic revolution of "Revolver". 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.
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