Recording "Magical Mystery Tour" #4

About

In April of 1967, Paul McCartney spent two weeks vacationing in the United States before boarding a flight back to London on April 12. During the flight, he borrowed a notepad from a stewardess and defined a rough plan for a Beatles television film. Later, on April 25, the Beatles recorded the basic track of the theme song for their upcoming project “Magical Mystery Tour”. Over the next two days, April 26 and 27, they added various overdubs to the song.

On this day, from 7 pm to 12:15 am, four outside musicians joined The Beatles to record some brass overdub for “Magical Mystery Tour“. The four trumpets were added onto Take 9.

Geoff Emerick, the Beatles’ regular engineer, was absent that day was replaced by Malcolm Addey.

Paul had decided to add brass, to the Magical Mystery Tour theme song, including the same kind of Brandenburg Concerto-type piccolo trumpets he had used in “Penny Lane.” Since I had recorded every note of the track, I naturally assumed that I would be engineering the overdub. But EMI’s executives, in their infinite wisdom, thought otherwise. Months before, I had been booked to record an eccentric group called Adge Cutler and the Wurzels doing a gig in a pub up in Somerset. […]

Ken Townsend accompanied me on the trip, and I kept telling him that I was certain the Beatles would be ticked off that I wasn’t there, especially since Malcolm Addey, of all people, was going to be taking my place. I was correct in my prediction, and I didn’t hear the end of it for weeks — in fact, it’s something that Paul still brings up occasionally, just to needle me. Given George Martin’s reluctance to work with Malcolm, I have no idea why he was unable to pull strings and reverse management’s decision. Perhaps it was just another sign that he was starting to lose control.

Geoff Emerick – From “Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles“, 2006

Paul McCartney was humming to the musicians the notes that he wanted, trying for a long time to get his thoughts across to them. In the end, we had to send the trumpet players off for tea while Paul and George [Martin] worked things out on the studio three piano.

Malcolm Addey – From “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, 1988

Gary Howarth got so fed up with them not knowing what they wanted that he wrote something out for them himself. It was his idea they used

Philip Jones – Friend of Gary Howarth – From “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, 1988

Malcolm had done a creditable job of recording the brass, with the tape slowed down so that it would sound extra toppy when played back at normal speed. […] The brass was note-perfect, with not a fluff to be heard, despite the intricacy of the part.

Geoff Emerick – From “Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles“, 2006

With the trumpets added, the recording of “Magical Mystery Tour” was completed. The mixing process started the following day.

Last updated on April 16, 2023

Songs recorded

Staff

Musicians on "Magical Mystery Tour"

David Mason:

Trumpets

Elgar Howarth:

Trumpets

Roy Copestake:

Trumpets

John Wilbraham:

Trumpets

Production staff

George Martin:

Producer

Malcolm Addey:

Engineer

Richard Lush:

Second Engineer