Tuesday, July 9, 1968
Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
For The Beatles
Last updated on October 19, 2024
Tuesday, July 9, 1968
For The Beatles
Last updated on October 19, 2024
"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 Three, Abbey Road
Article Jul 08, 1968 • Paul, George and Ringo attend a press screening of "Yellow Submarine"
Session Jul 08, 1968 • Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
Session Jul 09, 1968 • Recording "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
Session Jul 10, 1968 • Recording "Revolution"
Session Jul 11, 1968 • Recording "Revolution", recording and mixing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
AlbumSome of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "The Beatles (Mono)" LP
After spending three consecutive days recording “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,“ Paul McCartney chose to begin anew on July 8.
On July 9, The Beatles entered the studio for a session from 4 to 9 pm. With Ringo Starr absent, Paul McCartney, dissatisfied with the remake, took to the drums himself, urging the others to attempt another version, while John Lennon played piano and George Harrison the guitar.
The remake [done on July 8] was, I had to admit, quite good. It had a bouncier feel to it than the original version, which seemed a bit leaden by comparison, and when it was completed we all breathed a sign of relief that we wouldn’t have to be working on the song anymore. […] Sadly, Paul returned to his nitpicking ways the very next afternoon, announcing peremptorily that he was still dissatisfied and wanted to remake the song yet again…despite the fact that Ringo wasn’t even there.
Geoff Emerick – From “Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles“, 2006
Two takes of this remake were recorded, labeled Take 20 and Take 21. Paul McCartney overdubbed a bass part using an acoustic guitar and double-tracked vocals. A snare drum was also included, though it’s uncertain which of the Beatles played it.
Paul recognized that this new version was not superior and chose to revert to the version from the previous day.
In the evening session, which lasted from 10 pm to 3:30 am, the band, Ringo included, returned to Take 13 and applied additional overdubs.
The lead and backing vocals from the previous days were replaced. With the four-track tape being full, a reduction mix of Take 13, labelled Take 22, was made. More backing vocals and handclaps were then incorporated.
At some point, Paul, John, and George huddled around the microphone to record the elements present in the final version, such as laughter, jokes, and playful vocalizations.
Interestingly, all the bad feelings of the past weeks seemed to evaporate as soon as they gathered around the mic and I fed tape echo into their headphones. That’s all it took for them to suspend their petty disagreements; for those few moments, they would clown around and act silly again, like they did when they were kids, just starting out. Then as soon as they’d take the cans off, they’d go back to hating each other. It was very odd – it was almost as if having the headphones on and hearing that echo put them in a dreamlike state.
Geoff Emerick – From “Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles“, 2006
In the final verse of the song, Paul mistakenly sang “Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face” instead of “Molly,” and he had “Molly letting the children lend a hand.” This error was kept because the other Beatles liked it. John and George shouted “arm” and “leg” in the background of the lines “Desmond lets the children lend a hand” and “Molly stays at home.“
Some final overdubs were added on “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” on July 11.
As the session neared its conclusion, The Beatles began working on a reworking of “Revolution 1“. Initially recorded in May and June, it was a contender for their next single. However, Paul McCartney and George Harrison felt the track lacked the lively energy suitable for a single. Consequently, they began rehearsing a more up-tempo version that day. The formal recording sessions for “Revolution” started the following day.
Recording • Re-remake -Take 20
Recording • Re-remake - Take 21
Recording • Remake - SI onto take 13
Tape copying • Remake - Tape reduction take 13 into take 22
Recording • Remake - SI onto take 22
Recording • Rehearsal
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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