Recording "Revolution 1"

Friday, May 31, 1968 • For The Beatles

Album Songs recorded during this session officially appear on the The Beatles (Mono) LP.
Studio:
EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road

Songs recorded


1.

Revolution 1

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Recording • SI onto take 18


2.

Revolution 1

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Tape copying • Tape reduction take 18 into take 19


3.

Revolution 1

Written by Lennon - McCartney

Recording • SI onto take 19

Staff

Musicians

Paul McCartney:
bass, backing vocals
John Lennon:
vocals, backing vocals
George Harrison:
backing vocals
Francie Schwartz:
backing vocals

Production staff

George Martin:
Producer
Geoff Emerick:
Engineer
Phil McDonald:
Second Engineer

About

On this second day of recording for the new album, The Beatles added overdubs over “Revolution 1” recorded the day before. The session lasted from 2:30 pm to 12 pm.

John Lennon double-tracked his lead vocals, and Paul McCartney added his bass line (according to “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, not according to “The Beatles” super deluxe book, 2018). A reduction mix was then made, named Take 19, to allow for further overdubs. John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and his new girlfriend Francie Schwartz then added “shoo-be-doo-wop” backing vocals.

I was in the control room of studio three and there on the other side of the glass was a figure in semi-darkness going over and over some lines of a song. I knew the voice and sure enough I knew the face. John Lennon was about 30 feet away! He was working on “Revolution”, the slow one, and I remember him going through the song again and again in rehearsal, changing a word or two every time. Each time, it would alter very slightly, it would develop and evolve. ‘When you talk about destruction… you can count me out.’, ‘When you talk about destruction… you can count me in.’

Alan Brown – technical engineer at EMI Studios – from The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions • Mark Lewisohn

Work on “Revolution 1” would continue the next working day, on June 4.

From Facebook – 31 May 1968 Photo by Tony Bramwell © (https://www.thebeatles.com/)
From Facebook – 31 May 1968 Photo by Tony Bramwell © (https://www.thebeatles.com/) – With Twiggy in the background.

Last updated on September 19, 2021

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