Feb 22 - Aug 25, 1969 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Abbey Road
Recording studio: EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road
Session Apr 30, 1969 • Recording and mixing "Let It Be", "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)"
Session May 01, 1969 • Mixing "Oh! Darling"
Session May 02, 1969 • Recording "Something"
Article May 04, 1969 • Paul McCartney joins party to celebrate the completion of "The Magic Christian" film
Some of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "Abbey Road" LP.
By The Beatles
On April 16, 1969, The Beatles had recorded 13 instrumental takes of the backing track of George Harrison’s “Something“. On this day, they decided to restart from scratch.
They recorded 36 takes (numbered from take 1) with George on electric guitar (track three), Paul McCartney on bass (track one), John Lennon on piano (track four) and Ringo Starr on drums (track two).
From take nine onwards, two outputs were taken from George’s guitar; the new one, recorded on track six of the eight-track tape, was the sound of it coming through a rotating Leslie speaker. In take 27, once the song had ended, John led the group into a coda based on a repetitive riff he played on piano. Each time The Beatles fell into that jam, the tape was stopped after a few seconds – except for take 36, the final one used for the master, when it continued rolling for nearly five minutes.
From “Abbey Road” Super Deluxe edition book (2019)
Take 36 was deemed the best take and was 7’48” long (to be compared with the version of “Something” released on “Abbey Road” lasting 3’00”). The instrumental coda would be dropped in stages and finally disappeared when “Something” was mixed on August 19, 1969.
The first overdubs would be added onto take 36 on May 5.
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Remake - Take 1
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 2
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 3
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 4
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 5
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 6
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 7
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 8
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 9
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 10
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 11
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 12
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 13
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 14
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 15
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 16
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 17
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 18
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 19
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 20
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 21
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 22
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 23
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 24
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 25
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 26
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 27
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 28
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 29
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 30
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 31
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 32
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 33
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 34
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 35
Written by George Harrison
Recording • Take 36
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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