Recording "Your Mother Should Know"

On August 22, 1967, The Beatles started recording “Your Mother Should Know” at Chappell Recording Studios since Abbey Road’s EMI Studios were fully booked. They reconvened at Chappell on this day, which marked their second and last session at the studio.

During this session, they continued working on the track. Firstly, they created a tape reduction mix from Take 8, named Take 9, freeing up two tracks from the four-track tape. Next, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison overdubbed backing vocals while George added some acoustic guitar.

This recording session was significant as it was the final one before the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, on August 27, 1967. Though Epstein was present during the session, his involvement was minimal.

He came in to hear the playbacks looking extremely down and in a bad mood. He just stood at the back of the room listening, not saying much.

John Timperley – Engineer at Chappell Recording Studios – From “The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions” by Mark Lewisohn, 1988

On August 24, the day after this session, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison attended a lecture by the 56-year-old guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at London’s Hilton Hotel. Following the session, The three Beatles met with the Maharishi and were invited for a week of Transcendental Meditation training starting on August 25. However, two days into the retreat, they received news of Epstein’s death.

The Beatles returned to work on “Your Mother Should Know” on September 16, 1967.

Session activities

1. Your Mother Should Know

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Tape copying • Tape reduction take 8 into take 9

2. Your Mother Should Know

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   Recording • SI onto take 9

Staff

Musicians on "Your Mother Should Know"

Production staff

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