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- Album This song officially appears on the The Beatles (50th anniversary boxset) Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Recording "I Will", "Glass Onion"
Sep 16, 1968
First half of 2018 ?
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Song facts
“Can You Take Me Back” is an ad-lib song recorded on September 16, 1968 by The Beatles during the recording of “I Will“.
Take 19 of “I Will” was not “I Will“ and was identified as “Jam – Unidentified” on the tape box. It lasted two minutes and twenty-one seconds. Later referred to as “Can you take me back”, a 28-second segment of this ended up on side four of The Beatles, at the end of “Cry Baby Cry“.
In 2006, this snippet was included on the album “Love“, towards the end of the “Come Together” / “Dear Prudence” / “Cry Baby Cry” medley. “Can You Take Me Back?” was treated with lashings of echo, transposed down a semitone from F minor to E minor, and combined with strings from “Eleanor Rigby“.
The full version was released on the White Album’s 50th anniversary re-release in 2018.
John [Lennon]’s prompt to Paul during the improvisation, “Are you happy here, honey? Are you happy here, living with us?” are questions heard during the speech track “Voices Of Old People” on the LP Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel, released in April 1968
From “The Beatles” Super Deluxe edition book (2018)
From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:
basic recording- 16 Sep 1968
additional recording- none
master tape- 4 track[a] mono 16 Oct 1968.
UK: Apple PMC 7068 white album 1968.[b] stereo 17 Oct 1968.
UK: Apple PCS 7068 white album 1968.
US: Apple SWBO 101 white album 1968.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46443 2 white album 1987.A segment of this improvisation was placed between Cry Baby Cry and Revolution 9; it was recorded as a take of I Will.
Last updated on September 9, 2021
Lyrics
Oh no brother
Can you take me?
Can you take me by the hand?
Oh no brother
Can you take me?
Can you take me by the hand?
All you brother
Please vibrato
Oh no take me back
Can you take me?
Can you take me?
Can you take me back?
Anybody, can you take me?
Can you take me back?
Take me back to where I have came from
Oh take me back
[Are you happy here, honey?]
I am happy here my honey
Can you take me back?
I ain’t happy here my honey
Can you take me back?
Can you take me, can you take me
Can you take me back?
I ain’t happy here honey
Can you take me back?
Can you take me back where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Can you take me back where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Are you happy here honey, happy?
Are you happy here?
I ain’t happy here my honey
Can you take me back?
Can you take me back where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Can you take me back where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Are you happy living here honey?
Honey are you happy living here?
I ain’t happy living here baby
Honey can you take me back?
Can you take me back where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Can you take me back where I came from?
Brother can you take me back?
Can you take me back?
Mmm can you take me where I came from?
Can you take me back?
Variations
Officially appears on
LP • Released in 1968
2:22 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Giles Martin :
- Mixing engineer, Producer
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 16-17, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
LP • Released in 1968
2:22 • Studio version • B • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Giles Martin :
- Mixing engineer, Producer
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 16-17, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
The Beatles (Mono - 2009 remaster)
Official album • Released in 2009
0:28 • Studio version • A2009 • Mono • 2009 mono remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Giles Martin :
- Mixing engineer, Producer
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 16-17, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
The Beatles (Stereo - 2009 remaster)
Official album • Released in 2009
2:22 • Studio version • B2009 • Stereo • 2009 stereo remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Giles Martin :
- Mixing engineer, Producer
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 16-17, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
The Beatles (Mono - 2014 vinyl)
LP • Released in 2014
0:28 • Studio version • A2014 • Mono • 2014 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Giles Martin :
- Mixing engineer, Producer
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 16-17, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
The Beatles (50th anniversary boxset)
Official album • Released in 2018
2:22 • Outtake • D • Take 1
- Paul McCartney :
- Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Giles Martin :
- Mixing engineer, Producer
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
The Beatles (50th anniversary boxset)
Official album • Released in 2018
0:28 • Outtake • C • Stereo • 2018 stereo mix
- Paul McCartney :
- Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Giles Martin :
- Mixing engineer, Producer
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- First half of 2018 ?
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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taken of Bootlegzone page: Stereo. Recorded during the "I Will" sessions with only John, Paul and Ringo.
"Can You Take Me Back" is a never-heard before long version of the link track used between "Cry Baby Cry" and "Revolution #9" on "The Beatles".
appears in: The Beatles - Turn Me On Dead Man: The John Barrett Tapes (Disc 2)
Thanks for the detail Carlos ! that's a nice starting point to help me complete this page !