The Key Of Now

If music is at their heart, then their story is the clothes it wears.

Those who fail to appreciate The Beatles — and even many who do appreciate them — underestimate the specific progression of events that transpired during their journey, let alone the quickness of it all. The Beatles were a professional band for only seven years.

Here are the benchmarks of The Beatles‘ career from zero to hero :

YEAR 0

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best.

Brian Epstein is The Beatles‘ manager as of a few weeks ago.

First studio audition at Decca (on New Year's Day).

Regular gigs at Cavern Club, Casbah, elsewhere in Liverpool.

First BBC radio performances.

First shows in south of England.

Original bassist Stu Sutcliffe dies.

Return to Hamburg, seven-week residency at Star Club.

First EMI studio session.

Pete Best is fired from The Beatles.

Ringo Starr joins The Beatles.

First TV appearances.

John & Cynthia marry.

First single “Love Me Do”; becomes Top 20 hit.

Opening for Little Richard (in Liverpool and Hamburg).

Follow up single recorded.

Last Hamburg residency (through New Year's Eve).

YEAR 1

Second single “Please Please Me”; becomes first chart-topper.

UK tour opening for Helen Shapiro.

Recording debut album in one day.

UK tour opening for Chris Montez and Tommy Roe.

First LP Please Please Me; becomes #1 for 30 weeks.

UK tour opening for Roy Orbison.

Third single “From Me To You”; first undisputed #1.

Paul starts dating Jane Asher.

BBC radio performances: Saturday Club, Easy Beat, and others.

Extensive UK concerts.

Hosting BBC radio series Pop Go The Beatles.

Fourth single “She Loves You”; first to sell million copies in UK.

First UK Tour as headliner.

Band meets The Rolling Stones; John & Paul write song for them.

London Palladium.

Beatlemania.

Sweden Tour.

Royal Variety Show.

Fifth single “I Want to Hold Your Hand”; has a million pre-orders.

Second LP With The Beatles; displaces previous album at #1.

The Beatles Christmas Show (three weeks in London).

YEAR 2

Finishing three-week run of The Beatles Christmas Show.

Three-week Paris residency at Theatre Olympia.

“I Want To Hold Your Hand” hits #1 in US.

First US Visit: Ed Sullivan, Washington Coliseum, Carnegie Hall.

Filming and recording soundtrack for first motion picture.

Sixth single “Can't Buy Me Love” (#1).

John publishes first book In His Own Write.

Hold top five spots on Billboard Hot 100 chart.

First World Tour.

First motion picture A Hard Day's Night; blockbuster.

Third LP A Hard Day's Night (#1).

Seventh single “A Hard Day's Night” (#1).

Frequent BBC radio and TV performances.

UK Tour dates; occasionally The Kinks and The Who open.

First US Tour; first rock tour by chartered jet.

Hollywood Bowl.

Meet Bob Dylan first time, get stoned.

Brian Epstein publishes autobiography A Cellarful Of Noise.

Eight single “I Feel Fine” / “She's A Woman” (#1).

First deliberate feedback on record.

Fourth LP Beatles For Sale (#1).

Another Beatles Christmas Show; Yardbirds (w Clapton) open.

YEAR 3

Finishing three-week run of Another Beatles Christmas Show.

Ringo and Maureen marry.

First full week of studio sessions.

First use of outside studio musicians.

Filming and recording soundtrack for second motion picture.

First direct exposure to Indian music.

Ninth single “Ticket To Ride” (#1).

The Dental Experience.

Paul records “Yesterday”.

Europe Tour; The Yardbirds (w Beck) open.

John publishes second book A Spaniard In The Works.

Tenth single “Help!” / “I'm Down” (#1).

Second motion picture Help!

Fifth LP Help! (#1 on pre-orders alone).

Second US Tour.

Shea Stadium (largest concert attendance in history).

LSD pool party in LA.

Roger McGuinn, David Crosby bring Ravi Shankar records.

Peter Fonda tells “I know what it's like to be dead” anecdote.

Hollywood Bowl.

Awarded MBE's.

One-month recording new album.

George introduces sitar to band.

First use: extreme equalisation; tape speed manipulation.

Eleventh single “Day Tripper” / “We Can Work It Out” (#1).

Sixth LP Rubber Soul (#1); first album with no filler.

Last UK tour; The Moody Blues (w Denny Laine) open.

Turn down offers for third motion picture.

YEAR 4

Three months off.

George and Pattie marry.

John gives “more popular than Jesus” interview.

Friends of The Beatles open Indica Bookstore.

John discovers The Psychedelic Experience by Leary & Alpert.

Two-and-a-half months recording new album.

Starting with “Tomorrow Never Knows”.

First use: backwards tape; tape loops; automatic double-tracking.

First Indian musicians on Beatles session.

Klaus Voormann (artist friend from Hamburg) designs cover.

Last Beatles concert in UK.

Twelfth single “Paperback Writer” / “Rain” (#1 in 12 countries).

Song is subtle plug for Indica Bookstore.

Last World Tour.

Death threats in Japan.

Kidnapped in Philippines, and the First Lady incident.

Last US Tour.

Beatle burnings in Bible Belt of US.

Thirteenth single “Eleanor Rigby” / “Yellow Submarine” (#1).

Ringo's first lead vocal on Beatles single.

Seventh LP Revolver (#1); first album they don't perform live.

Last concert at Candlestick Park, San Francisco.

Three months off.

John films How I Won The War in Spain.

Paul writes film score for The Family Way.

George studies sitar under Ravi Shankar.

Ringo visits John in Spain and holidays.

John meets Yoko Ono at Indica Gallery.

New sessions begin with “Strawberry Fields Forever”.

YEAR 5

Sessions evolve into concept for new album.

Fourteenth single “Strawberry Fields Forever” / “Penny Lane”.

First single in four years to miss #1.

Paul helps organise Monterey Pop Festival.

Eighth LP Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Our World broadcast, recording of “All You Need Is Love”.

Paul publicly admits to taking LSD.

Fifteenth single “All You Need Is Love” (#1).

Meeting the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Brian Epstein dies.

Filming and recording soundtrack for new DIY movie project.

Sixteenth single “Hello Goodbye” / “I Am The Walrus” (#1).

Televised movie Magical Mystery Tour.

YEAR 6

George records original film score for Wonderwall.

Band holds last recording sessions before India trip.

Meditation retreat at Maharishi's camp in Rishikesh, India.

Hanging with Mia Farrow, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Donovan.

Meditating, writing songs for next album.

Donovan teaches them new picking pattern.

Seventeenth single “Lady Madonna” / “The Inner Light” (#1).

George's first composition on a Beatles single.

Return to London (first Ringo, then Paul, John & George last).

Foundation of Apple Corps.

John and Yoko fall in love.

Band records Esher demos at George's house.

Twenty weeks of sessions for new double album.

Paul and Linda fall in love.

Jane Asher dumps Paul on live TV.

First animated film Yellow Submarine.

Eighteenth single “Hey Jude” / “Revolution” (#1).

Ringo Starr quits The Beatles.

John and Cynthia divorce.

Ringo Starr rejoins The Beatles.

Eric Clapton sits in on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

The Beatles’ authorised biography published.

Ninth LP The Beatles, a.k.a. the “White Album” (#1).

John and Yoko busted for cannabis possession.

Hell's Angels crash Apple Christmas Party.

YEAR 7

Thirty days writing, rehearsing, recording and filming new project.

Directed by Michael Lindsey-Hogg, filmed first at Twickenham.

Glyn Johns audio engineer, George Martin musical supervisor.

George Harrison quits The Beatles.

Tenth LP Yellow Submarine (#2, behind The White Album).

Sessions relocate from Twickenham to Apple building.

Apple Studio installed in basement over weekend.

George Harrison rejoins The Beatles.

Billy Preston (unofficially) joins The Beatles.

Apples Studio sessions.

Rooftop performance.

John, George & Ringo hire Allen Klein as band's new manager.

John and Yoko marry (Bed-In For Peace in Amsterdam).

Paul and Linda marry.

George and Pattie busted for cannabis possession.

Nineteenth single “Get Back” / “Don't Let Me Down” (#1).

Twentieth single “The Ballad Of John And Yoko” (#1).

John and Yoko announce The Plastic Ono Band.

Sessions for one more album at Abbey Road.

Mostly leftovers from Get Back and the White Album.

Paul rejects Allen Klein as manager.

Band's last photo shoot together.

The Plastic Ono Band plays Toronto Rock'n'Roll Revival festival.

Band includes Klaus Voormann, Eric Clapton, and Alan White.

John Lennon quits The Beatles.

Apple keeps John's departure a tight secret.

Eleventh LP Abbey Road (#1).

Twenty-first single “Something” / “Come Together” (#1).

YEAR 8

Last Beatles session for new song; John does not attend.

Overdubs onto material for Get Back.

Phil Spector hired to produce soundtrack album for new film.

Paul McCartney publicly announces The Beatles’ breakup.

Documentary film Let It Be.

Twelfth LP Let It Be (#1).

Twenty-second single “Let It Be” (#1).

Ringo, Paul, George, and John all release solo records.

Paul McCartney sues to dissolve The Beatles.

Ever get the feeling there's something obvious you overlooked....?

The Beatles’ 1966 single “Paperback Writer” is noteworthy for —

Its new driving sound...

Its surreal storytelling...

Its unprecedented international success...

Its lackluster domestic sales...

Serving as a harbinger of Revolver...

Providing the musical matrix for The Monkees...

Its deeper connection to a through-line (one of many) in The Beatles Story.

Painting testimonial pictures....

It's a guitar riff nasty enough to take the paint off the wall — yet played so fluidly and melodically that it almost sounds baroque in its articulation.

Add to that the newfound thickness of the drums and stunningly deep bass tone (courtesy of copious company rule-breaking by new chief engineer Geoff Emerick and his accomplice assistant engineer Ken Townsend).

But what really drives “Paperback Writer” is how the lyric gives the appearance of a cover letter from an aspiring novelist pitching the treatment for their new novel. Layers upon layers. Who does that? It's mad! And also short and to the point, so it doesn't ever become tedious. Like an ideal cover letter!

What's it all about?!

After its release the single went #1 in twelve countries (includo UK and US), the most simultaneous #1's of any artist ever perhaps. Maybe not, but certainly in the top three, and definitely the most of any band ever.

Despite topping the charts at home once again, domestic sales were apparently the most sluggish of any Beatles record since “Love Me Do”. Curious.

Nonetheless, in the mass consciousness it served to bridge the musical space between the sounds of Rubber Soul echoing through the spring of 1966, and the opening strains of “Taxman” that would inaugurate the musical cornucopia of Revolver later that summer.

The deeper you go....

In essence “Paperback Writer” was Paul's subtle plug for his girlfriend's brother's new boutique bookshop, and books and reading in general.

Completely incidentally, “Paperback Writer” also represents exactly one half of the template for “Last Train To Clarksville”, the made-to-order Boyce/Hart composition to be released a few months later as the debut single for the made-for-American-TV Beatles knock-off series The Monkees. The other half of that template is the final track on Rubber Soul, “Run For Your Life”. Along with the entirety of Rubber Soul and the forthcoming Revolver albums, “Paperback Writer” and its b-side constitute the core matrix of The Monkees sound that would emerge over the next two years across six albums and as many singles.

And in the end...

Deeper still, the most magical element of “Paperback Writer” is the much larger story surrounding it — involving Pink Floyd, Peter and Gordon, Marianne Faithful, Yoko Ono, and The Beatles themselves — a story that centres around one Indica Bookstore (and Gallery) in St. James, London...

🍏

From Jane Asher to Yoko Ono...

The strange little localised (and short-lived) cultural phenomenon called the Indica Bookshop (and Gallery) lives at the axial pivot point of The Beatles Story where Revolver swings and the band's trajectory irrevocably alters.

Painting testimonial pictures....

18 Apr 1963, The Beatles play a BBC radio session at Royal Albert Hall. After the concert Paul meets Jane Asher, and the two start dating.

In late 1963, Jane's brother Peter asks Paul to write a song for his duo Peter and Gordon.

Paul gives them a few unused Lennon/McCartney tunes, includo their massive hit debut single “A World Without Love”.

After a solid string of hits, Asher cashes in some of his success to help realise the Indica Bookshop (and Gallery) with artist John Dunbar and bookseller Barry Miles.

In Nov 1965, the Indica opens its doors, in the same square as The Scotch of St. James (a frequent Beatles hangout).

On 1 Apr 1966, Paul takes John to the Indica Bookshop, where Dunbar presents him with a copy of Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert’s The Psychedelic Experience — the acid-soaked readings of which will, over the next few days, beget “Tomorrow Never Knows”.

Sometime before 13 Apr 1966, Paul writes “Paperback Writer” as a subtle plug for the bookshop.

On 7 Nov 1966, Dunbar invites Lennon to the Indica Gallery for a private preview of the exhibition “Unfinished Paintings” by New York artist Yoko Ono.

On 29 April 1967, Miles co-produces The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, which Lennon and Dunbar attend.

In Nov 1967, the Indica closes its doors.

What's it all about?!

After that Albert Hall gig in April 1963, Paul and Jane become romantically involved, and by the end of the year Paul is living in a loft at her parents’ house.

Already by that point in The Beatles’ career, in addition to the rapidly accumulating catalog of Beatles hits, John and Paul have been scoring chart success outside The Beatles as songwriters for other artists — namely Billy J Kramer, Cilla Black, The Fourmost, The Applejacks, and The Rolling Stones — the general rule being that any song they deemed substandard for The Beatles was offered to another artist (except for the one they tailored for The Stones, some genuine TLC went into “I Wanna Be Your Man”).

Add now Peter and Gordon, when Jane Asher's older brother Peter approaches Paul about writing a song for his recently signed singing duo.

Luckily for them Paul already had a few in the queue ready to go.

By all accounts, “A World Without Love” was an old Paul song predating The Beatles, gathering dust and never a serious contender because of its opening line, “Please lock me away,” which John thought was a laugh.

Apart from Beatles records, “A World Without Love” was the first Lennon-McCartney song to break the US Top 40, making it all the way to #1 on both sides of the Atlantic.

Peter and Gordon followed it with two more unrealised Lennon/McCartney songs, “Nobody I Know” and “I Don't Want To See You Again”; the Del Shannon composition “Go To Pieces”; and covers of Buddy Holly's “True Love Ways”, Phil Spector's “To Know You Is To Love You”, and Barbara Lewis's “Baby I'm Yours”. In all they scored seven consecutive hits, all substantial.

When Peter was approached about the prospect of opening a joint bookshop-gallery, he agreed to become a silent partner.

The deeper you go...

Peter Asher's business partners in the Indica were his mate John Dunbar, and their associate Barry Miles.

John Dunbar was a visual artist, husband to Marianne Faithful, and occasional companion to The Beatles (especially John and Paul) during these psychedelic years.

Barry Miles was a dedicated bookseller and aficionado of the cultural underground. In helping produce The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream on 29 April 1967, he featured performances by Pink Floyd, Yoko Ono, Arthur Brown, Tomorrow, The Pretty Things, and Soft Machine, among (I'm told) many others.

The Indica Bookshop folded after two short years, but its legendary status is outsized in Beatledom.

And in the end...

Peter Asher, of course, was at the early core of Apple in 1968 — producing the first recordings by up and coming singer-songwriter James Taylor, for whom he resigned his post at Apple to become Taylor's fulltime manager.

Barry Miles continued to surround himself with art, music, and literature, and eventually became Paul's official biographer.

John Dunbar divorced Marianna Faithful in 1970, and otherwise still does his art with an ear to the underground.

Pink Floyd became who they are.

And we know what became of John and Yoko.

To the best of my knowledge, and according to my most reliable sources.

Painting testimonial picture...

In chronological order,

Tony Sheridan, Peppy and the New York Twisters, Bruce Channel (feat. Delbert McClinton), Gene Vincent, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, Little Richard (feat. Billy Preston), Frank Ifield, Helen Shapiro, Chris Montez, Tommy Roe, and last but not least Roy Orbison.

The Beatles also shared top billing in Paris with Sylvie Vartan and Trini Lopez. (Not to mention a gig way back in Cheshire with Joe Brown and the Bruvvers.)

What's it all about?!

Tony Sheridan is the first “star” the savage young Beatles performed with. These shows took place exclusively in Hamburg as part of their extended performance residencies at the Top Ten Club throughout summer 1961. The gigs were long, and the sets tended to become rather freeform as the nights wore on, so it was not at all like the manicured package shows that The Beatles would later perform. This was pure rock'n'roll.

Peppy and the New York Twisters is an obscure act about whom very little is known, and who nonetheless turned The Beatles on firsthand to the Twist dance. They performed together once at the Cavern on 22 Mar 1962, and Peppy's dance instructions inspired John & Paul to write “The Pinwheel Twist” backstage during a break. The Beatles briefly added it to their setlist, before ultimately abandoning it in favour of the Isley Brothers’ “Twist and Shout”.

Bruce Channel is the first American “star” The Beatles ever opened for, at a gig in Cheshire on 21 June 1962. Although not part of the first wave of rock stars, The Beatles dug his current hit “Hey Baby”, and especially his harmonica player Delbert McClinton, who John pestered backstage for some pointers on the instrument.

Gene Vincent was the first true “rock star” The Beatles opened for, at the Cavern Club on 1 July 1962. Though Vincent was not quite in the top tier of rock stardom, per se, he was an underground superstar internationally, and John particularly was a huge fan of his (as illustrated below).

Johnny Kidd and the Pirates were a proper English rock band, though a bit gimmicky, and a thoroughly appropriate choice to headline the Riverboat Shuffle on the River Mersey, 10 Aug 1962. The following year, as The Beatles were on trajectory to megastardom, they would feature Johnny Kidd & co. on their radio programme Pop Go The Beatles. (Kidd's 1960 hit “Shakin' All Over” would later see new life with The Who's Live at Leeds cover in 1970.)

Little Richard was among the toppermost of the poppermost. Now The Beatles had arrived to perform alongside the top tier of rock'n'roll stars, and just as they were releasing the first single “Love Me Do”. Besides a couple show in Liverpool on 12 Oct and 28 Oct 1962, they also shared the bill at the Star Club in Hamburg off and on from 30 Oct to 15 Nov. During this time they were able to truly befriend Richard, as well as his prodigy organist little Billy Preston, who seven years later would join The Beatles (unofficially at least) for their Get Back and Abbey Road sessions (includo the rooftop performance). But that's another story...

Frank Ifield was a sort of adult contemporary star, not particularly rock'n'roll at all, although The Beatles had worked with his producer Bert Kaempfert during the Tony Sheridan sessions in Hamburg, so they had something in common. Mainly it was an opportunity to play in a new market; unfortunately The Beatles were very poorly received that night. (As a consolation price, Ted Taylor taught them how to apply stage makeup.)

Helen Shapiro was still a young English pop starlet when she afforded The Beatles their first opening slot on a package tour from 2 Feb to 3 Mar 1963. In return John and Paul wrote “Misery” for her to sing, which she never did and The Beatles recorded instead during a break in the Shapiro tour. The tour was a vehicle for The Beatles to promote their new single “Please Please Me”, and halfway through the tour it peaked at the top of the singles charts. By the end of the Shapiro tour, The Beatles had been moved up to closing the first half of the show.

Chris Montez and Tommy Roe, two second-tier American rock stars, co-headlined a UK package tour that kicked off six days after the Shapiro tour ended, on 9 Mar 1963 and running through 31 Mar. Although The Beatles had been booked as an opener, their widespread fame eclipsed the pair of American one-hit-wonders, at least domestically, and on the second night The Beatles were promoted to closing act (to Montez and Roe's annoyance, though still technically considered headliners). About halfway through the tour the first Beatles LP dropped, and the mania only intensified from there.

Roy Orbison was another top-tier American rock star, and here The Beatles reached the pinnacle peak of achievement on his package tour from 18 May to 9 Jun 1963. As with the Montez/Roe package tour, The Beatles had originally been booked as an opener, but their new album just hit number #1, so on the fourth night they were promoted the closing spot, about which Roy was magnanimous (while The Beatles were terrified). John & Paul learned much from overhearing Roy writing his songs (includo his soon-to-be megahit “Oh! Pretty Woman”, from which they knicked a bit of his middle-eight to stick in the bridge of their own soon-to-be megahit “I Want To Hold Your Hand”). ((Who on Earth could possibly foresee that George would one day form a band with Roy??))

From that point on, and for the next (and final) three years of their performing career, The Beatles were always top billing.

Notwithstanding that they did still co-headline on occasion — includo the 18-day run in Jan 1964 at Theatre Olympia in Paris, which they shared top-billing with French chanteuse Sylvie Vartan and American Trini Lopez rotating from show to show, with The Beatles closing every performance.

The deeper you go...

A special case is to be made for Tony Sheridan as one of the most important musicians in history.

Sheridan was part of the 1960 UK package tour starring Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, and was in fact one of the last people to see Cochran the night of his fatal car accident (when Eddie denied Tony a lift back to London).

When The Beatles linked up with Tony in Hamburg the following year, even though he was a British rock'n'roll imitator, he was a respected imitator because he'd been “accepted” by the real deal. At least that was likely the perception, and for The Beatles it was like rubbing elbows with rock'n'roll nobility.

So when Sheridan invited The Beatles to be his backing band on some studio sessions for Polydor, it must have felt like a really cool moment for them, working with someone who had worked alongside two of the greats. He was even generous enough to let The Beatles record a couple tunes of their own. One of their selections? John leading a cover of Gene Vincent's “Ain't She Sweet”. Poetry in motion.

Of course it's a well-worn story how Tony Sheridan's recording of “My Bonnie” drew the attention of Brian Epstein — then managing his family's record store in Liverpool — which would lead to Epstein managing the band by the end of 1961.

Considering all this backstory, it's no small coincidence that The Beatles went on to open for Gene Vincent himself barely a year after having met Tony Sheridan. Be-bop-a-lu-la!

Opening for Vincent may have set their sights sky high, and so again it's no surprise that within a few months Epstein would arrange for them multiple slots opening for the king of them all — Little Richard. Whooooo! Shut up.

Within two years of those Tony Sheridan sessions, The Beatles would be closing for Roy Orbison on tour — at which point, The Beatles themselves were becoming regarded as top tier rock'n'roll royalty in their own write. Dream, baby.

And in the end...

So...who opened for The Beatles?

Among others (in no particular order probably),

Not only The Hollies, Cilla Black, The Rolling Stones, PJ Proby (feat. Jimmy Page), The Kinks, The Who, The Yardbirds (both Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck iterations), The Moody Blues, Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers, The Rattles, and Peter and Gordon,

But also The Ronettes, King Curtis, The Righteous Brothers, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Mary Wells, Bill Black, Jackie DeShannon, The Exciters, The Young Rascals, The Cyrkle, The Remains, and probably several others I haven't gotten round to discovering yet.

But that's also another story...

#Facts

How does a Beatle live? John Lennon lives like this...

...is the title of Maureen Cleave's celebrity exposé published in the 4 March 1966 edition of the London Evening Standard.

What does John's life look like through Ms. Cleave's eyes?

Painting testimonial pictures....

Aside from sketching a day in the life of one of the four most famous people on Earth, the article provides some interesting contextual information about that uncharacteristically fallow four-month period between the Last UK Tour (which ended 12 Dec 1965) and the sessions for Revolver (to start 6 April 1966).

Having flatly rejected Walter Shenson's proposals for a third film — which would have bound them to write new songs in December and January, record in February, and film in March and April — The Beatles instead opted to not work at all.

Various sources indicate that, throughout January and February 1966:

John & Cyn and Ringo & Mo take a holiday to Trinidad.

George marries Pattie Boyd, and they honeymoon in Barbados.

Paul & Jane take a ski holiday to Switzerland.

In other words they relax and enjoy themselves, aside from a few odd commitments here and there. Ms. Cleave's article supports this view by pointing out the dormant nature of The Beatles’ career at this very moment.

The internal evidence of the article's publication date firmly places Ms. Cleave's interview within that same December-to-March timeframe, presumably somewhat close to the publication date, thus sometime in the last couple weeks of February 1966.

What's it all about?!

For a kickoff, before further reading is even necessary, the photo makes John appear half-insane.

John straightaway comes across as disoriented about time, suggesting that he's not had any structured activities whatsoever (i.e., work) for some indeterminate span. Ms. Cleave openly marvels that the group hasn't worked at all since their last UK Tour.

Essentially living in his own fantasy playland (with a little help from his friends), John's enjoying the luxury of not-doing after four years of virtually uninterrupted having-to-do.

At the same time he's unrelenting in his vigour for creating things (tapes, paintings, interior decor, etc.), and actively contemplates his future in life even at this early stage. (Is this the after-effects of LSD talking? Hell, is he on acid during this interview? It's not inconceivable.)

Besides constantly creating, John has apparently dedicated much of his time to studying religion, not least of all his native Christianity — about which he makes some choice comments, includo that The Beatles are “more popular than Jesus” at this point in time, which is true insofar as Beatles albums were (and perhaps still are) outselling The Bible in terms of sheer quantity, not to mention their respective geographical coverages. (Jesus doesn't sell too many Bibles in Japan or India or Iran.) Anyroad, this utterance has been discussed and dissected at great length elsewhere, so I encourage you to read the original article (linked at the bottom of this post), the full statement is concise and speaks for itself.

More to the point, he's been exploring religion for a while anyway, at least as far back as the Rubber Soul sessions, narrating “The Word” as though he were John The Evangelist, or using allegory to critique the Catholic Church in “Girl”.

The deeper you go...

Cyn and Julian are mentioned throughout.

Brian Epstein makes an appearance near the end.

Aunt Mimi is even referenced (in relation to John's chat noir).

What of the other Beatles?

Paul is mentioned once, at the beginning of the article, and only in contrast to the others as the only Beatle still residing in London, while everyone else has vacated the city for the “stockbroker belt” suburbs to the north.

Ringo's name comes up thrice in succession (and Maureen's once), alongside George and Pattie (once apiece). The gist of these mentions is that, since these three Beatles (and their wives) all live out near each other in Weybridge, they see each other more frequently and get together often.

George is even mentioned a second time for their shared love of Indian classical music.

The implication here is that Paul is the odd man out. Notwithstanding that (at least by the date of publication) Paul is also living in domestic bliss (albeit unwed) with Jane Asher at his 7 Cavendish Ave. residence, the fact stands Paul is constantly in the city while the others are not.

And in the end...

The historical takeaway is this:

John and George and Ringo are spending more time together without Paul at this early date (Dec 1965 to Mar 1966). Not to say they don't hang out at all, but the distance between them and him is evidently growing, if only due to sheer proximity, besides their respective temperaments and personality differences (which the residential choices seem mightily indicative of).

George’s passion for Indian music is having a profound influence on John, at least for the moment.

And John, dear John, long lost John. On the one hand he's deepening his exploration of the arts, and he's reading a lot (particularly on religion) with a sincere appetite for knowledge and understanding. On the other hand he has a short attention span, and wanders aimlessly through the canyons of his mind from subject to subject in search of a his higher calling — and, implicitly, of his life beyond Beatles. Given enough time and enough searching, he's sure to find it.

Tomorrow never knows...

🍏

No, I'm not havin' one today, thanke ye kine anyroad.

“Birthday” was recorded during the 16th week of the White Album sessions, and the second week of Chris Thomas’ acting role as producer.

It was a Wednesday. They'd spent the first few days of the week concentrating on Paul's track “I Will” (on which George had disinclined himself from playing), plus mixing and minor overdubs of a couple other songs.

By all accounts “Birthday” was invented on the spot. So the story goes, they'd discussed meeting earlier than usual so they could break and go to Paul's to watch The Girl Can't Help It (with the theme song by Little Richard). In the first part of the session Paul introduced the riff, he and John cobbled some lyrics together, and George and Ringo pitched in on the arrangement. By the time the movie started they had a basic arrangement worked out, and after the film they went back to the studio and polished it off.

So they built the song in basically that one session, 18 Sept 1968, and on into the wee hours of the next morning. They don't appear to have done any overdubs on it after that day, so the song must have been completed on that very night.

Why a song on the subject of a birthday though? Why a novelty song at all, and on that topic specifically?

The “Christmas song” is something The Beatles had managed to avoid as artists — cf. Chuck Berry, “Run Run Rudolph”; or The Beach Boys “Little Saint Nick” — except for their special non-commercial fan club recording “Christmas Time Is Here Again”. Still, there was a charm to the notion of having that one song that could be pulled out for certain occasions. The concept was ultimately Paul's — John thinks it was inspired by the 50's song “Happy Birthday Baby”?

Is that the whole story?

What's it all about?!

Was it purely a spontaneous burst of rock'n'roll inspiration? Or were birthdays lingering in the back of Paul's mind? Not unreasonable, considering the circumstances of his 26th birthday and his Apple AWOL adventure immediately after.

Recent Beatle birthdays in review:

The first Beatle birthday of the new year is George on 25 Feb. This year they celebrated his 25th birthday all together now at the Maharishi's meditation retreat in Rishikesh, a poetic setting given George's deepening embrace of Indian music and culture, sort of the ultimate birthday destination for him, and at his quarter-century mark no less.

The second Beatle birthday of the year is Paul on 18 June (nearly four months after George's). What a contrast was Paul's birthday. The others were all too busy doing their own thing to give Paul time, and he partied with the Apple staff without them. He chose to attend Jane's theatre opening instead of John's, and afterwards there may have been some hurt feelings and confusion on all sides. Who knows if they even saw each other before Paul jumped ship with the Apple crew two days later and went to California, where George and Ringo had just come from. All so weird.

The third Beatle birthday of the year is Ringo on 7 July (nearly three weeks after Paul's). It fell on a Sunday this year, and there's no news about what he did #OTD, so it must have been a low-key occasion. It's not unreasonable to infer that the weirdness surrounding Paul's birthday (less than three weeks prior) was still fairly fresh in everyone's minds at this point.

The fourth and final Beatle birthday of the year is John on 9 Oct (three months after Ringo's last, and four and half months before George's next). With the end finally in sight, John leads the band thru the final charge into the wee wee hours of his birthday morning, then disappears for the next three days.

The deeper you go...

Curious that “Birthday” was created exactly three weeks before John's next birthday (which also fell on a Wednesday) — and exactly three months after Paul's last (on the 18th of the month).

Had Paul been harbouring this since June? Had he gone through this on the 18th of every month since, trying to recreate the ideal birthday circumstance that he'd been denied in June?

On 18 July the band attempted “Helter Skelter”, the first full-band rock piece that Paul had proposed for these sessions so far. The session produced nothing useable, as the song is unstructured and the band sound like a pack of meandering gobshites. Did Paul feel like the others were unenthusiastic about his new song that day, perhaps even deliberately sabotaging it? (The others may have been justifiably wary, as the last Paul song had taken them a full week to complete, as would the next.)

On 18 Aug there's no news, and it was a Sunday, so another low-key day. But George and Pattie have just flown to Greece the day before, which may have reminded Paul about George's last trip back in June, and their missed connection on Paul's birthday. If Paul was still pissy over this, that may explain the tense vibes two days later (a Tuesday) when John and Ringo are mixing in studio two, and they drop in on Paul while he's overseeing horn overdubs to “Mother Nature's Son” in studio three. Had Paul declined to go into the studio on Monday? (This became a mounting source of annoyance to the others, since Paul lived literally a couple blocks from the studio whereas the others commuted in from the suburbs. More on this pattern of behaviour later.) Only to go in on Tuesday and work on his own thing without them? Even if that wasn't his intention, that may be how it was perceived by John and Ringo. Whatever the case may be, Ringo's annoyance bubbled over two more days later (on a Thursday) when he quits the band in the middle of the session after Paul incessantly corrects his drumming on “Back in the U.S.S.R.”

So the 18th's of the month haven't been great for Paul this summer.

(If Paul were sinister, which he is not, but if he were, then he might revel in seeing John and Yoko busted on 18 Oct — the day after finishing the White Album. Poetry in motion.)

And in the end...

Is “Birthday” Paul's attempt at channeling his three-month frustration into something constructive and cathartic? Was it addressing an elephant in the room, one that the others might not even be aware of? Was it Paul's subtle way of throwing a little shade, especially on John, and also on George? (But not on Ringo, who remains blameless...)

Perhaps. Or maybe it's all a big coincidence. Did those accumulating co-incidences gave rise to suspicions of deliberate intentions on the part of one or another Beatle? Did these provide opportunities for plausible deniability that they exploited to get what they wanted and stick it to each other?

Who knows. But it looks as though — between hanging with his mates at his house and watching a classic rock'n'roll movie, creating a fresh rocker for The Beatles, and recording a full song together — Paul finally got the birthday party he didn't get back in June.

A very merry unbirthday to you too.

It's Thursday, two days after Paul's 26th birthday — and an hour before the next Beatles session is scheduled to start — when Paul skips town and flies to California.

Was it because none of the other Beatles had come to his birthday party at Apple HQ a couple days ago, not even John? Or was it because George and Ringo had gone to John's theatrical premiere instead? Or was Paul annoyed that George and Ringo had just taken an extended holiday to Cali, leaving him feeling alone in London with his own failing relationship with Jane in the face of John's new love with Yoko? Did Paul feel unloved? Had any of them even wished him a happy birthday?!

Does Paul feel that the Apple staff — the ones who'd given enough of a shit to spend his birthday with him — are more his buddies right now than his bandmates are? (Certainly Paul spends a good bit of time with Derek Taylor over the next several weeks.)

Or is this simply a case of, anything you can do I can do too. (The situation certainly bears that hallmark.)

Painting testimonial pictures...

• George and Ringo flew back that day from ten days in California.

• On Tuesday, John had a theatrical opening (his first!) that evening, while Jane also had a theatrical opening (not her first!).

• George and Ringo attended John's opening, while Paul attended Jane's.

• None of the other Beatles attended any birthday celebration for Paul, however modest, and he partied with the Apple staff that day.

What's it all about?!

What is preventing John from dropping by the Apple office to say ‘hi hi hi’? Or even phone up Paul to wish him a happy happy?

Did John and George and Ringo all expect to see each other, and presumably Paul, that night?

What's to prevent Paul from going to John's theatrical opening?

Why does Paul instead go to his estranged fiancée's opening night? (She's already caught him cheating on her, and is very close to dumping him very publicly.)

Is John's new love with Yoko painful to Paul because he sees his old love with Jane irreparably crumbling?

Is Paul jealous of John's new relationship?

Is Paul jealous of John's new artistic landmark, which happens to coincide with his birthday, like the cosmos is rubbing Paul's nose in John's artistic superiority? Is that why Paul snubs it, out of sheer pettiness?

Or does Paul think that choosing Jane's artistic endeavours over John's will send a message to his creative partner about choosing Yoko over him?

It's all too much. It's unclear if any of them saw each other on Wednesday, but on Thursday Paul legged it in the name of Apple and left the band hanging. (That turned out to be the day John and Yoko orchestrated the epic tape loop session for their mad sound collage, with a little help from George.)

Whatever the reason, Paul suddenly goes AWOL without a warning — without so much as even a heads-up to the band, apparently — and jumps onto the Apple promotional tour bound for the States.

The deeper you go:

So, let me get this straight—

Paul is feeling a certain way about John choosing Yoko over him; and so on the night of John's big opening he chooses Jane's opening over John's (with the plausible excuse that it's his birthday, and he can spend it how he wishes).

Paul is feeling a certain way about George taking a (seemingly) spontaneous trip to California; and so Paul takes a (literally) spontaneous trip to California.

Paul is feeling a certain way about the band not showing up for his bloody birthday; and so Paul bails on The Beatles to go hang out with the Apple crew who are giving him more attention.

Paul is feeling a certain way about George devoting so much effort to “extra-curriculars” (i.e., artistic activities directly pertaining to neither Beatles nor Apple); and so Paul devotes himself to Apple (albeit at the temporary expense of Beatles).

Paul is absolutely feeling a certain way about John's blossoming relationship with Yoko vs. his own disintegrating lovelife; and so Paul uses this US trip as an excuse to ring up Linda Eastman.

Maybe I'm talking rubbish... but I don't think so!

The following narration began as an extended epilogue to The White Album diary: Week 3 in an attempt to further explain that week's events.

On the surface, 17-21 June 1968 seems like a fairly mundane week. Sessions were held, people travelled, work was done in the name of Beatles and Apple and Art (whoever he is)...

...And there was one birthday.

Painting testimonial pictures...

It's Tuesday.

George and Ringo are flying back to London from a ten-day trip to California, where George participated in filming for Ravi Shankar's documentary Raga (a plan possibly hatched while George & Pattie were visiting him in Madras after their departure from Rishikesh on 12 April), and Ringo tagged along to Cali for a holiday and moral support (possibly out of guilt for not inviting George to play on “Don't Pass Me By” a couple weeks ago).

John, meanwhile, has a theatrical opening tonight for the adaptation of his book In His Own Write, in a one-act stageplay co-written by Victor Spinetti (of A Hard Day's Night and Help! acclaim). Originally published at the height of Beatlemania back in 1964, In His Own Write (and its 1965 sequel-of-sorts, A Spaniard In The Works) had been oft quoted by the author on national television throughout ’64 and ’65. Now these cheeky literary works are taking the national stage at the Old Vic in London. This is next level.

And lastly... it's Paul's birthday.

The deeper you go...

Paul spends his birthday partying at Apple without the other Beatles.

This struck me first as sad, so I thought about it:

Probably cuz George and Ringo are just disembarking from an overnight flight, and John is hyper-focused on his play tonight, and maybe they all assume that Paul's coming to the Old Vic and they can all celebrate after...

John might have no idea that Jane Asher also has a theatrical opening tonight. (George and Ringo almost certainly have no idea.)

And that's where Paul's going instead.

So maybe everything's all normal. Is there a subtext to all of it?

What's it all about?!

Paul is presented with a choice: attend his professional partner's event, or attend his romantic partner's event. Parallel happenings, and he cannot do both.

Paul chooses the latter.

Paul's sending signals, consciously or not.

By choosing Jane over John, Paul is declaring his romantic partner to be more important than his musical partner (which, ironically, is precisely what he perceives John to be doing lately).

Paul's signal to Jane, in light of her and Paul's fractious relationship that year: “You see? I care more about you and being with you on my birthday than being with my mates, even John.”

Is Paul sincere? Perhaps in the moment he thinks so, but it proves to be shallow devotion, as two days later he takes a spontaneous trip to the US and rings up Linda Eastman. (Jane, to her credit, sees through Paul's facade and dumps him on national television a few weeks later.)

Paul's signal to John: “I see you wanting to spend time with your girlfriend and support her work, fine, I can do that too.”

Was Paul jealous of John? Indubitably, on more than one level. On the one hand, John was falling in love with Yoko at the same time Paul was breaking up with Jane. On the other hand, John was forming a new creative partnership with Yoko as his partnership with Paul was slowly dissolving. In that regard Paul was also jealous of Yoko, even if it wasn't a personal dislike (he still barely knew her at this point). So in a way Paul is sticking it to John by favouring Jane, even though his relationship with Jane is effectively on the rocks. It's symbolic. (And anyways, Paul without a date would be a seventh wheel amongst the other three Beatle couples.)

Also Paul's signal to John: “I know this is important to you, but screw you, it's my birthday.”

Does Paul not want to support his buddy John? Of course he does.... just not today. (Did John deliberately schedule his play to fall on Paul's birthday? Probably not, but the thought may have crossed Paul's mind.)

Paul's signal to the band: “Screw you all for going to John's thing and not coming to my birthday.”

Does Paul feel snubbed by the others? Possibly, especially if they didn't bother to call or at least send a birthday telegram. Then again they're not particularly sentimental people — but then again still, Paul is, and is legendarily prone to moodiness and sulking and tantrums, especially when challenged or doesn't get his way.

Does John feel snubbed by Paul? Likely, especially if Paul didn't indicate to anyone his reason for not coming. Or maybe John is just being paranoid...

And in the end...

It's tempting to seek drama even where none is apparent.

Perhaps it was an innocent clusterf*** of overlapping intentions and crossed wires.

But if I were to write a situational drama about this day, that's how I might frame up the plot.

But wait, there's more...

I'd heard about this film for ages... (Ringo even does a brief plug for it on The Beatles’ 1969 Fan Club Christmas Record.)

So finally, after viewing all eight hours of Get Back for the second or possibly third time, I decided to watch the movie whose production deadline had put The Beatles on such a tight schedule during that month of January 1969, the feature-length motion picture that Apple Films was financing and Ringo was going to star in: The Magic Christian.

(Funny name, that.)

Its theme song alone — “Come And Get It” — is a classic. (Even Paul's demo version is virtually Beatle-quality — hence why it was included on Anthology 3 no doubt.) It stars Ringo Starr alongside Peter Sellers — two legends! Could it get any better?! It must be good right?! At least decent??

...

To put it plainly: it was 92 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.

Awkward as the movie is, it wasn't entirely without its moments. Yul Brynner as “Transvestite cabaret singer”, Raquel Welch as “Priestess of the Whip”, John & Yoko impersonators, cameos by Pythons and Goons and even John Snagge...

And this one moment about an hour and twenty minutes in, right around the scene where Yul Brynner serenades Roman Polanski in the bar. I'm paying real close attention watching this, cuz I'm invested now, having watched for well over an hour at this point, thinking that the movie's almost over and there must be some point or payoff to this nonsense...

Not quite, but still... worth it.

Painting testimonial pictures...

Cut to a powder room on the ship, where an older English lady is primping in the mirror. In walks the steward—

Wait a minute. That man's face. I know that face.

—carrying a tray with her order. After setting it down, he hovers awkwardly behind her until she dismisses him with arrogant impatience: “That'll be all!“

The steward hesitates, then slowly leans in, bares a pair of fangs, and all the while utters three words:

“Not...yet...milady.”

That voice, too. I know that voice, so sinister. The voice and the face...

A minute later, cut to a long shot of the ship's corridor, and the aforementioned steward — now dressed to the nines in full-tilt vampire gear, cape and all — strutting towards the camera Reservoir Dogs style.

That slender physique. And that walk, so confident and menacing. I know that physique and that walk.

Suddenly it clicked. “That's not Count Dracula! That's Count Dooku!!”

(I'm pretty sure I blurted this out loud to my cat.)

The end credits confirmed what I already knew to be true:

Christopher Lee as “Ship's vampire”.

And in the end...

That, dear reader, is one of the neatest overlaps of The Beatles and the cast of Star Wars that you'll find. (Along with Ringo and Carrie briefly dating, and Mark Hamill's haircut.)

🍏✨

First some raw details about Revolver.

Then a question: What's up with John?

Painting testimonial pictures...

Here's the personnel list (a.k.a. ‘who plays what’) on every song from the Revolver sessions, including the non-album single “Paperback Writer”/“Rain”.

Whereas the songs were released in a certain order, a chronological reading is more revealing:

Tomorrow Never Knows John Lennon: vocals, organ, tape loops Paul McCartney: lead guitar, bass guitar, tape loops George Harrison: guitar, sitar, tambura, tape loops Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine, tape loops George Martin: piano

Got To Get You Into My Life Paul McCartney: vocals, bass John Lennon: rhythm guitar George Harrison: lead guitar Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine George Martin: organ Session musicians: horns

Love You To George Harrison: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar Paul McCartney: backing vocals, tambura Ringo Starr: tambourine Anil Bhagwat: tabla

Paperback Writer Paul McCartney: vocals, lead guitar, bass guitar John Lennon: backing vocals, tambourine George Harrison: backing vocals, rhythm guitar Ringo Starr: drums

Rain John Lennon: vocals, guitar Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass guitar, guitar George Harrison: backing vocals Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine

Doctor Robert John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonium Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar, maracas Ringo Starr: drums

Taxman George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar John Lennon: backing vocals Paul McCartney: backing vocals, lead guitar, bass Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine, cowbell

And Your Bird Can Sing John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar, handclaps Paul McCartney: backing vocals, lead guitar, bass, handclaps George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar, handclaps Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine, handclaps

I'm Only Sleeping John Lennon: vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar Ringo Starr: drums

Eleanor Rigby Paul McCartney: vocals John Lennon: harmony vocals George Harrison: harmony vocals Session musicians: strings

For No One Paul McCartney: vocals, bass, piano, clavichord Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine, maracas Alan Civil: horn

Yellow Submarine Ringo Starr: vocals, drums John Lennon: backing vocals, acoustic guitar Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass George Harrison: backing vocals, tambourine Mal Evans: backing vocals, bass drum

I Want To Tell You George Harrison: lead vocals, lead guitar, handclaps John Lennon: backing vocals, tambourine, handclaps Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass, piano, handclaps Ringo Starr: drums, maracas, handclaps

Good Day Sunshine Paul McCartney: vocals, piano, handclaps John Lennon: backing vocals, tambourine, handclaps George Harrison: backing vocals, bass guitar, handclaps Ringo Starr: drums, handclaps George Martin: piano

Here, There and Everywhere Paul McCartney: vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, finger clicks John Lennon: backing vocals, finger clicks George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar, finger clicks Ringo Starr: drums, finger clicks

She Said She Said John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar, Hammond organ George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar Paul McCartney: bass guitar Ringo Starr: drums, shaker

(Apologies to the session musicians for glossing your names. We love you.)

What's it all about?!

Although still touring and releasing records as the original quartet of rhythm guitar / bass / lead guitar / drums, in the studio The Beatles have taken on increasingly irregular musical roles for over a year, ever since the beginning of the Help! sessions when Paul dubbed lead guitar onto “Ticket To Ride”, John played organ on “The Night Before”, and George played only guiro on “Tell Me What You See”. By summertime, John and Paul had dubbed keyboards onto various tracks; John and Paul and George were together on three acoustic guitars for “I've Just Seen A Face”; and Paul played solo acoustic guitar (with no involvement from the rest of the band) on “Yesterday”.

During Rubber Soul, they started to consciously break out of those specific musical roles from the beginning. George swapped guitar for sitar on “Norwegian Wood”, John a funky piano on “Drive My Car”, and Paul a spritely gospel stride on “The Word”; George a tambourine on “We Can Work It Out”, John an organ on “Think For Yourself, Paul an acoustic guitar on “Michelle”. John sang backups with no instrument on “You Won't See Me”. Paul was so far as adding electric guitar to “Drive My Car” and drums to “You Won't See Me”, to his bandmates’ annoyance. Nonetheless, despite these irregularities, The Beatles retained their “traditional” roles way more often than not.

Revolver is the first Beatles album in which the irregular becomes the new norm. Without completely abandoning their former posts, they experiment with new and different musical roles to varying degrees:

Ringo still plays drums, of course, though a pinch less than before. He appears on 15 of the sixteen tracks (which was also the case for Help!) — playing drums on 14 songs, tambourine on one, and absent entirely from one.

Paul still plays bass mainly, but somewhat less than before. He appears on all 16 tracks — the only Beatle who's on everything (which has been the case on every Beatles album so far) — playing bass on 13 songs, piano on three, guitar on six (electric on five, acoustic on one), even tamboura on one, and nothing but lead vocal on one — aside from ornamental handclaps and backing vocals throughout.

George is also still playing guitar mostly, but also gets somewhat less action than before. He also appears on 15 of the sixteen tracks (which was the case for him on two prior albums) — playing guitar on 11 songs (as well as sitar on two on those), bass on one, tambourine on one, nothing but backing vocals on two, and absent entirely from one — in addition to handclaps and backing vocals.

John, however, is an anomaly. Despite occasionally playing his timid guitar with temerity, John tenaciously neglects it more often than not. He appears on 14 of the sixteen tracks — the least of any Beatle on this or any album to date — playing guitar on a mere 7 songs (electric on five, acoustic on two), organ on one, tambourine on three, fingersnaps on one, nothing but backing vocals on two (like George), and absent entirely from two.

(Not that there's a direct correlation here, but John's retreat from playing his usual instruments happens to coincide with George's emergence as a viable third songwriter in the group.)

All together now...

Revolver (plus the single) has 13 songs on which all four Beatles perform — either playing, singing, or both. Of the remaining three songs: “Love You To” contains three members (minus John); “For No One” contains only two members (Paul and Ringo); and “Eleanor Rigby” contains none of the Beatles playing instruments, only their vocals (minus Ringo).

But they're all there in some way or another. When John's not playing, at least he still sings. (That's an easy gig.) Or sometimes shakes a tambourine. Same for George.

Not a big deal if somebody lays out for one, they're all in there most of the time. It's still The Beatles.

It sounds like The Beatles.

It's all in the mind...

Because people identify The Beatles as being two guitars, bass and drums, plus three vocalists, they expect to hear those instruments, and they mentally identify each instrument (or voice) with a corresponding player, even though they can't see the person playing or singing. So as long as a Beatle track contains evidence of two guitars, bass, drums, and multiple voices, who actually plays or sings is irrelevant, and the listener will be satisfied that this is indeed those four guys playing their instruments and singing a lovely song. (This has been the case for a long time — ever since 1963, the Beatles have exploited that perception by double-tracking their vocals.)

Nothing is real.

Even the single — “Paperback Writer” and its b-side “Rain” — only gives the illusion that The Beatles are playing. On the former, Paul and George handle guitars while John shakes a tambourine; and on the latter, John and Paul handle guitars while George lays out entirely. Only their combined vocal contributions make these tracks Beatle performances, even if they're not actually playing all together now in their standard concert lineup.

In fact, nearly three-quarters of the songs (11 in all) contain the combined voices of John and Paul and George (one of which features Ringo on lead), and 2 more contain a backing vocal from at least one of the others who's not singing the lead. Only three songs lack any sort of backing or harmony vocal. The sessions really are a group effort in that regard.

However, if one were to discount backing vocals, and also subtract the tambourine (which honestly any of them could have played equally well) — taking into account only the songs on which all four Beatles actually play instruments ... they only play together on 6 songs!!

Four of these songs feature the band playing all their traditional instruments — only four songs on the whole album!!

“I'm Only Sleeping” “She Said She Said” “And Your Bird Can Sing” “Doctor Robert”

All John songs.

Then there's Paul's song “Got To Get You Into My Life” — a special case since technically all four of them are playing, except that the guitars are mixed out for the majority of the song and replaced by horns copying those same guitar lines. (This is the only Paul song on Revolver on which they all play.)

“Tomorrow Never Knows” is another special case of the full band playing, albeit in a highly irregular formation. Paul and Ringo hang onto their usual bass and drums, whereas the guitarists split off onto sitar (George) and organ (John). The copious tape loops (a true group effort) and backwards guitar take centre stage atop the instrumental bed, and in the end it's a true Beatles track ... just not in any traditional sense ... which (paradoxically) is part of what makes it so quintessentially Beatles. It was the culmination of a few years of gradual experimentation, and it galvanised the way they would work from that point forth.

So, with all that said: what's up with John?

As outlined in the previous post, sessions for every Beatles album yielded a certain number of released tracks, produced over a number of sessions during a given span of time. Here's a condensed outline:

Before the first album... Sessions: 4 Recorded: sporadically over six months (6 June to 26 Nov 1962). New releases: 4

Please Please Me Sessions: 1 Recorded: principally in one day (11 Feb 1963) New releases: 10

Between the albums... Sessions: 2 Recorded: in a pair of one-off sessions (5 March and 1 July 1963). New releases: 4

With The Beatles Sessions: 10 Recorded: across exactly 14 weeks (18 July to 23 Oct 1963). New releases: 16

A Hard Day's Night Sessions: 10 Recorded: across exactly 18 weeks (29 Jan to 3 June 1964). New releases: 17 Foreign language remakes: 2

Beatles For Sale Sessions: 8 Recorded: across 11 weeks (11 Aug to 26 Oct 1964). New releases: 16

Help! Sessions: 12 Recorded: across 17 and a half weeks (15 Feb to 17 June 1965). New releases: 17

Rubber Soul Sessions: 13 Recorded: in exactly one month (12 Oct to 11 Nov 1965). New releases: 15 Revived outtakes: 1 (from the Help! sessions)

Revolver Sessions: 22 Recorded: in exactly 12 weeks (6 April to 21 June 1966). New releases: 16

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Sessions: 67 Recorded: in roughly 21 weeks (24 Nov 1966 to 21 Apr 1967). New releases: 15

Between Sgt. Pepper and the White Album... Sessions: 59 Recorded: across nearly 42 weeks (25 Apr 1967 to 11 Feb 1968). New releases: 14 Outtakes: 2 (both of which would be revived by 1970)

The Beatles Sessions: 87 Recorded: in exactly 20 weeks (30 May to 17 Oct 1968). New releases: 32

(I'll stop there cuz everything gets more complicated after that, and anyway my focus has been on The White Album since it's the immediate backdrop of the Get Back sessions, which I can't get enough of.)

How does their workflow change from album to album?

Obviously the first album (PPM) is uniquely productive, even if the record was padded with a few already-released songs. 10 tracks in one session is almost unheard of for any artist.

The second album (WTB) yields 16 tracks in 10 sessions, setting the standard by which they'll judge their own progress for the next few years. The production average is about a song and a half per session.

The third album (AHDN) accelerates production with 19 tracks in 10 sessions, an average of nearly two songs per session.

The fourth album (B4S) picks up the pace even further with 16 tracks in 8 sessions, averaging exactly two songs per session. Apart from the first album, this is the fastest they work from session to session.

The fifth album (H!) shows the first deceleration with 17 tracks in 12 sessions. Production still averages more than one song per session.

The sixth album (RS) shows further deceleration with 16 tracks in 13 sessions, although it's their fastest overall production time since the first album. They still average more than one song per session.

The seventh album (R) nurtures 16 tracks in 22 sessions — twice their former standard. Their production average drops to fewer than one song per session — or, one and a half sessions per song.

The eighth album (SPLHCB) stretches time with 15 tracks in 67 sessions — six times their former standard. Production averages around four and a half sessions per song.

The ninth album (TB) picks up the pace again with 32 tracks in 87 sessions — nine times their former standard. Production averages a little under three sessions per song.

I don't know what else to say besides all that, but I'm sure I'll think of something....

The best way to answer that question is to look album by album...

Before their first album, The Beatles had already recorded at EMI the previous year... Sessions: 4 Season: spring, summer, autumn Recorded: 1962, in sporadic sessions spanning nearly six months, with one-offs on 6 June, 4 Sept, 11 Sept, and 26 Nov. Total tracks: 7 New releases: 4 Alternate versions: 1 Outtakes: 2

Please Please Me Sessions: 1 Season: winter Recorded: 1963, principally in one day, on 11 Feb; padded with four single tracks added from two previous sessions on 11 Sep and 26 Nov 1962. Total tracks: 10 New releases: 10 Notes: This is the single most productive recording session of The Beatles' entire career.

In between albums The Beatles had two one-off singles sessions... Sessions: 2 Season: winter, summer Recorded: 1963, in a pair of one-off sessions on 5 March and 1 July. Total tracks: 5 New releases: 4 Outtakes: 1

With The Beatles Sessions: 10 Season: summer, autumn Recorded: 1963, across exactly 14 weeks, piecemeal — 18 July, 30 July (two separate sessions), 11 and 12 Sept (their first consecutive recording dates), 30 Sept (GM overdubs), 3 Oct (overdubs), 17 Oct (tracking the next single), 21 Oct (mixing) and 23 Oct (overdubs). Total tracks: 16 New releases: 16 Notes: Includo their third most prolific sessions (30 July) with 5 songs recorded; their fourth most prolific session (12 Sep) with 4 songs recorded; and a tie for their fifth most prolific session (18 July) with 3 songs recorded.

A Hard Day's Night Sessions: 10 Season: winter, spring Recorded: 1964, across exactly 18 weeks, partly piecemeal and partly in two blocks — 29 Jan; three consecutive dates on 25, 26 and 27 Feb; a one-off on 1 Mar; an emergency overdub on 10 Mar; another one-off on 16 Apr; and a final push on 1, 2 and 3 June. Total tracks: 20 New releases: 17 Foreign language remakes: 2 Outtakes: 1 Notes: Includo the band's only recording session outside the UK (Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris, 29 January 1964).

Beatles For Sale Sessions: 8 Season: summer, autumn Recorded: 1964, across 11 weeks, piecemeal — 11 Aug, 14 Aug, 29 and 30 Sep, 6 Oct, 8 Oct, 18 Oct, and 26 Oct. Total tracks: 17 New releases: 16 Outtakes: 1 Notes: Includo their second most prolific session ever (18 Oct) with a whopping 7 songs recorded that day.

Help! Sessions: 12 Season: winter, spring Recorded: 1965, across 17 and a half weeks, first in a big block followed by piecemeal sessions and a final block — starting with six consecutive dates from 15 Feb to 20 Feb 1965, followed by three one-offs on 30 Mar, 13 Apr and 10 May, and the final push on 14, 15 and 17 June 1965. Total tracks: 20 New releases: 17 Outtakes: 3 (one of which would be revived on the next album) Notes: Includo a tie for their fifth most prolific session (14 June) with 3 songs recorded.

Rubber Soul Sessions: 13 Season: autumn Recorded: in exactly one month, from 12 Oct to 11 Nov 1965. Total tracks: 16 New releases: 15 Revived outtakes: 1 (from the Help! sessions) Outtakes: 1

Revolver Sessions: 22 Season: spring Recorded: in exactly 12 weeks, from Wednesday, 6 April to Tuesday, 21 June 1966. Total tracks: 16 New releases: 16

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Sessions: 67 Season: autumn, winter, spring Recorded: in 21 weeks and three days, from 24 Nov 1966 to 21 Apr 1967. Total tracks: 17 New releases: 15 Outtakes: 2 (“Carnival Of Light” and “Only A Northern Song”) Notes: Plus a headful of ideas that would quickly drive them insane...

Between Sgt. Pepper and the White Album, The Beatles held about numerous sessions for singles and soundtracks... Sessions: 59 Season: spring, summer, autumn, winter Recorded: across nearly 42 weeks, in blocks and sporadic bursts from 25 Apr 1967 to 11 Feb 1968 — immediately after Sgt. Pepper until right before India. Total tracks: 16 New releases: 14 Outtakes: 2 (both of which would be revived by 1970)

The Beatles Sessions: 87 Season: spring, summer, autumn Recorded: in exactly 20 weeks, from 30 May to 17 Oct 1968. Total tracks: 35 New releases: 32 Outtakes: 2 For other Apple artists: 1 Notes: Plus at least two significant alternate versions...

Shall I continue? Why not...

Yellow Submarine was recorded between 26 May 1966 (when the title track was recorded for Revolver) and 11 Feb 1968 (right before their trip to India), with the bulk recorded sporadically across a half-dozen or so sessions throughout 1967 during the aforementioned post-Pepper period.

Abbey Road Sessions: ? Season: winter, spring, summer Recorded: across six months from early to mid 1969. Total tracks: 21 New releases: 19 Leftovers from India: 2 Leftovers from Get Back: 11 Outtakes: 2

Let It Be Sessions: ? Season: winter Recorded: principally under duress, relying on basic tracks created in January 1969 (includo recordings from their Rooftop Performance), with one outtake revived from February 1968, a remake of a 1963 outtake, and one extra song recorded (without John) in January 1970, as well as sporadic overdubs throughout 1969 and into early 1970. Total tracks: unknown New releases: 12 Revived outtakes: 2 Alternate versions: 3 Outtakes: innumerable Notes: Plus a motion picture, with enough leftover footage to fuel an eight-hour documentary 50 years later.

What's it all about?!

It's hard the gauge the workflow of their early albums against their later ones, since the working processes were radically different.

The crossover point is definitely Help!, when they start the project by working in one uninterrupted block as opposed to entirely piecemeal.

Please Please Me is a special case since it was cranked out so rapidly.

Let It Be is also a special case since it was an unconventional approach, even by their standards at the time.

Yellow Submarine is likewise a special case, as it was belatedly cobbled together merely to capitalise on their hit animated film.

If one were to compare albums, the most practical internal comparisons would be 1) the four albums With The Beatles thru Help! and 2) the four albums Rubber Soul thru the White Album.

I'll do an even deeper dive in a separate post...

[And I'll continue refining the details in this post...]

The White Album is, in a sense, the prelude to Get Back...

In exactly twenty weeks — from Thursday, 30 May until Thursday, 17 October 1968 — The Beatles had produced their highly ambitious (and eagerly awaited) thirty-track double-LP The Beatles (a.k.a. the ‘White Album’), as well as their latest non-album single, a single track track for another Apple artist, and even had a couple left over.

The total number of the tracks The Beatles recorded during the White Album sessions is:

John : 15, includo nine with full band — “Revolution 1”, “Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey”, “Cry, Baby, Cry”, “Sexy Sadie”, “Yer Blues”, “Glass Onion”, “Happiness Is A Warm Gun”, “I'm So Tired”, and “The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill” three with partial band — “Revolution 9”, “What's The New Mary Jane”, and “Dear Prudence” one solo piece — “Julia” one full band remake — “Revolution” and one given to Ringo — “Good Night”.

Paul : 12, includo four with full band — “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da”, “Hey Jude”, “Helter Skelter”, and “Honey Pie” five with partial band — “Rocky Raccoon”, “Back In The U.S.S.R.”, “I Will”, “Martha My Dear”, and “Why Don't We Do It In The Road?” and three solo pieces — “Blackbird”, “Mother Nature's Son”, and “Wild Honey Pie”.

George : 6, includo two with full band — “Not Guilty” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” four with partial band — “Sour Milk Sea”, “Piggies”, “Savoy Truffle”, and “Long, Long, Long”.

Ringo : 2, includo one with partial band, recorded only with Paul — “Don't Pass Me By” and one solo piece, which John wrote for him — “Good Night”.

Plus one full band collaborative rock piece — “Birthday”.

For a grand total of 35 “Beatle” tracks (taking into account that “Good Night” is listed here twice).

John gets in the lion's share at fifteen (only two-thirds of which feature the whole band), with Paul not far behind at twelve (although a quarter of these are solo pieces, and only a third feature the full band). George gets in six — half as many as Paul, and only two of which feature the full band. Ringo, unsurprisingly, only gets in two (one of which only features one other Beatle, and the other of which was written for him by a different Beatle).

All Together Now...

Only 17 of the tracks contain all four Beatles performing. Of these, the overwhelming majority are John songs: ten by John (includo the remake of “Revolution”), four by Paul, two by George, and the one group collab “Birthday”.

(On “Rocky Raccoon” George adds légère backing vocals, but makes no further musical contribution. Likewise, on “Piggies” John provides a meager tape loop for the coda, and also chips in with a line on the final verse, but otherwise does not perform on the track. Hence neither of these truly counts as “full band” performances.)

Count Me Out (In)...

Of the 12 tracks recorded with some iteration of the “partial band”, the overwhelming majority involve Paul and George, and also Ringo to almost the same extent. John, by contrast, is absent the most.

Five of the “partial band” tracks lack John's involvement: “Sour Milk Sea” (George), “Piggies” (George), “Savoy Truffle” (George), “Martha My Dear” (Paul), “Long, Long, Long” (George) — almost entirely George songs — even though John does contribute nominally to “Piggies”.

Two lack Paul's involvement: “Revolution 9” (John) and “What's The New Mary Jane” (John) — both of John's “weird” tracks.

Two lack George's involvement: “Rocky Raccoon” (Paul) and “I Will” (Paul) — both Paul songs — although George contributes nominally to “Rocky Raccoon”.

Three lack Ringo's involvement: “What's The New Mary Jane” (John), “Back In The U.S.S.R.” (Paul), and “Dear Prudence” (John).

And two lack involvement from either John or George: “Don't Pass Me By” (Ringo) and “Why Don't We Do It In The Road?” (Paul).

Flying (Solo)...

Furthermore there's the whopping 5 solo pieces, more than any previous Beatles project: one by John, three by Paul, and one by Ringo. (The only purely “solo” pieces they've ever released previously were “Yesterday” in 1965 and “Within You Without You” in 1967 — so five on one album is quite a lot.)

The Love You Take...

Out of the thirty-five total tracks recorded during the White Album:

Ringo performs on 28 — all ten of John's full band pieces plus John and Yoko's sound collage (eleven total); all four of Paul's full band pieces plus four of Paul's partial band pieces (eight total); all six of George's pieces; both his two vocal pieces; and the one full band collab.

George performs on 26 — all ten of John's full band pieces plus all three of John's partial band pieces (thirteen total); all four of Paul's full band pieces plus two of Paul's partial band pieces (six total); all six of his own compositions; and the one full band collab.

Paul performs on 31, the most of any Beatle — all ten of John's full band pieces plus one of John's partial band pieces (eleven total), all four of his full band pieces plus five partial band pieces plus three solo pieces (twelve total); all six of George's; one of Ringo's; and the one full band collab.

John performs on 25, the least of any Beatle — his ten full band pieces plus three partial band pieces plus one solo piece (fourteen total); all four of Paul's full band pieces plus three of Paul's partial band pieces (seven total); two of George's pieces; one of Ringo's pieces (as author); and the one full band collab.

Note that none of The Beatles plays on everything — unlike on previous albums, this time around each one of them gets excluded from something or other.

The Love You Make...

George contributes to virtually all of John's tracks (excluding the solo piece “Julia”); whereas John hardly contributes to any of George's. (No wonder George arrived at the Get Back sessions feeling cynical. This also contextualises his reflection about having wanted to be “more involved” on this latest album.)

Ringo also contributes to virtually all of John's songs (save the weird one “Mary Jane” and the solo piece “Julia”); John reciprocates by writing Ringo a song to sing.

Ringo of course plays on all six of George's tracks; whereas George is excluded from both of Ringo's.

George also contributes to six of Paul's songs (not counting the scant backing vocal on “Rocky Raccoon”). Of these, George plays electric guitar on three, acoustic guitar on one, and bass on two —though not without strict constraints on his playing. (Hence the artistic tension between George and Paul entering into Get Back.)

Paul contributes to all of George's tracks; whereas George plays on only six of Paul's (four band pieces plus two partials), lays out on two, and is simply not invited to the other four. (No doubt this exacerbates the friction between George and Paul.)

Ringo contributes to eight of Paul's tracks, including the four full band pieces and four partials; whereas Paul reciprocates by recording Ringo's song entirely with him.

Paul contributes to all of John's, except for his two “far out” pieces with Yoko, from which Paul either excludes himself (“Revolution 9”) or is not invited (“Mary Jane”) — although he does contribute spiritually to John's solo piece “Julia” in the end; whereas John is not quite so generous.

John contributes to seven of Paul's tracks, albeit often in an auxiliary capacity, playing a variety of acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar (thrice) and percussion; whereas Paul plays (bass and other instruments) and sings on all ten of John's full band pieces, and one of his partials.

Dig It...

This is the immediate past for The Beatles, still fresh in their minds when they convene at Twickenham two-and-a-half short months later.

Why is George so irritated? Because of the imbalance. George contributed as much as he could to John's songs, whereas John played on virtually none of George's. And while Paul did lay down bass on all of George's tracks, George gave Paul a totally free hand in composing the basslines, whereas this liberty was rarely reciprocated when George played guitar on one of Paul's songs. (John is also acutely aware of this, and it's precisely this state of affairs that John refers to in the Lunchroom Conversation with Paul.)

Why is Paul so pissy? Because John and George seem terribly disinterested in his wonderful songs — and to be honest, they are. As much for the quality of the songs themselves as for the laborious task of arranging them to Paul's satisfaction. (John is only later able to admit this openly to Paul after George quits the group.)

Why is John so vacant? A variety of reasons, one being that he's accustomed to working nights and the morning is a drag. He's also creatively tapped from the extensive White Album sessions. Lingering in the shadows, of course, is John's deep-seated frustration with Paul's tendency to push arrangement ideas for John's songs rather than let the band develop those ideas more organically and inclusively. But most of all, John is bored with the concept of himself-as-a-Beatle.

Thus is the state of affairs within The Beatles as they arrive at Twickenham on 2 January 1969 to begin working on Get Back...

The Beatles, a.k.a. “The White Album”, was recorded and produced in exactly 20 weeks from 30 May to 17 October 1968.

Notes On The Esher Demos Week 0: India to Esher, and “Revolution” Week 1: More “Revolution 1”, and “Don't Pass Me By” Week 2: “Blackbird”, and then the calm before the storm Week 3: Paul's birthday, “Revolution 9”, and Paul goes AWOL Week 4: “Sour Milk Sea” and “Everybody's Got Something To Hide...” Week 5: Stirrings of “Good Night” and “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da” Week 6: Remakes of “Ob-La-Di” and “Revolution” Progress Report #1: How their workflow compares to Sgt. Pepper Week 7: “Cry, Baby, Cry”, and Geoff Emerick quits Week 8: “Good Night” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Week 9: “Hey Jude” at Trident Week 10: “Not Guilty” and “Mother Nature's Son” Progress Report #2: At the halfway point Week 11: “Sexy Sadie”, “Yer Blues”, “Mary Jane”, “Rocky Raccoon” Week 12: “Wild Honey Pie”, “Back In The U.S.S.R.”, and Ringo quits Week 13: “Dear Prudence” at Trident Week 14: Ringo returns, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” remake Week 15: Enter Chris Thomas, “Helter Skelter”, and “Glass Onion” Week 16: “I Will”, “Birthday”, and “Piggies” Week 17: “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” Progress Report #3: Crunch time in Pepperland Week 18: “Honey Pie”, “Savoy Truffle”, and “Martha...”, all at Trident Week 19: “Long...”, “...Tired”, “...Bungalow Bill”, “...Do It In The Road?” Week 20: “Julia”, final overdubs, and marathon sequencing sesh The White Album Sessions In Review

And of course, the Get Back sessions kicked off exactly 11 weeks after the last White Album session. So in a very real way, the “White Album Beatles” are exactly who we're hanging with at Twickenham and Apple in January 1969...

🍏

Sunday, John and Paul go in to record one last piece for the album, John's ballad “Julia”, which he performs solo while Paul produces. (This is the group's only Sunday session for the White Album.)

Monday, while Ringo flies to Sardinia for a holiday with the family, George commits the final overdubs to “Savoy Truffle”. Now the mixing begins.

Tuesday, four of John's songs are mixed in a short session

Wednesday evening at 5pm, while George flies to LA, John and Paul and George Martin and the engineering team commence a mad 24-hour marathon session to fine-tune and sequence the new double-album.

Thursday evening at 5pm, the mad 24-hour marathon sequencing session concludes.

Friday, The Beatles greet the brand new day with a finished double-album that they call The Beatles, and we call “The White Album”. (Just in time for John & Yoko's drug bust today.)

And in the end...

In exactly twenty weeks The Beatles have recorded 34 release-worthy tracks (includo the mad sound collage), releasing two of them as the non-album single “Hey Jude”/“Revolution” and thirty of them on their new double LP The Beatles.

That's not all...

Two songs were left out of the album's running order:

“Not Guilty” — Despite the extensive work that went into it, it was deemed surplus to George's quota of one-song-per-side, and left unfinished.

“What's the New Mary Jane” — John was given a choice between this or “Revolution 9”, and he chose the latter, intending to release this surplus song as a single at some point (which he never got around to, for better or worse, most likely for the better).

These two songs, along with the first versions of “Ob-La-Di” and “Gently Weeps” and many early takes from the sessions, turned up on early bootlegs, and eventually were officially released on the Anthology albums.

Get back to the White Album diary TOC.

Monday, back at EMI, the band (minus John) bash out George's “Long, Long, Long”.

Tuesday, John arrives and the full band work “I'm So Tired”, followed by “The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill”, working into the wee early hours of John's 28th birthday.

Wednesday, which is John's birthday proper, Paul records solo the basic tracks for “Why Don't We Do It In The Road”.

Thursday, while George and John oversee string overdubs onto their songs “Piggies” and “Glass Onion”, Paul pulls Ringo into the next studio to finish off “Why Don't We Do It In The Road?”

Friday, George oversees horns added to “Savoy Truffle”. The engineering team mixes into the weekend.

Nineteen weeks deep, The Beatles have 30 album-worthy songs and a mad sound collage, and now the finish line is in sight.

See what goes on in Week 20 of the White Album sessions... ...or, get back to the White Album diary TOC.

Monday is quiet, while The Beatles’ authorised biography is released.

Tuesday, George Martin returns after his three week holiday. The group install themselves at Trident Studios for the remainder of the week. Paul's next piano ditty “Honey Pie” is recorded with John on lead guitar and George on bass.

Wednesday, the group finish “Honey Pie” with overdubs.

Thursday, the band (minus John) nail George's rocker “Savoy Truffle” in one take.

Friday, the band (still minus John) lay down Paul's new piano ditty “Martha My Dear”.

Saturday, George and Paul go into Trident to work on overdubs for “Savoy Truffle” and “Martha My Dear”. (This is the band's first weekend session for the White Album.)

Eighteen weeks in, The Beatles now have 26 album-worthy songs and a mad sound collage, and their producer is back to see them through to the finish line.

See what goes on in Week 19 of the White Album sessions... ...or, get back to the White Album diary TOC.