Abbey Road 50th Anniversary

Guildedagain

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Come together

Right now

Over me


I spent so many hours glues to the turntable listening to this album...

I remember learning the chords in She's so Heavy for the first time, then relearning them later, and again...
 

Grassdog

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Legend has it that they knew it was going to be their last album when making it and they put their differences aside to make their last work as good as it could be. But I wonder if it was that simple and if they really knew it was going to be their last. You know how sometimes myths tend to get perpetuated as time goes on? As years passed in the 1970's and the reunion never materialized, more and more this collection of songs seemed to be the perfect ending. The last lyrics to the last song (and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make), eternally powerful and positive, just say it all.
 

walrus

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Legend has it that they knew it was going to be their last album when making it and they put their differences aside to make their last work as good as it could be. But I wonder if it was that simple and if they really knew it was going to be their last. You know how sometimes myths tend to get perpetuated as time goes on? As years passed in the 1970's and the reunion never materialized, more and more this collection of songs seemed to be the perfect ending. The last lyrics to the last song (and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make), eternally powerful and positive, just say it all.

That "legend" is true. All four Beatles have said that's how it was. The previous "Let It Be" sessions left a bad taste in their mouth. However appropriate, they thought the last song being "The End" was bit pretentious, that's why "Her Majesty" is stuck on the very end.

walrus
 

Quantum Strummer

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I think they kinda knew Abbey Road was their swansong…but they also didn't know for sure. There was a band meeting either shortly before or after the album came out, during which Macca suggested doing some live performing. Lennon responded by saying he was *leaving. :) He'd done the Plastic Ono Band show in Toronto 2–3 weeks (or thereabouts) prior, and realized at that point he could make music in a band and have fun doing so without that band being The Beatles.

BTW, the remix of Something available on YouTube IMO sounds killer.

*I'm not sure how seriously the others took him at the time. Not long before he'd also claimed to be Jesus.

-Dave-
 
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Westerly Wood

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from the Abbey Road wiki: Look, I do not know anything, but the Yoko thing just eroded this band. Like spinyl tap scene...

Overdubs continued through the month, with the final sequencing of the album coming together on 20 August – the last time all four Beatles were present in a studio together.[9]

McCartney, Starr and Martin have reported positive recollections of the sessions,[10] while George Harrison said, "we did actually perform like musicians again".[11] Lennon and McCartney had enjoyed working together on the non-album single "The Ballad of John and Yoko" in April, contributing friendly banter between takes, and some of this camaraderie carried over to the Abbey Road sessions.[12] Nevertheless, there was a significant amount of tension in the group. According to author Ian MacDonald, McCartney had an acrimonious argument with Lennon during the sessions. Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, had become a permanent presence at Beatles' recordings and clashed with other members.[10] Halfway through recording in June, Lennon and Ono were involved in a car accident. A doctor told Ono to rest in bed, so Lennon had one installed in the studio so she could observe the recording process from there...

gosh, Lennon comes across as such a d-bag.

Lennon ultimately said that he disliked Abbey Road as a whole and felt that it lacked authenticity, calling McCartney's contributions "[music] for the grannies to dig" and not "real songs"[13] and describing the medley as "junk ... just bits of songs thrown together".[14] During the sessions, Lennon expressed a desire to have all of his songs on one side of the album, with McCartney's on the other.[11]
 

Westerly Wood

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dig this part of the story, the Medley, my fave part of the whole album:

Medley

The medley of songs on side two finished with "The End"
Side two contains a 16-minute medley of eight short songs, recorded over July and August and blended into a suite by McCartney and Martin.[57] Some songs were written (and originally recorded in demo form) during sessions for the White Album and Get Back / Let It Be, which later appeared on Anthology 3.[58] While the idea for the medley was McCartney's, Martin claims credit for some structure, adding he "wanted to get John and Paul to think more seriously about their music".[15]

The first track recorded for the medley was the opening number, "You Never Give Me Your Money". McCartney has claimed that the band's dispute over Allen Klein and what McCartney viewed as Klein's empty promises were the inspiration for the song's lyrics.[59] However, MacDonald doubts this given that the backing track, recorded on 6 May at Olympic Studios, predated the worst altercations between Klein and McCartney. The track is a suite of varying styles, ranging from a piano-led ballad at the start to arpeggiated guitars at the end.[60] Both Harrison and Lennon provided guitar solos with Lennon playing the solos at the end of the track, which Beatles author Walter Everett considers his favourite Lennon guitar contribution.[61]

This song transitions into Lennon's "Sun King" which, like "Because", showcases Lennon, McCartney and Harrison's triple-tracked harmonies. Following it are Lennon's "Mean Mr. Mustard" (written during the Beatles' 1968 trip to India) and "Polythene Pam".[62] These in turn are followed by four McCartney songs, "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" (written after a fan entered McCartney's residence via his bathroom window),[63] "Golden Slumbers" (based on Thomas Dekker's 17th-century poem set to new music),[64] "Carry That Weight" (reprising elements from "You Never Give Me Your Money", and featuring chorus vocals from all four Beatles), and closing with "The End".[65]

"The End" features Starr's only drum solo in the Beatles' catalogue (the drums are mixed across two tracks in "true stereo", unlike most releases at that time where they were hard panned left or right). Fifty-four seconds into the song are 18 bars of lead guitar: the first two bars are played by McCartney, the second two by Harrison, and the third two by Lennon, with the sequence being played three times.[66] Harrison suggested the idea of a guitar solo in the track, Lennon decided they should trade solos and McCartney elected to go first. The solos were cut live against the existing backing track in one take.[15] Immediately after Lennon's third and final solo, the piano chords of the final part of the song begin. The song ends with the memorable final line, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make". This section was taped separately to the first, and required the piano to be re-recorded by McCartney, which was done on 18 August.[66] An alternative version of the song, with Harrison's lead guitar solo played against McCartney's (with Starr's drum solo heard in the background), appears on the Anthology 3 album and the 2012 digital-only compilation album Tomorrow Never Knows.[67]

https://youtu.be/BpndGZ71yww
 
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Westerly Wood

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one more tidbit re "The End"

John told Yoko to wait outside the studio while he recorded The End with his friends -the first time he had done so since he hooked-up with her. According to Geoff Emerick, George, John and Paul wrote the lead parts very quickly and recorded them in one take!
 

walrus

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The details according to Geoff Emerick:

Two days later, on August 7th, 1969, they added some additional overdubs to the song, one of which was very important. Geoff Emerick relates: “There were quite a few empty bars to fill after Ringo's drum solo – Paul had left them bare in a spirit of 'we'll think of something eventually,' just as we had done with the middle section of 'A Day In The Life' – and there was a long discussion about what to add on top to flesh it out. 'Well, a guitar solo is the obvious thing,' said George Harrison. 'Yes, but this time you should let me play it,' said John jokingly. He loved playing lead guitar – he'd often mess about doing lead parts during rehearsals – but he knew that he didn't have the finesse of eigher George or Paul, so he rarely did so on record. Everyone laughed, including John, but we could see that he was at least half-serious.”


john 69 smile.jpg
“'I know!' he said mischievously, unwilling to let it go. 'Why don't we all play the solo? We can take turns and trade licks.' Long guitar solos with dueling lead guitarists were becoming the vogue at the time, so it was a suggestion that clearly had merit. George (Martin) looked dubious, but Paul not only embraced the idea but upped the ante further still: 'Better yet,' he said, 'why don't all three of us play it live?' Lennon loved the idea – for the first time in weeks I saw a real gleam in his eye. It didn't take long for John's enthusiasm to rub off on George Harrison, who finally got into the spirit of things.”


mark lewisohn tapes.jpg
It should be noted at this point that, since Mark Lewisohn documents in “The Beatles Recording Sessions” that the song at one point reached a length of 2:41, it appears logical that it was this guitar solo section that extended the song. Therefore, the backing track may have undergone an edit job on this day to allow for a good amount of extra guitar solo time for the three Beatles guitarists, possibly editing segments of the previous rhythm track takes onto 'take seven' to create an extended rhythm 'take.' This, however, is speculation and has not been documented.


mal evans 1969.jpg
Emerick continues: “Mal (Evans) was immediately sent out into the studio to set up the guitar amps, while the three Beatles stayed in the control room, listening to the backing track and thinking about what they were going to play. Paul announced that he wanted to take the first solo, and since it was his song, the others deferred. Ever competitive, John said that he had a great idea for an ending, so he was going to go last. As always, poor George Harrison was overshadowed by his two bandmates and got the middle spot by default. Yoko, as usual, was sitting by John's side in the control room while they were having this discussion, but as Lennon got up to walk out into the studio, he turned to her and said gently, 'Wait here, luv; I won't be a minute.'”


yoko ono sitting.jpg
“She looked a little shocked and hurt, but she did as John asked, sitting quietly by the control room window for the remainder of the session. It was almost as if he knew that she would put a damper on things and spoil the atmosphere if she were in the studio with them. Something inside told John that to get this to work, he needed to be doing it with just Paul and George, that it would be better for Yoko not to be by his side this one time. Maybe that was the reason, or perhaps it was because on some subconscious level they had decided to suspend their egos for the sake of the music, but for the hour or so that it took them to play those solos, all the bad blood, all the fighting, all the crap that had gone down between the three former friends was forgotten. John, Paul and George looked like they had gone back in time, like they were kids again, playing together for the sheer enjoyment of it. More than anything, they reminded me of gunslingers, with their guitars strapped on, looks of steely-eyed resolve, determined to outdo one another. Yet there was no animosity, no tension at all – you could tell that they were simply having fun.”


john casino abbey road 69.jpg
“While they were practicing, I took great care to craft a different, distinctive sound for each Beatle, so it would be apparent to the listener that it was three individuals playing and not just one person taking an extended solo. They were each playing a different model guitar through a different type of amplifier, so it wasn't all that difficult to achieve. I had Mal line the three amps up in a row – there was no need for a great deal of separation because they were all going to be recorded on a single track. Because there was little overlap between each two-bar solo, I knew that I could balance the levels afterward simply by moving one fader.”


george 69 look.jpg
“Incredibly, after just a brief period of rehearsal, they nailed it in a single take. When it was over, there was no backslapping or hugging – The Beatles rarely expressed themselves physically like that – but there were lots of broad grins. It was a heartwarming moment – and of the rare times I could say that in recent months – and I made a point of congratulating each of them when they came into the control room to have a listen. I was so blown away by Harrison's playing in particular that I made a point of saying 'That was really brilliant' as he walked through the door. George looked a bit surprised, but he gave me a nod and a gracious thank-you. It was one of the few times when I felt like I had connected on a personal level with him.”


george telecaster abbey road 2.jpg
“I guess there's also the possibility that, as they were performing the solo, they realized they might never get to play together again; perhaps they were viewing that moment as a poignant farewell. It was the first time in a long time that the three of them were actually playing together in the studio; for most of the 'Abbey Road' sessions, it was just one or two of them, plus, sometimes, Ringo...For me, that session was undoubtedly the high point of the summer of 1969, and listening to those guitar solos still never fails to bring a smile to my face. If the good feelings engendered by that one day had only been present throughout the entire project, there's no telling how great 'Abbey Road' might have been.”


ringo 69 pose.jpg
As can be heard on the track as included on the “Anthology 3” compilation album, there was some doodling and practicing on their guitars before the actual solo part came up, some of it heard during Ringo's drum solo section. Ringo also added a tambourine part during his drum solo, this undoubtedly recorded during this same guitar solo session. Also, “The Beatles Recording Sessions” book mentions that “vocals” were also recorded on this day, these possibly being the harmonies on the final lyric “the love you take / is equal to the love” sung by John, Paul and George. This session was complete by midnight.

* sorry for the small font - did a copy/paste!

walrus

 

walrus

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And for those who find it amusing, here's Yoko in her improvised bed in the studio...

iGqvGGXl.png
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walrus
 

Westerly Wood

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love this:

but Paul not only embraced the idea but upped the ante further still: 'Better yet,' he said, 'why don't all three of us play it live?' Lennon loved the idea – for the first time in weeks I saw a real gleam in his eye. It didn't take long for John's enthusiasm to rub off on George Harrison, who finally got into the spirit of things.”
 

adorshki

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from the Abbey Road wiki: Look, I do not know anything, but the Yoko thing just eroded this band. Like spinyl tap scene...
I humbly submit the schism over Eastman or Klein for manager was a far bigger wedge, driven earlier.
But yeah I believe some of the quotes I've seen that Yoko was annoying and offering unsolicited advice.
Was she part of the band by being part of John?
No, even I wouldn't go that far even if that was John's rationale and I think most forum regulars know I'm an unabashed Yoko fan.

Halfway through recording in June, Lennon and Ono were involved in a car accident. A doctor told Ono to rest in bed, so Lennon had one installed in the studio so she could observe the recording process from there...
gosh, Lennon comes across as such a d-bag.
Y'gotta admit that could also be seen as the act of a devoted husband.
And the other wives were frequently there, too, hanging out with Yoko and even having fun going by some photographic evidence.
But yeah John could be a real putz and was given to saying things for shock value, and getting more and more fed up with sanctification of the institution of "the BEATLES" towards the end there.
Consider the lyric from "Ballad of John and Yoko":
"...the way things are going, they're gonna crucify me" and "God" on the first solo album (Plastic Ono Band), the "I don't believe in" mantra
as bookends of a period when he was finally realizing he needed to redefine himself to himself as an individual and not as a part of a cultural icon:

"....I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me
Yoko and me
And that's reality.....
...I was the Walrus
But now I'm John
And so dear friends
You just have to carry on
The dream is over"


(Get over it).
I got it the very first time I heard it on the AM radio at 14, the same day it was released.

The other song on that album that I think reveals the real John Lennon is "Isolation" still on of my top 5 favorite Lennon tunes:

"People say we got it made
Don't they know we're so afraid
Isolation
We're afraid to be alone
Everybody got to have a home
Isolation

Just a boy and a little girl
Trying to change the whole wide world
Isolation
The world is just a little town
Everybody trying to put us down
Isolation

I don't expect you, to understand
After you caused so much pain
But then again, you're not to blame
You're just a human, a victim of the insane


We're afraid of everyone
Afraid of the sun
Isolation
The sun will never disappear
But the world may not have many years
Isolation..."


Even after being kicked around he can still forgive the kickers.

For other snarky comments made in later years, yeah I think he was still in a "defensive lashing out mode" and sometimes saying the first thing that popped into his mind without pausing to consider if that's what he really felt in the moment or at the time he was remembering, (and likely not even caring), especially since he contradicts himself at various time over the years.
It's a human flaw.
So Jeff posted while I was composing, wonder if we said any of the same things?
I'll know in a minute.
 

Westerly Wood

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yeah, i am overthinking the Yoko thing. never mind...

i do like that the 3 got together one last time for the dueling solos on the End. what a great story.
 

Brucebubs

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1969 was an incredible year.
Abbey Road, Woodstock, the moon landing and The Who released an amazing album too.

9QE7PMmm.jpg
 

walrus

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Nice post, Al!

All this discussion reminds me of Ringo's favorite part of the the White Album recordings. Not too much earlier than the Abbey Road recordings, with Yoko just beginning to enter the picture. Very similar situation, the Beatles not getting along all that well, etc. but then Lennon decided to record "Yer Blues" live in what basically was a closet:


"The Beatles recorded Yer Blues in a small annex room next to Abbey Road's studio two. The Beatles got the idea from a sarcastic comment made by engineer Ken Scott during the recording of George Harrison's Not Guilty.
George had this idea that he wanted to do it in the control room with the speakers blasting, so that he got more of an on-stage feel... I remember that John Lennon came in at one point and I turned to him and said, 'Bloody hell, the way you lot are carrying on you'll be wanting to record everything in the room next door!' The room next door was tiny, where the four-track tape machines were once kept, and it had no proper studio walls or acoustic set-up of any kind.Lennon replied, 'That's a great idea, let's try it on the next number!' The next number was Yer Blues and we literally had to set it all up – them and the instruments – in this minute room. That's how they recorded Yer Blues, and it worked out great!"

Because of the lack of sound proofing and isolation in the room, a number of sounds from instruments and vocals spilled over into other tracks. These included guide vocals, and a discarded guitar solo that can be heard during the instrumental break.


Ringo - " Yer Blues, on the White Album, you can't top it. It was the four of us. That is what I'm saying: it was really because the four of us were in a box, a room about eight by eight, with no separation. It was this group that was together; it was like grunge rock of the sixties, really – grunge blues."

walrus
 

walrus

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Regarding Yoko, my own opinion is Lennon would have died by 28 like many other musicians if not for her. He was extremely unhappy, ingesting LSD like crazy before he met her. It's hard to put ourselves in their place - they couldn't go out in public, during their touring years they were stuck together in hotels for days on end. Lennon is writing songs like "Help!" and "I'm A Loser".

When he met Yoko, he fell in love with her mind as much as anything. He has said more than once he simply never met anyone like that before. She really encouraged his artistic and also political side, not just music. It's not surprising he called her "Mother", as she was a mother figure to him - remember he lost his mother at very young age. She became his mother, his lover, his intellectual equal, all wrapped into one. And keep in mind she was a well known avant-garde artist before he met her. You don't have to like her art, or her music, but that's a personal opinion regarding "taste" that should not reflect on her as a person.

There's no question she made things tense for the other Beatles, or perhaps it's better to say John's behavior with her made them tense. But I've never understood anyone for blaming her for anything, really. Like anyone else, didn't John deserve a chance to fall in love?

walrus
 
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