đ ON THIS DAY: Filming: Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Although the studio recording of âThe Fool On The Hillâ was complete, there was no suitable film footage available for the song.
On this day Paul McCartney, Mal Evans and cameraman Aubrey Dewar flew to France to shoot a daydream sequence in various locations in Nice.
McCartney forgot his passport and money, but managed nonetheless to get through customs. âI told them, âYou know who I am so why do you need to see a photograph of me in a passport?â,â he later explained.
No filming was done on this day. Instead, the party checked into a hotel and hired a taxi driver, who woke them at 3.30am the following morning.
đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatles collect their MBEs (1965)
26 October 1965 was an important day for The Beatles: an appointment at Buckingham Palace to collect their MBEs from the Queen.
"Although we didnât believe in the Royal Family, you canât help being impressed when youâre in the palace, when you know youâre standing in front of the Queen. It was like in a dream. It was beautiful. People were playing music, I was looking at the ceiling â not bad the ceiling. It was historical. It was like being in a museum." â John Lennon
They arrived at the palace in John Lennonâs Rolls-Royce, watched by a crowd of 4,000 fans who were held back by police. Some fans climbed gates and lamp posts to get a better view.
"Some equerry to the Queen, a Guards officer, took us to one side and showed us what we had to do: âApproach Her Majesty like this and never turn your back on her, and donât talk to her unless she talks to you.â All of those things. For four Liverpool lads it was, âWow, hey man!â It was quite funny. But she was sweet. I think she seemed a bit mumsy to us because we were young boys and she was a bit older." â Paul McCartney
The Beatles were taken to the Great Throne Room in time for the 11am ceremony. The Lord Chamberlain, Lord Cobbold, read out The Beatlesâ names individually, at which they stepped forward and bowed. The Queen then shook their hands, spoke to them, and pinned the medals to their jacket lapels. They then stepped back into line and bowed again.
đ ON THIS DAY: Paul McCartney denies reports of his death (1969)
The âPaul is Deadâ myth first surfaced in print in the 17 September 1969 edition of the Times-Delphic, the newspaper of the Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. It quickly snowballed, and was heavily featured on the Detroit radio station MKNR. Towards the middle of October it had broken across the Atlantic.
Reporters attempted to contact The Beatles for their responses. Paul McCartney travelled to his Scottish farm on 22 October, and Peter Brown called him to ask for a statement that could be given to the press. McCartney gave a line borrowed from Mark Twain: âRumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated.â
The statement did little to quell the intrigue, and Apple continued to be bombarded with calls from reporters. WKNRâs Russ Gibb spoke to Derek Taylor, and to someone else who claimed to be McCartney but was in fact Tony Bramwell. The stationâs John Small also spoke to John Lennon, who sounded bewildered and amused by the story: âWhat did we do, stuff him and shave him? How could we do it? I donât understand what itâs all about.â
A reporter from New Yorkâs WMCA, Alex Bennett, arrived in London on 22 October. The following day he interviewed Ringo Starr, Derek Taylor, Neil Aspinall, photographer Iain Macmillan, McCartneyâs tailor and barber, and members of Apple group White Trash. Starr told the Bennett: âIf people are gonna believe it, theyâre gonna believe it. I can only say itâs not true.â
On 24 October McCartney agreed to speak to the BBCâs Chris Drake. The interview took place at the singerâs High Park Farm in Campbeltown, Scotland.
McCartney suggested that the stories had begun as he had adopted a lower public profile recently. He said that he once did âan interview a weekâ to keep in the headlines, but since getting married and becoming a father he preferred to live a more private life.
He was firm in denying he had died, saying: âIf the conclusion you reach is that Iâm dead, then youâre wrong, because Iâm alive and living in Scotland.â Linda McCartney said their holiday was being ruined by the press speculation, adding that âeverybody knows heâs aliveâ.
Talk then turned to the subject of McCartneyâs farm, which he admitted was scruffy. He said he had been dubbed âthe new Lairdâ when he first met his Scottish neighbours, but didnât want to be considered the âsquire of the districtâ. He concluded the interview by saying that The Beatles had no plans to reconvene in the near future, having recently completed an album and film, and that he may not return to London until 1970.
A one-minute extract from Chris Drakeâs interview was broadcast on BBC Radio 4âs The World This Weekend on 26 October from 1pm. A longer recording lasting 3â30â was included on The World At One the following day, and 3â20â was included on Late Night Extra on Radio 2 from 10pm later that night.
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: In My Life, Nowhere Man (1965)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineers: Stuart Eltham, Norman Smith
There were three separate recording sessions booked at Abbey Roadâs Studio Two on this day. The first took place from 10.30-11.30am, and saw George Martin record the baroque-style piano overdub onto âIn My Lifeâ.
"âIn My Lifeâ is one of my favourite songs because it is so much John. A super track and such a simple song. Thereâs a bit where John couldnât decide what to do in the middle and, while they were having their tea break, I put down a baroque piano solo which John didnât hear until he came back. What I wanted was too intricate for me to do live, so I did it with a half-speed piano, then sped it up, and he liked it." â George Martin
Martin initially tried a Hammond organ solo, but was unhappy with the results. He then attempted to play a part on a piano, but had difficulty playing the complex solo in time. Eventually he instructed engineer Stuart Eltham to slow down the tape to half speed, and played the solo an octave lower, so upon playback it gave the desired effect.
The afternoon session took place from 2.30-7pm. The Beatles continued work on âNowhere Manâ, which they had begun the night before. Three more takes, numbered 3-5, were recorded, before overdubs were added during the evening session.
The rhythm track consisted of Paul McCartneyâs bass, Ringo Starrâs drums, and John Lennonâs Gibson Jumbo acoustic guitar.
The three remaining tracks of the four-track tapes were filled during a 7-11pm session. Lennon, McCartney and George Harrison double-tracked their three-part vocals, with Lennon taking the lead, onto tracks two and three. The song was complete with electric guitar parts played simultaneously by Lennon and Harrison on Fender Stratocasters.
Studio One, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Ken Scott
This was the second session for The Beatlesâ single âHello, Goodbyeâ, and took place in the huge Studio One at Abbey Road between 7pm and 3.30am. At this time the song was known by its working title âHello Helloâ.
Two lead guitar parts were overdubbed onto track two of take 16, and tracks three and four were filled with lead and backing vocals.
Also added to track four were handclaps and âHela, heba, heloaâ vocals onto the coda. The session ended with a reduction mix to free up space for further overdubs, by combining tracks three and four. This mix became known as take 17.
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: Day Tripper, If I Needed Someone (1965)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Norman Smith
The Beatles worked on two songs on this day. The first, âDay Tripperâ, appeared on their final single of 1965 along with âWe Can Work It Outâ. They also recorded the rhythm track for âIf I Needed Someoneâ, George Harrisonâs first composition for the Rubber Soul album.
Two separate sessions were booked at Studio Two. The first took place from 2.30-7pm, and resulted in the recording of three takes of âDay Tripperâ. Only the last of these was a complete version.
The performance was recorded onto two tracks of the four-track tape. The first had bass guitar and drums, and the second contained John Lennon and George Harrisonâs electric guitars. Although these parts were recorded onto two separate tracks, they were performed simultaneously in the studio.
The second session began at 7pm and concluded at midnight. John Lennon and Paul McCartney overdubbed vocals onto âDay Tripperâ, with Harrison joining them during the verses. The final track of the tape was filled with tambourine by Ringo Starr, and more guitar parts by Lennon and Harrison.
With âDay Tripperâ complete, The Beatles began work on Harrisonâs âIf I Needed Someoneâ. They recorded the backing track in a single take, featuring bass, drums and Lennonâs Fender Stratocaster. Vocals and more instrumentation were added on 18 October 1965.
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording, mixing: Julia, Dear Prudence, Wild Honey Pie, Back In The USSR, Blackbird (1968)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road Producer: George Martin Engineer: Ken Scott
The final song to be recorded for the White Album was âJuliaâ, John Lennonâs tribute to his mother.
He chose to record the song simply, with just vocals and acoustic guitar. It took just three takes to perfect the guitar track, which was recorded onto four-track tape.
The mostly instrumental take two was included on 1996âs Anthology 3, but take three became the basis for the album release. Onto it Lennon recorded two vocal tracks and a second acoustic guitar part, and the song was complete.
A stereo mix of âJuliaâ was then created, followed by one of âDear Prudenceâ, two of âWild Honey Pieâ, and one apiece of âBack In The USSRâ and âBlackbirdâ.
Mono mixes followed: one of âJuliaâ, five of âDear Prudenceâ, and finally one of âBlackbirdâ.
"For the mono mix everything came out OK, but the stereo mix took a long, long time and I was holding the pencil to keep the effects tape taut. I guess I must have been leaning back on it and started to stretch it, because the mono has this clear, clean lovely jet sound while the stereo is an abomination of a jet sound." â John Smith, tape operator
The aeroplane effects had been recorded at London Airport, and came from the tape Volume 17: Jet and Piston Engine Aeroplane from Abbey Roadâs collection.
Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: Filming: Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Although the studio recording of âThe Fool On The Hillâ was complete, there was no suitable film footage available for the song.
On this day Paul McCartney, Mal Evans and cameraman Aubrey Dewar flew to France to shoot a daydream sequence in various locations in Nice.
McCartney forgot his passport and money, but managed nonetheless to get through customs. âI told them, âYou know who I am so why do you need to see a photograph of me in a passport?â,â he later explained.
No filming was done on this day. Instead, the party checked into a hotel and hired a taxi driver, who woke them at 3.30am the following morning.
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đ ON THIS DAY: The Beatles collect their MBEs (1965)
26 October 1965 was an important day for The Beatles: an appointment at Buckingham Palace to collect their MBEs from the Queen.
"Although we didnât believe in the Royal Family, you canât help being impressed when youâre in the palace, when you know youâre standing in front of the Queen. It was like in a dream. It was beautiful. People were playing music, I was looking at the ceiling â not bad the ceiling. It was historical. It was like being in a museum." â John Lennon
They arrived at the palace in John Lennonâs Rolls-Royce, watched by a crowd of 4,000 fans who were held back by police. Some fans climbed gates and lamp posts to get a better view.
"Some equerry to the Queen, a Guards officer, took us to one side and showed us what we had to do: âApproach Her Majesty like this and never turn your back on her, and donât talk to her unless she talks to you.â All of those things. For four Liverpool lads it was, âWow, hey man!â It was quite funny. But she was sweet. I think she seemed a bit mumsy to us because we were young boys and she was a bit older." â Paul McCartney
The Beatles were taken to the Great Throne Room in time for the 11am ceremony. The Lord Chamberlain, Lord Cobbold, read out The Beatlesâ names individually, at which they stepped forward and bowed. The Queen then shook their hands, spoke to them, and pinned the medals to their jacket lapels. They then stepped back into line and bowed again.
Read full article here: www.beatlesbible.com/1965/10/26/the-beatles-collecâŚ
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Let's settle this: what is the BEST Beatles era?
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đ ON THIS DAY: Paul McCartney denies reports of his death (1969)
The âPaul is Deadâ myth first surfaced in print in the 17 September 1969 edition of the Times-Delphic, the newspaper of the Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. It quickly snowballed, and was heavily featured on the Detroit radio station MKNR. Towards the middle of October it had broken across the Atlantic.
Reporters attempted to contact The Beatles for their responses. Paul McCartney travelled to his Scottish farm on 22 October, and Peter Brown called him to ask for a statement that could be given to the press. McCartney gave a line borrowed from Mark Twain: âRumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated.â
The statement did little to quell the intrigue, and Apple continued to be bombarded with calls from reporters. WKNRâs Russ Gibb spoke to Derek Taylor, and to someone else who claimed to be McCartney but was in fact Tony Bramwell. The stationâs John Small also spoke to John Lennon, who sounded bewildered and amused by the story: âWhat did we do, stuff him and shave him? How could we do it? I donât understand what itâs all about.â
A reporter from New Yorkâs WMCA, Alex Bennett, arrived in London on 22 October. The following day he interviewed Ringo Starr, Derek Taylor, Neil Aspinall, photographer Iain Macmillan, McCartneyâs tailor and barber, and members of Apple group White Trash. Starr told the Bennett: âIf people are gonna believe it, theyâre gonna believe it. I can only say itâs not true.â
On 24 October McCartney agreed to speak to the BBCâs Chris Drake. The interview took place at the singerâs High Park Farm in Campbeltown, Scotland.
McCartney suggested that the stories had begun as he had adopted a lower public profile recently. He said that he once did âan interview a weekâ to keep in the headlines, but since getting married and becoming a father he preferred to live a more private life.
He was firm in denying he had died, saying: âIf the conclusion you reach is that Iâm dead, then youâre wrong, because Iâm alive and living in Scotland.â Linda McCartney said their holiday was being ruined by the press speculation, adding that âeverybody knows heâs aliveâ.
Talk then turned to the subject of McCartneyâs farm, which he admitted was scruffy. He said he had been dubbed âthe new Lairdâ when he first met his Scottish neighbours, but didnât want to be considered the âsquire of the districtâ. He concluded the interview by saying that The Beatles had no plans to reconvene in the near future, having recently completed an album and film, and that he may not return to London until 1970.
A one-minute extract from Chris Drakeâs interview was broadcast on BBC Radio 4âs The World This Weekend on 26 October from 1pm. A longer recording lasting 3â30â was included on The World At One the following day, and 3â20â was included on Late Night Extra on Radio 2 from 10pm later that night.
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Beatles Bible
On which Beatles album did Paul McCartney shine the most?
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Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: In My Life, Nowhere Man (1965)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineers: Stuart Eltham, Norman Smith
There were three separate recording sessions booked at Abbey Roadâs Studio Two on this day. The first took place from 10.30-11.30am, and saw George Martin record the baroque-style piano overdub onto âIn My Lifeâ.
"âIn My Lifeâ is one of my favourite songs because it is so much John. A super track and such a simple song. Thereâs a bit where John couldnât decide what to do in the middle and, while they were having their tea break, I put down a baroque piano solo which John didnât hear until he came back. What I wanted was too intricate for me to do live, so I did it with a half-speed piano, then sped it up, and he liked it." â George Martin
Martin initially tried a Hammond organ solo, but was unhappy with the results. He then attempted to play a part on a piano, but had difficulty playing the complex solo in time. Eventually he instructed engineer Stuart Eltham to slow down the tape to half speed, and played the solo an octave lower, so upon playback it gave the desired effect.
The afternoon session took place from 2.30-7pm. The Beatles continued work on âNowhere Manâ, which they had begun the night before. Three more takes, numbered 3-5, were recorded, before overdubs were added during the evening session.
The rhythm track consisted of Paul McCartneyâs bass, Ringo Starrâs drums, and John Lennonâs Gibson Jumbo acoustic guitar.
The three remaining tracks of the four-track tapes were filled during a 7-11pm session. Lennon, McCartney and George Harrison double-tracked their three-part vocals, with Lennon taking the lead, onto tracks two and three. The song was complete with electric guitar parts played simultaneously by Lennon and Harrison on Fender Stratocasters.
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Beatles Bible
On which Beatles album did John Lennon shine the most?
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đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: Hello, Goodbye (1967)
Studio One, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Ken Scott
This was the second session for The Beatlesâ single âHello, Goodbyeâ, and took place in the huge Studio One at Abbey Road between 7pm and 3.30am. At this time the song was known by its working title âHello Helloâ.
Two lead guitar parts were overdubbed onto track two of take 16, and tracks three and four were filled with lead and backing vocals.
Also added to track four were handclaps and âHela, heba, heloaâ vocals onto the coda. The session ended with a reduction mix to free up space for further overdubs, by combining tracks three and four. This mix became known as take 17.
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Beatles Bible
đ ON THIS DAY: Recording: Day Tripper, If I Needed Someone (1965)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
The Beatles worked on two songs on this day. The first, âDay Tripperâ, appeared on their final single of 1965 along with âWe Can Work It Outâ. They also recorded the rhythm track for âIf I Needed Someoneâ, George Harrisonâs first composition for the Rubber Soul album.
Two separate sessions were booked at Studio Two. The first took place from 2.30-7pm, and resulted in the recording of three takes of âDay Tripperâ. Only the last of these was a complete version.
The performance was recorded onto two tracks of the four-track tape. The first had bass guitar and drums, and the second contained John Lennon and George Harrisonâs electric guitars. Although these parts were recorded onto two separate tracks, they were performed simultaneously in the studio.
The second session began at 7pm and concluded at midnight. John Lennon and Paul McCartney overdubbed vocals onto âDay Tripperâ, with Harrison joining them during the verses. The final track of the tape was filled with tambourine by Ringo Starr, and more guitar parts by Lennon and Harrison.
With âDay Tripperâ complete, The Beatles began work on Harrisonâs âIf I Needed Someoneâ. They recorded the backing track in a single take, featuring bass, drums and Lennonâs Fender Stratocaster. Vocals and more instrumentation were added on 18 October 1965.
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đ ON THIS DAY: Recording, mixing: Julia, Dear Prudence, Wild Honey Pie, Back In The USSR, Blackbird (1968)
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Ken Scott
The final song to be recorded for the White Album was âJuliaâ, John Lennonâs tribute to his mother.
He chose to record the song simply, with just vocals and acoustic guitar. It took just three takes to perfect the guitar track, which was recorded onto four-track tape.
The mostly instrumental take two was included on 1996âs Anthology 3, but take three became the basis for the album release. Onto it Lennon recorded two vocal tracks and a second acoustic guitar part, and the song was complete.
A stereo mix of âJuliaâ was then created, followed by one of âDear Prudenceâ, two of âWild Honey Pieâ, and one apiece of âBack In The USSRâ and âBlackbirdâ.
Mono mixes followed: one of âJuliaâ, five of âDear Prudenceâ, and finally one of âBlackbirdâ.
"For the mono mix everything came out OK, but the stereo mix took a long, long time and I was holding the pencil to keep the effects tape taut. I guess I must have been leaning back on it and started to stretch it, because the mono has this clear, clean lovely jet sound while the stereo is an abomination of a jet sound." â John Smith, tape operator
The aeroplane effects had been recorded at London Airport, and came from the tape Volume 17: Jet and Piston Engine Aeroplane from Abbey Roadâs collection.
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