The Compleat Psychedelic Beatles

The Revolver Sessions

The Compleat Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Compleat Magical Mystery Tour/Yellow Submarine
And White Album Sessions
along with
Pantomime: Everywhere It's Christmas, Christmastime Is Here Again!, and Christmas 1968
Friday, April 15, 2011
In memory of
Owsley 'Bear' Stanley
(January 19, 1935 – March 13, 2011)

A splendid time is guaranteed for all!

It's always a nice thing when one good idea begets another. It's even better when that second idea leads to yet another. A new reader to Birds With Broken Wings who goes by the unique and unusual moniker of '.' recently sent me a compilation he assembled called, 'The Compleat Sgt. Pepper,' a collection in which he artfully inserted all of the additional material that was recorded by The Beatles during the historic 'Pepper' sessions.* Some of these songs were intended for and released as singles ('Strawberry Fields' and 'Penny Lane'), while others were temporarily shelved ('Only A Northern Song') for later use on subsequent records. His placement of the 'new' material within the ranks of the 'Sgt. Pepper' suite created a wonderful flow that added an tasteful element of surprise and injected new spirit into a well worn classic.** We exchanged a few emails, and '.' then kindly offered his creation to BWBW for sharing with the world at large (or at least the world according to my readership, however large or small that may be). In trying to determine how I might somehow augment '.' 's craftsmanship, it occurred to me take the same approach with the band's two simultaneous projects that followed, 'Magical Mystery Tour' and 'Yellow Submarine.' And so armed with my Fab Four collection and Mark Lewisohn's outstanding documentation of 'The Beatles Recording Sessions,' the culmination of his thorough combing of the official Abbey Road studio session notes from 1962 to 1970, I set out to assemble a companion piece, 'The Compleat Magical Mystery Tour/Yellow Submarine.' It was a simple and linear trajectory, '.' 's original idea giving birth to a second one.

* '.' also contributed some tasty original artwork for 'TCSP' embedded in the metadata.
**The same approach works wonders with The Rolling Stone's 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' in which I strategically added their non-LP singles to create what I believe makes for a stronger work.

Notes on the 'Mystery Tour' and 'Submarine' Sessions

From the seven month long 'Magical Mystery Tour' sessions, 'All You Need Is Love,' 'Baby, You're A Rich Man,' and 'Hello, Goodbye' were all intended as singles to placate record buyers while the band worked on their two film projects in tandem. The odd and comic, 'You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) was a song that the band had begun early on during the making of the 'MMT' soundtrack, but it sat unfinished for nearly two years before work was finally completed on the parody piece, seeing the light of day when it was eventually released as the B-side to 'Let It Be' in 1970, twenty-two months after its genesis. Additionally, the group's annual Xmas message was recorded during these sessions ('Christmastime Is Here Again!'), and bits from the fan club only release are also included within to ensure a 'compleat' package.
 
I was duly inspired by both mixes and by Lewisohn's informative book. While listening intently to the genius of The Beatles once again, I then couldn't help myself by considering taking things even one step further. If the same could be done for both 'Pepper' and 'Mystery Tour/Submarine,' then why not simply compile all of the group's psychedelic output during that very productive and inventive time by constructing 'The Compleat Psychedelic Beatles,' an all inclusive collection of their most mind-expanding material recorded between 1966 and 1969? One great idea sparks a second which in turn inspires a third. But here was where things got a little trickier and slightly more daunting. My objective had now shifted from simply compiling all of the material that was recorded during its associated session, to extracting songs of a certain style and personality from the transitional records that bookended The Beatles most committed psychedelic period, that of '...Pepper,' '...Mystery Tour,' and '...Submarine.' Their predecessor, 'Revolver' and their successor, 'The White Album' incorporated only bits of psychedelia among the more quintessential and familiar Beatle sounds, the former being the band's introduction to the genre and the latter where they lost their interest and moved on. So where then to begin for 'The Revolver Sessions?'

Notes on the 'Revolver' Sessions

Well as good a place as any to start, as well as the most obvious is the stellar, 'Tomorrow Never Knows,' perhaps one of The Beatles most challenging compositions and certainly among the most psychedelic of any song or songs recorded by anyone within the genre. It was the very first thing the boys tackled when they returned to the studio in April of 1966 to begin a follow-up to the sublime, 'Rubber Soul.' There is no question surrounding its extremely forward thinking psychedelic nature. From there however, the exercise of gauging psychedelic vs. mainstream material on 'Revolver' becomes rather subjective. Rarely, if ever were The Beatles predictable. They had long ago established a prevailing sound and in this window of remarkable artistic growth the band had truly sprouted wings, incorporating many unorthodox elements into their ever-expanding palette of song craft. Several 'Revolver' songs had the obligatory backward guitar or vocal track which they themselves had pioneered ('I'm Only Sleeping' and 'Rain' respectively), but the remainder of the material on 'Revolver' was psychedelic largely in attitude and atmosphere only. Densely layered, highly compressed, and flourishes of echo inform the most phantasmagorical of the lot, while others seemed to still have one foot firmly rooted in yesterday's accomplishments. All were superb, but not all were definitively psychedelic. The selections I've chosen to include in 'The Compleat...' most closely approximate the dream-like quality of psych music with their unusual Middle Eastern harmony structures and well-crafted production values. And as with 'Mystery Tour/Submarine,' I've also included a few tidbits from their 1966 Xmas outing, 'Pantomime: Everywhere It's Christmas.'

Notes on the 'White Album' Sessions

The same subjective approach was additionally needed in assembling 'The White Album Sessions,' an outing that was not so much a group effort but rather the product of four individuals who were now exploring their singular talents and muses. Little psychedelia found its way into or onto 'The Beatles' as the LP was officially called. And what little there was never made the final cut of the double album, save for 'Revolution, No.#9' which is more precisely, musique concrète than psychedelic. For our purposes however it fits in nicely, as does the controversial Take 20 of 'Revolution, No.#1.'* This track mysteriously appeared in trading circles roughly 2 years ago to much contention and debate over its authenticity. The clean mix had never surfaced previously, even after so much other 'new' or alternate material had been released through the likes of the 'Anthology' series and compilations. I myself didn't believe it was genuine upon first listen, but I've since come around with repeated airings to now be convinced that it's legit, the real thing. Here's what Mark Lewisohn's, 'The Beatles Recording Sessions' says of its genesis: 

May 30, 1968 --- "On this first day (having returned to the studio from India to commence recording 'The White Album'), takes 1 through 18 were recorded of the 'Revolution' (ie: 'Revolution, No.#1') rhythm track --- each of varying length but all averaging about 5 minutes. Take 18 was different, substantially different, and it was the basis of the final LP version. It began soon after the previous take that Geoff Emerick in punching the talkback button simultaneously with the start of the song, announced "Take 18" over John Lennon's vocal, the first with vocals, in fact. John deliberately kept Emerick's words as part of the song and thus they appear on the album. Secondly, this take did not stop after 5 minutes. It kept on and on and on, eventually running out at 10'17''. The last 6 minutes were pure chaos --- the sound of a 'Revolution,' if you like --- with discordant instrumental jamming, plenty of feedback, John Lennon repeatedly screaming, "Alright!" and then simply repeatedly screaming with lots of on-microphone moaning by John and his new girlfriend, Yoko Ono, with Yoko talking and saying such off-the-wall phrases as "you become naked" and with the overlay of miscellaneous, home-made sound effects tapes.

There can be no doubt, Take 18 of 'Revolution, No.#1' was riveting, but in its present length there was no way it could be released as a single, something The Beatles were actively considering at this point. Before very long, the last 6 minutes were hived off to form the basis of 'Revolution, No.#9."

June 4, 1968 --- "A day of curious overdubs and experiments for 'Revolution, No.#1.' One of the session's tape boxes details "vocal backing -- mama papa." This was not a guest appearance by The Mamas And Papas, but rather a description of a persistent backing vocal (actually 'Mama... Dada... Mama... Dada...') sung by Paul McCartney and George Harrison dozens upon dozens of times towards the end of the ten minute recording, but therefore cut out of the truncated version which appeared on the LP.

Also taped on this day was another drum track and various percussive clicks by Ringo, a tone-pedal guitar part by John, and an organ part played by Paul. Two tape loops for dropping in to the recording of 'Revolution, No.#1' consisted of all four Beatles singing, at length, "Aaaaaaah," in a very high register. The second was made from a rather manic guitar phrase played high up on the fretboard. A rough mono mix of Take 20 was made and was then taken away on a plastic spool by John Lennon at the end of the session."

*Similar to 'Tomorrow Never Knows,' both 'Revolution No.#1' and 'No.#9' were remarkably the first two songs that The Beatles tackled for 'The White Album.' An ambitious bunch, those mop tops.

Meanwhile, 'Lady Madonna' and the lovely, 'The Inner Light' were released as a single in the midst of 'The White Album' sessions, despite the fact that neither song actually appeared on the final LP. 'Hey Bulldog' was a late addition composed specifically for the yet to debut 'Yellow Submarine' film and its corresponding soundtrack. Elsewhere, John Lennon's absolutely gorgeous, 'Across The Universe' was set aside for a charity album and didn't find its way onto a Beatle album until Phil Spector virtually destroyed it on the 'Let It Be' soundtrack in 1970. Fortunately, the unadulterated masters remained intact and the song was later re-released as it was intended to be heard on 'Let It Be...Naked.' 'What's The New Mary Jane?' on the other hand reflects Lennon's new infatuation with the avant-garde (likewise with 'Revolutions, No.#1 & #9'), sparked no doubt by Yoko Ono and her conceptual art, and it's probably one of most unusual things recorded during this period under the guise of The Beatles. Possibly with the exception of 'Across The Universe,' you'd have to agree that the previously mentioned titles can hardly be categorized as psychedelic, but similar to much of the material on 'Revolver,' it's the attitude behind them that allows me to comfortably include them within 'The Compleat Psychedelic Beatles.' The same can certainly be said for George Harrison's, 'Long, Long, Long' which closes out the collection. The composition is easily the most underrated in both his, and The Beatles entire discography. The songs druggy lethargy evokes an utterly soporific and languid mood; its notes hanging suspended in air, dreamy and divine, much like a curl of smoke snaking hypnotically from the bowl of an opium pipe and filling the room with a ethereal haze, and that atmosphere is fueled merely by the songs temperament. The results are absolutely narcotic.
 
There are bound to be differing opinions surrounding my choices for inclusion in 'The Compleat Psychedelic Beatles,' but I believe I've assembled a pretty comprehensive anthology and it sure makes for some great listening. The four segments ('Revolver,' 'Sgt. Pepper,' 'Magical Mystery Tour/Yellow Submarine' and 'The White Album') can be thoroughly enjoyed individually, but I'd recommend your programming them back-to-back for the best listening experience. It's a commitment if you're up for a marathon run, but it's also a rewarding one. 51 songs. 2 hours and 36 minutes of The Beatles at their most inventive and psychedelic.

The Revolver Sessions

 1) Tomorrow Never Knows
2) Love To You
3) She Said, She Said  
4) Good Day Sunshine
5) I Want To Tell You
 6) Paperback Writer
(from the Revolver sessions)
7) Yellow Submarine
8) I'm Only Sleeping
9) Pantomime, No.#1
(from post Revolver/pre Pepper sessions)
10) Rain
(from the Revolver sessions)
11) Pantomime, No.#2
(from post Revolver/pre Pepper sessions)

The Compleat Sgt. Pepper

12) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
13) With A Little help From My Friends
14) Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
15) Penny Lane
(from the Sgt. Pepper sessions)
16) Getting Better
17) She's Leaving Home
18) For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
19) Strawberry Fields Forever
(from the Sgt. Pepper sessions)
20) Within You, Without You
21) When I'm Sixty Four
22) Lovely Rita
23) Only A Northern Song
(from the Sgt. Pepper sessions)
24) Good Morning, Good Morning
25) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
26) A Day In The Life
27) Inner Runoff Groove


The Compleat Magical Mystery Tour/Yellow Submarine Sessions
 
28) It's All Too Much
29) Baby, You're A Rich Man
30) All You Need Is Love
31) Christmastime Is Here Again!, #1 
(from the Mystery Tour/Submarine Sessions)
32) I Am The Walrus
33) Magical Mystery Tour
34) Fool On The Hill
35) Flying
36) Blue Jay Way
37) Your Mother Should Know
38) Christmastime Is Here Again!
(from the Mystery Tour/Submarine Sessions)
39) Hello Goodbye
40) Christmastime Is Here Again!, No.#2
(from the Mystery Tour/Submarine Sessions)
41) All Together Now
42) Christmastime Is Here Again!, No.#3
(from the Mystery Tour/Submarine Sessions)
43) You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
(from the Mystery Tour/Submarine Sessions)
44) Christmastime Is Here Again!, No.#4
(from the Mystery Tour/Submarine Sessions)

The White Album Sessions

45) Glass Onion
46) Hey Bulldog
(from the White Album sessions)
47) Lady Madonna
(from the White Album sessions)
48) What's The New Mary Jane?
(from the White Album sessions)
49) The Inner Light
(from the White Album sessions)
50) Revolution No.#1 (Take 20)
51) Revolution No.#9
52) Across The Universe
 (from the White Album sessions)
53) Long, Long Long