The group and George Martin played it live – each part done to perfection in a full take. Most never notice it, but the instrumental waltz section (1.01-1.30) alone is among the Beatles' masterpieces. Collected and re-spliced, the various circus organ parts gave an off-time forward-and-backward swirl of circus notes. He then cut the tape into short fragments and threw them up in the air to randomise them. For the middle section, Martin took vintage steam-organ recordings and printed them to tape. The Abbey Road harmonium paralleled the vintage sound of the accordions and steam organs of turn-of-the-century travelling shows, while an opening line played on the Mellotron stood in for a calliope. With years of experience creating sonic draperies for some of the world's best comedy records, George Martin set himself to work. For the musical backdrop, he requested the track be evocative enough to allow him to "smell the sawdust". Lennon's discovery of a vintage circus poster inspired some of the most unique and vivid Beatles lyrics.
As its writer would go on to say about the track, "Enough little bitties to keep you going, even 100 years later." But George Martin's score, and the surreal text ("Stick it up your jumpah!" etc.) gave a disturbing effect that delighted Lennon. The Mike Sammes Singers were employed to add a backing chorus, which was an odd choice, given their reputation for light, poppy repertoire. When it came time to do the stereo mix, the happenstance of the radio breakdown could not be recreated, so it had to be 'borrowed' from the mono mix, with some special EQ on opposite sides to fake a stereo effect. In the mix, the radio experiment caught just a snippet of Shakespeare's King Lear being broadcast (these were the days before sample clearances). In the middle of the two halves, the song breaks down and the whine of a radio being tuned (Ringo) is inserted. Lennon's voice is deliberately distorted, one of the earliest such treatments on a vocal. Again, the cellos were close-miked, bringing out the scratchiness over the warm notes. Whether George Martin could fully comprehend the images and concepts of the LSD-baptised Beatles is moot, but his execution of warped moods remains peerless. Walrus remains a standout track, if only for its all-round oddness. So, enjoy these 10 Beatle greats from a whole new angle and, as ever, your feedback is welcomed. They’ve picked and ranked the following ten tracks, arguing that they showcase The Beatles at their most technically innovative: applying production ideas stunning for their age to make music that sounds as current and powerful today as it ever did.
The group’s remarkable thirst for newness, allied with the ingenuity of their producers and engineers at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios, gave rise to cutting-edge sonics and daring studio exploration – now often taken for granted.Īnd there’s no-one better to explain how the group and their collaborators created new sonic worlds than Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan, authors of the benchmark Beatles-in-the-studio book, Recording The Beatles. Less often mentioned are the groundbreaking production tricks and ideas that made their records the benchmark for creative recording in the last century, and beyond.
THE BEATLES’ STELLAR SONGWRITING skills and world-class charm are the staples of pop culture commentary.
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