The White Album demos
December 14, 2013 5:51 PM   Subscribe

"The relaxing weeks in India yielded a bumper crop of new compositions. Around the third week of May [1968], the Beatles congregated at 'Kinfauns', George's bungalow in Esher, Surrey, and taped 23 [sic] demo recordings using George's Ampex four-track machine. Most, though not all, ended up on the Beatles' next LP, the double-set commonly called the 'White Album' but actually titled, simply, The Beatles. In probable order of recording, these were those 23 demos." [excerpt from Mark Lewisohn's The Complete Beatles Chronicle] posted by paleyellowwithorange (12 comments total) 68 users marked this as a favorite
 
There's part of "Happiness is a Warm Gun" stuck into "I'm So Tired"!
posted by Oxydude at 6:36 PM on December 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Wow, I'm glad they held back "Child of Nature" until John could write some new lyrics. "Jealous Guy" is one of my favorite songs, but that thing was just really insipid.
posted by neroli at 7:11 PM on December 14, 2013


I love you, paleyellowwithorange. Is that cool to say? Cause I love you, paleyellowwithorange.
posted by fishmasta at 7:32 PM on December 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Wow. This is incredible.
posted by evil otto at 7:34 PM on December 14, 2013


Why the "sic" after 23? What error is in the quoted material?
posted by ethnomethodologist at 8:25 PM on December 14, 2013


Well, Lewisohn referred to 23 songs recorded at the session at George's, and listed the first 23 songs at the main FPP link. But then Anthology 3 was released, with the extra 4 songs I've included under 'Bonus', and the Anthology liner notes specifically identified them as being from the same session.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 8:37 PM on December 14, 2013


Know a hardcore Beatles fan?
Having trouble thinking of a Christmas gift?
I just discovered they're auctioning off an autographed copy of the album, 'With the Beatles'.
It should set you back between £10,000 - 15,000.
posted by Mezentian at 8:40 PM on December 14, 2013


Whoa crazy move to 3/4 at the end of Cry Baby Cry! Dammit John, you're so fucking awesome.
posted by scrowdid at 12:00 AM on December 15, 2013


What I like about the Beatles is how, after you strip away all the hype and glitter, they are actually rather awesome.
posted by Goofyy at 9:30 AM on December 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Interesting that this version of Revolution doesn't include the (then) controversial lines "If you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, don't you know that you can count me out." Here John is basically opposing destruction - and I guess on second thought he felt compelled to blame the left for violence and destruction. So much musical talent and so much political awareness - really a man of his time.
posted by three blind mice at 11:30 AM on December 15, 2013


You're misremembering your lyrics, three blind mice. The lyric in question is: "But when you talk about destruction, don't you know that you can count me out." This is how it eventually appeared in the released version (on the Hey Jude single). And it occurs twice in this demo.

The Chairman Mao line is missing from this demo; but in the released version, the second part of the lyric was "you ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow."
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 12:45 PM on December 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Joy!

Boy that John feller was damned inspired then. When you're making McCartney sweat to keep up, that's a good sign. Love the odd hitchy time signatures and how they (somehow) work.
Thanks pywo!
posted by petebest at 5:52 PM on December 15, 2013


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