A Day in the Life – On this day………

Wednesday June 14th 1967

On this day in 1967 The Beatles started to record what was to become the song that most embodied the summer of 1967, ‘All you Need is Love.’ 

On the 18^th of May 1967 it was announced that the Beatles had agreed to be one of the two British representatives in a television programme set for live world-wide broadcast during the evening (UK time) of Sunday 25^th June, the first ever global satellite link up. They had agreed to be shown in the studio, recording a song composed especially for the occasion.

The first 33 takes of ‘All you Need is love’ – the basic rhythm track and a little vocal work – were taped between 10.30pm and 3.00am this night at the Olympic Studio in Barnes, with George Martin producing and Eddie Kramer as balance engineer.    

In his book,’ Revolution in the Head,’ Ian MacDonald discusses the structure and the substance of  the song.  He mentions that it is ,’One of the Beatles less deserving hits,’ and believes that The Beatles were ,’now doing substandard work: paying little attention to musical values and settling for lyric, first thoughts on the principle that everything no matter how haphazard, meant something and if it didn’t- so what?’ He argues that their attention to detail so evident during the recording of ‘Sergeant Pepper,’ had most evidently been left behind in the recording of this song.  His criticism of the song continues when he mentions,’drug sodden laziness,’ and that the song represented, ‘the rot setting in.’ 

Whilst MacDonald’s review is interesting what he fails to mention is that this song was written primarily for the satellite link up and also that it was a representation of all the philosophical good feeling that flower power and the sixties embodied.  The phrase, ’All you need is Love,’ has become an iconic statement representing a global acknowledgement of almost religious significance.  In post Christian western society the song symbolises a humanistic hymn to positivity and love.  In my opinion Lennon’s lyrics are cleverly ambivalent creating the desired atmosphere of celebration and optimism that the recording was attempting to achieve.  Certainly the carnival atmosphere in Studio One, Abbey Road, on the 25^th of June is evident when The Beatles revealed the song to a global audience.  See below. 

Whilst it certainly could be argued that after Sergeant Pepper the Beatles lost the discipline and harmony that they achieved during this ground breaking album, there can be no doubt that the Beatles still produced revolutionary recordings to follow. Not long after John Lennon and The Beatles recorded the superb ‘I am a Walrus‘ another wonderful contribution to the psychedelic canon that was changing music on a day by day basis in the late 1960’s.  1968 brought us the incredibly diverse album ‘The Beatles’ better known as ‘The White Album’ and whilst the discipline and ‘laziness’ in the studio was definitely palpable the Beatles still continued to record records that are still part of our culture some 40 odd years later.  Judge for yourselves.

A Day in the Life – On this day…..

May 27^th 1966 – Lennon meets Dylan

On this day 1966 John Lennon filmed a sequence in the back of a limousine with Bob Dylan as part of Dylan’s largely unseen “Eat the Document,” documentary chronicling Dylan’s latest European concert tour which he had hired D.A. Pennebraker (who had directed Dylan’s groundbreaking documentary, ‘Don’t Look Back’, in 1965).

As you can see Dylan and John Lennon were filmed riding in the back of a chauffeured limousine, driving in to central London-to the Mayfair Hotel in Stratton Street- from John’s house in Weybridge Surrey. Unscripted and with no direction the piece was long, incomprehensible and somewhat self indulgent, probably because of Dylan being obviously high and both Lennon and Dylan unwilling to let the cool shutters down. 

Lennon is obviously less high than Dylan and seems to be tolerating Dylan.  Dylan announces that he felt ill and needed to puke.  There is little wonder the sequence was cut down in the original film and Pennebaker’s documentary only had a week screening at a small New York cinema in 1969. In the finished film the long sequence is thought to have been edited down to 2 or 3 minutes.

Whilst this is hardly an auspicious meeting of the two men.  It is still a document of two of the most influential artists of the sixties.  Lennon had obviously been influenced by Dylan with songs such as, “You’ve Got to Hide your Love Away,” and, “Help,” whereas Dylan was undoubtedly influenced by The Beatles and his move away from folk to his ‘electric period’.

A Day in the Life – On this day……

For all you Beatles fans out there I will be starting a new feature called ‘A Day in the Life – On this day…’ , which will look at what The Beatles were doing during their career together, on that particular day.  So if say for instance the day I post the blog is the 12th May the selection may come from the 12th of May from any period from 1957-1970. 

So for instance on this day 12th may 1967, The Beatles were at Studio 2, EMI studios, Abbey Road recording ‘All Together Now,’ for the ‘Yellow Submarine,’ soundtrack. Depending on what they were doing I may even give a synopsis of the song they were recording or a gig they were playing etc. 

Again please feel free to contribute I know there are some crazy Beatles fans out there. I may be a Beatle geek but I know there are some who are even worse.  I have no problems with a bit of correction.  Ooooooh Matron!