Somebody once told me that you can either be a Beatles person or an Elvis person, but not both. For a long time I thought that was true and I was definitely an Elvis person. I still am. But at some point, I realized that I’m also a Beatles person and maybe always have been. After all, one of the first pop songs I can remember hearing was “Help.” My kindergarten teacher Miss Engleheart, who I had a massive crush on, had a turntable in the classroom and she brought in the LP of Help for us to listen to. I can still see the cover in my mind, despite not having laid eyes on it for decades.
This is Blip number 52, which means I’ve been doing them for a year. Since collectively they represent a year in my life, I thought I’d mark the occasion with an audio version, sharing some stories and links around “A Day in the Life,” which is the last track on The Beatles’ masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Before we get to Sgt. Pepper, we have to talk a little about Rubber Soul, Revolver (which is probably my favorite Beatles record), as well as The Beach Boys and their own masterpiece, Pet Sounds. In 1965, The Beatles released Rubber Soul, which Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys, called “probably the greatest record ever.” In his autobiography I Am Brian Wilson, he talks about how some of the tracks and the recording techniques used on Rubber Soul directly inspired the songs that would end up on Pet Sounds. The following year, The Beatles were working on Revolver and Paul McCartney says that he took inspiration from The Beach Boys tune “God Only Knows” (which he’s called his favorite song) to write “Here, There, and Everywhere.” Later in 1966, Bruce Johnston (who joined The Beach Boys in 1965) brought an acetate of Pet Sounds with him to London, where he was partying with Keith Moon from The Who. As Johnston tells the story, after a night of clubbing, Keith invited Paul McCartney and John Lennon up to the room and Johnston got a turntable from the hotel so that he could play them the acetate of Pet Sounds. Johnston said that Lennon and McCartney were so blown away by the record that they listened to it multiple times through in the room. There’s a terrific article I found on The Atlantic from 2017 that has some great stuff around the Sgt. Pepper recording sessions, including this: “Inspired by Brian Wilson’s obsessive labor on the Beach Boys’ epic Pet Sounds, the Sgt. Pepper studio sessions were weeks of ideas tried, ideas rejected, and things tried anew. Undeniably, Sgt. Pepper is an experimental classic, a triumph of influence.” I also love what Nicholas Dawidoff, who wrote the piece, has to say about “A Day in the Life.” He calls it “an elaborate production, filled with sophisticated George Martin and Geoff Emerick musical trickery.”
Beyond the technical side, “A Day in the Life” is fascinating in that it was written by Lennon and McCartney as two different songs, which Lennon suggested that they try to connect in some way. Lennon had written the first two verses in response to a pair of newspaper articles that he had read and McCartney’s verses were based on growing up in Liverpool. The 24-bar cacophony between the verses was filled by a 40-piece orchestra who largely improvised the music with only a loose score written by George Martin to guide them. The final note of the song is a 53-second E-major chord that was played simultaneously on three pianos and a harmonium by Lennon, McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Martin, and The Beatles’ assistant Mal Evans. All in all, it took 34 hours of recording to get the song right.
It’s a fantastic track and the making of it is another example of so many similar stories around making music and art that shows the value in getting a little help from your friends. (Adrianne popped off with that after I told her this story and I said that I had to put it in, giving her full credit, of course.)
So thanks to Adrianne and thanks to you for listening and/or reading. If you enjoyed this one, please share it with a friend or two. If you’d like to hear more audio-enabled Blips, let me know in the comments or email me at talkback@jefferysaddoris.com. And if you’re not subscribed, maybe you could do that as well.
LINKS
Making Masterpieces: The Beach Boys and The Beatles Inspired Each Other
How The Beatles Wrote “A Day in the Life”
Behind The Song: The Beatles, “A Day In The Life”
Video and lyrics for “A Day In The Life”
The Making of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life”
Paul McCartney Breaks Down His Most Iconic Songs | GQ
I enjoy following up on and reflecting on what you share. However hearing your vocalise your words makes the experience more special. It feels like we’re having a conversation but I’m not pressured to reply. Not immediately anyway.
Congrats on 52!