Paperback Writer
- About six months after Rubber Soul, the band released their next stand-alone single.
- Written mostly by McCartney.
- Influenced by their contemporaries and rivals The Beach Boys.
- The first Beatles single to not be a love song of any kind.
- One of the last new songs the band would perform live before quitting their live shows. The band would mask the harder parts to sing (such as the harmonising refrain) by encouraging the audience to scream louder by doing a 'woo' or a head wobble just beforehand.
- McCartney sings the lead vocals, with Lennon and Harrison harmonising. Ringo plays tambourine as well as his usual drum track.
- The recording features a bigger bass sound than previous Beatles sounds. McCartney achieved this by using a loudspeaker instead of a microphone to record from his bass amp.
- This was attempt by McCartney to write a melodic song based around a single chord. Most of the song is based around G as a result.
- Took two takes to record and runs for two minutes and fifteen seconds.
- Written mostly by McCartney.
- Influenced by their contemporaries and rivals The Beach Boys.
- The first Beatles single to not be a love song of any kind.
- One of the last new songs the band would perform live before quitting their live shows. The band would mask the harder parts to sing (such as the harmonising refrain) by encouraging the audience to scream louder by doing a 'woo' or a head wobble just beforehand.
- McCartney sings the lead vocals, with Lennon and Harrison harmonising. Ringo plays tambourine as well as his usual drum track.
- The recording features a bigger bass sound than previous Beatles sounds. McCartney achieved this by using a loudspeaker instead of a microphone to record from his bass amp.
- This was attempt by McCartney to write a melodic song based around a single chord. Most of the song is based around G as a result.
- Took two takes to record and runs for two minutes and fifteen seconds.
Rain
- The b-side to Paperback Writer.
- Written by Lennon.
- Both this song and Paperback Writer were written during the Revolver sessions but eventually not included on that album in favour of releasing them as a stand-alone single before the album's release.
- Lennon wrote the song after the band toured Australia. On their arrival into the country they were met with rain the likes of which they had never seen.
- Owing to the band's reluctance to continue performing live, a promotional video was made to this song and given to various TV stations around the world to play. This is pretty much the first time such a thing was done, making the Beatles the originator of the music video.
- Also owing to the fact that the band would no longer be playing their songs live, they started to become more enthusiastic about musical experimentation. The sound of Lennon's vocals were altered by recording them on a slowed-down tape recorder and then speeding the tape up to normal speed to match the tempo of the song. Similar things were done in the opposite direction to alter backing tracks as well.
- This song is the first recording to feature backwards vocals as well. Both Lennon and George Martin take credit for this innovation.
- McCartney came up with the idea of slowing the song down to give it an Indian-like drone vibe. This shifts the key down from A into G.
- Arguably the band's first truly psychedelic song.
- Lennon sings the lead vocals, with McCartney and Harrison providing backing vocals. Ringo provides an additional tambourine track.
- Ringo has often cited the drumming in this song as being his best work.
- In the video clip to the song, certain closeups show McCartney's lip to be scarred and his tooth chipped due to a recent moped accident. The persistant "Paul is Dead" malarkey takes some of it's folklore from here.
- Runs for three minutes and took eight takes to record.
- The b-side to Paperback Writer.
- Written by Lennon.
- Both this song and Paperback Writer were written during the Revolver sessions but eventually not included on that album in favour of releasing them as a stand-alone single before the album's release.
- Lennon wrote the song after the band toured Australia. On their arrival into the country they were met with rain the likes of which they had never seen.
- Owing to the band's reluctance to continue performing live, a promotional video was made to this song and given to various TV stations around the world to play. This is pretty much the first time such a thing was done, making the Beatles the originator of the music video.
- Also owing to the fact that the band would no longer be playing their songs live, they started to become more enthusiastic about musical experimentation. The sound of Lennon's vocals were altered by recording them on a slowed-down tape recorder and then speeding the tape up to normal speed to match the tempo of the song. Similar things were done in the opposite direction to alter backing tracks as well.
- This song is the first recording to feature backwards vocals as well. Both Lennon and George Martin take credit for this innovation.
- McCartney came up with the idea of slowing the song down to give it an Indian-like drone vibe. This shifts the key down from A into G.
- Arguably the band's first truly psychedelic song.
- Lennon sings the lead vocals, with McCartney and Harrison providing backing vocals. Ringo provides an additional tambourine track.
- Ringo has often cited the drumming in this song as being his best work.
- In the video clip to the song, certain closeups show McCartney's lip to be scarred and his tooth chipped due to a recent moped accident. The persistant "Paul is Dead" malarkey takes some of it's folklore from here.
- Runs for three minutes and took eight takes to record.
