Tis Better To Have Loved and Lost Than To Never Loved At All. Alfred Lord Tennyson – Part 7

Eight months. A long span for teenagers to tolerate with relish anticipation seeking their favorite pop stars latest and greatest LP. That’s how long the duration kept our entire world in suspense wondering when record shops might exchange new Beatles goods for money, not counting the June released single, Paperback Writer/Rain. Inside the UK, though, a temporary 30-day fix lessened the time lapse agony by Parlophone’s clever win-win plan in sending Revolvers’ 14 tracks to radio stations during July. This gesture received tons and tons of airplay, and in turn, come August 5, Revolver sold like crazy, locked in as the #1 Album for seven weeks, and remained in the charts an additional twenty-seven weeks. In America, the album held the #1 spot for six of a total seventy-seven-week span on the Billboard charts. Not bad for their seventh effort.

7^th LP – Revolver.   (Mutual Love / 3 vs. One-sided Love / 1)

Track 1: – Taxman. The title says it all. . . In lieu of seventy percent of this week’s compositions side-step from themes linked with love, moving into uncharted boundaries throughout numerous topics, once this series finalizes with “Past Masters Volume Two,” a new series shall commence revealing Background Fun Facts on material sung about themes unrelated to love.

Track 2: – Elenore Rigby. Lonely people, neither mutual or one-sided, but from where do they come?

Track 3: – I’m Only Sleeping.  Nothing to do with love.

Track 4 – Love You To. A mutual love song by George, based on the lyric portrayal the singer tells his lady to love him while she can before he is a dead man. Also, he suggests they make love all day long, and right at the end of the song he offers to make love to her if she wants him to. Background Fun Facts: Written Between March and April 1966, specifically for the sitar, and as a newlywed hitched to his beautiful new bride, Pattie. David Crosby and Roger MC Guinn introduced George to a Ravi Shankar demo made at the same studio the Byrds’ used in 1964. George grew mesmerized, later admitting, “it is the only great music now, and it makes Western three-or-four-beat type stuff seem somehow dead.” John didn’t participate at all on this track but admired the new sound calling it amazing and cool. Recorded on April 11, using the name, “Granny Smith” as a working title. Before any mics were turned on, or the four-track tape machine spun a new roll, three-and-a-half hours kept everyone in conference over how best to assemble this new type of production. A plan using three takes to build the rhythm track seemed to solve all doubts. Take one recorded George singing and playing acoustic guitar as Paul provided another vocal. Another take captured George adding his sitar section, and last, a group of Asian Society musicians completed the feat, practically burying the acoustic guitar in the process. Overdubs consisted of Paul on bass, which his sound ran into the same trouble as the acoustic, plus Harrison plugged his electric guitar into the same Fuzzbox used on ‘Think For Yourself.’ After a day rest from the studio, fresh overdubs had George double-track his vocal, Ringo worked in a tambourine bit, and Paul added high harmonies. Both mono and stereo mix incorporated artificial double-tracking onto the sitar instruments, and the mono version received an extra eight seconds on the fade out.

Track 5 – Here, There And Everywhere. A mutual love song by Paul, based on the lyric portray the singer needs his lady love always near to lead a better life, and they both agree that love never dies. Background Fun Facts: Written June 1966, with a cup of tea poolside at Lennon’s Kenwood home waiting for John to arouse from a deep sleep. The melody came through a profound appreciation over Brian Wilson’s new Pet Sounds arrangements. By the time the homeowner partner awakened, Paul had the song pert near completed after a few added lyrics from Mr. Sleepyhead. Later that week, Paul still sought to replace a line in a verse and inquired ideas from Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall. Mal suggested, “watching her eyes, hoping I’m always there,” and the phrase stuck like glue, becoming one of Paul’s favorite original compositions. Recorded on June 16 needing 9 takes for the rhythm track that had Paul playing chords on an Epiphone electric guitar, Ringo behind the drums, and George donating an electric guitar solo on his Blue Fender Strat at the bridge sections. Overdubs included three-part harmonies recorded twice, George double-tracked his guitar solo, Paul added bass, and afterward, laid down his lead vocal. The next evening, Paul double-tracked his lead vocal. Mono and stereo mixes sound quite the same, except for stereo, each channel received a separate lead vocal from Paul, the left channel captured the original voice, and the right channel captured the double-tracked vocal done the second night.  

Track 6 – Yellow Submarine. Again, this tune misses the theme as a love song.

Track 7 – She Said She Said. Another piece off target on love.

Track 8 – Good Day Sunshine. A mutual love song by Paul, based on the lyric portrayal the singer happily chants, “I love her, and she’s loving me,” and he is so proud to know she is his girl. Background Fun Facts:  Written between May and June 1966, however, the heart of the song took one day, composed at John’s home on a sunny day. John threw in a line or two, but that’s about all. Influenced by the Loving Spoonful’s tune, Daydream, helped create Paul’s melody and lyrics. Recorded June, 8 and improperly titled, ‘A Good Day’s Sunshine’ scribbled on the tape box by one of the engineers. Three takes finally turned up a keeper rhythm track, and they could have bypassed the last two. Take one consisting of Paul on piano, Ringo on drums, and George playing his 65 Burns Nu-Sonic Bass Guitar. Overdubs included George Martin playing the piano solo in the middle; Paul added his lead vocal while on another track, John and George added harmony vocals. The next day, Ringo added a new full set drum track to supplement Mr. Star’s contribution yesterday. John, Paul, and George taped extra harmonies, Paul threw in another piano part, all four lads stood around an opened mic for on tempo handclaps, and Ringo completed the set with a tambourine bit. 

Track 9 – And Your Bird Can Sing. Meaningless fake wisdom and off target. Let’s move on.

Track 10 – For No One. A one-sided love song by Paul, based on the lyric portrayal the singer comes to the realization his woman no longer needs him, he stays home, but she goes out, telling him she once knew someone yet now he’s gone and all he has is a reminder their love should have lasted years. Background Fun Facts: Written in March 1966 while on a skiing vacation with Jane Asher in Klosters, Switzerland. The famous couple took brief residency in a chalet not far from town, and of all places, Paul wrote what was called at the time, “Why Did It Die,” inside the rental home’s bathroom. He liked the acoustics. Although John provided zero assistance, he confessed in a 1972 interview this song and also “Here, There and Everywhere were two of his favorite songs thought up by Paul. Recording began on May 9 using just half of the Beatles, Paul on piano and Ringo on drums sticking mostly to taps on the hi-hat. After the tenth try, they reached a keeper rhythm track then added the following overdubs––Paul’s bass, a Clavichord brought from George Martin’s home, played by Paul, and tambourine from Ringo. About a week later, Paul recorded his lead vocal. The tune purposely had an empty middle leaving room for an instrumental solo. Paul had always liked the sounds from a French Horn and counseled with Martin which steps were needed to attain one. Martin knew the best of them, and in three days, Alan Civil from the BBC Symphony Orchestra showed up and received a hand written sheet of music from Martin as to which notes be played. As a thank you for his service, he received fifty pounds and name credit recognition on the album’s back cover side. The entire 14 tracks on Revolver never established an opportunity for widespread appeal on a Beatles live stage performance, however, Paul revived the song on his 2004 tour dates and the French Horn solo surfaced through the hands of Paul Wickens playing the synthesizer.  

Track 11 – Doctor Robert. Again, misses the theme point on love.

Track 12 – I Want To Tell You. About inabilities to express thoughts in words. Moving on.

Track 13 ­– Got To Get You Into My Life. A Mutual love song by Paul, based on the lyric portrayal the singer upon first glance tells his new love interest he needs her every single day of his life and she doesn’t push him away or toy with his abrupt openness, she simply accepts his open arms and says we’ll be together every day. WRONG! The object of Paul’s affection is not a woman; it’s marijuana. Let’s move on.

Track 14 – Tomorrow Never Knows.  Off target, about LSD trips instead of love.

In closing, this album truly remains as one of the finest ever recorded, a top favorite for both George and Ringo, but for our purposes centered around the subject of love, it sadly wavered into almost everything except affection for the opposite sex, but so what. I love this album regardless.

Next week unleashes, even more, examples how the Beatles pushed the envelope and opened a whole new concept, classic rock. Join me as I unravel unrequited love songs inside the eighth album packaging of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.