The first time "Carry That Weight" rolled on tape was on January 6th, 1969 (at precisely 11 am, according to the slate announcement heard on the recording), at Twickenham Film Studios as The Beatles were rehearsing material for what became the "Let It Be" project. Paul's concept for the song at this point was for it to become a country-and-western-style song for Ringo to sing, George being briefly instructed as to what the chords were. Four attempts at playing the song took place, with Paul on organ and vocals, John on electric guitar and periodic backing vocals, and George making an effort to join in on piano.
On the next day, January 7th, 1969, Paul rehearsed the song again, but this time in a medley form with “Golden Slumbers” as we all have come to know it. This was performed by Paul alone on piano. This apparently was the day that Paul decided to pair the two songs together, only using the chorus of “Carry That Weight” and scrapping the country-and-western song idea.
On January 9th, 1969, Paul sat at the piano with Ringo and rehearsed the “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” medley for him, explaining the origins of both compositions. Since this medley was dropped entirely for the remainder of the month-long rehearsals and sessions that became the “Let It Be” film and album, this composition was apparently viewed as a lesser priority and was shelved for the time being.
It wasn't until the decision was made to make one final Beatles album that Paul dusted off the “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” medley and brought it to EMI Studio Two to record. After that decision, the second session was made on July 2nd, 1969, that Paul, George, and Ringo laid down the rhythm track for the song, John being hospitalized because of a road accident while on vacation in Scotland.
Paul entered the studio by himself earlier in the day and recorded his short song “Her Majesty” for consideration for the “Abbey Road” medley. Engineer Geoff Emerick, in his book “Here, There And Everywhere,” recounts the events of the rest of the day, starting at approximately 5 pm. “Later that same day, after Ringo and George Harrison arrived, the three Beatles recorded the backing track for 'Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight.' The two songs were joined together even at that early stage because Paul had already come up with the idea of linking up several short snippets into a medley of sorts. No one was sure how John would react, but we got on with the work anyway. There seemed to be an assumption that he would go along with it, and that this time around, in contrast to the 'White Album,' he wouldn't be calling all the shots." In a May 1969 interview, John spoke about "a kind of song montage that we might do as one piece on one side" of their next album, showing that John was definitely agreeable creating this medley.
Fifteen takes of the rhythm track were recorded on this day, the instrumentation being Ringo on drums (track one), George on Fender Bass VI (track two) and Paul on piano (track three), and guide vocal (track eight). Interestingly, even though “Golden Slumbers” and “Carry That Weight” were stipulated as two individual songs on the finished album, the documentation at this point indicated that the title of this entire rhythm track was “Golden Slumbers.” Not all of the 15 takes of the rhythm track they performed made it to the "Carry That Weight" segment of the song. This performance broke down early to get a satisfactory performance. 'Take one,' however, which is included in various 50th Anniversary editions of "Abbey Road," does get to the first chorus of "Carry That Weight" but breaks down in the fifth measure despite their spirited delivery. 'Take 15' did make it through the entire "Carry That Weight" segment, this being considered as the keeper for the rhythm track at the time. This recording session concluded at 9:30 pm.
On July 3rd, 1969, the following day was devoted entirely to additional work to the “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” medley. As the session began at 3 pm in EMI Studio Two, the first order of business was editing together 'take 13' and 'take 15' to create a satisfactory rhythm track for overdubbing purposes. Once this was edited together, the result still being called 'take 13,' the three Beatles took to adding various elements (John still being hospitalized). Onto track four, Ringo added some extra drum beats, and Paul said more vocals. Also, on track four, Ringo and Paul overdubbed their spirited "carry that weight" vocals in both choruses, Ringo's voice being upfront in consideration to this song originally being intended for his vocals. These vocals were then overdubbed onto track seven of the tape for added emphasis. Mark Lewisohn's book "The Beatles Recording Sessions" stipulate that both Paul and George added guitar parts to the song on this day, likely including Paul reprising John's Travis-picking guitar work from "You Never Give Me Your Money" for the final seconds of "Carry That Weight." This guitar part was played through a rotating Leslie speaker to create a thick swirling effect.
With this complete, it was seen that all eight tracks of the tape were full. Therefore, a reduction mix was needed to open up more tracks for further overdubbing. Two attempts at the reduction mix were made, documented as takes 16 and 17, 'take 17' deemed best, which transferred Ringo's newly recorded drum work from track four onto track one with his original rhythm track performance, thus creating a more resonant percussive sound. This recording session was complete by 8:30 pm.
One unidentified overdub was recorded onto the newly reduced recording of the song on the following day, July 4th, 1969. However, the identity of this overdub is not documented anywhere. This session ran from 2:45 to 5:30 pm in EMI Studio Two, attention being paid to the Wimbledon Ladies' tennis match between Britain's Ann Jones and America's Billie-Jean King during the proceedings of this day. It can be presumed that Paul put in another attempt at nailing the perfect lead vocal performance on this day.
“Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” was then shelved for about a month so that work on many other “Abbey Road” tracks could be worked on, John being released from the hospital during this time. Work did resume on the composite track, which was now finally documented as “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight,” on July 30th, 1969, in EMI Studio Three. The Beatles entered the studio at 3:30 pm for overdubs on various “Abbey Road” tracks, Paul adding more vocals onto “Carry That Weight” at this time, quite possibly the harmonies to the "I never give me my pillow" segment of the song.
With this accomplished, they moved into the control room of EMI Studio Two at 10:30 pm to put together a mock-up of what the long side-two medley would sound like, to see if all the song fragments could be edited together seamlessly. However, the first order of business was to treat all of these recordings to a stereo mix, the “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” segment being mixed by George Martin and engineers Geoff Emerick, Phil McDonald, and John Kurlander. All preliminary stereo mixes were then edited together and discussed tweaking some of the other tracks. This trial edit can be heard on various 50th Anniversary editions of "Abbey Road." The proper mixing and editing would be done at a later time. This session then ended at 2:30 am the following morning.
On the next day, July 31st, 1969, The Beatles entered EMI Studio Two at 2:30 pm for yet another overdub session. After working on “You Never Give Me Your Money,” attention turned back to the “Carry That Weight” section of the medley. More lead vocals were overdubbed, and George's lead guitar passage just before the lyrics "I never give you my pillow" is heard. The playing of timpani drums was also recorded on this day. While photographic evidence shows both Ringo and Paul attempted to achieve the right timpani sound, the documentation doesn't reveal whose performance actually made it onto the finished recording. The percussive-savvy Ringo seems the most likely choice. This session ended at 1:15 am the next morning.
The orchestral overdub occurred on August 15th, 1969, in EMI Studio One, the session beginning at 2:30 pm. There was a snag regarding this session, however, as Geoff Emerick explains: “EMI had still not installed an eight-track tape recorder or large-scale console into the Studio One control room, so we were forced to set up a complicated system of audio tie-lines and closed-circuit television that allowed the musicians to be seated in the larger Studio One while we recorded them in the control room of Studio Two.”
This session focused on segments of the long medley that were primarily Paul's compositions, namely “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” and “The End.” Emerick continues: “Following the pattern that had been established for much of the album, the only Beatle at (this) session was Paul...(Engineer) Phil McDonald, however, was there with me – working in two studios at once really complicated things, and we needed the extra pair of hands. George Martin did the conducting while (Paul) essentially produced his own session. Thankfully, there were no major technical mishaps, and everything worked smoothly.” Engineer Alan Brown remembers, as interviewed for the book “The Beatles Recording Sessions”: “It was a mammoth session. We had a large number of lines linking the studios, and we were all walking around the building with walkie-talkies trying to communicate with each other...It cost a lot of money: all the musicians have to be paid, fed, and watered; I screw every pound note out of it whenever I play the record!”
This orchestral session, the actual musicians not being documented, ended the recording of “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight.” It only took a total of three hours to record the orchestra for both this track and “The End,” George Martin's orchestral score being followed to the tee by professional studio musicians. This afternoon session ended at 5:30 pm, all personnel leaving until 7 pm when the orchestral overdubs for George Harrison's “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun” was recorded for the evening session.
August 18th, 1969, was when the official stereo mix of “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” took place. The session began at 2:30 pm in EMI Studio Two's control room. Two attempts at a stereo mix were made by George Martin and engineers Geoff Emerick, Phil McDonald, and Alan Parsons. The second remix was deemed suitable, after which they turned their attention to the song “The End.” This session ended at 10:30 pm.
On the next day, August 19th, 1969, the same engineering team assembled in EMI Studio Two's control room at 2 pm. Among the work done on this day was performing the cross-fade/edit between “Carry That Weight” and “The End.” After more stereo mixing and overdubbing was accomplished on other “Abbey Road” songs, this session was complete at 4 pm.
Sometime in 2019, George Martin's son Giles Martin, along with engineer Sam Okell, returned to the master tapes of "Golden Slumbers" and "Carry That Weight" to create a vibrant new stereo mix for inclusion on various 50th Anniversary editions of "Abbey Road." They also created a mix of takes one through three of this composite track, all incomplete, for inclusion on some editions of this special release, as well as the trial edit and mix of the entire "Abbey Road" medley from July 30th, 1969, and the isolated orchestral score of the song as recorded on August 15th, 1969.
Paul and his touring band recorded a live version of “Carry That Weight” in a medley with “Golden Slumbers” and “The End” as heard on the “Abbey Road” album on December 9th, 1989, in Montreal, Canada. This recording was released on his albums “Tripping The Live Fantastic” and “Tripping The Live Fantastic: Highlights!”
Song Structure and Style
The "Carry That Weight" section of the "Abbey Road" medley consists of two elements repeated twice, namely 'chorus/ verse (instrumental)/ verse/ chorus' (or abba) with a brief conclusion tack on at the end. The verse is actually a reprise of the verses heard in the very first section of the medley, "You Never Give Me Your Money," which acts as a suitable tie-in for the closing minutes of the entire medley.
After a brief introductory drum fill from Ringo, which is actually a continuation of the previous track's final measure, “Golden Slumbers,” an eight-measure chorus is heard first. The instrumentation consists of Paul on piano and rhythm guitar, George on bass, Ringo on drums and timpani beats, and a vibrant vocal chorus of Ringo and Paul singing in unison the lyric line “Boy, you're gonna carry that weight / carry that weight a long time” repeated twice. Also heard prominently is the orchestra playing a simple George Martin score that acts as a backdrop to the vocals as the focal point. Ringo puts in three drum fills during this chorus, in measures two, four, and then eight as a transition to the verse that follows.
Next comes the first of two consecutive verses, the first being entirely instrumental and only seven measures long. The orchestra highlighted the first four measures that play the “You Never Give Me Your Money” melody line in the score with Paul on piano and rhythm guitar, George on bass, and Ringo on drums. Starting with a crashing cymbal on the downbeat, Ringo accentuates the played melody line's prominent beats, adding a drum fill in measures two, three, and four for skilled technique. The verse's remaining three measures have Ringo playing a straight 4/4 drum beat using the hi-hat while the orchestra lays down a lush backing to highlight a masterful lead guitar line from George. Paul's piano and rhythm guitar, as well as George's bass, are still there to fill out the arrangement.
The second verse is now heard, which is eight measures long and is a vocal verse. While Ringo plays virtually identically to his playing in the previous instrumental verse for the first seven measures, accents and all, Paul sings lead vocals using lyrics similar to, but not identical to, the second verse of “You Never Give Me Your Money.” For instance, “number” is now “pillow,” and “situations” is now “invitations.” Once again, the orchestra provides a simple backdrop for the vocals while Paul continues on piano and rhythm guitar and George on bass. Paul is heard singing both and lead and harmony vocals during this segment as well. The eighth measure then acts as a segue into the repeat of the chorus that follows, the trumpets of the orchestra heralding in the change with accenting drum beats from Ringo and piano chords from Paul also playing their part.
The final part of this section of the medley is then heard, this being the second chorus. Instrumentally and vocally, it is identical to the first chorus, although it can be said to be seven measures long this time instead of eight. After the seventh measure completes, which is midway through the phrase “long time,” the arrangement transcends into yet another reprise of “You Never Give Me Your Money,” this being the final segment of the previous selection with the winding guitar riff and lyric “all good children go to heaven.” These vocals aren't sung here, but the winding guitar riff is repeated twice during this four-measure conclusion. Although John played the winding guitar riff on the previously mentioned track, he appears to not have been involved in “Carry That Weight” at all. Paul apparently takes on John's role suitably this time around.
Ringo plays similarly to what he did in the previous track while Paul and George finish out the arrangement here appropriately, and the orchestra plods on as well. While the recorded track ends on the final note of the winding guitar riff, which is the anticipated three-beat of the fourth measure, the engineers performed their edit just before this beat, replacing it with the first note of the song “The End,” which appropriately ends the long “Abbey Road” medley.
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