For You Blue And Its Incredible Recording Process.

 

On January 6th, 1969, George brought in the as-yet-untitled “For You Blue” for The Beatles to consider for what became the “Let It Be” film and album. This was day three of their rehearsals at Twickenham Film Studios in London. This was an incredibly irritating day for George as he tried unsuccessfully to interest his bandmates in various new song ideas, “Hear Me Lord,” “All Things Must Pass,” “Maureen,” and “For You Blue.” They did work extensively this day, however, on John's “Don't Let Me Down” and Paul's “Two Of Us,” rehearsals for the latter song erupting a mild disagreement between Paul and George about how the guitarist should play… “Whatever it is that will please you, I'll do it” remark from Harrison being the result.

In any event, George touched on two instrumental versions of “For You Blue” toward the beginning of the session, featuring only Harrison on acoustic guitar. He knocked off two more performances on acoustic guitar the following day, January 7th, 1969, amid their extensive work on Paul's “Maxwell's Silver Hammer,” John's reinvention of “One After 909,” and an early form of a song that would eventually become “Get Back.”

George was persistent with his “folk/blues” song, as he referred to “For You Blue” at the time, on January 9th, 1969 at Twickenham Studios, when he led them through a total of fifteen versions of the song to acquaint them with how it goes. After going through a few acoustic guitar versions of the song, he was eventually joined by Paul on piano and John on electric guitar before they went on to other tunes, such as Paul's “Two Of Us.” Paul and John may not have viewed this composition too seriously at this point, but they were obviously enjoying vamping to the 12-bar blues pattern. The lyrics don't appear complete at this point, George focusing on the lines “Because you're sweet and lovely girl, I love you” and “I love you more than ever.”

They returned to the song later on that day, at “a quarter to four,” as the slate documentor stated, Paul complaining, “It was a little bit loud for me.” John replies, “Leave the group then if you don't like it!” Paul yells out for the “technicians” as John references “Hotel Liverpool” while they run through an impromptu rendition of “For You Blue.” Both George and John are on electric guitars, with Paul on bass and Ringo on drums, their standard line-up. Amid some false starts, they ran through this song many times amid jamming on some oldies, such as “Honey Hush,” “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” and “Slippin' And Slidin.'” George still hadn't formulated the lyrics fully yet, John stating, “Pretty short, isn't it?' after one rehearsal.

The song was then dropped until January 21st, 1969, day 10 of the “Let It Be” sessions.” George had quit The Beatles for a short time and agreed to return as long as they moved to their new Apple Studio in the basement of their Headquarters on Savile Row in London for the remainder of the “Let It Be” project. Harrison also wanted to drop all of his own compositions that he had previously introduced for consideration for the project, the exceptions being “For You Blue” and a new composition, “Window Window,” that was touched on briefly on this day. This unproductive session began in the afternoon after the equipment installed by electronics wizard Alex “Magic Alex” Mandras proved unsatisfactory. Therefore, EMI Studios brought in and installed portable equipment to move the sessions onward.

January 25th, 1969, was the day that 'George's Blues (Because You're Sweet And Lovely),” as “For You Blue” was referred to at the time, was worked on in earnest at Apple Studios. Before recruited keyboardist Billy Preston arrived on that day, George led his band-mates through the song on his Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar and vocals, Paul playing piano, Ringo playing drums using brushes, and John playing a recently acquired Hofner Electric Hawaiian lap-steel guitar, a “Hawaiian Standard,” that he played proficiently with a slide. With Lennon acquainting himself with this instrument, The Beatles ran through George's song a total of 28 times. Although many of the “Let It Be” sessions rate as uninspired and dreary, their work on “For Your Blue” considerably lifted the band's mood.

They ran through the song a few times until they were confident enough to request George Martin and Glyn Johns to attempt a proper recording. 'Take one,' which is featured on the 1996 released album “Anthology 3,” begins with Paul on piano instead of George's acoustic guitar as we're used to hearing. The others join in shortly thereafter and put in an impressive performance throughout, Paul playing piano in a straightforward bluesy style that covers the bass notes since no one is playing bass guitar on the song. Interestingly, only one verse is used for a solo in the song at this point, John's slide guitar being the focal point. George inadvertently ends the song by singing, “I love you more each moment I'm with you,” John concludes the song rather awkwardly, which causes him to chuckle.

Before 'take two' begins, George decided to include a four-measure acoustic guitar intro to the song, explaining to John, “OK, just make it one on each,” to which Lennon answers, “OK.” After this take ends, a decision is made to lengthen the song by adding a second solo verse after John's solo verse is complete, whereas Paul gets showcased on piano. George's guitar intro extends to five-measures at the end. However, when the solo section of 'take three' comes up, George forgets to allow Paul to have his solo verse and begins singing. John thereby shouts out “Piano!” to which George sheepishly recites, “I've loved that piano from the moment that I saw you.”

By 'take six,' which was used for the song's Apple studio performance in the “Let It Be” movie, Ringo had progressed to using sticks instead of brushes. By this time, Paul relinquishes his traditional bluesy piano style in favor of some quirky chording on the higher keys, leaving John's bass tones on his lap steel guitar. At one point, George asked for Paul to achieve a “bad honky-tonk piano” sound, to which McCartney intertwined paper in between the strings of the piano. This effect is clearly heard on the released recording.

It was apparent that they were becoming quite happy with their song's performance, thereby getting close to nailing the perfect recording. They began 'take seven' with George performing the guitar intro, but Paul forgot that they had added a fifth measure onto the intro and mistakenly came in early, to which he replied, “Just as well.” After someone rattles ice in a drinking glass, George tries twice more to nail his guitar intro but fails both times. After John humorously yells “QUIET PLEASE,” George solidifies the intro, and The Beatles perform a near-flawless rendition of the song.

This version, 'take seven,' appealed to all.  But, because of perfectionists, they decided to record five more renditions in case they better the effort. 'Take nine' was quite good, the solo section of which was used in the “Let It Be” movie as a backdrop to where all four Beatles are arriving individually at their Apple Building on Savile Row to record in their basement studio. This segment then cuts to the group performing 'take six' of the song as mentioned above.

'Take 12' was also an excellent performance, which showed them clearly enjoying the recording process. To introduce Paul's solo verse, George says, “Mr. Bluthner,” a reference to the Bluthner grand piano that he was playing. During this solo, John yells out “Yes, Jim” as an expression of his approval. As this take concludes, all congratulate themselves for this possibly being the best rendition yet, George stating, “It felt nice!”

After hearing a playback of takes 7 and 12, George Martin suggested that they edit the best parts of both to create a final mix, but George Harrison objected to this since he felt 'take seven' was the best overall by itself. On January 29th, 1969, to run through all contenders for the project and decide which, if any, George songs would be included therein, The Beatles returned to “For You Blue” one last time, attempting three more recordings of the tune. Although these renditions were competent enough and a little heavier in feel, 'take seven' from January 25th was still deemed best. This was the last time the group ever performed the song.

On March 10th, 1969, Glyn Johns (and possibly George Martin) entered Olympic Sound Studios in London for the “Get Back” album's first mixing session, due out that year. Remembering George's preference for 'take seven' of “Because You're Sweet And Lovely,” as it was now titled, a stereo mix of this take was prepared on this day. (Note here that there were no mono mixes needed anymore for Beatles recordings due to mono releases being phased out by this time.) In the spirit of the 'live in the studio' feel The Beatles wanted for this album, they prepared this mix beginning from the rattling ice in a glass sound on the master tape, this including two false starts from George on acoustic guitar and John's shout “Quiet Please!” Of course, the proposed “Get Back” album for this summer, which was compiled and banded on May 28th by George Martin, Glyn Johns, and engineer Steve Vaughan as the first song on side two, was ultimately rejected by The Beatles.

With the “Let It Be” movie nearing its release date, still entitled “Get Back” at this stage, Glyn Johns took to putting together another proposed soundtrack album on January 5th, 1970, at Olympic Sound Studios. His previous stereo mix of “For You Blue,” which it was now titled, was included here as well, with the same false starts and position as the lead-off track of Side Two. This proposed album was also rejected by the group, John objecting to Glyn Johns's desire to be named the LP’s producer.

Upon listening to this mix, George decided he wanted to re-record his lead vocals for the song, which he did on January 8th, 1970, in EMI Studios with George Martin as producer. Not only were these newly recorded vocals superior to the original take, he thought to add some ad-lib comments as compliments to John's lap steel guitar solo. “Bop, cat, hop” and “Go, Johnny, Go,” he stated during Lennon's solo, the latter phrase about Chuck Berry's “Johnny B. Goode,” which John used to sing with The Beatles during their Hamburg / Cavern days. After Lennon's solo, George sings, “Them are the 12-bar blues,” while stating during Paul's piano solo, “Elmore James got nothin' on this, baby, heh.” “Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame” inductee Elmore James was a famous blues guitarist. He was known as “King Of The Slide Guitar,” George's statement here obviously references John's slide guitar solo that had been completed four measures prior. George ended his new vocal overdub by singing “rhythm and blues” during the song's final beats.

Curiously, EMI engineer Malcolm Davies was commissioned to create a stereo mix of “For You Blue” in its current state in Room 4 of EMI Studios on February 28th, 1970, possibly anticipating that it would be issued on a single soon. Since Phil Spector had not yet been hired to salvage the “Let It Be” project, this may have been deemed necessary to ready all of these songs for release in their current condition, the songs “Let It Be” and “I Me Mine” just recently recorded and/or improved upon in the prior month. Nonetheless, Malcolm Davis, with engineers Peter Bown and Richard Langham, created eight stereo mixes of “For You Blue” on this day, 'remix stereo two' being documented as “best.” This mix, of course, was never issued in any form.

As mentioned above, legendary American producer Phil Spector was brought in to salvage this project in March of 1970. His second day of work on the “Let It Be” soundtrack album, March 25th, 1970, occurred in Room 4 of EMI Studios, with Peter Bown and Roger Ferris's engineers. He began the day by creating a stereo mix of “For You Blue,” curiously deciding to specifically omit George's acoustic guitar performance from the mix. He did, however, recognize that George's acoustic guitar introduction was necessary. Therefore, he created seven stereo mixes of this intro (remixes 2 through 8) to piece in with his “remix 1” of the body of the song, “remix 5” being the keeper. He then proceeded to edit “remix 5” of George's guitar intro onto “remix 1” of the rest of the song (George's new vocal from January 8th included), thus becoming the version of the song we've all come to recognize.

The single version of the song was complete at this time. However, the album version was not quite there yet. On March 30th, 1970, Phil Spector and engineers Mike Sheady, Eddie Klein, and Roger Ferris entered Room 4 of EMI Studios to add one last element. On January 8th, 1969, at Twickenham Film Studios, in between the rehearsals for the song “I Me Mine,” John stated, “The Queen says no the pot-smoking FBI members.” John remembered this and suggested to Phil Spector to include it in the assemblage of the “Let It Be” album, continuing its “live in the studio” concept. Spector scoured the Twickenham footage to find this statement from John and placed it as an introduction to George's song “For You Blue.” This is the only bit of recording from the early January Twickenham session to be officially released.

Sometime in 1996, George Martin and Geoff Emerick returned to the January 25th, 1969 session tapes to make an excellent stereo mix of 'take one” of “For You Blue” for inclusion on the compilation album “Anthology 3.” Then, sometime in 2003, Paul Hicks, Guy Massey, and Allan Rouse returned to “take seven” to create a more vibrant stereo mix of the song, incorporating George's January 8th, 1970 vocal overdub. John's introductory “FBI members” dialog was understandably removed due to McCartney's insistence on stripping away all extraneous elements from the “Let It Be” soundtrack album. Fortunately, however, George's excellent acoustic guitar performance during the song's body was kept in place here for most to hear for the first time.

One final performance of “For You Blue” by any of the Beatles was done on November 29th, 2002, at the Royal Albert Hall for the highly acclaimed “Concert For George,” held shortly after the songwriter's untimely death. Paul sang lead on the song on this occasion and played ukelele, George's favorite instrument in the final years of his life. Ringo played drums as Gary Brooker played piano, Eric Clapton played electric guitar, Ray Cooper played percussion, and Dhani Harrison played acoustic guitar, among other present musicians. This rendition was released on the resulting album and film “Concert For George.”

Song Structure and Style

The 12-bar structure of “For You Blue” couldn't be any simpler; it's made up entirely of verses. Therefore, this amounts to 'verse/ verse/ solo verse/ solo verse/ verse/ verse' (or aaaaaa). However, George's well-structured acoustic guitar figure introduces the song, which is five full measures long but preceded by an anticipatory half-measure. To parse this out correctly, one must count “one, two” before George's acoustic guitar comes in.

The first twelve-measure verse begins directly afterward, with all the instrumentation and vocals kicking in immediately. George's tender single-tracked lead vocal is appropriate to his addressing a loved one. At the same time, Paul plunks out his idiosyncratic piano chords. John slides away on his lap steel, and Ringo played in a subdued style focusing on his snare and kick drum, mostly avoiding any use of cymbals throughout. John is put in charge of providing the bass tones on this performance, which is especially noticeable during most verses' eleventh and twelfth measures. During these measures on this first verse, we only hear John's rising bass notes on his lap steel along with Ringo's continued drum pattern until the latter portion of the twelfth measure when Paul's piano and John's sliding anticipatory chord finishes out the verse. This, of course, is describing the most common version of the song as released as a single and on the original “Let It Be” album, the “Anthology 3” and “Let It Be...Naked” versions containing George's excellent descending acoustic guitar pattern.

Verse two is nearly identical to the first, except for a new set of lyrics and the total absence of Ringo's drums in the eleventh measure. Ringo precedes this break in the action with a simple snare drum fill and, with the omission of George's acoustic guitar, John's single bass notes on his lap steel. These bass notes are the only things heard during this break until the drums, piano, and another full slide guitar chord is heard in measure twelve. This is the only verse in which Ringo performs a 'Beatles Break,' thereby dropping out entirely for the focus on George's guitar and John's bass notes, George's guitar being omitted thanks to Phil Spector's executive decision.

This brings us to the third verse, which is also the first of two instrumental verses in the song. As expected, John asserts himself for the first solo slot, his slide guitar work coming across as somewhat shaky but appropriate for the occasion. It was impressive enough to warrant George peppering this verse with the comments “Whop,” “Bop, cat, hop,” “Go, Johnny, Go,” and “Them are the 12-bar blues” throughout the solo.

The fourth verse is given to Paul for him to perform a subdued but suitable piano solo. With John's slide guitar performance still registering in his mind, George comments, “Elmore James got nothing on this baby, heh,” Harrison being an admirer of this Blues slide guitarist of the '50s and '60s. Paul ends his solo verse with staccato chords in the twelfth measure, and Ringo following suit as the verse winds down.

Two more vocal verses follow, both of them twelve measures in length as usual. The first of these two contains a new set of lyrics, while the final verse is a lyrical repeat of the first verse. Differences in musical performances here include Paul's excited staccato piano chords in both measures eight and eleven of the final verse, the latter culminating in a standard blues-like conclusion to the song. Ringo fills away on the snare drum while George ad-libs the statement “rhythm and blues,” the final word synchronized with the song's last beat, John's finishing slide, and Ringo's cymbal crash, bringing the song to a satisfying close.

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