How The Beatles Made "I'm Only Sleeping" | The Revolver Sessions
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- Опубліковано 9 тра 2024
- Everything you need to know about The Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping." |
While not on tour, John would usually spend his time sleeping, reading, writing, or watching television, and would have to be woken by McCartney for their songwriting sessions. In a London Evening Standard article published on March 4, 1966, Maureen Cleave, a friend of Lennon, wrote: "He can sleep almost indefinitely; he is probably the laziest person in England." "Physically lazy," he said. 'I don't mind writing, reading, watching, or speaking."
The song features the then-unique sound of a reversed guitar duet played by Harrison in a five-hour late-night recording session with producer George Martin. Harrison perfected the part with the tape running backwards so that, when reversed, it would fit the dreamlike mood. One guitar was recorded with fuzz effects, the other without. Engineer Geoff Emerick described the meticulous process as "interminable". "I can still picture George hunched over his guitar for hours on end", Emerick wrote in 2006, "headphones clamped on, brows furrowed in concentration."
#thebeatles #johnlennon #paulmccartney #georgeharrison #ringostarr #music #history - Розваги
They were so awesome
Just listening to Revolver right now as UA-cam recommend this. They're onto me
Their best ever album. Imho
The anecdotes I've heard of John out on the town is that he was a tireless partier. That he'd go on for days without sleep. Not surprising that when he crashed that he stayed down for the count.
If I had to choose a favorite Beatle song, I think that this would be the one.
My favorite Beatles song, what a great video!
This song was quite the fit for my 15 year old self when this came out ! 😎
Paul was a talented popsong-writer but John was a genious who came up with wery personal songs that could hit you
Paul McCartney is a musical genius hits all the points, John was a self described genius who had a unique way with words and a feel for melody who had a laugh at people taking his writing as seriously about himself. Working Class Hero from a middle class lad? Imagine about giving up all possessions from a multi millionaire who owned five apartments one of which was for his and Yoko's furs and jewelry, literally. So a hypocrite telling people how to live with no intention of doing so himself.
Both men are genius but John was not truth personified and as a matter of fact was a self confessed liar. Neither of them was perfect and just because John was murdered and Paul lived does not make John Lennon some sort of demi god
@@patriciaedwards5183 There is obviously a lot you do not see. I do not envy him his wealth. I see John as an interesting person, someone I could like to spend time with. He was wild and genious like I am, not afraid to speak his mind. Paul is not interesting as a person to me, there is no fire in him.
@@64fairlane305
Obviously John would disagree with you, he and Paul became closer than mere friends or brothers because of their similarities rather than there differences. Too many people are foolish enough to play Paul McCartney short. That's totally your loss, I feel sorry for you and of course you know John would kick your butt for disrespecting his best friend no matter what he himself might say
@@64fairlane305
Btw I owned a 1964 Fairlane 500 back in the day lol 😆
@@64fairlane305I would think a self-described genius such as yourself would at least know how to properly spell the word.
I Am just happy that they ebded on abby rooaod which was crazy good !
When you read Martin Lewison’s seminal The Beatles Recording Session you realized how hard these guys worked in a short 8 years of their career. Almost every day they were in the recording studio for a minimum of 8 hours usually overnight and in the early days the nonstop touring, shows, live and TV appearances. Today everyone makes an album every 4 years but these guys were churning out an album a year and then singles which usually were not included on the albums. John always said he loved being in bed and operating out of his bed even till the end of his life, but I truly can understand that when he achieved more in his short 40 years of life than most of us will ever achieve in a dozen lifetimes.
That's Mark Lewisohn but good point!
Agreed the backwards guitar solo by Geroge in the song is brilliant but it took him many hours to nail it and that's the wonder of the Beatles' music at that time...they would commit hours to getting something just right, the way they envisioned it...good video...thank you
Geoff Emerick didn't seem to appreciate it? I can see why George didn't like him.
Yeah,I'm only sleeping 😴👍I like this Song very much .thank you for this Video, from Germany, Ellen ✌❤
Imagine being called lazy and leaving the legacy of Music John has in his short life? haha
Right on, it's insane! The clips coming out now of John singing some of those classics in the early days....many many early days....the days that mad him into a genius fluent musician...how dare they call him lazy!
'Genius' takes many forms.
Thank you for showing ❤
Love you ringo
In the US this was one of three new songs on the album "Yesterday and Today" (the infamous butcher cover). Nineteen sixty-six was definitely the peak of their creativity.
Disagree. 66-70
@@joesmith635767 for Lennon probably
Thanks for the background on this track. Considering the unfamiliar sounds on "Revolver", I wonder if George Martin or any of The Beatles were aware of the 1955 demonstration album "Strange To Your Ears - The Fabulous World Of Sound With Jim Fassett". Maybe it inspired songs on the 1957 album "André Popp Présente Elsa Popping Et Sa Musique Sidérante" (later released in the US as Elsa Popping And Her Pixieland Band's "Delirium in Hi-Fi" (1958) -- who is actually André Popp, with crazy engineer Pierre Fatosme. The backward recorded vocals on 'La Polka Du Roi' and instrumentation on 'La Polka Du Colonel' give parts of these recordings a ghostly quality. If only someone could have documented the effort required for this album.
Nice to hear real narration :)
Glad you liked it!
@@mikespector2 He just has an accent lol
Amazing magic. . .💥🪄🎶
According to paul he probably wrote imagine too
That was actually Forrest Gump
😁
Paul wrote Give Peace A Chance too.
They toured non stop for several years and had previously been working in Hamburg for shifts of several hours. He did like to sit and read but he also wrote songs and drew.. he was the only Beatle who would go down to their mail bags and answer some of them personally. He was the one who called himself lazy but he meant when he was having a break from touring. You can see him working in the footage of Imagine.
One of the greatest song of all time
I grew up with the American LP version of Revolver, which didn’t even include I’m Only Sleeping. I didn’t hear the song until years later. Incomprehensible decision by the label.
Capitol had already issued it (along with And Your Bird Can Sing and Dr Robert) as part of the Yesterday and Today LP, so it wouldn't have made sense to also include it on Revolver. What's less understandable is why they didn't replace those songs with Paperback Writer and Rain.
Sticking to the subject would be fun, too.
When I am depressed, I sleep a lot. I also create a lot though when I’m down. I think that may tie into it. ❤
Sleeping helps making sadness go away.
Nice vídeo! I think by "timbre" you mean "tone". Took me a while to learn that one too.
What a fantastic video have a wonderful weekend ❤❤😊❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊
Thank you! You too!
Now that you mention it, it makes sense that John would compose "Watching the Wheels" as a sequel to I'm Only Sleeping". Previously, partly because of being gifted with an Alan Aldridge volume of Illustrated Beatles lyrics, I thought the sequel was "I'm So Tired".
It's great to take stock in the idea of "I'm Only Sleeping" being the inaugural instance when the Beatles Incorporated tape manipulation as pioneered by John Cage and Karlhentz Stackhouse into their production style. I always knew that was something they learned from those two composers.
It's not a sequel.
All pop songs are reash
Do you want to play think that's true, @@user-jb4uj9jm9s?
Paul was the one doing the tape loops, etc and yes he was an admirer and acquaintance of Cage and Stockhausen
If you haven’t already, please do a “making of” video for Nowhere Man ❤ If you have, please give me the link 🙏
I already have!
Geoff Emerick's thoughts on George's musical abilities were rude and unfair. It's clear that he didn't like him, but he didn't have to be so mean.
I'll say this: The Beatles were ALL learning new things!! They DIDN'T really read music... And as a trained musician, I don't know HOW you can do that!!
But, to your point, a "technician" should NEVER denigrate "the talent."
I don't care if it's 5 years ago or 60 years ago!!
Absolutely; and I think he was very unprecise in what he said. I dont think that George had trouble playing the solos. In the early days, he used to play solos without looking at the guitar and without listening to what they were playing (because of the screaming girls and lack of equipment). He played beautiful solos in that way, like in Till There Was You. On the rooftop, he was great and played the solos easily, with beautiful guitar parts, like in Dig A Pony, without wanting to be there, fighting constantly with the others, leaving the band for a while, not wanting to participate much, etc. I think that Emerick was referring to the fact that George, like the others, was a perfectionist (Phil Spector said that George would play over and over again what to him (Spector) would seems to be the same solo) , and all his guitar solos are compositions inside other compositions. I think that he would spend a lot of time trying to conceive WHAT he would play, not having technical difficulties playing his own stuff. Emerick knew the difference, I think he was just being mean.
@@enricomenconi7015 exactly. He was always a perfectionist. That's all.
Geoff didn't want to spend all that time watching George perfect his solo after spending so much time recording the song. Calling him "Ham fisted" and things like that seems bitter and harsh.
Final comment worth a thumbs up!
...John's talent and ambitions should never be dissed, but I had an occasion to attend an interview given by his first wife Cynthia were she publicly said that she had no doubt that had the Beatles not happened John would've ended up a homeless person living on the street. This was not said out of malice (I don't think). She said she loved him dearly but he just wasn't wired to be 'normal' (to summarize from my memory).
Oh please!
One of my favorite Beatles songs, but I never heard this song until Revolver came out on CD. I'm Only Sleeping, Dr Robert and And Your Bird Can Sing were not on the original American vinyl release in 1966.
Are you Sleeping, Are you Sleeping, Brother John , Brother John...
The sequel to I’m only sleeping is I’m so tired then later watching the wheels
I quit smoking so yo do this to me ???
😂 Sorry
Lenny in his prime.
Who is Lenny?
I think Emerick was very unprecise in what he said about George. I dont think that George had trouble playing the solos. In the early days, he used to play solos without looking at the guitar and without listening to what they were playing (because of the screaming girls and lack of equipment). He played beautiful solos in that way, like in Till There Was You. On the rooftop, he was great and played the solos easily, with beautiful guitar parts, like in Dig A Pony, without wanting to be there, fighting constantly with the others, leaving the band for a while, not wanting to participate much, etc. I think that Emerick was referring to the fact that George, like the others, was a perfectionist (Phil Spector said that George would play over and over again what to him (Spector) would seems to be the same solo) , and all his guitar solos are compositions inside other compositions. I think that he would spend a lot of time trying to conceive WHAT he would play, not having technical difficulties playing his own stuff. Emerick knew the difference, I think he was just being mean.
K. Scouser here. about to comment. No bias man. 'Cept for the fact that..................
Not sure if inspired by the Beatles, but Led Zeppelin released a song completely in reverse. Don't remember the title atm, it is b-side of a single.
I can certainly understand the who is the boss of the band type malarky....who is will become apparent 😊
5:09 Incredible to think the idea of taking a whole day to record the first backward guitar solo on a masterpiece song on a masterpiece album still regarded as such 60 years later was regarded as "internamable".
Bands ended up taking a week to get the snare drum sounding right
Us , we are only speeding.
paul rewriting history again
Yeah, and Geoff Emerick talking smack about George as a guitarist. Emerick always talked as if George was a second rate musician!
In what way?
@@BeatlesBible1 John waa interviewed by Hit Parader Magazine in 1972, and said he wrote I’m Only Sleeping,by himself. When Paul's biography came out after John died he said he helped John write it.
@@michaelharrington75John misremembered a lot of things... I think John did this purposely to be "contrary."
Beatles were on a very hectic pace from '63-'66... It is "possible" to unintentionally get things wrong as you recall them...
Take any family gathering and re-tell a story, and you will be corrected... By someone who may NOT recall it as well as you do... And none of us were on the hectic schedules that The Beatles were (touring-performing/movies/song-writing/recording)!!
When you work as a group, musicians contribute bits and pieces, here and there...
George has been given credit for the intro to "And I Love Her." I'm sure a lot of that may occur in studio!! As a musician, I know... You have a standard way of playing a tune and one day, you make "a mistake," of which you would never have envisioned, which turns out to be an improvement on a key or pivotal part!!
This is what music is (for creative folks)...
I don't think that any rivalry gets that bad where you actually want to steal the credit of a Beatle "co-worker."
Money's still gonna be the same!!
@@michaelharrington75You could argue that Paul contributed to the writing of "Something" with the fantastic bass-line which George DIDN'T prefer!!
It's a great sound!!
I think John's laziness is why Paul 'took leadership' of the band (John probably thought that Paul had).
In short, John couldn't necessarily be relied to carry the band forward like he did before.
Ko ruined John
True
“If we both don’t feel like it, we just have another ciggie”
in my beatles top 10.
I thought it was Rain that John played backwards ?!
Seems like Paul has a lot of these comments since no one is around to say any different !
Convenient isn’t it?
@@gretchennelson7056so you think he should be mute.....convenient, huh?
It's actually a bit of a low point on Revolver IMHO ! It's still the greatest album of all time !!!!
Including their Hamburg days they were just tired from 5 years of non-stop touring, filming, and recording etc, etc. Not to mention smoking pot makes you sleepy.
This was John lennon's song 100% .... the guitar, the concept, the lyrics, the whole thing. Paul may have helped with the harmony vocal on the bridge - but this was JOHN's song. Harrison's backward guitar solo was a far greater contribution than anything Paul did here.
The basic formats in humans seem to be:
Physically Lazy/Intellectually Active
Intellectually Lazy/Physically Active
Intellectually Lazy/Physically Lazy
Physically Active/Intellectually Active
And a midway balanced half and half
You forgot, "I'm so Tired". Ha, ha, ha. If I was a millionaire, I would love to have a nap in the middle of the day and have a great sleep at night. Nothing wrong with it.
Ike??
2:46 is that Jagger ?
Yes 😃
Meister?
I thought the sequel was I'm So Tired.
John wasn’t lazy, he was a night crawler. They would wake up, do dinner and hit the town or do gigs. After a while it catches up with you. 😅
SIeeping is aIso a means of escape.
This and Strawberry Fields, are absolutely my favorite John Tunes
To hear Paul tell it John Lennon never wrote jack shit all on his own. He takes full credit for everything he ever sung lead on. And poor John just couldn't finish anything without him.
Paul rewriting history as usual
Such comments are so unnecessary. Everybody knows John Lennon was every bit as good as Paul and personally I think even better.
Paul certainly didn't help Lennon with Imagine, Jealous Guy, How Do You Sleep, Beautiful Boy etc.
Fortunately, McCartney didn't deny one thing. Lennon was the leader of the band, Paul admitted as much.
@@mevdincinstant karma... starting over...merry Xmas....ALL his songs in the Beatles and outside are ORIGINAL music ideas. When Paul was asked about Johns MUSICALLY SOPHISTICATED "IF I FELL", the bastard sarcastically replied "oh- the one with a million chords in it" HOW IS THAT A BAD THING, PAUL?!?!
That's ludicrous, Paul has never said any such thing. The reality is he has usually taken less credit than his due.
John Lennon did however claim to have written 90% of Eleanor Rigby while everyone else present in the studio, including Pete Shotton, say his contribution was nil.
Sounds more like ADHD to me, with a bit of manic depression tossed in. At least that's what it'd be if a 20-something John Lennon existed in current times.
Must be an element of coming down from the speed drugs they started taking in Germany. They didn’t have to tour anymore.
“Interviewer:”When was John Lennon at his best?”
Paul:”When he was asleep”😎
Tbf Paul wrote 2 of his biggest songs while he was asleep
I suspect Emerick is right about Harrison’s playing. His live playing was often times clumsy.
It would be impossible to be lazy at the height of Beatlemania even if you wanted to be
Excellent video Beatles Bible.
John said "I said a lot of things." Many times his statements were 180 from each other, effectively making both statements meaningless.
Cleave may have been right that he was lazy. But as he also bitterly complained years later (and was supported by the other three Beatles) "I did enough work for three life times."
Perhaps, when he wasn't unheathilly overworking dramatically - he was spending every possible moment recovering. AKA, sleeping.
He was sleeping while his first wife was trying to get scraps from him and a few dollars for his young son. The guy was worth $800 million and Julian got scraps. Lennon was not a nice guy. McCartney carried that band when they went into oblivion. Paul was a hit making machine and performer as a solo artist . I saw Paul four times on the 80s and 90s. He was a monster live performer back then anywhere in the world he went
Lazy like Lennon I wish I was
As a not so great Songwriter, I can understand why Lennon was thought to be lazy. However, when your income originates from your own mind, you must be ready for the great ideas when they come..
I am a lifelong Songwriter but, have not made much money at it.
It became obvious I would need a job, to continue eating!!
Emerick never had the proper respect for George Harrison, very odd.
It is amazing to me how many songs McCartney takes credit for writing or inspiring. Almost every song written primarily by Lennon only came out the way it did because Paul was the real creative genius behind it all. Nice work, Paul. Especially now that John and George are both gone and your assertions can go unchallenged.
That’s not the conclusion I’ve come to…
Don’t be ridiculous, triggered much! Thx.
Spot on @yataybala4902. Paul is systematically rewriting history, and somewhat deviously taking advantage of the fact that John or George are not there. Historical distortions can arise in several ways. Paul is telling one version of the story, with a great bit of asymmetry in reporting the contributions made by the members. John's solo works are being redescribed as joint pieces, while Paul's solo works are described as byproducts of his individual genius. Paul take great efforts to mention how much he contributed to John's songs, and systematically omits to mention how much John contributed to his songs (except that little "the movement is on your shoulder" of Hey Jude he mentions every now and then). He is even implicitly trying to take credit for the opening bits of strawberry fields (that he plays on the melatron) - when there is another earlier video of John playing the tune on a new instrument. Not only that, Paul's estate works very hard to support this asymmetric narrative...
Even if that of Paul's credit grabbing is true, his getting Asides vrs. GREAT John songs as Bsides....plus Paul's demeaning of George's songwriting.... Also, there's a rumor Paul went after hours to rerecord some Ringo drum parts....The way he treated Wings members so that 2 quit before Band on the run.... CONTROL FREAK BASTARD.
John had alot of personal trauma, was wearing out on drugs by 66, and Paul had the energy to explore new sounds and the London scene and make things happen. I believe him.
Prolly not apathetic, just run down🤷
Prolly? As in “prolly wanna cracker?”
@ultrakool Who's 'Prolly'? 🤷♂️😉
Shame we only have one side of the story
Not sure why you're making it a competition!! John and Paul were kind of opposites who fed off one another... That's not good enough for you?
How 'bout writing a song SO good that you don't even want to take credit for it?
40 years ago, there had already been 200 versions recorded of "Yesterday." That made it, then, the most popular song recorded!!
This song is about acid...
It literally says only sleeping
This channel is 100% AI
This is very much my real voice.
Lol The Beatles didn't write that music it was handed to them they were a boy band they only did the vocals
One word: Tavistock!
I thought the song was about pot smoking
It’s about heroin ?
I prefer AI commentary
This content is created by AI, no, including an AI narrator? Is the "Beatles Bible" all AI content?
This is nonsense. John Lennon was the genius who created and led the Beatles to becoming the biggest band of all time. Paul was just not talented enough a songwriter to write a great song about anything (even “that sleepy feeling”) like John did. John could take a magazine title, a poster, a newspaper article, a children’s drawing… anything at all and write an epic song about it. Nobody has ever been able to do that at that level (quality and quantity) ever again
I don't know why people think Lennon OR McCartney, when Lennon and McCartney are both geniuses. They composed different mataerial but I think that's one of the many things that make the Beatles fantastic, the sheer variety. Not to mention Harrison's amazing songs. Take one Beatle out of the mix and the band is no longer the Beatles.
Yes this what l know to be true, Lennon sings most of the songs in the early days,once Yoko arrived on the scene,John no longer had interest in the group,
@hw343434 You have a brilliant observation there on how he grabbed whatever interesting objects with some message attached and "listened" to it and then interpreted/responded with a musical masterpiece.
Paul was the driving force of the band, John was always strung out on cocaine
@@TheKipperedOne Yes, whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Not the greatest song, just a nice nap song.
Stop showing yourself so much
No, it's my video.
I learned nothing. This video is a complete waste of time.