Revolver
Tape loops, reversed guitar, a string octet and a tabla: the album that opened the studio up.
The Beatles, 1966
- Released
- 5 August 1966
- Recorded
- 6 April to 21 June 1966
- Studio
- EMI Studios, London
- Label
- Parlophone
- Producer
- George Martin
- Length
- 35:01
Plans to record in the United States, at Stax, Atlantic or Motown, were dropped, and the sessions at EMI began with "Tomorrow Never Knows". Geoff Emerick, then 20, engineered. The band made heavy use of tape loops, varispeed, reversed tape, Ken Townsend's automatic double tracking and close-miked instruments. Anil Bhagwat played tabla on "Love You To", Alan Civil played French horn on "For No One", and a string octet appeared on "Eleanor Rigby". The work took over 220 hours.
It topped the British chart for seven weeks and the American chart for six. Reaction in Britain was highly favorable and in the United States less so. Colin Larkin ranked it first in his All Time Top 1000 Albums, and Rolling Stone placed it third in 2003 and 2012.
Track listing
- Taxman2:36
- Eleanor Rigby2:11
- I'm Only Sleeping3:02
- Love You To3:00
- Here, There and Everywhere2:29
- Yellow Submarine2:40
- She Said She Said2:39
- Good Day Sunshine2:08
- And Your Bird Can Sing2:02
- For No One2:03
- Doctor Robert2:14
- I Want to Tell You2:30
- Got to Get You into My Life2:31
- Tomorrow Never Knows3:00
Personnel
- John Lennon vocals, guitar
- Paul McCartney vocals, bass, guitar
- George Harrison vocals, guitar, sitar
- Ringo Starr drums, vocals on Yellow Submarine
- George Martin producer
- Geoff Emerick engineer
- Anil Bhagwat tabla on Love You To
- Alan Civil French horn on For No One
More from The Beatles
With the Beatles (1963), Please Please Me (1963), A Hard Day's Night (1964), Rubber Soul (1965), Help! (1965), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), The Beatles (The White Album) (1968), Abbey Road (1969), Let It Be (1970)
Sources
- Revolver (Beatles album), Wikipedia