You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)

You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) was the B-side of the Let It Be single, released on Apple on March 6, 1970 in the UK and March 11 in the US, with George Martin as producer. The label on the single misprinted the title as Look Up My Number, and the original Plastic Ono Band catalogue number is scratched out but visible in the runout of early UK pressings. It was later on Rarities, on Past Masters, Volume Two in 1988 and, in a longer stereo remix, on Anthology 2 in 1996.

It was recorded at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. The rhythm track came on May 17, 1967 in Studio Two, from seven in the evening to half past two in the morning, 14 takes, with George Martin on holiday and Geoff Emerick supervising. Overdubs followed on June 7 and 8, 1967, when Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones played alto saxophone, and a rough edit on June 9. On April 30, 1969 John Lennon and Paul McCartney added vocals and sound effects, with Mal Evans pushing a spade through gravel, and on November 26, 1969 Lennon cut it from 6:08 down to 4:19.

Five songs in one

According to the Beatles Bible the record is in five parts: a title chant over piano; a ska section that Lennon later had edited out and that was restored on the 1996 Anthology 2 mix; a nightclub section in which McCartney plays a fictional lounge singer, Denis O'Bell; a swing version with cuckoo sounds, harmonica and bongos; and a piano jazz version with vibraphone and Brian Jones's solo, which was recorded first despite coming last.

The title came from a slogan on the cover of the 1967 London telephone directory that Lennon saw on McCartney's piano; he said it was like a logo and he just changed it. McCartney said Lennon first brought it in as a 15-minute chant, like a mantra. Lennon said it was going to be a Four Tops kind of song, and later called it a piece of unfinished music that he turned into a comedy record with Paul. McCartney told Mark Lewisohn in 1988 that it was probably his favorite Beatles track, just because it is so insane.

Who plays

Per Wikipedia, Lennon sings lead, backing and spoken vocals and plays guitar, maracas and sound effects; McCartney sings lead and plays piano, bass, handclaps and sound effects; George Harrison plays lead guitar and vibraphone; Ringo Starr plays drums, timbales and bongos; Jones plays alto saxophone; and Mal Evans made sound effects in 1969. Harrison and Starr were not at the 1969 session. Lennon had wanted it as a Plastic Ono Band single with What's the New Mary Jane, Apple 1002, due on December 5, 1969; the other Beatles vetoed that.

The upload on hypersongs is a fan-channel upload labelled a 1967 demo, so it is a 1967 session recording rather than the released 4:19 version or the 5:43 Anthology 2 mix; which tape it is has not been confirmed. The single's length is given as 4:21 on Wikipedia and 4:19 on the Past Masters list. Pixies have used a recording of the song as walk-on music since 2017.