it’s #SgtPeppers day which means it’s a perfect time to talk about one of my favorite subjects: a magical song called “A DAY IN THE LIFE” https://open.spotify.com/track/5V3HOUIcQTAdUmzHPcfb6F?si=MBwhFlaFRW67lCWnE2u52g">https://open.spotify.com/track/5V3...
before i start i wanna say all this info is from these books + interviews I’ve read/watched over the years OKAY HERE WE GO
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Sparkles" aria-label="Emoji: Sparkles"> John and Paul talking about writing the song -
John: “”A Day in the Life” that was something. I dug it. It was good piece of work between Paul and me. I had the “I read the news today” bit, and it turned Paul on. Now and then we really turn each other on with a bit of a song.”
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Sparkles" aria-label="Emoji: Sparkles"> Paul: “As John and I looked at each other, a little flash went between our eyes, like “I’d love to turn you on,” a recognition of what we were doing, so I thought, okay, we’ve just got to have something amazing that will illustrate that.”
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Sparkles" aria-label="Emoji: Sparkles"> George is only credited with playing the maracas (or congas depending on who you ask) on this song. But you know what? He CONTRIBUTED!!! https://twitter.com/sgt_macca/status/1261030582064222214">https://twitter.com/sgt_macca...
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Sparkles" aria-label="Emoji: Sparkles"> An orchestra was brought in and asked to play for 24 bars starting at the lowest notes of their instruments and climbing up to the highest. They were instructed to ignore the other musicians and play it at whatever interval they wanted - as long as it was completed in 24 bars.
The musicians were less than excited about these instructions. They went back and forth with George Martin and Paul about it. John announced to them, “We’re going to turn down the lights, this way no one will be able to tell if their neighbor is playing off key.”
As they recorded the crescendo, John and Paul encouraged them all to stand up and move around while they played. They did several takes and then later the takes were layered on top of each other. The final product was the equivalent of 200 musicians playing this insane crescendo.
Here’s what George Martin had to say about the process of mixing the orchestral takes. It’s really interesting. From his book “Summer of Love: the Making of Sgt. Pepper”: “It required a great deal of patience and understanding. I kept the Beatles well away...” https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤣" title="Rolling on the floor laughing" aria-label="Emoji: Rolling on the floor laughing">
They all had to stay completely silent while the chord went out because any sound would have been obscenely loud and destroyed the take. At the end of the chord the Abbey Road air conditioning can be heard because of how much Emerick had turned up the faders.
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Sparkles" aria-label="Emoji: Sparkles"> George showed up late and missed the piano recording. John said to him, “Nice of you to turn up, George! You only missed the most important overdub we’ve ever done!”
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Sparkles" aria-label="Emoji: Sparkles"> There’s so much more I can say about the production of this song - like the inclusion of a tone only dogs can hear - but this thread is already so long so I’ll finish up. It really is a fascinating moment in the Beatles catalog.
“somebody spoke and i went into a dream” https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✨" title="Sparkles" aria-label="Emoji: Sparkles">
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