Just as the tonal designs of Paul McCartney's [48] "Another Girl" and [146] "Birthday" anticipate "The Abbey Road Medley", so too does John Lennon's [154] "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill". "Another Girl" and "Birthday" both pit A major against C major, the latter also incorporating an E major section that serves as a pivot between the two tonalities. "The Abbey Road Medley", however, pits A major and minor against C major - something that does not have precedent in any Paul McCartney song. It can be found, however, in "Bungalow Bill".
Tonal structure of [154] "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill": Intro (ind) 0:00-0:08 E minor Chorus 0:08-0:24 C major, A major Verse 1 0:24-0:46 A minor Chorus 0:46-1:01 C major, A major Verse 2 1:01-1:24 A minor Chorus 1:24-1:40 C major, A major Verse 3 1:40-2:01 A minor Chorus 2:01-2:16 C major, A major Chorus 2:16-2:30 C major, A major Chorus 2:30-2:45 C major, A major Chorus 2:45-3:00 C major, A major Coda (ch) 3:00-3:13 n/a The tonal structure of "The Abbey Road Medley" is thus anticipated in two different tracks from The White Album: "Birthday" and "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill".
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Magical Mystery Tour is a bit of an oddball in that in England it was released as an EP, while in the US it was released as a full album that included several singles. The definitive version is the US album, and that's what I'm basing this blog on. Consequently, the recordings span a time much longer than any other Beatles album to date.
year.month.day start time - end time = # of hours 1966.11.24 7:00pm-2:30am = 7.5 hours 1966.11.28 7:00pm-1:30am = 6.5 hours 1966.11.29 2:30pm-8:00pm = 5.5 hours 1966.12.08 7:00pm-3:40am = 8.67 hours 1966.12.09 2:30pm-10:00pm = 7.5 hours 1966.12.15 2:30pm-midnight = 9.5 hours 1966.12.21 10:00pm-11:45pm = 1.75 hours 1966.12.22 7:00pm-11:30pm = 4.5 hours 1966.12.29 2:30pm-5:40pm, 7:00pm-2:15am = 11.42 hours 1966.12.30 7:00pm-3:00am = 8 hours 1967.01.02 2:30pm-4:00pm = 1.5 hours 1967.01.04 7:00pm-2:45am = 7.75 hours 1967.01.05 7:00pm-12:15am = 5.25 hours 1967.01.06 7:00pm-1:00am = 6 hours 1967.01.09 7:00pm-1:45am = 6.75 hours 1967.01.10 7:00pm-1:40am = 6.67 hours 1967.01.12 2:30pm-11:00pm = 8.5 hours 1967.01.17 7:00pm-12:30am = 5.5 hours 1967.01.25 6:30pm-8:30pm = 2 hours 1967.04.25 7:00pm-3:45am = 8.75 hours 1967.04.26 7:00pm-2:00am = 7 hours 1967.04.27 7:00pm-12:45am = 5.75 hours 1967.05.03 7:00pm-12:15am = 5.25 hours 1967.05.04 7:00pm-11:15pm = 4.25 hours 1967.05.09 11:00pm-6:15am = 7.25 hours 1967.05.11 9:00pm-3:00am = 6 hours 1967.06.14 unknowns 1967.06.19 7:00pm-1:45am = 6.75 hours 1967.06.21 4:30pm-5:00pm, 7:00-11:30pm = 5 hours 1967.06.23 8:00pm-11:00pm = 3 hours 1967.06.24 5:00pm-8:00pm = 3 hours 1967.06.25 2:00pm-1:00am = 11 hours 1967.06.26 2:00pm-5:00pm = 3 hours 1967.08.22 unknown 1967.08.23 unknown 1967.09.05 7:00pm-1:00am = 6 hours 1967.09.06 7:00pm-3:00am = 8 hours 1967.09.07 7:00pm-3:15am = 8.25 hours 1967.09.08 7:00pm-2:45am = 7.75 hours 1967.09.16 7:00pm-3:45am = 8.75 hours 1967.09.25 7:00pm-3:00am = 8 hours 1967.09.26 7:00pm-4:15am = 9.25 hours 1967.09.27 2:30pm-5:30pm, 7:00pm-3:30am = 11.5 hours 1967.09.28 4:00pm-5:30pm, 7:00pm-3:00am = 9.5 hours 1967.09.29 7:00pm-5:00am = 10 hours 1967.10.02 10:00pm-2:30am = 4.5 hours 1967.10.06 7:00pm-midnight = 5 hours 1967.10.12 2:30pm-8:00pm = 5.5 hours 1967.10.19 7:00pm-3:30am = 8.5 hours 1967.10.20 7:00pm-3:45am = 8.75 hours 1967.10.25 7:00pm-3:00am = 8 hours 1967.11.01 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1967.11.02 2:30pm-6:00pm = 3.5 hours 1967.11.06 2:30pm-6:00pm = 3.5 hours 1967.11.07 2:30pm-5:45pm, 9:00pm-4:30am = 10.75 hours 1967.11.15 10:30pm-11:00pm = 0.5 hours 1967.11.17 10:00am-1:15pm = 3.25 hours Total time: 348.51 hours SOURCE Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970. Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1988. year.month.day start time - end time = # of hours
1966.04.06 8:00pm-1:15am = 5.25 hours 1966.04.07 2:30pm-7:15pm, 8:15pm-1:30am = 10 hours 1966.04.08 2:30pm-9:00pm = 6.5 hours 1966.04.11 2:30pm-7:00pm, 8:00pm-1:00am = 9.5 hours 1966.04.13 2:30pm-6:30pm, 8:00pm-2:30am = 10.5 hours 1966.04.17 2:30pm-10:30pm = 8 hours 1966.04.19 2:30pm-midnight = 9.5 hours 1966.04.20 2:30pm-2:30am = 12 hours 1966.04.21 2:30pm-12:50am = 10.33 hours 1966.04.22 2:30pm-11:30pm = 9 hours 1966.04.25 10:00am-11:00am = 1 hour 1966.04.26 2:30pm-2:45am = 12.25 hours 1966.04.27 6:00pm-3:00am = 9 hours 1966.04.28 5:00pm-7:50pm = 2.83 hours 1966.04.29 5:00pm-1:00am = 8 hours 1966.05.05 9:30pm-3:00am = 5.5 hours 1966.05.06 2:30pm-2:15am = 11.75 hours 1966.05.09 7:00pm-11:00pm = 4 hours 1966.05.12 1:45pm-3:30pm = 1.75 hours 1966.05.16 2:30pm-1:30am = 11 hours 1966.05.18 2:30pm-2:30am = 12 hours 1966.05.19 7:00pm-11:00pm = 4 hours 1966.05.20 11:00am-12:30pm = 1.5 hours 1966.05.26 7:00pm-1:00am = 6 hours 1966.06.01 2:30pm-2:30am = 12 hours 1966.06.02 7:00pm-3:30am = 8.5 hours 1966.06.03 7:00pm-2:30am = 7.5 hours 1966.06.06 7:00pm-1:30am = 6.5 hours 1966.06.08 1:00pm-2:00pm, 2:30pm-2:30am = 13 hours 1966.06.09 2:30pm-8:00pm = 5.5 hours 1966.06.10 7:00pm-2:00am = 7 hours 1966.06.16 7:00pm-3:30am = 8.5 hours 1966.06.17 7:00pm-1:30am = 6.5 hours 1966.06.20 6:00pm-8:30pm = 2.5 hours 1966.06.21 10:00am-1:00pm, 2:30pm-6:30pm, 7:00pm-3:45am = 15.75 hours 1966.06.22 7:00pm-1:30am = 6.5 hours Total: 280.91 hours SOURCE Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970. Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1988. The tonal design of [48] "Another Girl" juxtaposes choruses and verses that are in A major against the middle 8s that are in C major.
Tonal structure of [48] "Another Girl": Chorus A Major Verse 1 A Major Chorus A Major Verse 2 A Major Chorus A Major Middle 8 C Major Verse 3 A Major Chorus A Major Middle 8 C Major Verse 4 A Major Chorus A Major Coda A Major Paul McCartney reprised this particular tonal structure in [146] "Birthday". Tonal Structure of "Birthday": Verse (instrumental) A major Verse (sung) A major Break (drums) n/a Transition E major Middle 8 C major Verse (instrumental) A major Break (guitar) transitional Middle 8 C Major Verse (sung) A major "Birthday", however, adds a significant component to the tonal design first used in "Another Girl" - an E major transition between the drum break and first middle 8. Since the one common tone between an A major chord and a C major chord is E, this transition serves as a pivot between the two tonalities - figuratively straddling both, with one foot in each key. It thus makes a perfect transition from one to the other. Similarly, at the start and end of the "The Abbey Road Medley", “You Never Give Me Your Money”, "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window”, "Golden Slumbers”, “Carry That Weight” , and "The End” all employ both A (major and/or minor) and C. In the middle, however, “Sun King”, “Mean Mr Mustard”, and “Polythene Pam" all employ E major. Tonal Structure of "The Abbey Road Medley": “You Never Give Me Your Money” - A minor, C major, A major “Sun King” - E major, C major “Mean Mr Mustard” - E major “Polythene Pam” - E major “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” - A major “Golden Slumbers” - C major, A minor “Carry That Weight” - C major, A minor “The End” - A major and C major Thus, “Sun King”, “Mean Mr Mustard”, and “Polythene Pam"are all equally tonally related to the rest of this medley, just as the E major transition in "Another Girl" is equally tonally related to the rest of that song. In other words, the macro-scale tonal design of "The Abbey Road Medley" was first used (and on a much smaller scale) a year prior in "Birthday", which can in turn be traced back to "Another Girl". year.month.day start time - end time = # of hours
1965.10.12 2:30pm-7:00pm = 4.5 hours 1965.10.13 7:00pm-12:15am = 5.25 hours 1965.10.16 2:30pm-7:00pm = 4.5 hours 1965.10.18 2:30pm-5:45pm = 3.25 hours 1965.10.21 2:30pm-7:00pm = 4.5 hours 1965.10.22 10:30am-11:30am, 2:30pm-11:30pm = 10 hours 1965.10.24 2:30pm-7:00pm = 4.5 hours 1965.10.25 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1965.10.26 10:00am-12:30pm = 2.5 hours 1965.11.03 2:30pm-11:30pm = 9 hours 1965.11.04 1:00pm-3:30am = 4.5 hours 1965.11.06 7:00pm-1:00am = 6 hours 1965.11.08 9:00pm-3:00am = 6 hours 1965.11.09 2:30pm-5:30pm = 3 hours 1965.11.10 2:30pm-5:30pm, 9:00pm-4:00am = 10 hours 1965.11.11 4:00-5:30pm, 6:00-7:00am = 14.5 hours 1965.11.15 2:30pm-5:30pm = 3 hours Total: 98 hours SOURCE Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970. Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1988. year.month.day start time - end time = # of hours
1965.02.15 2:30pm-5:45pm, 7:00pm-10:30pm = 6.75 hours 1965.02.16 2:30pm-5:00pm = 2.5 hours 1965.02.17 2:00pm-11:00pm = 9 hours 1965.02.18 10:00am-1:00pm, 3:30pm-10:30pm = 9 hours 1965.02.19 3:30pm-6:20pm = 2.83 hours 1965.02.20 11:00am-6:00pm = 7 hours 1965.02.23 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1965.03.15 10:00am-11:00am = 1 hour 1965.04.02 10:00am-11:00am = 1 hour 1965.04.13 7:00pm-11:00pm = 4 hours 1965.04.18 10:00am-12:30pm = 2.5 hours 1965.05.10 8:00pm-11:30pm = 3.5 hours 1965.06.14 2:30pm-5:30pm, 7:00pm-10:00pm = 6 hours 1965.06.15 2:30pm-5:30pm = 3 hours 1965.06.17 2:30pm-5:30pm = 3 hours 1965.06.18 10:00am-12:30pm = 2.5 hours Total: 66.58 hours SOURCE Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970. Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1988. year.month.day start time - end time = # of hours
1964.08.11 7:00om-11:00pm = 4 hours 1964.08.14 7:00pm-9:00pm, 10:00-11:15pm = 3.25 hours 1964.09.29 2:30pm-6:30pm, 7:00pm-10:45pm = 7.75 hours 1964.09.30 2:30pm-5:30pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm = 7 hours 1964.10.06 3:00pm-6:45pm = 6.75 hours 1964.10.12 2:30pm-3:00pm = 0.5 hours 1964.10.16 2:30pm-5:30pm = 3 hours 1964.10.18 2:30pm-11:30pm = 7 hours 1964.10.21 2:30pm-5:45pm = 3.25 hours 1964.10.22 11:00am-noon = 1 hour 1964.10.26 10:00am-1:05pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm, 7:30pm-10:00pm = 7.58 hours 1964.10.27 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1964.11.01 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours Total: 57.08 hours SOURCE Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970. Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1988. year.month.day start time - end time = # of hours
1964.01.29 unknown 1964.02.25 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1964.02.26 10:00am-1:00pm, 2:30pm-5:30pm, 7:00pm-10:00pm = 9 hours 1964.02.27 10:00am-1:00pm, 2:30pm-5:30pm = 6 hours 1964.03.01 10:00am-1:30pm = 3.5 hours 1964.03.03 10:00am-1:45pm = 3.75 hours 1964.03.10 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1964.04.16 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1964.04.20 2:00pm-3:15pm = 1.25 hours 1964.04.23 4:30pm-5:45pm = 1.25 hours 1964.05.22 10:00am-11:00am = 1 hour 1964.06.01 2:30pm-5:30pm, 7:00pm-10:00pm = 6 hours 1964.06.02 2:30pm-5:30pm, 7:00pm-10:00pm = 6 hours 1964.06.04 2:30pm-7:00pm = 4.5 hours 1964.06.09 2:00pm-5:45pm = 3.75 hours 1964.06.10 10:00am-11:00am = 1 hour 1964.06.22 10:00am-1:00pm, 2:30pm-5:30pm, 5:45pm-9:00pm = 9.25 hours Total: 65.25 hours SOURCE Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970. Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1988. year.month.day start time - end time = # of hours
1963.07.18 7:00pm-10:45pm = 3.75 hours 1963.07.30 10:00am-1:30pm, 5:00pm-11:00pm = 9.5 hours 1963.08.21 10:00am-1:00pm, 2:00-5:30pm = 6.5 hours 1963.09.11 2:30pm-6:00pm, 7:00pm-10:15pm = 6.75 hours 1963.09.12 2:30pm-6:30pm, 7:00pm-11:30pm = 8.5 hours 1963.09.30 10:00am-1:15pm, = 3.25 hours 1963.10.03 7:00pm-10:00pm = 3 hours 1963.10.17 7:00pm-10:00pm = 3 hours 1963.10.23 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1963.10.29 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1963.10.30 2:30pm-5:30pm = 3 hours Total: 53.25 hours SOURCE Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970. Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1988. Following my catalogs of studio time required to create Sgt. Pepper and The White Album, now I'm wondering how long it took to create their other albums. This blog, then, will examine the documentation (according to Mark Lewisohn's The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions) for the band's first album, Please Please Me, including sessions dedicated to songs that were first released as singles, but also included on the album ("Love Me Do, "P. S. I Love You", "Please Please Me", and "Ask Me Why").
year.month.day start time - end time = # of hours that day 1962.06.06 6:00pm-8:00pm = 2 hours 0962.09.04 7:00pm-10:00pm = 3 hours 1962.09.11 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours 1962.11.26 7:00pm-10:00pm = 3 hours 1962.11.30 unknown 1963.02.11 10:am-1:00pm, 2:30-6:00pm, 7:30pm-10:45pm = 9.75 hours 1963.02.20 10:30am-1:00pm = 2.5 hours 1963.02.25 10:00am-1:00pm = 3 hours TOTAL: 26.25 hours CITATIONS Lewisohn, Mark. The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962-1970. Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishers, New York, NY, 1988. |
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