The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper - Why was Harrison only allowed One song?

Interesting side note. Immediately after completing the final stereo mix for Sgt Pepper (the last song mixed for the album) the Beatles went about recording overdubs for Only A Northern Song. They erased elements of the original recording and added bass, Paul's trumpet and glockenspiel, along with new vocals. Strangely enough, they sync'd the original backing with the new the new overdubs causing much mixing difficulty back in the day.

Within days, the Beatles also recorded Magical Mystery Tour. Then for the next several weeks, throughout May '67, they went about recording a few jam sessions, Baby You're A Rich Man, All Together Now, You Know My Name (no vocals for another 18 months) and It's All Too Much, all before the 1 June release of Sgt Pepper! Ron

 

Is that because George quotes "Sorrow" or are there other reasons?

 

Perhaps because GH singing "With your long blond hair and your eyes so blue ...etc" to the vocal melody of the tune "Sorrow"

I guess it always reminds of The Merseys classic song "Sorrow" that Bowie covered on his PinUps album.

Hope that helps your query.

 

I've heard that story before (Ringo writing that verse) but I don't really believe it. It doesn't sound very Ringo-like at all.

 

Sort of. I asked if there was a reason OTHER than the fact that George quotes "Sorrow". Obviously the "with your long blonde hair..." thing was a nod to "Sorrow" - I just wondered if there was anything else about "It's All Too Much" that reminded you of "Sorrow".

So I guess there isn't...

 

Surely you can hear George sing "Sorrow"'s verse/tune over the top of IATM.

I realise it's just a end coda, but still.

Have the Merseys ever got any money from this song ?

 

What's kind of funny is that I can't really imagine You Know My Name without the goofy singing, or at least the Beatles knowing it was going to be there while they were playing.

 

Yes, I've already said repeatedly: I hear George's quote of "Sorrow". It's pretty darned obvious.

I just wanted to know if there was anything ELSE in "IATM" that reminded you of "Sorrow" OTHER THAN the direct quote.

I give up!

 

I think it's pretty self explantory myself.

Nobody else seems interested in this little curio, not even Sorrow's writers Tony Crane & Billy Kinsley.

 

A very minor point but some vocals on Part 1 were recorded at the original May '67 recording session. I imagine they are just guide vocals that were recorded live with the track that were erased or drowned out by the 1969 vocal overdubs.

 

Lewisohn does does say "a little vocals" for Part 1 only, no idea if any of this made it on the final 6:08 master. Here's a breakdown of the sessions:

17 May 1967 - Part 1 Takes 1-10 Produced and engineered by Geoff Emerick.

7 June 1967 - Overdubbed "various bits and pieces" onto take 9 from the earlier session. The rest of the session evolved into an instrumental, nearly 20 minutes long. Produced by George Martin, engineered by Geoff Emerick.

8 June 1967 - Recorded Parts 2, 3, 4, and 5. More piano, drums, guitar, bass, vibraphone, Brian Jones' sax, and other things instruments. The final rhythm track was then edited from the five separate parts. What would be cool to hear is the unedited sections and the various takes of each. Once again with Martin and Emerick in the control room.

Part 1 Take 9
Part 2 Take 12
Part 3 Take 4
Part 4 Take 6
Part 5 Take 1

30 April 1969 Vocal and sound effects overdubbing. In Lewsiohn, it says ALL the vocals were added during this session. Mal Evans also ran a shovel through a pile of dirt somewhere in the madness. This session was produced by Chris Thomas and engineered by Jeff Jarratt. Harrison overdubbed a new solo for Let It Be (the 45 version) prior to work on You Know My Name. It's interesting to note that Chris Thomas recorded this, not Martin. Ron