Recorded: 6 April - 22 June 1966
Producer: George Martin
Engineers: Geoff Emerick, Peter Vince
Released: 5 August 1966 (UK), 8 August 1966 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonium, organ, tape loops, tambourine, handclaps, finger clicks
Paul McCartney: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano, clavichord, tape loops, handclaps, handclaps, finger clicks
George Harrison: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, sitar, tambura, tape loops, tambourine, maracas, handclaps, finger clicks
Ringo Starr: vocals, drums, tape loops, tambourine, maracas, cowbell, shaker, handclaps, finger clicks
George Martin: piano, organ, backing vocals
Mal Evans: backing vocals, bass drum
Neil Aspinall, Geoff Emerick, Pattie Harrison, Brian Jones, Marianne Faithfull, Alf Bicknell: backing vocals
Tony Gilbert, Sidney Sax, John Sharpe, Jurgen Hess: violin
Stephen Shingles, John Underwood: viola
Derek Simpson, Norman Jones: cello
Alan Civil: horn
Eddie Thornton, Ian Hamer, Les Condon: trumpet
Alan Branscombe, Peter Coe: tenor saxophone
Anil Bhagwat: tabla
Tracklisting:
Taxman
Eleanor Rigby
I'm Only Sleeping
Love You To
Here, There And Everywhere
Yellow Submarine
She Said She Said
Good Day Sunshine
And Your Bird Can Sing
For No One
Doctor Robert
I Want To Tell You
Got To Get You Into My Life
Tomorrow Never Knows
From the one, two, three, four count-in through to the climax of Tomorrow Never Knows, Revolver announced to the world that The Beatles of old were no more. Touring was in the past, the loveable moptops had grown up, and they were free to explore and push musical boundaries from within the studio.
Revolver paved the way for The Beatles' extensive experimentation on Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am The Walrus and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It is often considered to be the group's finest body of work, and showed all four members of The Beatles working together, equally, at their creative peak.
This album has taken longer than the others because, normally, we go into the studios with, say, eight numbers of our own and some old numbers, like Mr Moonlight or some numbers we used to know, which we just do up a bit. This time, we had all our own numbers, including three of George's, and so we had to work them all out. We haven't had a basis to work on, just one guitar melody and a few chords and so we've really had to work on them. I think it'll be our best album yet. They'll never be able to copy this!
Revolver, The Beatles' seventh UK long player, was released on 5 August 1966, and three days later in the United States. It ushered in an era in which the group became increasingly interested in exploring production techniques in the studio.
The album was released just before The Beatles' final US tour in August 1966. None of its songs, however, were performed live. The group considered many of the songs too complex and unsuitable for live performance, during a time in which they were often unable to even hear themselves play above the screams of audiences.
We were really starting to find ourselves in the studio. We were finding what we could do, just being the four of us and playing our instruments. The overdubbing got better, even though it was always pretty tricky because of the lack of tracks. The songs got more interesting, so with that the effects got more interesting.
I think the drugs were kicking in a little more heavily on this album. I don't think we were on anything major yet; just the old usual - the grass and the acid. I feel to this day that though we did take certain substances, we never did it to a great extent at the session. We were really hard workers. That's another thing about The Beatles - we worked like dogs to get it right.
Anthology
Related articles:
- UK LP: Revolver
- US LP: Revolver
- Recording: Tomorrow Never Knows
- The Beatles' Revolver tops the Vatican's best albums list
- Got To Get You Into My Life
Probably their most consistently great album (every song is great.) I actually prefer The White Album & Sgt. Pepper but I can understand why a lot of people think Revolver is their best.
Revolver is the best, but not far behind in my opinion is Abbey Road, Rubber Soul and the White Album. Sgt. Pepper is great just because of the impact that it had, but Revolver was an absolute great album. If you want to go to school, listen to Revolver.
My favorite album. Revolver shot me gently when i am hearing it...
Is the perfect album for play it in a sunny day, song by song.. Whit a couple of beers and maybe some weed.
I love it... Thanks Beatles!
Who was George Martin talking to in his first quote on the second page? John, George, or someone else?
I should have made that clearer. That was George M talking about John. I'll clarify the section now.
One of my favorites simply for the Harrison song "Taxman". All the songs are amazing but that one takes the gold medal in my opinion! I've read that Harrison had written "The Art of Dying" from his first solo record during this year of their career. He was obviously coming into his own as a composer at this time. The only fault of The Beatles in my opinion was not including more of Harrison's songs on each album.
For this particular album, the Beatles didn't have any more time for more recording even if there were more songs that were ready. They were back on the road again.
They began their tour of Germany and the Far East almost immediately after Revolver was finished.
Phil Collins called Revolver the album that everyone else is still trying to make.
The same Phil Collins who ruined "Tomorrow Never Knows"?
Yeah, the very same who obviously tried to pay them respect.
It's not his fault nobody else ever was and is capable of pulling off something as insanely cool as TKK.
yes - he needs to try harder!
Personally I wasn't convinced by that cover either.
But - he DID cover TNK and NOT, say "Lucy in the sky" or "Here, there and everywhere" or "Help" or something as obvious. He tried and covered their most progressive song ever.
Respect, Phil, for that!
maybe he should have done Yesterday