Revolver was recorded at EMI Studios on Abbey Road, London. The Beatles considered recording it in America, but found EMI unwilling to put up the money required to do so.
We were going to record Revolver in America, but they wanted a fantastic amount of money to use the facilities there. We thought we'd forget it because they were obviously trying to take us for a ride because we were The Beatles. We'd been thinking about going to record there for some time. When we finished Revolver, we realised that we had found a new British sound almost by accident. I think there were only two tracks on the LP that would have sounded better if we'd cut them in America. Taxman and Got To Get You Into My Life because they need that raw quality that you just can't get in this country for some reason. But Eleanor Rigby would have been worse, because the string players in America aren't so good. We may still record in America. What we might do though is write some numbers especially, take them over, do them and see how it works.
Although The Beatles depended on EMI to fund recording costs, their 1962 contract with the company actually expired in June 1966 while they were making the album. Astonishingly, the group were technically not under contract with EMI when the album was complete; their new nine-year contract wasn't signed until January 1967.
It is inconceivable in this age that a group as powerful as The Beatles would essentially give away an album to a label, not least one as significant as Revolver. Additionally, the group had become dissatisfied with EMI by 1966, often complaining that the terms of the old contract left them at a financial disadvantage. Yet despite Brian Epstein's approaches to other labels, they decided to remain loyal to EMI.
Revolver and drugs
The writing and recording of Tomorrow Never Knows was a clear indication of The Beatles' ongoing interest in drugs. While the group had been experimenting with them since their Hamburg days, and had made allusions in earlier songs such as She's A Woman and Day Tripper, Tomorrow Never Knows found them explicitly revealing - albeit to those in the know - their discovery of LSD.
It wasn't the only Revolver song to be inspired by drugs. She Said She Said was influenced by a conversation John Lennon had with actor Peter Fonda in America, while both were on acid. Doctor Robert was about a New York doctor with a reputation for administering amphetamines to patients, and Got To Get You Into My Life was described by Paul McCartney as "an ode to pot".
It's not to a person, it's actually about pot. It's saying, I'm going to do this. This is not a bad idea.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
The two best-known songs on Revolver, Eleanor Rigby and Yellow Submarine, also betrayed The Beatles' interest in drugs. The former contained the surreal image of the protagonist "wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door", and Yellow Submarine's childlike wonderment was widely interpreted as a nod to the daisy age's nostalgic sensibilities. They were both, however, written before McCartney had taken LSD for the first time.
While John Lennon's songwriting arguably hit a peak on Rubber Soul, Revolver saw Paul McCartney emerging as the dominant writer in The Beatles. Three of his songs in particular - Eleanor Rigby, For No One and Here, There And Everywhere - were among his all-time best, establishing him as a peerless writer of ballads.
Eleanor Rigby was scored by producer George Martin for a string octet. It was inspired by François Truffaut's film scores, and the strings were recorded without reverberation, using a close-microphone technique that gave a distinctive stark quality.
Revolver contained, for the first time, three songs written by George Harrison. Taxman opened the album, and contained perhaps The Beatles' first piece of socio-political commentary. His biggest musical departure, meanwhile, was Love You To, the first of three Beatles songs by Harrison in the style of Indian music.
Chart success
Revolver was an instant hit with the record-buying public. It topped the UK charts for seven weeks from 13 August 1966, and spent a total of 34 on the charts.
In the US the album was the group's 11th release for Capitol Records, and spent six weeks at number one. It was also the last time the label would alter the tracklisting of a Beatles album for the American market. Three songs - I'm Only Sleeping, And Your Bird Can Sing and Doctor Robert - had been included on the Yesterday... And Today compilation, which meant Revolver was issued in the US with just 11 songs.
Just one single was released from Revolver. The double a-side Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine was issued in both the United Kingdom and United States on the same day as Revolver.
Related articles:
- Recording: Tomorrow Never Knows, Got To Get You Into My Life
- Recording: Taxman, Tomorrow Never Knows
- Recording: Tomorrow Never Knows
- Tomorrow Never Knows
- Recording, mixing: Revolution 1
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.
... boggling that someone is citing Phil Collins in an homage to The Beatles. Or do we next get to find out what Cliff Richard has to say on the subject ;o)
I think the point is that it's a remarkably apt quote, no matter who said it. I'm going to go out on a limb and say robert is not necessarily a raving Phil Collins fan. (Who isn't, though, really?)
No, I'm not a raving Phil Collins fan - nontheless you can't deny his success musically - so I think he has standing to make the statement, regardless of whether one likes his music or not.
Plus Phil did have a role in A Hard Days Night - anybody here know that?
If you want to talk about Phil Collins, please head to the forum. Let's keep this page for discussions about Revolver.
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
Maybe Phil should have just left the Beatles alone, or cover a Ringo track since he was after all a drummer. I can hear him now singing, 'I'm sorry that I doubted you, I was so unfair. You were in a car crash, and you lost your hair.'
The original U.S. version of this does not have enough Lennon songs. The "Butchers" did him wrong.
It´s a great album, very very good, Eleanor Rigby, For No One, here there and everywhere, i´m only sleeping, she said she said, tomorrow never knows, and your bird can sing, good day sunshine, got to get you into my life, all excelent songs, and similar songs, songs that fit with each other, amazing album
Great album. Includes some of the best pure pop ever recorded (Good day Sunshine etc...) to the psychedelic brilliance of Tomorrow Never Knows.
Macca was right- "they will never be able to copy this"
I think that it was important that they were still touring when this was made; part of secret is that they are a band and not a few song writers treating the other band members like session players.
Great album and their best up to that point but I've always found this album a bit overrated amoung Beatles fans who rate it the best Beatles album ever. To me there seems to be a fair amount of "filler" on it. I don't particularly think George's songs are the best. Even Taxman gets a bit monotonous after awhile. The albums that came after Revolver are better in my opinion. Still a great album though.
I prefer Revolver to Sgt. Pepper's. George is my favorite Beatle, and he is extensively involved on Revolver (especially when compared to his seemingly disinterested and limited role on Pepper). However, I have never been a fan of Harrison's Love You To. I wish they had recorded and included Isn't It A Pity (which George later noted was available but rejected by John) as George's third track for Revolver. Love You To could have been held over for Yellow Submarine or some later B-side. George's guitar work on Revolver is fantastic. He also had prominent backing vocals on much of the LP (Eleanor Rigby, Yellow Sub, She Said She Said, And Your Bird Can Sing). Great stuff.
The Beatles best album. Period. Many people (critics, publications, etc.) are coming around to this. Pepper, while great, hasn't dated nearly as well as this gem.