Charles Manson and the White Album
In the months after its release, The Beatles were horrified to learn that Charles Manson had interpreted several of the White Album's songs as an incitement to commit murder and a prophecy of armageddon.
Look at the songs: songs sung all over the world by the young love. It ain't nothin' new... It's written in... Revelation, all about the four angels programming the holocaust... the four angels looking for the fifth angel to lead the people into the pit of fire... right out to Death Valley. It's all in black and white, in the White Album - white, so there ain't no mistakin' the color.
Manson took particular notice of Paul McCartney's Helter Skelter, a song about a fairground ride which was nonetheless interpreted as a prophecy of chaos, which he tied in with the New Testament's Book of Revelation.
Like, Helter Skelter is a nightclub. Helter Skelter means confusion. Literally. It doesn't mean any war with anyone. It doesn't mean that those people are going to kill other people. It only means what it means. Helter Skelter is confusion. Confusion is coming down fast. If you don't see the confusion coming down fast, you can call it what you wish. It's not my conspiracy. It is not my music. I hear what it relates. It says 'Rise!' It says 'Kill!' Why blame it on me? I didn't write the music. I am not the person who projected it into your social consciousness.
Read our feature on Charles Manson and Helter Skelter.
Five songs by The Beatles were particularly significant for Charles Manson, all from the White Album: Helter Skelter, Revolution 1, Revolution 9, Blackbird and Piggies. He also found hidden meanings in I Will, Honey Pie, Glass Onion, Don't Pass Me By, Sexy Sadie, Rocky Raccoon and Happiness Is A Warm Gun.
Read about Charles Manson's interpretations of The Beatles' songs.
All that Manson stuff was built around George's song about pigs and this one, Paul's song about an English fairground. It has nothing to do with anything, and least of all to do with me.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
Needless to say, Manson's interpretations were wholly unintended by The Beatles, who later expressed anger and disgust at his actions.
Charles Manson interpreted that Helter Skelter was something to do with the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. I still don't know what all that stuff is; it's from the Bible, Revelations - I haven't read it so I wouldn't know. But he interpreted the whole thing - that we were the four horsemen, Helter Skelter the song - and arrived at having to go out and kill everyone.It was terrible. You can't associate yourself with a thing like that. Some guy in the States had done it - but I've no idea why. It was frightening, because you don't write songs for those reasons. Maybe some heavy metal groups do nowadays, but we certainly never did.
Anthology
Related articles:
- US LP release: The Beatles (White Album)
- Recording: Revolution 1
- UK LP release: The Beatles (White Album)
- Demo recordings for the White Album
- I Will
"The Beatles" (white album) became the best selling album in the world (for a double album)
Colonel Salt doesn't like The White Album. No cohesiveness, no one getting along, Revolution 9, Glass Onion, Piggies, Yoko. A real downer record. Second rate. It's like they used up all their good juju on Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour and then a slow slide into decay. Very sad.
How can you call Abbey Road part of the slide into decay? It's one of the greatest albums of all time. In my opinion, so is the White Album and Let It Be. Although I don't like Revolution 9, most people probably agree there, however it is... interesting.
For those four songs that you don't like there's 20 good songs on this double album. The point of this album was to be loose and genuine while sgt. peppers was self-conscious and self-indulgent. Sgt. Peppers had amazing production, but most of the compositions were on the weak side. Revolver and The White album has better songs IMO.
Slide into decay? LOL!!!
There are numerous excellent songs on the White Album.
It is different than the previous albums which was the main quality of the Beatles. Progression.
Magical Mystery Tour is their worst batch of songs in my opinion (still great stuff, it is The Beatles for Christ's sske!). Of course, you can't count that second side of singles and b-sides on Magical Mystery Tour as part of the original e.p.
The White Album would have made a great single disc, but the Beatles did it that way in order to get their recording contract over with sooner.
Why is Paul listed as producer and not John?
Good point. I've added him to the list due to his production of Revolution 9.
I gotta disagree with those that suggest that The White Album should have been cut down to a single album. I think they should have added more songs to the record! They could have left "Not Guilty", a Harrison composition, on the record and they could have put his other songs "Sour Milk Sea" and "Circles" on there as well. The McCartney track "Etcetera" (later recorded by the Black Dyke Mills Band) and the Lennon track "What's the New Mary Jane" could have been left on as well in my opinion! The thing that makes The White Album one of my absolute favorites, and indeed, one of the best albums in history is it's very speratic and bi-polar, if-you-will, nature. It's up and down and back and forth, there's so much on there but everything is completely different. The album successfully never repeates itself.
I don't count myself among those that would reduce the "The Beatles" lp down to one disc but obviously Revolution 9 is it's most disposable track. While it does make for an interesting listen, it's quite indulgent, certainly not musical, and makes me feel the album isn't truly four sides of Beatle content but more like three and three quarters.
Has anyone ever heard of a Beatles White Album having the nude picture of John & Yoko holding a newspaper in front of them on the inside cover? The picture has only their lower half's covered. I have a Korean label double LP that has that picture in it. I had my Brother, who was stationed in Korea at the time, send me albums from the PX as they were only a $1.00 to purchase.
I have read a lot of stories, but never anything about this. I do know that John & Yoko's album, Two Virgins, was released at the same time, with similar pictures.
So I'm wondering, do I have something that is quite rare? I believe the records themselves are produced in Mono.
I was 15 or 16 when the album came out. The album had a nude picture of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It was quickly pulled from the stores and replaced with the white album. It was even said then that whoever bought the original album it would be worth a lot of money.
I think you're getting this confused with Two Virgins.
i've been readin that NICKY HOPKINS who did play on the REVOLUTION single also played on various other songs on the White Album and also on the HEY JUDE single. Someone needs to check on this.
On his site it also says he started playin sessions startin with SPLHCB.
The thing that makes the White Album interesting for me (beyond the incredible music) is that the production techniques are pretty much just as complex as Pepper and Mystery Tour - the songs however are more straight forward.
There's tons of orchestra, horns, weird instruments and mixing tricks, and sound effects on the White Album yet it "appears" to be a simpler album.
Listen to the horns on Revolution 1 - the strings on Piggies or at the end of Glass Onion - elaborate stuff yet used sparingly.
It's very sophisticated rock album
Well said, Robert! And how about the horns on Martha My Dear or the woodwinds on Honey Pie or the messed-up saxes on Savoy Truffle.
Exactly, Eyes, there's a ton of complex yet sparingly used detail on that album.
Almost every track has something on it that makes one think "Wow, that's a little bit more involved than I first realized"
The White Album, as great as it is, may be the most under appreciated album out there - and not just of the Beatles' but in music overall.
Anyone know why it was self-titled?
My biggest beef with this album is that the songs don't sound very "together"-- so many of them sound like a lead singer and his "backing band." Not that there aren't songs on this album that are group efforts!
I know that this was originally going to be titled "A Doll's House" but another band had something similar already. My guess and from what I've read is that to make it contrast Sgt Pepper (with the cover art) that they made a minimalist cover design and to go along with it, they named it after themselves. I don't really know why it's self titled, I more so know why it's not it's original name!
I didn't say anything about the cover art-- I was talking about the songs!
I saw a video of John and Yoko staring into each others eyes during the white album sessions, but I can no longer find it.. If anyone has/knows where it is, could you possibly post the link?
I have a Beatles double LP Album titled The Beatles. It is in a white cover with the songs listed on the inside left side and the pictures of the Beatles on the right side. On the outside of the white cover is printed The Beatles. Also, the number C1-46443 is printed on the inside left side. On the back is printed 1968 Original sound Recordings made by EMI Records Ltd. 1968 EMI Records Ltd. The two records have the label Capitol. The records have all the original songs. I was under the impression the label was Apple. Do I have a remake or a bootleg copy?
Only the first few editions were on Apple. You appear to have the 1987 U.S.A. Capitol vinyl edition.