Written by: Harrison
Recorded: 6, 7 September; 6 October 1967
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Released: 8 December 1967 (UK), 27 November 1967 (US)
George Harrison: vocals, Hammond organ
John Lennon: backing vocals
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine
Unknown: cello
Available on:
Magical Mystery Tour
Love
Blue Jay Way, George Harrison's contribution to the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack, was written while he was waiting for The Beatles' publicist Derek Taylor, who was lost in fog in the Los Angeles canyons.
The song was composed in the Hollywood hills on 1 August 1967. Harrison was visiting California with his wife Pattie, plus Neil Aspinall and Alexis Mardas. They were staying at a rented house in Blue Jay Way, high in the Hollywood hills, which belonged to the manager of Peggy Lee.
The Beatles' former publicist Derek Taylor had become delayed on his way to meet them. The jetlagged Harrison found a Hammond organ in the house and began writing the song as an outlet for his ennui.
Derek Taylor got held up. He rang to say he'd be late. I told him on the phone that the house was in Blue Jay Way. And he said he could find it OK... he could always ask a cop. So I waited and waited. I felt really knackered with the flight, but I didn't want to go to sleep until he came. There was a fog and it got later and later. To keep myself awake, just as a joke to pass the time while I waited, I wrote a song about waiting for him in Blue Jay Way. There was a little Hammond organ in the corner of this house which I hadn't noticed until then... so I messed around on it and the song came.
Harrison's stay in the house was arranged by Brian Epstein, who called The Beatles' attorney Robert Fitzpatrick to enquire whether a house could be leased. Fitzpatrick persuaded the owner of the house, another entertainment attorney named Ludwig Gerber, to lend Harrison his LA residence.
Ludwig Gerber was a former US Army colonel who had managed Peggy Lee for many years. He was also a film producer and lawyer. In his house there was a Hammond S-6 organ, which Harrison used for writing the song while waiting for Taylor to arrive.
In the Magical Mystery Tour film, Harrison 'performed' the song while playing a keyboard chalked onto the ground. One of the movie's most psychedelic sequences, Harrison's appearance is subjected to dated camera techniques involving prism refractions to create multiple images.
In the studio
The rhythm track of Blue Jay Way, including the distinctive swirling organ part, was recorded in one take on 6 September 1967. Crucial to the recording was ADT - artificial double tracking, a technique invented by Abbey Road engineer Ken Townsend in 1966 - which on the song gave the phasing effect.
The vocals - many of which were played backwards in the final mix - were recorded the following evening. The final overdubs - cello and tambourine parts - were added on 6 October.
Related articles:
- George and Pattie Harrison fly to Los Angeles
- Recording, mixing: I Am The Walrus, The Fool On The Hill, Blue Jay Way
- Recording: Blue Jay Way
- Paul McCartney performs with Brian Wilson and John and Michelle Phillips
- Recording, mixing, editing: Blue Jay Way, Flying, Magical Mystery Tour
i've read Brian Jones played the cello
Blue Jay Way is a very creepy song, as well as a very short street.
(Can you find the house? Google "1400 Blue Jay Way Hollywood" and you'll land at the beginning of the street. Good Luck!)
you forgot to mention the (backing) vocals were put through a Leslie
The use of cello in this song and others from 1967 helped to provide the template for the early work of ELO...
I always felt that, towards the end of the song, when the words "please don't be long" and "don't be long" are repeated over and over again, Harrison was starting to say "don't belong". Far-fetched I'm sure, but given the relationships between the four of them towards the end I suppose it's quite possible. Even if it was more of an after-thought.
Wow, I never thought of that. Could be. I love the whole story of how this song came to be.
i agree pinky that the "don't belong" part is more than clear at times, and i always thought this was an anti-establishment kind of statement
I've always loved Ringo on this track...actually come to thing of it some of my favorite Ringo drum tracks come on Harrison songs.
I agree. Ringo's work here is great (as is pretty much everything he did behind the drum kit for the Fabs). I assume Ringo probably enjoyed working on George's songs, and John's songs, more than Paul's around this time. I think it was about a year later that Ringo walks out of White Album sessions due to Paul's perstering. Then a few months later, George does the same for the same reason. I think Paul is brilliant and love a vast majority of his work. Still, you can see what an arrogant control-freak he was and how he attempted to dominate the group (acquiescing a supporting role to John, but deliberately trying to minimize the roles played by George, in particular, and Ringo).
Yes that's true. Ringo put up with a lot from Paul.
John was only going to endure a supporting role position in the group for only so long. Same with George.
I like how the song's words - which are literally a description of a rather mundane situation - take on an ominous, metaphoric overtone when they are married to the song's spooky music and instrumentation.
It could also be a Mellotron doin the cello part also
The cello part is looped but it's an actual cello. The song uses so many things like leslie vocals on the vocals and backup vocals, phasing on the drums, backward vocals and drums, altered organ sounds and there is no guitars also. The song is obviously influenced by Indian music and it uses the rarely used Lydian mode.
One of my absolute favorites, it sticks with you.
Blue Jay Way is not a Small House! My daughter lived right across the street for 5 years.....and I have heard practically ever "story" that has gotten confusingly distorted over the years. I agree that the lyrics combined with you just "sticks!" Especially when you are creepily sleeping across the street of this house!
I don't believe that John says "Paulie is bloody", but what IS he saying? Are their any lyrics that try to tell us what John is saying backwards(im pretty sure most of them are backwards.)