Recording: And Your Bird Can Sing

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick

The Beatles returned to John Lennon’s ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ on this day, following initial attempts on 20 April.

Although the studio was booked from 2.30pm-10pm, they eventually finished work at 2.24am the following morning. Eleven takes of the rhythm track, numbered 3-13, were recorded, the best of which was take 10. Onto this John Lennon overdubbed his lead vocals, with backing from Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

Listening to some of the CDs, there are some really good things, like ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’, where I think it was Paul and me, playing in harmony – quite a complicated little line that goes right through the middle eight. We had to work those out, you know. In the early days, the solos were made up on the spot, or we’d been playing them onstage a lot.

The song’s eventual ending, however, came from take six. The two elements were edited together on 12 May, when the mono mixes were made, and on 20 May for the stereo. Further mono mixes and edits for the Revolver song were made on 6 and 8 June.