Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: Chris Thomas
Engineer: Ken Scott
Having recorded the backing track of ‘Helter Skelter’ on the previous night, the song was completed during this 7pm-3am session with a number of further overdubs.
This was evidently a wild session, as chaotic in the studio as it sounded on record. The overdubs included lead and backing vocals, lead guitar (George Harrison), piano (heard at the end of the stereo mix), and a second drum track. Also recorded were amateurish saxophone and trumpet, played by John Lennon and Mal Evans respectively.
While Paul McCartney was recording his lead vocals, Harrison ran around the studio with a flaming ashtray above his head. This likely prompted McCartney’s spoken aside – audible on the multitracks but barely decipherable on the finished mixes – in a heavy northern accent: “Are you comin’, son? I saw you do that, you little bugger. Pop yer bloody hands on yer ’ead, come on!” It occurs just after the three-minute mark.
While Paul was doing his vocal, George Harrison had set fire to an ashtray and was running around the studio with it above his head, doing an Arthur Brown! All in all, a pretty undisciplined session, you could say!
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
‘Helter Skelter’ was given a mono mix on 17 September 1968, and stereo mixes were made on 12 October. The long gap between the two dates probably accounts for the disparities between the two versions; the mono mix omits almost a minute of the ending, including Ringo Starr’s famous shout “I’ve got blisters on my fingers!”
Also on this day...
- 2024: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park, Grand Junction
- 2022: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
- 2014: New Paul McCartney song Hope For The Future unveiled
- 2010: Yoko Ono opens art installation in Berlin
- 1975: Wings live: Hippodrome, Bristol
- 1973: John Lennon and Yoko Ono put Tittenhurst Park up for sale
- 1969: Self-Portrait and Mr & Mrs Lennon’s Honeymoon by John Lennon and Yoko Ono are premièred in London
- 1964: Day off in Key West, Florida
- 1963: Lennon and McCartney given Variety Club award
- 1962: The Beatles live: Queen’s Hall, Widnes
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Casbah Coffee Club, Liverpool
- 1960: The Beatles live: Indra Club, Hamburg
- 1939: Cynthia Lennon is born
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I love this song!!! It changed rock music forever.
I think it´s music history´s first punk song.
Heavy Metal
Going from the studio chatter on Take 17 and these overdubs, it’s obvious that this must’ve been the final line-up:
* Lead vocals, bass, screaming – Paul
* Electric guitar, piano, saxophone, backing vocals – John
* Electric guitar, slide guitar, ashtray, backing vocals – George
* Drums, cowbell, screaming – Ringo
* Trumpet – Mal Evans
There is also a cowbell on the recording, so obviously Ringo must’ve played it.
This must’ve been the final Beatles session where Ringo used his 4-piece Black Oyster Pearl kit, as he received his 5-piece Ludwig Hollywood kit the following day and set it up alongside the bass drum from his Black Oyster Pearl kit, but either packed away the Black Oyster Pearl rack tom and floor tom or took them home.