A rough mix of The Beatles’ ‘Revolution 1’, which reveals how the latter song evolved into ‘Revolution 9’, has surfaced on the internet.
The mix, numbered RM1 of take 20, was recorded on 4 June 1968. It begins with a studio engineer announcing the take, and John Lennon commenting “Take your knickers off and let’s go”.
Listen to the song (the audio cuts in and out before the music begins):
The recording is similar to the White Album version of Revolution 1, with various differences including the absence of the opening lead guitar. There are also a number of sound effects and vocals which didn’t make the final version, including a chorus of “Mama, dada, mama, dada” sung by George Harrison and, possibly, Paul McCartney’s then-girlfriend Francie Schwartz.
The music lasts for a little more than 10 minutes. The most fascinating part, however, begins where the album version fades out. In this mix the track becomes a bed for improvisations and ad-libs, which later formed the basis of Revolution 9. Although it lacks many of the sound effects of Lennon’s sound collage, the links between the two recordings can be clearly heard.
This rough mix was taken away by John Lennon after it was made. A previous version of the mix has been available for some time, but featured a Yoko Ono monologue over the top of much of it. This clean mix, of better quality than previously-heard bootlegs, is being heralded by Beatles fans as a significant find.
Also on this day...
- 2021: Paul McCartney to publish 960-page book The Lyrics
- 2015: Ringo Starr live: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, Florida
- 2011: Paul McCartney to write for New York City Ballet
- 1999: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Westbury Music Fair, Jericho
- 1986: UK album release: Live In New York City by John Lennon
- 1970: Recording, mixing: Blue Turning Grey Over You by Ringo Starr
- 1970: Mixing: Hot As Sun, Every Night by Paul McCartney
- 1969: Recording, tape copying: I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
- 1967: Recording: Lovely Rita
- 1965: Filming: Help!, the Bahamas
- 1963: The Beatles live: Coventry Theatre, Coventry
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1962: The Beatles live: YMCA, Hoylake, Wirral
- 1961: The Beatles live: Grosvenor Ballroom, Wallasey
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Is there an official/unofficial release of this anywhere available on CD?
In bootlegs is the song. But i think that on CD no.
Only On a Bootleg
all mp3 links are gone to but it is on a bootleg album called revolution…take you knickers off. i just wish revolution 9 alt. mix was on cd but its not.
I have been a fan for 40 years, and have never heard this. I have known about it, but this really puts it in perspective.
Thanks for the post!
John was so full of heroin at this time that it’s hard for me not to find some dirty drug reference or a sleazy Yoko sex innuendo jumping out of the grooves. As much as I love John’s music the more I read about him upsets me.
> John was so full of heroin at this time that …
Maybe you could find sympathy for the addict and just enjoy his brilliance. Pardon the man for having some failings, he never claimed to be perfect or a great man or a role model or anything like that. Other people put that heavy burden on him.
No, John was not full of heroin at the time. That didn’t start until later on, after his divorce…
The alternate version of Revolution 9 is a fake or not?
Definitely not. It’s a state of Revolution 1 as it was on 4 June 1968 when this mono mix was made for John to take away. It fits Lewisohn’s description of recording it (there was lead guitar and brass section yet to be overdubbed on 21 June).
Are ALL the adlibs at the end played or sung live or was some of this dubbed in later but before the full Revolution 9 treatment? I ask because the “mama dada” chorus sounds exactly the same each time and even when it speeds up a little towards the end it has the same cadence.
The ‘mada dada” chorus must be live because the tempo increases as the song goes. Also…that “opera like” snippet of someone singing during the last minute is fascinatingly creepy. I’d love to know what performance that is. Why on earth didn’t they release this version on the White Album? Even though I liked the album version I always thought George Martin’s horn and string arrangement was horrid. It completely drags the song down giving the listener the direct opposite feeling of a Revolution. This version, although incomplete, is a near masterpiece. It just needed more Revolution 9 as a crescendo. I suspect that Yoko Ono leaked this version because Lennon had the only version and it was the first Beatles song recorded with her involvement.
I don’t think it is opera but rather a Jewish cantor, singing in Hebrew. Maybe someone familiar with the genre can recognize it?
The Hebrew song, in its entirety:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEuLIhKZnSU
Starts sounding familiar just past the 6-minute mark.
Thank you Jay. It’s incredible you were able to find and share this obscure piece of music that somehow found its way onto a Beatles recording. I wonder if it was a random radio recording that Lennon happened upon or a deliberate insert?
Thank you again !!!
This is amazing. The sound quality is excellent as well. I don’t hear much Revolution 9 in it, though. It isn’t even close to being as chaotic, intense and downright evil as the album version. The album version creeps me out. I cannot listen to it at night. I don’t get creeped out easily, but the album version of Revolution 9 does it to me every time.
Me too. Never listen to it at night or on Christmas Day. As for the other comment about John and heroin, yes he was briefly on it others were addicted for years… Clapton, Page, Hendrix, Keith Richards. Let’s not kid ourselves these guys weren’t saints. We’re talking about rock n roll in the drug fueled 60s. At least Lennon didn’t blow his mind out like Syd Barrett or Brian Wilson.