In the studio
The Beatles recorded ‘Across The Universe’ over three days in early 1968, although an orchestral overdub was added many months later.
They began on 3 February 1968, recording two takes of the song and a further four on the following day. There was much experimentation with the arrangement as they went along.
Take two, released on Anthology 2, was temporarily considered the best. Along with the basic rhythm track of acoustic guitar, percussion and tambura, it featured an overdubbed sitar introduction by George Harrison and lead vocals from John Lennon.
The group continued working on the song until settling on take seven, onto which Lennon again taped his lead vocals. He and Paul McCartney then decided that it needed female harmony vocals to sing ‘Nothing’s gonna change my world’ in the chorus, and so McCartney held an impromptu audition among the girls gathered outside EMI Studios.
The girls were Lizzie Bravo, 16, and Gayleen Pease, 17. They were the only Beatles fans ever invited to contribute to a recording session.
There was a whole crowd of girls outside and Paul went out to find a couple of suitable ones. They were so excited. They couldn’t believe they’d actually been invited by Paul not just inside the building but into the studio itself, to sing with The Beatles.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
After the girls had completed their parts The Beatles taped backwards bass and drums, though these were later wiped. The group also taped three sound effects: 15 seconds of humming, and guitar and a harp-like sound, both to be played backwards. None of these were used.
On 8 February, George Martin added an organ part, and Lennon played piano, though these were both wiped. They were replaced by a wah-wah guitar part played by Lennon, maracas by Harrison and piano by McCartney. Harmony vocals from the three were also recorded.
Although a wonderful group performance, Lennon opted for ‘Across The Universe’ to remain unused for the time being, allowing ‘Lady Madonna’ and ‘The Inner Light’ to make up The Beatles’ next single.
Spike Milligan was attending the 8 February session at the invitation of George Martin, and asked The Beatles if ‘Across The Universe’ could be included on the WWF charity album he was working on. For that reason, wildlife sound effects were added to the song during a mixing session on 2 October 1969.
The effects came from the Abbey Road collection. The sound of birds twittering and flying and children playing were added to the beginning and end to the song. The song was also sped up a semitone during the mix, from D to E flat.
The WWF version can be heard on the Past Masters album. An approximation of the original mix, unadorned by effects, can be heard on 2003’s Let It Be… Naked.
John Lennon played the song during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions in January 1969, footage of which appeared in the Let It Be film. It was therefore selected for inclusion on the resulting album.
I tried to do it again when we were making Let It Be, but anybody who saw the film saw what reaction I got with it when I tried to do it. Finally Phil Spector took the tape, and did a damn good job with it and made a fairly reasonable sound out of it, and then we released it again.
Anthology
The Let It Be album was produced by Phil Spector, a decision that Paul McCartney would later speak out against. Spector embellished many of the songs with his trademark echo and excessive instrumentation. In the case of ‘Across The Universe’, this involved slowing the song down to D flat and adding an orchestra and choir.
The first eight remixes were done on 23 March 1970, but were only used as guides for the extra musicians. Their parts were recorded on 1 April, the final Beatles session to feature a member of the group: Ringo Starr, who played drums on ‘Across The Universe’, ‘The Long And Winding Road’, and ‘I Me Mine’.
The 50 piece orchestra, which included 14 singers, were booked to perform two parts, but Spector had other ideas.
Out of the blue he distributed these extra parts, without intimating that there would be any extra payment. I warned Phil that he’d never get away with it, and of course the orchestra got up and walked out. I worked with these musicians often and knew them well, so I went into the control room, put a wedge under the door and tried to keep out of it. I got home very very late, well after midnight, and took the phone off the hook because I knew Spector would try and call. The moment I put it back Spector was on the line, asking me to return to the studio and continue, which I did. The musicians got their extra payment. This session was on the first of April 1970 – but it was one April Fool’s joke which did not come off.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
Spector’s treatment of ‘Across The Universe’ was later cited by Lennon as one of the highlights of the album. He claimed that the maverick producer “worked wonders” on the song, and that Paul McCartney had originally attempted to sabotage the recording.
The Beatles didn’t make a good record of it. I think subconsciously sometimes we – I say ‘we,’ though I think Paul did it more than the rest of us; Paul would… sort of subconsciously try and destroy a great song.He subconsciously tried to destroy songs, meaning that we’d play experimental games with my great pieces, like ‘Strawberry Fields’ – which I always felt was badly recorded. That song got away with it and it worked. But usually we’d spend hours doing little detailed cleaning-ups of Paul’s songs; when it came to mine, especially if it was a great song like ‘Strawberry Fields’ or ‘Across The Universe’, somehow this atmosphere of looseness and casualness and experimentation would creep in. Subconscious sabotage. He’ll deny it, ’cause he’s got a bland face and he’ll say the sabotage doesn’t exist. But this is the kind of thing I’m talking about, where I was always seeing what was going on… I began to think, Well maybe I’m paranoid. But it’s not paranoid; it’s absolute truth.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
The song is about the experience of dying and your soul being summoned across the universe to join god. It’s blatantly obvious
When the Muse calls, she doesn’t care if you’re under the covers or busy doing something else. When you’re told “Write this!”, you have to do it because she won’t take no for an answer.
I never understood why The Beatles released so few singles in this period. In 1968 they only released TWO singles all year, surely if John really felt this much about this song as he did, they could have released this as another single?
It’s not as if The Beatles would need to promote it much, all it would require would be a half day filming for a promo film.
Like John Lennon said – he was disappointed by the first result, and probably didn’t care about any release, other than giving it to the Wildlife Fund, which was great enough. In between all this he parted from Cynthia and fell in love with Yoko.
Because he was on heroin everyday. The other Beatles members could barely get him to come to a single practice let alone record anything new.
Vast exaggeration
Nunya- he snorted heroin for a brief period. Paul dropped acid for a brief period. And you make up stories for a brief period.
For many years, I listened to the “Let It Be” version and the original version (which first became available here in the US on the “Rarities” album), and although I loved the song, I always felt that something was not quite “right” with it. Then I heard the outtake on “Anthology 2” and said to myself, “That’s the version they should’ve issued in the first place”…
Joe, is that really Ringo playing Svaramandel on this?
Isn’t it more likely to be George?
Joe, the only source I can find for Ringo playing Svaramandel on ‘Across The Universe’ is in the main text for the song on beatlesbooks.com but in the list of instruments played by each member at the end of the piece Ringo’s Svaramandel contribution is not listed there which makes it uncertain whether his contribution was included on the final track or not.
The version of the album “Let it be… naked” is the best I’ve heard, pure sound and live. I get goosebumps listening to it.
McCartney used to sabotage Lennon’s songs. Wow!
Yeah, that’s why he played the unforgettable keyboards including the intros to “Lucy in the sky” and “Strawberry fields”, the blistering guitar solo on “Good morning”, the legendary bass line on “Come together”, added all the masterful ingredients to “A day in the life”, the tapeloops to “Tomorrow never knows”, sang the middle part of “A hard day’s night”, helped him with countless lyrics and harmony vocals (Ticket to ride…)
Some people are just ridiculous.
Some actual experts DID assume indeed that JOHN was actively sabotaging some of Paul’s songs by playing the bass very badly (Long and winding road)…
Typically John: he usually had rough basic ideas – and relied on the others (mainly Paul and George and GM) to make a proper song out of these with a good arrangement. See Tomorrow never Knows, A Day in the Life, Come Together, but also Strawberry Fields, Please Please Me, being For the Benefit OMK … (George Martin), Dont´let Me Down, In My Life, Lucy in the Sky … (Paul), Norwegian Wood, I Want You (George) etc.
What would A Hard Day´s Night be without the starting chord? certainly a creation of George, Paul and G.Martin …
Across the Universe has got good lyrics, but quite a boring melody and no real rhythmic drive – it´s simple to see the fault with others, John himself had no ideas to improve the song – and whined about the lack of assistance from the group, mainly Paul – who even organised the two fan-girls singing at the end (WWLF-release – questionable though if it is for the benefit). I cannot see any “sabotage”, rather a lack of ideas by John himself …
Yeah but if really cared he could have done a lot more
So claimed John Lennon in his most bitter I’m-going-to-swing-hard-and-hurt-everyone-I-ever-loved period. Him saying it doesn’t make it true.
Well you could criticize Lennon’s comments but he had total control over I Am A Walrus and look at the results. In a way he’s criticizing Paul’s treatment of his songs like George would of John and Paul’s treatment of his. The atmosphere and enthusiasm can make or break art… and while the results of some may be good, we’ll never know what might have been. Lennon’s criticism of Paul is really an attack on himself for not being strong enough to take control his own songs.
One of John’s finest and most special, and particularly the poetic lyrics – so thanks to Cynthia.
Regardless, wasn’t the over detailed album version produced by Spector?
The guitars are out of tune and I’m singing out of tune ’cause I’m psychologically destroyed and nobody’s supporting me or helping me with it and the song was never done properly
“Across the Universe” is one of my favourite Beatle songs. The very first few times I heard it, I wasn’t enthralled, but it really didn’t take long to draw me in and as the years have passed by, I’ve loved it more and more. That World Wildlife fund version is interesting, as far as it goes, but it doesn’t compare with the “Let it Be” version, even though in basis, it’s the same track. I suspect that is what John may have been referring to in the above quote. Not that I can hear any out-of-tune-ness in either the guitars or the voice. In fact, the instrumental balance in the Let it Be version is brilliant, and I think it is beautifully sung.
On my ipod, “Across the Universe” is one of those songs on repeat. Sometimes, I can go for days listening only to that song. There’s so much in there, and I like the East-West fusion instrumentally. John and George brought so much to popular music in the way they utilized Indian instruments in songs like Norwegian Wood, Love You To, Tomorrow Never Knows, Strawberry fields Forever, Within You Without You {one can even throw in Getting Better, though it was a collab} and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. Having the Indian instruments was brilliant – the way they were fused with conventional instrumentation was groundbreaking.
For a song that was never done properly, it’s a masterpiece ! Same with Strawberry Fields Forever. George Martin once said {in his book on the making of Sergeant Pepper} something to the effect that John didn’t like reality, insofar as the sounds he heard in his head were never matched by what the band could actually do, or actually did. In that regard, Lennon as walking contradiction and dreamer was great for the Beatles. Given, for example, his original concept for “Help!” vs the way it turned out, I don’t mind that John so often trashes his songs. Because what we have to listen to is more than great enough. I couldn’t care less what he heard in his head.
At the time, someone wrote in to Rolling Stone that “Jai Guru Dev A Om” played backward is “Love is Good Hash.” I tried it and he was right! John sent RS a one-line letter on response: “Don’t be silly.”