Recording, mixing: Julia, Dear Prudence, Wild Honey Pie, Back In The USSR, Blackbird

Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Ken Scott

The final song to be recorded for the White Album was ‘Julia’, John Lennon’s tribute to his mother.

He chose to record the song simply, with just vocals and acoustic guitar. It took just three takes to perfect the guitar track, which was recorded onto four-track tape.

The mostly instrumental take two was included on 1996’s Anthology 3, but take three became the basis for the album release. Onto it Lennon recorded two vocal tracks and a second acoustic guitar part, and the song was complete.

A stereo mix of ‘Julia’ was then created, followed by one of ‘Dear Prudence’, two of ‘Wild Honey Pie’, and one apiece of ‘Back In The USSR’ and ‘Blackbird’.

Mono mixes followed: one of ‘Julia’, five of ‘Dear Prudence’, and finally one of ‘Blackbird’.

For the mono mix everything came out OK, but the stereo mix took a long, long time and I was holding the pencil to keep the effects tape taut. I guess I must have been leaning back on it and started to stretch it, because the mono has this clear, clean lovely jet sound while the stereo is an abomination of a jet sound.

The aeroplane effects had been recorded at London Airport, and came from the tape Volume 17: Jet and Piston Engine Aeroplane from Abbey Road’s collection.