Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Phil McDonald
Although The Beatles’ last recording session as a quartet had taken place on 20 August 1969, there were several other sessions involving one or more members up until April 1970.
Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr regrouped at EMI Studios to complete the Get Back album, as it was then called. John Lennon was holidaying in Denmark, but had left the group by this time.
They worked on ‘I Me Mine’, which Harrison was filmed playing to Starr during the Let It Be film. As it was to be included in the film’s final cut, it was necessary for the song to appear on the accompanying album.
The three Beatles worked from 2.30pm until 12.15am the following morning. Sixteen takes of the song’s rhythm track were recorded, with acoustic guitar, bass and drums, plus a guide vocal from Harrison.
The group performed an instrumental jam after take six, and prior to take 12 Harrison led them through a version of Buddy Holly’s ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’.
Before take 15, Harrison delivered a mock press statement containing a reference to Lennon’s absence.
You all will have read that Dave Dee is no longer with us. But Mickey and Tich and I would just like to carry on the good work that’s always gone down in [studio] number two.
The remark was included on Anthology 3, along with the basic version of take 16.
Having taped a satisfactory backing track, The Beatles overdubbed electric piano, electric guitar, lead and backing vocals, an organ and another acoustic guitar track.
Also on this day...
- 2011: Beatles museum opens in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 1990: Paul McCartney live: National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham
- 1969: Get Back/Let It Be sessions: day two
- 1964: Live: The Beatles’ Christmas Show
- 1964: US single release: Please Please Me
- 1963: The Beatles live: Two Red Shoes Ballroom, Elgin, Scotland
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1926: George Martin is born
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
…and the last Beatles song to be recorded for over 20 years until Free as a Bird
unofficially, All Those Years Ago included the same musicians from I Me Mine in 1981. George, Paul and Ringo with George Martin assisting.
How come articles STILL explain John’s absence away to being on holiday? He’d quit in September, so even if he was in London, he still wouldn’t have taken part.
That’s because he was in Denmark.
I guess his being out of the country means he couldn’t have attended anyway. Therefore, whether he would have refused to participate is moot.
Who knows what John would have done if he had been present in the UK at the time? It is possible that he would have attended this session. However, this is only a guess. His statement on September 20, 69 was probably not that definitive, since AFTER that date he recorded his material for the promo film for Something and for the Seventh Christmas Record. Although the material was recorded separately in both cases, it is hard to deny that John did it as a Beatle and for The Beatles.
It’s pretty well known that Lennon didn’t like “I Me Mine”.
This is definitely a generalization. George’s original idea for the song included a flamenco-style guitar break, which was met with John’s disapproval. So, ONLY this element of I Me Mine was the object of John’s dislike and his ironic remark to George (“We’re a rock and roll band, you know”). It was, of course, in January 1969, and the version recorded a year later did not contain this somewhat strange element.
For the speculators, John Lennon had officially left the group. He didn’t like I Me Mine, and stated he wasn’t going to return to record the song with the band.
The next time George, Paul and Ringo would play together would be Eric Clapton’s wedding in 1979.
Then in 1981 the three former Beatles played again on Harrison’s All Those Years Ago.
The last time George, Paul and Ringo played and recorded together was in February 1994.
I Me Mine would have sounded better with the flamenco break. Lennon’s negative comments, “we’er in a rock & roll band, you know”, were contradictory. He had no problem with McCartney’s Michelle’s “French bohemian guitar style strings or his own In My Life with its “Bach” influenced piano solo. Double standards when it suited him or McCartney.
Two essential points:
1. By the time I Me Mine was recorded, John certainly hadn’t OFFICIALLY left the group.
2. John didn’t say he wasn’t going to return to record the song (I Me Mine) with the band. There was no such statement from John at the time.
That’s true – I read on a forum that he did not single out George by not attending the session for “I Me Mine” and as it well-documented, he and Yoko were on holiday in Denmark.
He did announce he was leaving in September 1969, but it’s not clear if he was only temporarily leaving or if he planned on officially leaving for good. Allen Klein did ask him not to announce it publicly, so as not to undermine sales of “Abbey Road”, and he agreed.