Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono
Engineers: Phil McDonald, John Leckie
The 11th studio session for John Lennon’s debut solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, took place on 24 October 1970.
It was a mixing session for four songs: ‘Mother’, ‘I Found Out’, ‘Remember’, and ‘Well Well Well’.
‘Mother’ was the first to be tackled. It was decided during this session to revert to the vocals recorded on 17 October, rather than an attempt made the following day. The song was completed with the sound of a bell being rung four times, which was edited onto the beginning of the song.
Lennon slowed the bells down to give a suitably funereal introduction. He had the idea after watching a horror film on television.
I was watching TV as usual in California, and there was this old horror movie on. I just heard the bells, which sounded like that to me. But they were probably different ’cause those that I used on the album were actually other bells slowed down. I just thought, ‘That’s how to start ‘Mother’.’ I knew ‘Mother’ was going to be the first track.
Lennon Remembers, Jann S Wenner
‘I Found Out’ was also completed on this day. Tape echo was added to the guitar licks during the instrumental section.
The third song to be worked on was ‘Remember’. The EMI tape effects library was again raided, and the sound of an explosion was edited onto to the final mix.
In England it’s the day they blew up the Houses of Parliament. We celebrate it by having bonfires every November the fifth. It was just an ad lib. It was about the third take, and it begins to sound like Frankie Laine – when you’re singing ‘remember, remember the fifth of November.’ And I just broke and it went on for about another seven or eight minutes. I was just ad libbing and goofing about. But then I cut it there and it just exploded ’cause it was a good joke.
Lennon Remembers, Jann S Wenner
‘Well Well Well’ was also mixed on this day, but the results were unsatisfactory and new mixes were created on 29 October.