‘I’m Only Sleeping’, John Lennon’s most soporific contribution to Revolver, was inspired by Paul McCartney’s habit of having to wake him up for afternoon songwriting sessions at Lennon’s house.
The subject matter was close to Lennon’s heart. His lack of routine while away from the rigours of touring left him content to while away the hours at his home in Weybridge, often under the influence of drugs.
In an interview with Lennon, published in the Evening Standard on 4 March 1966, journalist Maureen Cleave wrote of Lennon:
He can sleep almost indefinitely, is probably the laziest person in England. ‘Physically lazy,’ he said. ‘I don’t mind writing or reading or watching or speaking, but sex is the only physical thing I can be bothered with any more’.
In the studio
The Beatles began recording ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ on 27 April 1966, when 11 takes of the rhythm track were put to tape. John Lennon added his lead vocals two days later.
One of the defining features of ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ is the backwards guitar. This was, in fact, two parts, conceived and performed by George Harrison during a five hour late-night session on 5 May 1966. Harrison first wrote down the notation for the solos he wanted, reversed them, and recorded them twice – one with fuzz effects, and the other unadorned.
The idea for the backwards solos came about after a tape operator accidentally threaded a tape into the machine the wrong way.
It played backwards, and, ‘What the hell is going on?’ Those effects! Nobody knew how those sounded then. We said, ‘My God, that is fantastic! Can we do that for real?’… So that was what we did and that was where we discovered backwards guitar. It was a beautiful solo actually. It sounds like something you couldn’t play.
Listen to the section of the song containing the main solo reversed, to hear how the guitar sounded as it was recorded:
‘I’m Only Sleeping’ was completed on 6 May 1966. Lennon, McCartney and Harrison added their harmony vocals, along with a somewhat apt yawn at the two-minute mark.
The “tape operator” who threaded the tape into the tape machine the wrong way was John.
This occurence was revealed in the Special Features dvd in the Anthology series.
This is one of my favorite songs on Revolver. There are at least 4 different mixes of this song with different backwards guitar at different parts during the song. The U.K. mono edition has the most.
I’ve read three different accounts of how the backwards-recording thing came to be! (George Martin and John both take credit)
Are you not thinking of Rain? Because there’s always been a dispute about how the backwards vocals in that came about. There are quotes from George Martin and John on this page: https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/rain/
I was referring to “Rain”, yeah, if that was directed at me. Guess I might’ve been more specific…
The Backwords Vocals In “Rain” Have Often Been Refered To
As John’s Final Verse,But I Have Played The Last Bit Backwards
And He Simply Repeats The First Verse,That’s All It Is
Personally, I think I like the acoustic version from Anthology better than Revolver…has a more raw feel.
Totally agree with you, love take 1 version ¡¡¡¡¡
Almost all of John’s songs sound best as stripped-down, raw and personal as possible, even from the beginning. “Strawberry Fields Forever” (the take after he says “I canno’ do it”), “I’m In Love”, even “Because”(hearing someone just playing that masterpiece, just written, unadorned, and it’s so naked, really emphasizes that beyond all the production, it’s a flat-out songwriting masterpiece that may be the pinnacle of Beatle-compositions-it sounds like a secret you’re not supposed to be privy to) are all examples. Also see the 1970? version of “Help” and just about all of his solo songs; which is why the John Lennon Acoustic album might be his best.
Everett’s take:
The Beatles first taped Rickenbacker bass, drums, John’s Gibson Jumbo which were all reduced to a single track. John then sang his lead vocal taped at 45 cps for replay at 50 cps creating a dreamy timbre. This track was sent, with ADT, to both left and right channels.
George then taped two slithering reversed guitar parts – one with distortion – which later became one track. The eventual fourth track with Paul’s descant vocal and weightless backing vocals by Paul and George throughout which are heard left and right with ADT.
Several alternate mixes contain different reversed guitar parts.
It sounds to me like two acoustic guitars. Right?
Correct. Robert Rodriguez and John C. Winn have confirmed that there were, indeed, two acoustic guitars, but I’m not sure which parts John and George play – my guess is that John does the main strumming and George does a lot of the emphasized playing, including the backwards strums, in addition to strumming in unison with John.
This instrumental cover on YouTube even demonstrates the two acoustic guitar parts.
Paul does some really well-played bass fills and Ringo’s drumming is also remarkable.
Who in heck played vibes on the “Anthology” version, I wonder??
If I had to guess I would say either Paul or George played the vibes, probably Paul. It’s probably not Ringo, although I suppose it could have just been another take over his basic drum track…you can hear an acoustic guitar which is most likely John, and I can’t really tell if there is a bass part…or maybe it could be some random person like George Martin…or maybe it’s John…who really knows? But it does sound good.
There’s definitely a bass part. It’s actually a nice bass part. It kinda sounds like two acoustic guitars, but I think the sound could be accomplished with one. Either way, it’s a great rhythm part.
According to Robert Rodriguez in his book “Revolver”, the basic track did indeed involve two acoustic guitars, bass and drums, so obviously John and George were both on acoustic guitars before George overdubbed his backwards guitar solo. John C. Winn also confirms that there were two acoustic guitars on the basic track and besides, there are photographs that were obviously from the day of that session showing John with his acoustic guitar strapped on, the other one leaning against the Fender Showman amplifier is obviously George’s one, Ringo is at his drum kit and Paul is using his Rickenbacker bass.
George played vibes on many recordings so it might be him.
I’m surprised that weren’t any comments from John about this song. This is one of those songs that seems like it would be basically impossible to dislike.
Is it possible that there is more than just guitar, bass, and drums in the backing track?
At “Everybody seems to think I’m lazy” at about 0:35 in both the mono and the stereo mixes, there is a prominent “flute organ” like sound that can be heard. It fades but is still audible throughout the track. It is possible that this is really the backing vocals, but when heard in the other parts of the song, the backing vocals are of a very different tone.
Yup, I hear it too. Like an organ playing drone notes. Eh.
Kudos to George for the perfectly trippy solo.
Who yawned?
John did
I think Paul did. You can hear somebody say “Yawn, Paul!” just before that.
Love both the acoustic version & the instrumental version on Anthology.
Paul. George Harrison actually commands him by saying: ”Yawn, Paul”.
George said ‘Yawn, Paul’?
I always believed it was John
And why they made Paul yawn?
it’s definitely george playing the vibes on the “anthology 2” rehearsal. I actually liked the arrangement idea and think it might have worked a treat.
Great John Lennon song off brilliant “Revolver”. Forerunner to “I’m So Tired” and many years later “Watching the Wheels”. Great story to George Harrisons backward guitar solo.
This is one of those underrated Lennon songs which on any other album would have been a highlight. Lennon is able to communicate through his voice the dreamy, sleepy soporific feeling perfectly. This song has been a favorite of mine and fits the mood of the album perfectly.
As much as I love all the great parts on this cut, the part that just sticks in my brain
is the bass leadin before the bridge:
ba-bum-bum-ba (STRUM) ba-bum-bum-BA !
My favorite ever Beatles song. It’s all-around sleepy, dreamy feel has a certain appeal to this perpetual insomniac who can NEVER get enough shut-eye. In fact, I play it every night before bed to help me go to sleep, and it’s the only thing that seems to work. It’s like the perfect sleeping pill!
Amazing song. Interesting noone ever comments the middle eight two voice “counterpointy” movement on Keepin’ an eye on the world going by my window, harmonized underneath with sofisticated chords progression. This was an unprecedented passage in pre Pepper Beatles music. Bluesy but intellectual at the same time. Dirty and scholarly.
I always felt this is the highlight of the song. Works perfectly cause interrupts the sleepy monotonous feeling of the verses. It wakes you up unexpectedly. I wonder whose idea this was. I suspect those little technical gems are more Macca’s.
Agree, Seaofwine, it seems Macca-ish, another example of Paul adding a touch to help a good John song move to great, just as John added touches to move good Paul songs to great. Which is something that rarely gets mentioned at Wikipedia.
Which part do you suspect is Paul? the harmony vocal? or the actual tune of the middle 8?
I suspect it’s the harmony vocal. The tune of the middle eight has John’s feel but these counterpoints are Paul’s additions
How many versions of “I’m Only Sleeping” were commercially released in 1966? There was the mono, the stereo, and wasn’t there a 3rd version that was kind of rare because it had the backward guitar and the ‘yawn’ heard around the world in a different location? If true, where can you find that 3rd version?
This song is in Eb. Were the guitars tuned down a half step or was it mastered down to a slower speed? I know they did that with some of their earlier songs.