In the studio
One of the luxuries of EMI owning Abbey Road was that The Beatles were able to work at their own pace. In the case of Sgt Pepper this had meant they could block-book the studios for weeks at a time, with the luxury of experimentation and unhampered by time constraints. It also meant they could record at short notice.Under the working title ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko (They’re Gonna Crucify Me)’, the song was recorded by John Lennon and Paul McCartney at Abbey Road’s Studio Three on 14 April 1969, in a session beginning at 2.30pm and ending at 9pm.
It was then mixed for stereo, and was finished and ready for release by 11pm. According to George Martin, Yoko Ono was present in the studio, although she appears to have played no part in the recording.
I enjoyed working with John and Yoko on ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’. It was just the two of them with Paul. When you think about it, in a funny kind of way it was the beginning of their own label, and their own way of recording. It was hardly a Beatle track. It was a kind of thin end of the wedge, as far as they were concerned. John had already mentally left the group anyway, and I think that was just the beginning of it all.
Anthology
Following his reduced role in the Get Back/Let It Be sessions, ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ was once again produced by George Martin. Also returning to the Abbey Road control room was Geoff Emerick, who had stopped working with The Beatles during the White Album sessions.
‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ was a very fast session. It was a really good record too, helped by Paul’s great drumming and the speed in which they did it all.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
The success of the session may have contributed to the positivity that surrounded the recording of Abbey Road, which began shortly afterwards. It appears to have particularly helped ease relations between Lennon and McCartney, who at the time were locked in a legal battle over the management of the group.
At the time Ringo Starr was filming The Magic Christian, and George Harrison was on holiday. In their places, Lennon and McCartney played all the instruments on the song.
‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ only had Paul – of the other Beatles – on it but that was OK. ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’ was just Paul and me, and it went out as a Beatle track too. We had no problems with that. There’s good drums on ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’, too.
Anthology
Lennon and McCartney recorded 11 takes of the basic rhythm track, with Lennon’s acoustic guitar on track two of the eight-track tape, McCartney’s drums on track three, and Lennon’s vocals on four.
Five of the takes broke down immediately before the line “Made a lightning trip to Vienna”, when McCartney mistakenly added an extra snare drum beat.
Take two broke down because, as John explained, ‘Un string avec kaput, Mal!’ And there was one lovely moment, before take four, where John said to the drumming Paul, ‘Go a bit faster, Ringo!’ and Paul replied to the guitar-wielding John, ‘OK, George!’
Take seven from the session was released in 2019 on the super deluxe 50th anniversary reissue of Abbey Road.
The 11th take was recorded in a higher key – G instead of E. Lennon and McCartney then decided that take 10 was the best, and it became the basis of the final version.
The first overdub was McCartney’s bass guitar on track one, followed by Lennon’s electric guitar on track five. He then added more electric guitar to track six, with McCartney simultaneously adding a piano part on the same track.
Track seven was filled with McCartney’s backing vocals, and the song was completed with McCartney’s maracas and Lennon making percussive sounds – made by slapping the back of an acoustic guitar – on track eight.
Chart success
‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ was released in the UK on 30 May 1969. It was rush-released just six weeks after it was recorded, while ‘Get Back’ was still at number one in the UK charts.
It topped the UK charts for three weeks, but only managed to reach number eight in America. The b-side in both countries was George Harrison’s ‘Old Brown Shoe’.
This song, along with Old Brown Shoe and (You know my name) look up the number, that would of made Let It Be, the album with all good songs, you got: Get Back, One After 909, Let It Be and lots more, it would of added icing to the cake
I agree with Tony’s comment above. If you added some of the songs that The Beatles actually recorded at about the same time they were recording the album that would become “Let It Be,” you would turn a mediocre (for them) album into a great one.
-Old Brown Shoe
-Ballad of John & Yoko
-Come And Get It
-Give Peace A Chance
It should also be noted that before the “Let It Be” album was released, John recorded “Instant Karma,” and Paul recorded “Maybe I’m Amazed.”
Add those 2 songs to the above 4 (and include the best 6 or 7 songs that actually made the album), and you’d have a downright classic.
Never thought about it… that would have been just awesome.
Include
“That Would Be Something”
Every Beatles Album would have to be Gate folded Triple Albums.
They were just too good and creative to stay together.
That is the best way I can look at it
Very true Garrett, and don’t forget George’s All Things Must Pass which was worked on during that time. How great would it be if their farewell album was a double. Off the top of my head, they could have also added Lady Madonna, Rain, The Inner Light , Mary Jane, We Can Work it Out & Yes it Is, all of which I don’t believe were released on albums as of then.
Yes that would have been another classic. Also cold Turkey, which I think John wanted to do with the Beatles, but was nixed by the others, or at least Paul
If you could have kept it from being “Spectorized”.
I totally agree. It’s the same with Sgt. Pepper’s: Imagine Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields would have been added and not only been published as one (!) single …
I think Give Peace A Chance would have been a nice closer/fadeout track for that reimagined tracklist
Way back when I was dumbfounded when “Don’t Let Me Down” was omitted from the Let It Be album along with different versions of Get Back and Let It Be instead of the singles.
As for other songs, group and solo possibilities for Let It Be, the sky is the limit.
After the breakup, there was a series of bootleg albums entitled Renaissance Minstrels containing solo music that catered to the wish fulfillment of some Beatle fans.
Possibly the booters were fans themselves.
Volume three for instance contained–It Don’t Come Easy,Cold Turkey, Deep Blue, Another Day, Instant Karma, Back Off Boogaloo, Blind Man, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Give Ireland Back To The Irish, Give Peace A Chance, Early I970.
The front cover shows the Fabs all dressed in Renaissance clothes with fractures separating each one from each other.
I love responding to nearly decade-old posts! I had a poster of that cover growing up, and later, while studying art history, I “discovered” that the cover was based directly on The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio, where the Beatles were the leftmost 4 figures and the cropping didn’t show anyone else, really. The painting remains one of my favorites, not least for the controversy of which person in the painting is Matthew… Christ points in the general direction of the Beatles, and one points at himself asking “Are you calling me?” (I think this was Paul in the poster), but most agree it is the Beatle looking down and counting his money, who will look up and be directly blinded by Christ’s light… Ringo!
The Let It Be album is still a classic despite its previously stated flaws.
I don’t think that Let It Be Naked was a remedy.
I guess Let It Be and its whole storied history makes it THE album that Beatle fans like to realign with songs and/or versions of songs that were not on the original.
A consolation is the fact they rallied to produce Abbey Road.
LOL “it has always surprised me how with just the two of us on it, it ended up sounding like The Beatles.” said Paul
Paulie and john were the beatles
The Beatles were always more than the sum of the individuals involved. That this song was made by just John and Paul shows the depth of musicianship the group enjoyed.
I believe that’s what they were trying to demonstrate with “Ballad….” Unconsciously, perhaps. Or not.
Thank God they rallied for Abbey Road.
John plays two lead guitars and made percussion with the back of his acoustic
that song has a real classic beatle sound ending. the first in years.funny that paul contributed to this song because i thought he hated yoko.also where in canada are you from joe?i’m a canuck also.youre web site rules!
I’m not from Canada – I’m English. Glad you like the site!
He contributed to this song, and had john and Yoko living with him for a while when John and Cynthia separated. He also helped them get back together in 75.
Funny – I was 12 when The Ballad came out and I still remember thinking that song sounded empty – and not like The Beatles usual sound.
Flipping the single over and hearing Old Brown Shoe I thought “THAT sounds like them.”
Years later finding out it was just John and Paul on Ballad, it all made sense.
A great, great tune – but one wonders how it would have sounded with George adding vocals and playing lead and Ringo adding those syncopated fills only he could do.
A great song nonetheless.
I also think the recording sounds empty. Particularly because of the drums.
That’s right – it is a direct contrast to “Old Brown Shoe”. Paul has admitted that he can play a basic 4/4 or something like that, but he isn’t that good at shuffles, so it’s more than obvious that it’s Ringo drumming on “Old Brown Shoe”.
I agree with you – we can only speculate. John and Paul did not deliberately record it without George and Ringo, because Ringo was away filming “The Magic Christian” and the reason why George wasn’t there has never been consistent, either on holiday or abroad for other reasons.
There are a number of Beatles songs that have less than four members playing.
But The Ballad Of John And Yoko could be the most important one of them all because of John and Paul’s cooperation in recording the song.
It subsequently inspired them to begin work on Abbey Road in the wake of the debacle of Get Back.
I think of this track really as part of Abbey Road, rather than Let It Be. The renewed enthusiasm was largely carried over during the recording of that record.
A part of me almost wished they didn’t release it when they did. It would’ve been interesting to see what the track would’ve sounded like with Ringo on drums and George on lead guitar.
finally the truth that john and paul wrote it
John wrote it alone CJ.. It was recorded by him & Paul. Read the article.
According to the above information on this page, the song was unfinished:
“On 14 April 1969 Lennon arrived at McCartney’s London home to work on his unfinished song. After quickly completing the writing, the pair immediately took it to Abbey Road.”
He didn’t write it alone. Read the article. Paul helped him finish writing it.
“On 14 April 1969 Lennon arrived at McCartney’s London home to work on his unfinished song. After quickly completing the writing, the pair immediately took it to Abbey Road”.
Here it goes again, the who-wrote-what waltz. This is obviously a Lennon song, about his marriage, nothing to do with McCartney. McCartney hepled him finish the arrangement, not the writing. And they both played great on the record.
I agree with the main piece: “….After quickly completing the writing, the pair….”
You can sense that John and Paul were enjoying themselves recording this song. it adds a dimension to it that makes it a little similar to their early recording like IWTHYH and From Me to You. Also, the similarity of the guitar and base parts to Lonesome Tears in My Eyes never occurred to me until I read it here. interesting. Finally, there is a Hebrew version of this song recorded by a guy named Einstein (no relation to the Physicist) in the 60s or 70s that somehow captures the spirit of the original to an uncanny extent. Here if you are interested <>
No surprise Paul played well on the drums as he did on Back In The USSR!
Great song. John and Paul working brilliantly together with George and Ringo away. Despite all that was going on at that time they could still get it together for the music. Lennon was in a hurry and needed it recorded. First heard this on US Hey Jude album.
Great track and great playing by both of them. Johns lead guitar fills in between vocal gaps and in the ending were superb. I know it was recorded in G and then decided after a few takes to move it to E. Probably a wise decision. Would love to here those first few takes.
This song marks the beginning of the end, really. Could’ve been a solo Lennon single, but he had to record it with McCartney; he was slowly drifting away. Then Give Peace a Chance came, and he credits McCartney a co-writer; another step away, not quite letting go. Then Cold Turkey and he was free!
And thus was able to prove that sometimes freedom is a terrible curse.
I like the fact that a simple song like this (simple, but good) probably allowed Abbey Road to be made.
My local radio station was one that banned the song, and then when it became a hit anyway, started spinning the version with “Christ” skipped out.
Most amazing to me: my devout Catholic mother didn’t ban me from playing the uncensored version on our record player!
Oh, fer Chrissakes! I love this song. Memorable summer of ’69!
In Australia the released version of TBOJAY had “Christ” silenced or edited out from the recording. Our radio stations also played the edited version yet occasionally the full unedited version would mysteriously find its way onto the airwaves. I was both surprised and pleased that only John and Paul played on this song. It cemented my opinion that the two of them were in essence the “Beatles.” I always enjoyed this song. It is a great rocking track. What also surprised me was finding out recently that TBOJAY has overtime outsold Let It Be. Not even the Censors could hold back the power of the Beatles.
The local Detroit station (WKNR) played a perfectly edited version (with no gap or bleep) that eliminated the word “Christ”. I don’t know if they did it or if there was some “semi-official” version available to radio stations, but I didn’t even know anything was missing until I bought the “Hey Jude” album the following year. Surprised the hell out of me!
What a beautiful moment this song captures, when Paul and John got together and recaptured some of the old magic. Paul’s backing vocals on the last verse or just brilliant, as is his drumming. I only recently noticed that the classic bass line exactly replicates the bass line from Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel.” It’s the exact same notes, only slowed down.
Paul’s falsetto in the last verses make me crazy every time I listen to this song !
great track !
The voices of John and Paul sound magically together.
Paul vocal backing delight me with every listening
in my opinion one of the top Beatles songs ever
I love the Take 7 version released on the 50th anniversary Abbey Road set, it sounds so intimate hearing just John on guitar with Paul on drums
It really is. It’s goddam delightful to hear them enjoying working together.
I agree. I’ve been listening to both versions and I forgot what rocking song it was. I think it’s funny that John, at that point, didn’t care if the Bible bangers got upset with his lyrics.
Would love to have been a fly on the wall at this session. Even at so fraught a period, such a brisk, impeccable collaboration between John and Paul.
John Lennon says: “…it’s very romantic and all in the song.”
I suppose he is talking about how he felt in realtime during his and Yoko’s wedding preparations, which came after and appeared to be a reaction to Paul and Linda getting married first.
Or maybe he’s remembering how great he felt when he and Paul actually worked together on the song and the recording of it. ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ is one of the LEAST romantic songs EVER.
I’m sorry but to my ear, as clever upbeat the rhythm and melody are, I have to say that “romantic feeling” doesn’t come across in “The Ballad”. Neither does “Love, Beauty, Attraction, Horniness, nor Happiness”, for that matter.
To my ear what comes across (if you listen to the lyrics) is a hellish travelogue, a misery quest headed for impending doom, which prompts the “would be” groom to evoke Christ (5 times in fearful dread of the aftermath of his nuptials! What in the hell…?!
Beatle insider Peter Brown gets a whole name shout-out in the song, whereas bride Yoko’s name is only in the title, in song, she’s a “us, we’re”, and “the wife”, who calls John a “boy” and speaks of when he’s dead! This love ballad must have been written and recorded on Opposite Day.
No one has mentioned the original picture sleeve this record came in, with the photo of the group plus Yoko. Paul, Ringo & George are all standing John & Yoko, looking like they’re just about to throw up.
Glad you mentioned that sleeve cover with with John and Yoko as “John&Yoko-Two Bodies, One Mind”, with ‘The Threetles’ as J&Y’s back up band. I think that sleeve cover is evidence, proof positive that “John&Yoko” were trying to worm Yoko into The Beatles, so she could gain instant fame and relevancy she wasn’t able to obtain on her own, even after name dropping that she collaborated with John Cage and Ornette Coleman.
The B-side photo is also revealing. Even though “Old Brown Shoe” is a George composition that Yoko had nothing to do with, J&Y are again front and center, with George in the background. The photo was clearly taken to illustrate this particular song–there’s an old brown shoe in the bush in front of John. “I don’t care if you wrote the bloody thing, George–me wife gets center stage!” What an insult.
I think that when they were recording Rubber Soul, they also recorded Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out. I just think if you put those 2 songs with the likes of Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, Girl, In My Life, If I Needed Someone, The Word. You would make a really good album into one of their all time best.
I agree 100%
It is a Fantastic Album.
Singles were held of LPs in England.
America also cut a couple of songs off of each album.
And then Capital would release a “New Album” in the states with these songs.
It was ridiculous for Capitol to compile these so-called “new albums”, never mind The Beatles’ disapproval, and in hindsight, it was wrong. George dismissed them as awful packages and I agree with him; again, their insistence on the British albums being used for the CD versions in the 1980s and 21st century as well as 180g vinyl reissues is a clear indication that they disowned the pre-Sgt. Pepper Capitol releases and most likely, they will stay out-of-print and deleted forever, never being officially remastered on 180g vinyl.
Singles weren’t always left off albums in the UK.
Personnel
John Lennon: vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar
Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, bass, drums, piano, maracas
A snapshot of the events surrounding John Lennon‘s marriage to Yoko Ono, ‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’ was recorded in a single day by just Lennon and Paul McCartney.
They Loved Each Other!
The Beatles’ popularity in America recovered relatively quickly after the More Popular than Jesus scandal, as their records continued to sell and “Sgt. Pepper” won the prestigious Grammy for Album of the Year – I’m referring to their general popularity throughout the USA, post-1966.
The Ballad of John and Yoko is a total rip off of the music of Lonesome Tears from my eyes .How he was not sued for taking the music from that songt like Harrison was for My Sweet Lord is beyond me.I’ve begun to realize a disturbing pattern of Lennon lifting the music or lyrics from other songs like Hey Baby or Heartbreak Hotel and claiming he wrote the songs .I wonder how many other songs he did that with.
The story of this one song seems to capture much about John’s nature and the contradictions within him. The marriage was “very romantic” and “like a sunny dream,” yet he felt endlessly harried and harrassed; he was impatient to record it, yet hesitant to release it; it took John + Paul peeling away on their own to renew enthusiasm for the Beatles recording as a group. No criticisms here in the slightest – simply an appreciation for how human he was.
The story of this one song seems to capture much about John’s nature and the contradictions within him. The marriage was “very romantic” and “like a sunny dream,” yet he felt endlessly harried and harrassed; he was impatient to record it, yet hesitant to release it; it took John + Paul peeling away on their own to renew enthusiasm for the Beatles recording as a group. No criticisms here in the slightest – simply an appreciation for how human he was.
A great collaboration from both John and Paul..I think the drumming was good by Paul but even better on Old Brown Shoe. Both tracks sound more interesting when you realise who is playing what on each track.
How about none? If any L&M song had been similar enough to be judged actionable, there certainly would have been claims and lawsuits and settlements. There are specific criteria that must be met in order for a song to be considered “a total rip off” and, having now listened to the track you mention, it doesn’t even come close. The best you can say is they’re similar, using a chord pattern used by hundreds of other songs in the r&r genre. Sadly for George Harrison, his accidental adoption of He’s My Guy is a note-for-note match, right down to the backing vocals. He never argued otherwise, only that there was no intent to steal. That wasn’t enough to keep the songwriting credit.
John Lennon didn’t need to steal lyrics or music. That’s absurd and insulting to one of the finest songwriters of the 20th century. You said yourself that the lack of a lawsuit is beyond your understanding. Maybe that’s a hint that you don’t know enough to go around calling John Lennon a thief.