MUS 116 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Doo-Wop, Revolution 9, Rishikesh
The Beatles (aka The White Album) ( 5/18/18)
● Recorded between 30 May and 14 October 1968
● Issued 22 November 1968 (UK) and 25 November (USA)
● 9th studio album (in UK)
● Songs mostly written March and April 1968 in Rishikesh, India
● Unusual productivity: 40 new songs (14 by Lennon)
● No drugs
● Harrison rediscovers guitar, emerges as a composer
● Begun on a 4 track tape recorded, finished on an 8 track
● Much recorded by individual Beatles in separate studios, separate engineers
● “Sexy Sadie”
○ Written by Lennon as he left India
○ Recorded July and August 1968
○ Originally called “Maharishi”
○ George Harrison requested different name, suggested Sexy Sadie
○ Disguised by changing name and gender of the target
○ Reference at beginning to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “I’ve Been Good
to You” (1961)
■ Robinson: “Look what you’ve done/ You made a fool out of someone”
■ Lennon: “What have you done? / You made a fool of everyone”
● “Rocky Raccoon”
○ “Rocky Raccoon” a spoof of a Bob Dylan ballad such as “The Ballad of Frankie
Lee and Judas Priest” (John Wesley Harding)
○ An early take involved a miner from “a small town in Minnesota”
○ Paul’s exaggerated American accent and vocal tone imitates Dylan
○ Harmonica, piano
○ Biblical references (Gideon’s Bible)
○ “Danny boy” vs. “Frankie Boy”
○ “Her name was Magil and she called herself Lil, but everyone knew her as
Nancy”
■ Robert Zimmerman = Bob Dylan = Blind Boy Grunt (1962 - 63) = Bob
Landy (1964)
■
● “Revolution” / “Revolution 1” / “Revolution 9”
○ Began as “Revolution” written by Lennon in India
○ In recording for White Album,
the song grew to 10 minutes
○ The coda eventually separated and became “Revolution 9”
○ “Revolution” became “Revolution 1”
○ They re- recorded “Revolution” faster as B - side of “Hey Jude”
○ Guitar distortion added in “revolution” ; doo - wop singing cut
○ “Revolution” criticized as ‘counter - revolutionary’ for line “But when you talk
about destruction, Don’t you know you can count me out”
○ In “Revolution 1” Lennon made this “You can count me out… in”
Document Summary
The beatles (aka the white album) ( 5/18/18) Recorded between 30 may and 14 october 1968. Issued 22 november 1968 (uk) and 25 november (usa) Songs mostly written march and april 1968 in rishikesh, india. Unusual productivity: 40 new songs (14 by lennon) Harrison rediscovers guitar, emerges as a composer. Begun on a 4 track tape recorded, finished on an 8 track. Much recorded by individual beatles in separate studios, separate engineers. Written by lennon as he left india. George harrison requested different name, suggested sexy sadie. Disguised by changing name and gender of the target. Reference at beginning to smokey robinson and the miracles, i"ve been good to you (1961) Robinson: look what you"ve done/ you made a fool out of someone . Rocky raccoon a spoof of a bob dylan ballad such as the ballad of frankie. An early take involved a miner from a small town in minnesota .
