First released: 1968, November 25

Original Vinyl Recording Remastered (2012)

Sheet music, guitar tabs, song books at Sheetmusicplus.com

1. Back in the USSR (2:43)
   Recorded: August 22, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added August 23, 1968
   John Lennon - 6-string bass, background vocal
   Paul McCartney - lead vocal, lead guitar, piano, drums, background vocal
   George Harrison - jazz bass, background vocal
2. Dear Prudence (3:57)
   Recorded: August 28, 1968 at Trident Studios, London, England with overdubs added August 29-30, 1968
   John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, tambourine, background vocal
   Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, drums, flugelhorn, background vocal
   George Harrison - acoustic guitar, background vocal
   Mal Evans - tambourine
3. Glass Onion (2:17)
   Recorded: September 11, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added September 12, 13, 16 and October 10, 1968
   John Lennon - double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitar
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, flute
   George Harrison - lead guitar
   Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
   Session musicians - orchestra
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (3:09)
   Recorded: July 3, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 4-5, 1968, a remake July 8, 1968 and more overdubbing July 11, 1968 and July 15, 1968
   John Lennon - maracas, background vocal
   Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano
   George Harrison - acoustic guitar, background vocal
   Ringo Starr - drums
   Session musicians - brass
5. Wild Honey Pie (1:02)
   Recorded: August 20, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
   Paul McCartney - vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums
6. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (3:05)
   Recorded: October 9, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
   John Lennon - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, organ
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, background vocal
   George Harrison - acoustic guitar, background vocal
   Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine, background vocal
   Yoko Ono - background vocal, harmony vocal (chorus), lead vocal ("not when he looked so fierce")
   Maureen Starkey - harmony vocal (chorus)
   Chris Thomas - mellotron
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (4:45)
   Recorded: July 25, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England, remade August 16, 1968 with overdubs September 3, 1968, and remade again September 5, 1968 with overdubs September 6, 1968
   John Lennon - acoustic guitar, organ, harmony vocal
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, harmony vocal
   George Harrison - double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitar, lead guitar
   Ringo Starr - drums, castanets, tambourine
   Eric Clapton - Gibson Les Paul lead guitar
8. Happiness Is a Warm Gun (2:44)
   Recorded: September 23-24, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added September 25, 1968
   John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, tambourine, background vocal
   Paul McCartney - bass guitar, background vocal
   George Harrison - lead guitar, background vocal
   Ringo Starr - drums
9. Martha My Dear (2:29)
   Recorded: October 4, 1968 at Trident Studios, London, England with overdubs added October 5, 1968
   John Lennon - bass guitar
   Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, piano
   George Harrison - lead guitar
   Ringo Starr - drums
   Session musicians - strings, brass
10. I'm So Tired (2:03)
    Recorded: October 8, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
    John Lennon - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, organ
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal
    George Harrison - lead guitar, rhythm guitar
    Ringo Starr - drums
11. Blackbird (2:18)
    Recorded: June 11, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
    Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitar, percussion
    Blackbird - bird sounds
12. Piggies (2:05)
    Recorded: September 19, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added September 20, 1968 and October 10, 1968
    John Lennon - tape loops
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar
    George Harrison - lead vocal, acoustic guitar
    Ringo Starr - tambourine
    Chris Thomas - harpsichord
    Session musicians - strings
13. Rocky Raccoon (3:41)
    Recorded: August 15, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
    John Lennon - harmonica, harmonium, background vocal
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, acoustic guitar
    George Harrison - bass guitar, background vocal
    Ringo Starr - drums
    George Martin - honky-tonk piano
14. Don't Pass Me by (3:42)
    Recorded: June 5, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added June 6, 1968 and July 12, 1968 and an edit piece (tinkling piano intro) recorded July 22, 1968
    John Lennon - acoustic guitar, tambourine
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar
    George Harrison - violin(?)
    Jack Fallon - violin
    Ringo Starr - lead vocal, drums, piano
15. Why Don't We Do It in the Road (1:41)
    Recorded: October 9, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added October 10, 1968
    Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, bass guitar, lead guitar, piano
    Ringo Starr - drums
16. I Will (1:47)
    Recorded: September 16, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added September 17, 1968
    Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, bass guitar, acoustic guitar
    Ringo Starr - drums, bongos, maracas
17. Julia (2:45)
    Recorded: October 13, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
    John Lennon - double-tracked lead vocal, double-tracked acoustic guitar
18. Birthday (2:43)
    Recorded: September 18, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
    John Lennon - lead guitar, background and occasional lead vocal
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, piano
    George Harrison - bass guitar, tambourine
    Ringo Starr - drums
    Yoko Ono, Patti Harrison - chorus
19. Yer Blues (4:01)
    Recorded: August 13, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added August 14, 1968 and the 'counted intro' added August 20, 1968
    John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar
    George Harrison - lead guitar
    Ringo Starr - drums
20. Mother Nature's Son (2:48)
    Recorded: August 9, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added August 20, 1968
    Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitar, bongos, timpani
    Session musicians - horns
21. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey (2:55)
    Recorded: June 27, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 1, 1968 and July 23, 1968
    John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, maracas
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar, background vocal
    George Harrison - rhythm guitar, firebell
    Ringo Starr - drums
22. Sexy Sadie (3:15)
    Recorded: July 19, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England but remade July 24, 1968 and remade again August 13, 1968 with overdubs added August 21, 1968
    John Lennon - lead vocal, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, organ,
    background vocal
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, background vocal
    George Harrison - lead guitar, background vocal
    Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
23. Helter Skelter (4:30)
    Recorded: September 9, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with an overdub added September 10, 1968
    John Lennon - bass guitar, lead guitar, saxophone, background vocal
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, lead guitar
    George Harrison - rhythm guitar, background vocal
    Ringo Starr - drums
    Mal Evans - trumpet
24. Long Long Long (3:04)
    Recorded: October 7, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added October 8-9, 1968
    John Lennon - acoustic guitar
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, Hammond organ
    George Harrison - double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitar
    Ringo Starr - drums
25. Revolution 1 (4:16)
    Recorded: May 30, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added May 31, June 4 and June 21, 1968
    John Lennon - lead vocal, guitar, harmony vocal
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, harmony vocal
    George Harrison - guitar, harmony vocal
    Ringo Starr - drums
    Session musicians - brass
26. Honey Pie (2:41)
    Recorded: October 1, 1968 at Trident Studios, London, England with overdubs added October 2, 1968 and October 4, 1968
    John Lennon - lead guitar
    Paul McCartney - lead vocal, piano
    George Harrison - bass guitar
    Ringo Starr - drums
    Fifteen session musicians - brass
27. Savoy Truffle (2:55)
    Recorded: October 3, 1968 at Trident Studios, London, England with overdubs added October 5, 11 and 14, 1968
    John Lennon - lead guitar
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar
    George Harrison - double-tracked lead vocal, lead guitar, organ
    Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
    Session musicians - two baritone saxophones, four tenor saxophones
28. Cry Baby Cry (3:11)
    Recorded: July 16, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with overdubs added July 18, 1968
    John Lennon - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, piano, organ
    Paul McCartney - bass guitar
    George Harrison - lead guitar
    Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
    George Martin - harmonium
29. Revolution 9 (8:13)
    Recorded: May 30, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England with effects added June 6, 10, 11, 20 and 21, 1968
    John Lennon - voice, tape loops
    Paul McCartney - piano (at the beginning)
    George Harrison - voice
    Ringo Starr - voice
30. Good Night (3:12)
    Recorded: July 22, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
    Ringo Starr - lead vocal
    Session musicians - instrumentation, background vocals

This album was completely brilliant. My only wish was that the Beatles would have included "Hey Jude", "Junk", "Hey Bulldog", "The Inner Light", and "Lady Madonna" on the album, and would have left off "Revolution 9", "Wild Honey Pie", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", and "Don't Pass Me By". Then, the album would have been perfect. In any case, it is my favorite Beatles album.

Very good album, the Beatles' best, by far. The best song in my opinion is the underrated "Long Long Long".

On first listen, these songs are as bizarre as they come. After a few times through, the songs catch on. The only one on here that I'll never understand is Revolution No. 9. Savoy Truffle is another catchy, underrated Harrison song, along with the pseudo-kiddie Piggies. Yer Blues and the pioneering Helter Skelter are remarkably un-Beatle-like, and that alone nearly qualifies them as some of the greatest on the album. Blues, heavy metal, ska, country-western, folk, and countless other styles are somehow meshed together, and the number of songs on here is unbelievable, when you factor in the 8+ minute Rev. No. 9. Who says you can't have 9 songs on one side? This refreshing change of direction makes brings the album to life.

Each song on the sprawling double album The Beatles is an entity to itself, as the band touches on anything and everything they can. This makes for a frustratingly scattershot record or a singularly gripping musical experience, depending on your view, but what makes the White Album interesting is its mess. Never before had a rock record been so self-reflective, or so ironic; the Beach Boys send-up "Back in the USSR" and the British blooze parody "Yer Blues" are delivered straight-faced, so it's never clear if these are affectionate tributes or wicked satires. Lennon turns in two of his best ballads with "Dear Prudence" and "Julia"; scours the Abbey Road vaults for the musique concrete collage "Revolution 9"; pours on the schmaltz for Ringo's closing number, "Good Night"; celebrates the Beatles cult with "Glass Onion"; and, with "Cry Baby Cry," rivals Syd Barrett. McCartney doesn't reach quite as far, yet his songs are stunning — the music-hall romp "Honey Pie", the mock country of "Rocky Raccoon", the ska-inflected "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and the proto-metal roar of "Helter Skelter." Clearly, the Beatles' two main songwriting forces were no longer on the same page, but neither were George and Ringo. Harrison still had just two songs per LP, but it's clear from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," the canned soul of "Savoy Truffle," the haunting "Long Long Long," and even the silly "Piggies" that he had developed into a songwriter who deserved wider exposure. And Ringo turns in a delight with his first original, the lumbering country-carnival stomp "Don't Pass Me By." None of it sounds like it was meant to share album space together, but somehow The Beatles creates its own style and sound through its mess. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Review