My previous post related the trials and tribulations involved in the recording of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da in July of 1968 during sessions for the "White Album." The tensions continued to bubble just below the surface as those sessions progressed until things came to a head for Ringo on August 22nd. On that date, work began on McCartney's song Back in the U.S.S.R., and Paul had a very specific idea in mind about how the drumming should sound. When Ringo couldn't quite get it and Paul remained insistent about what he wanted, the fellow who was usually the most easygoing member of the group decided that he had had enough and walked out, effectively quitting the Beatles. (Undeterred, the others completed this song and Dear Prudence in his absence.)
Ringo took his family on holiday to Sardinia and went out on the yacht of actor and comedian Peter Sellers (because, of course, he could), and learned from the captain that octopi like to gather objects to place around their caves. Inspired by this information, Ringo began writing the song, imagining a happy place beneath the sea away from the stress and strain of the increasingly-unhappy Beatles.
He felt confident enough about his composition to introduce it to his bandmates in early January, 1969, at the Twickenham Film Studios sessions for the Get Back project. It surfaced once again after those sessions moved to the new Apple Studios at Savile Row later that month. In the film Let it Be, Ringo is seen at a piano on January 26th with George on acoustic guitar helping him to work out the chords. Even producer George Martin joined in and lent a hand before John and Paul arrived. Though not seen in the film, the whole group spent some time working on the song on this date.
They did not return to it, however, until April 26th. Around this time, it was one of the titles still under consideration for a possible Get Back album. By now, all of the lyrics were complete and George had worked out a good portion of the arrangement (the two junior members of the firm known as the Beatles would continue to collaborate in this manner over the coming years). With everyone on their usual instruments, it somehow required thirty-two takes before they arrived at the master, even though take two, which can be heard on Anthology 3, is a reasonably-good runthrough. Even George's opening guitar passage and the style of his solo are pretty much already in place on this early take. The greatest takeaway from the tapes of this marathon session is that everyone is in good spirits and all are enjoying themselves.
Three days later, on April 29th, Ringo recorded his lead vocal. Perhaps because it was intended for the Get Back album at this time, the only other overdub was a bit of piano played by Paul. The song was thus remixed and considered ready for release. But Glyn Johns did not include this or any of the other songs in the works on his proposed Get Back album, which the Beatles rejected at any rate.
By July, it was decided that a new album with full production values would be the group's next release, and it would include the songs which had been started in the spring. So, on July 17th, the master tape received some additional overdubs. While John was back from his automobile accident by this time, he was not yet participating on any tracks, thus Paul and George sang the high-pitched backing vocals. Ringo also wanted some sound effects as on Yellow Submarine, so a microphone was set up to pick up the sound of him blowing bubbles in a glass of water during the guitar solo. Additionally, the backing vocals were treated to create an underwater effect during this same section.
Several more overdubs were added on the following day, starting with Ringo re-recording his lead vocal. Additional backing vocals, drums, piano and guitar completed the work on the track. It sits nicely on side one of the album Abbey Road. It was so well regarded that it was included on the Blue Album in 1973.
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