Beatles – "A Day in the Life" (1967)

And though the news was rather sad

Well, I just had to laugh

In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine marked the 50th anniversary of the release of the song considered by many to be the Beatles’ greatest achievement with an article titled “Beatles’ ‘A Day in the Life’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know.”  

Mal Evans and John Lennon

The tenth “thing you didn’t know” was that the monumental piano chord at the end of “A Day in the Life” was played on three pianos simultaneously:

The Beatles were masters at the iconic chord – consider the opening of “A Hard Day’s Night” – but there may be none to match the final chord of “A Day in the Life.”  It was achieved at a special overdub session . . . at which [Beatles personal assistant and roadie] Mal Evans, John [Lennon] and Ringo Starr sat at three pianos, simultaneously striking E major.  This took nine takes to get right, because the players had a hard time hitting the note at the exact same moment.  The last take was dubbed best, and then overdubbed thrice, so the effect is that of nine pianos played by twelve men. 

I know two things about the author of that article just from reading that quoted paragraph.  

For one thing, I know that he never played a musical instrument.  (You can play an E major chord or scale on a piano, but there’s no striking an E major note on the piano – there’s no such thing as an E major note.)  

Second, I know that he didn’t do well in math class.  (If you take a recording of three men simultaneously playing a chord on three pianos, and overdub it three times – or “thrice,” if you want to be all 13th-century about it – the effect is that of twelve men simultaneously playing a chord on twelve pianos . . . not twelve men playing a chord on nine pianos.)

Doesn’t Rolling Stone employ editors any more?

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Sgt. Pepper’s is without a doubt the most overrated of all “Golden Decade” (1964-1974) albums.

“When I’m Sixty-Four” and “Lovely Rita” represent the worst of Paul McCartney, while “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” represent the worst of John Lennon.  (“She’s Leaving Home” represents the worst of both.)

The album isn’t completely devoid of worthwhile tracks.  “Within You Without You” – George Harrison’s contribution to the album – “Getting Better,” and “Good Morning Good Morning” are all pretty good.

Of course, “A Day in the Life” is more than pretty good – it’s the crème de la crème of Beatles songs.

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