THE BEATLES
Released: November 25, 1968
Produced by: George Martin
Engineered by: Geoff Emerick
Orchestrations by: George Martin
Cover Designed by: Richard Hamilton/Gordon House
Label: Apple SWBO-101

DISC ONE

1. Back In The U.S.S.R. {McCartney} (2:43)
   • Recorded: August 22, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     with overdubs added August 23, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     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 {Lennon} (3:57)
   • Recorded: August 28, 1968 at Trident Studios, London, England
     with overdubs added August 29-30, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     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, hand-claps
     Jackie Lomax, Paul McCarney's cousin "John" - hand-claps
     
3. Glass Onion {Lennon} (2:17)
   • Recorded: September 11, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     with overdubs added September 12, 13, 16 and October 10, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - double-tracked lead vocal, 12-string acoustic guitar
     Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, flute
     George Harrison - electric guitar
     Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
     session musicians - orchestra
     
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da {McCartney} (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
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - maracas, background vocal, hand-claps
     Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, piano, hand-claps
     George Harrison - acoustic guitar, background vocal, hand-claps
     Ringo Starr - drums, wood block
     session musicians - brass
     
5. Wild Honey Pie {McCartney} (1:02)
   • Recorded: August 20, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     
   • Instrumentation:
     Paul McCartney - all vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, drums
     
6. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill {Lennon} (3:05)
   • Recorded: October 9, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     
   • Instrumentation:
     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 {Harrison} (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
     
   • Instrumentation:
     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 {Lennon} (2:44)
   • Recorded: September 23-24, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     with overdubs added September 25, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - lead vocal, harmony vocal, lead guitar, tambourine, background vocal
     Paul McCartney - bass guitar, background vocal
     George Harrison - electric guitar, background vocal
     Ringo Starr - drums
     
9. Martha My Dear {McCartney} (2:29)
   • Recorded: October 4, 1968 at Trident Studios, London, England
     with overdubs added October 5, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - bass guitar, hand-claps
     Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, piano, hand-claps
     George Harrison - electric guitar, hand-claps
     Ringo Starr - drums
     session musicians - strings, brass
     
10. I'm So Tired {Lennon} (2:03)
    • Recorded: October 8, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      
    • Instrumentation:
      John Lennon - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, organ
      Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal
      George Harrison - electric guitar
      Ringo Starr - drums
      
11. Blackbird {McCartney/Lennon} (2:18)
    • Recorded: June 11, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      
    • Instrumentation:
      Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitar, foot tapping percussion
      blackbird - bird sounds
      
12. Piggies {Harrison} (2:05)
    • Recorded: September 19, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      with overdubs added September 20, 1968 and October 10, 1968
      
    • Instrumentation:
      John Lennon - tape loops, background vocal
      Paul McCartney - bass guitar, background vocal
      George Harrison - lead vocal, 12-string acoustic guitar
      Ringo Starr - tambourine
      Chris Thomas - harpsichord
      session musicians - strings
      
13. Rocky Raccoon {McCartney} (3:41)
    • Recorded: August 15, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      
    • Instrumentation:
      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 {Starkey} (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
      
    • Instrumentation:
      John Lennon - acoustic guitar, tambourine
      Paul McCartney - bass guitar
      Jack Fallon - violin
      Ringo Starr - lead vocal, drums, electric piano
      
15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? {McCartney} (1:41)
    • Recorded: October 9, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      with overdubs added October 10, 1968
      
    • Instrumentation:
      Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, bass guitar, lead guitar, piano, drums, hand-claps
      
16. I Will {McCartney} (1:47)
    • Recorded: September 16, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      with overdubs added September 17, 1968
      
    • Instrumentation:
      Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, bass guitar, 6-string and 12-string acoustic guitars, scat bass vocal
      Ringo Starr - drums, bongos, maracas
      
17. Julia {Lennon/Yoko Ono/Kahlil Gibran} (2:54)
    • Recorded: October 13, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      
    • Instrumentation:
      John Lennon - double-tracked lead vocal, double-tracked acoustic guitar
      

• Disc One total playing time 46:24

DISC TWO

1. Birthday {McCartney/Lennon} (2:43)
   • Recorded: September 18, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - lead guitar, background and occasional lead vocal
     Paul McCartney - lead vocal, piano
     George Harrison - bass guitar, tambourine, lead guitar
     Ringo Starr - drums, hand-claps
     Yoko Ono, Patti Harrison - chorus
     Mal Evans - hand-claps
     
2. Yer Blues {Lennon} (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
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar
     Paul McCartney - bass guitar
     George Harrison - lead guitar
     Ringo Starr - drums
     
3. Mother Nature's Son {McCartney} (2:48)
   • Recorded: August 9, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     with overdubs added August 20, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     Paul McCartney - double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitars, bongos, timpani
     session musicians - horns
     
4. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey {Lennon} (2:25)
   • Recorded: June 27, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     with overdubs added July 1, 1968 and July 23, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - lead vocal, lead guitar, maracas
     Paul McCartney - bass guitar
     George Harrison - rhythm guitar, firebell
     Ringo Starr - drums
     
5. Sexy Sadie {Lennon} (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
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, organ, background vocal
     Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, background vocal
     George Harrison - lead guitar, background vocal
     Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
     
6. Helter Skelter {McCartney} (4:30)
   • Recorded: September 9, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     with an overdub added September 10, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - 6-string bass guitar, lead guitar, saxophone, background vocal
     Paul McCartney - lead vocal, bass guitar, lead guitar, background vocal
     George Harrison - rhythm guitar, background vocal
     Ringo Starr - drums
     Mal Evans - trumpet
     
7. Long, Long, Long {Harrison} (3:04)
   • Recorded: October 7, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     with overdubs added October 8-9, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     Paul McCartney - bass guitar, piano, Hammond organ
     George Harrison - double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitar
     Ringo Starr - drums
     
8. Revolution 1 {Lennon} (4:16)
   • Recorded: May 30, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
     with overdubs added May 31, June 4 and June 21, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - lead vocal, electric guitar, harmony vocal
     Paul McCartney - bass guitar, background vocal
     George Harrison - acoustic guitar, background vocal
     Ringo Starr - drums
     session musicians - brass
     
9. Honey Pie {McCartney} (2:41)
   • Recorded: October 1, 1968 at Trident Studios, London, England
     with overdubs added October 2, 1968 and October 4, 1968
     
   • Instrumentation:
     John Lennon - lead guitar
     Paul McCartney - lead vocal, piano
     George Harrison - bass guitar
     Ringo Starr - drums
     fifteen session musicians - brass
     
10. Savoy Truffle {Harrison} (2:55)
    • Recorded: October 3, 1968 at Trident Studios, London, England
      with overdubs added October 5, 11 and 14, 1968
      
    • Instrumentation:
      John Lennon - rhythm guitar
      Paul McCartney - bass guitar, electric piano
      George Harrison - double-tracked lead vocal, lead guitar, organ
      Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
      session musicians - two baritone saxophones, four tenor saxophones
      
11. Cry Baby Cry {Lennon} (3:11)
    • Recorded: July 16, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      with overdubs added July 18, 1968
      
    • Instrumentation:
      John Lennon - lead vocal, acoustic guitar, piano, organ
      Paul McCartney - bass guitar, harmony vocal
      George Harrison - lead guitar, harmony vocal
      Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine
      George Martin - harmonium
      
12. Revolution 9 {Lennon/Yoko Ono} (8:13)
    • Recorded: May 30, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      with effects added June 6, 10, 11, 20 and 21, 1968
      
    • Instrumentation:
      John Lennon - voice, tape loops
      Paul McCartney - piano (at the beginning)
      George Harrison - voice
      Ringo Starr - voice
      Yoko Ono - voice
      
13. Good Night {Lennon} (3:12)
    • Recorded: July 22, 1968 at Abbey Road, London, England
      
    • Instrumentation:
      Ringo Starr - lead vocal
      session musicians - thirty-piece orchestra, harp
      choir - four boys, four girls
      

• Disc Two total playing time 47:16