Lovely Rita
"Lovely Rita" | |
---|---|
Song by the Beatles | |
from the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | |
Released | 26 May 1967[1] |
Recorded | 23–24 February, 7 and 21 March 1967 |
Studio | EMI, London |
Genre | |
Length | 2:42 |
Label | Parlophone |
Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney |
Producer(s) | George Martin |
"Lovely Rita" is a song by the English rock band
Inspiration
The term "
In his comments to biographer
According to a contemporary report on the recording of "Lovely Rita", in Beat Instrumental magazine, the lyrics were completed by McCartney and John Lennon during the session. A reproduction of the manuscript shows only the opening chorus and verse in McCartney's handwriting; the remaining lyrics appear in Beatles assistant Mal Evans' handwriting, after he and Neil Aspinall joined the two songwriters in a corner of the studio.[9]
Recording
Recording began on 23 February 1967 with eight takes required to achieve a satisfactory basic track. Using a four-track recorder, this first performance featured
The 24 February session was devoted to adding vocals.
The session was led by Lennon and recorded with heavy tape echo. Enjoying the lighthearted session, the Beatles also added percussive effects played on comb and paper, serving as handmade kazoos,[8] and vocalised sounds such as moans, sighs and screams.[12] The latter sounds appear over the song's extended coda.[9][13] Martin later described the session as "anarchy", given how little was achieved over the seven hours, and cited it as a precedent for the group's "undisciplined, sometimes self-indulgent" method of working on Magical Mystery Tour later in 1967.[14]
A second piano, played by Martin and processed electromechanically to wobble in and out of tune,[citation needed] was added for the solo on 21 March.[15] This session was again filled with visitors. Among these were the band Pink Floyd, who were recording in a neighbouring studio and gained entry to the session through their producer, Norman Smith, formerly the Beatles' recording engineer.[8] Although Pink Floyd were established as one of the leading bands in the London underground scene, they were intimidated to be in the Beatles' presence. Drummer Nick Mason recalled that they watched the band mixing "Lovely Rita" but they were "God-like figures to us" and any interaction between the two groups was minimal.[8] Pink Floyd later used effects inspired by "Lovely Rita" when recording their instrumental composition "Pow R. Toc H." from their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.[citation needed]
The final
McCartney live performances and cover versions
McCartney first performed "Lovely Rita" in concert on 4 May 2013, when he opened his
Fats Domino included the song on his 1968 album Fats Is Back. Richie Unterberger dismisses Domino's version as a "none-too-thrilling soul cover".[13] In 1976, Roy Wood of ELO and Wizzard recorded the song for All This and World War II, a film that set new recordings of 30 Lennon–McCartney compositions to newsreel footage from World War II.[21]
Joan Osborne sings the song on the 2009 Cheap Trick release Sgt. Pepper Live. The Easy Star All-Stars recorded a version with guest vocalists Bunny Rugs and U-Roy for their 2009 Sgt. Pepper tribute album Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band.[22]
Personnel
According to Ian MacDonald, the line-up on the Beatles' recording was as follows:[5]
The Beatles
- Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocal, piano, bass guitar, comb and tissue paper
- John Lennon – backing vocal, vocal percussion, acoustic rhythm guitar, comb and tissue paper
- George Harrison – backing vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar, comb and tissue paper
- Ringo Starr – drums, comb and tissue paper
Additional musician
- George Martin – piano (solo)
References
- ^ Everett 1999, p. 123. "In the United Kingdom Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ... was rush-released six days ahead of its official date, June 1."
- ^ Womack 2007, p. 177. "full-tilt psychedelia".
- ^ Haugen 2004, p. 169.
- ^ Riley 2011, p. 354.
- ^ a b MacDonald 2005, p. 239.
- ^ a b Everett 1999, p. 113.
- ^ Clayson 2003.
- ^ a b c d e f g Runtagh, Jordan (29 May 2017). "Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper' at 50: When Pink Floyd, David Crosby Visited 'Lovely Rita' Sessions". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Winn 2009, p. 95.
- ^ a b c Lewisohn 2005, p. 100.
- ISBN 1-59240-179-1.
- ^ Lewisohn 2005, p. 101.
- ^ a b c Unterberger, Ritchie. "The Beatles 'Lovely Rita'". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
- ^ Heylin 2007, pp. 153–54.
- ^ Lewisohn 2005, p. 104.
- ^ Winn 2009, pp. 95–96.
- ^ Lewisohn 2005, pp. 100–101, 104.
- ^ Winn 2009, p. 96.
- ^ Hertsgaard 1996, p. 219.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (7 May 2013). "Paul McCartney Plays Unexpected Beatles Songs on World Tour Opener". Billboard. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ Schaffner 1978, pp. 171–72.
- ^ "Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band". easystar.com. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
Sources
- Clayson, Alan (2003). Paul McCartney. Sanctuary Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-86074-482-6.
- ISBN 978-0-19-512941-0.
- Haugen, David (2004). The Beatles. Greenhaven Press. ISBN 0-7377-2595-8.
- ISBN 0-330-33891-9.
- ISBN 978-1-84195-918-4.
- Julien, Oliver (2008). Sgt. Pepper and the Beatles: It Was Forty Years Ago Today. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-6708-7.
- ISBN 978-0-7537-2545-0.
- ISBN 1-84413-828-3.
- Riley, Tim (2011). Lennon: The Man, the Myth, the Music – The Definitive Life. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4481-1319-4.
- ISBN 0-07-055087-5.
- Winn, John C. (2009). That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 978-0-307-45239-9.
- ISBN 978-0-8264-1746-6.