Producing Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberry Fields Forever : 

Strawberry Fields Forever From a simple home demo to a masterpiece that changed the way music was recorded

August 29th 1966 San Francisco, CA : 

August 29th 1966 San Francisco, CA The Beatles last live concert tour appearance at Candlestick Park The rigors of touring and the mania of fans have taken their toll on the group The band takes a hiatus

Studio Experiments : 

Studio Experiments The Beatles album ‘Revolver’ recorded in early 1966 was one of the most experimental pop records of it’s day It featured the use of backwards guitars, tape loops, Indian instruments and multi-tracked vocals

Studio Technology : 

Studio Technology Options in the recording studio were somewhat limited in 1966 Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles recorded only had 4-track tape machines This meant only four sounds could be recorded and mixed down to two tracks to make a completed stereo record

Slide 5: 

To compensate for lack of tracks, producer George Martin and his audio engineers used a technique called bouncing or reduction mixing They would take three tracks, mix them together and record the mix to track four This would free three tracks The downside being each time a reduction mix was made, sound quality would be compromised

How I Won the War : 

How I Won the War John Lennon used his time off to appear in a movie called ‘How I Won the War’ The movie was shot in Spain and he spent six weeks there During this time wrote Strawberry Fields

A Salvation Army Home : 

A Salvation Army Home

Reunion in November : 

Reunion in November The Beatles and George Martin began work on a new album in November of 1966 John presented his demo of Strawberry Fields featuring only vocals and guitar It is the first song they began working on

Early Takes : 

Early Takes Early takes of Strawberry Fields were simple arrangements Guitar, bass, drums and double tracked vocals comprised the instrumentation The song began with a verse following a traditional pop song format Lennon decided he wanted a different approach

Mellotron : 

Mellotron The new approach featured an instrument called the Mellotron This keyboard instrument triggered tape loops containing string, brass, voice and other assorted sounds

Slide 11: 

This version began with the Mellotron intro followed by the chorus The group was satisfied with the recording and arrangement but decided to try it another way

Orchestration : 

Orchestration John decided on using real brass and strings for a more powerful and biting sound George Martin wrote a score and recording resumed

A Nice Touch : 

A Nice Touch George Harrison brought in an Indian instrument called a Swarmandela. A relative of the harp, this was used as an ethereal transition at several points in the track

An Impossible Task : 

An Impossible Task John decided he liked both versions of the songs He asked George Martin to join them up in the middle Martin told him it was impossible as they were in different keys Lennon said “You could figure it out.” and left for the night.

Slide 15: 

Martin and his brilliant engineer Geoff Emerick devised a plan If they could slow one version down slightly and speed the other up slightly the transition might be smooth and hardly noticeable Listen for the change… It just happened!

Slide 16: 

The finished version was also peppered with other effects Backwards cymbals Tape loops Heavy use of compression and equalization

Record release : 

Record release The record was released in February of 1967 This single was the springboard to the Beatles most well remembered and influential LP Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Slide 18: 

Lennon considered Strawberry Fields his greatest musical accomplishment The record was admired by peers and fans alike Many bands including The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Beach Boys tried to emulate the record’s stylish production

Slide 19: 

Strawberry Fields Forever remains a milestone in the history of recorded music