124. Revolution 1 (White Album, 1968)
Beatles version:
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I'll mostly save my discussion of the lyrics of this song until we discuss the single version, higher in the countdown, but I will point out one difference in this version: at ~0:57-0:58, John says "count me out - in," meant to indicate an ambivalence than he didn't have in the later single version, where he was definitively "out."
This was the first of the three "Revolution" versions to be recorded and was originally over 10 minutes long, with the last six minutes of screaming, whispering, and moaning later being spliced off and used as the foundation of "Revolution 9." John had wanted it to be a single, but both Paul and George vetoed it, likely concerned about making the political statement and only relenting after recording the faster version, which became the b-side to "Hey Jude." The arguments over all of the versions of "Revolution" are legendary and excruciating to read about; you really can feel the band disintegrating at this time.
It was during the first recordings of this song that John brought Yoko into the studio, and she became glued to him at all times thereafter. As Geoff Emerick described it: "From that point on, wherever John went, she went. If he went into the toilet, she'd walk him down the hall and wait outside, hunched down on the floor. When he came out, she'd walk with him back into the studio or control room and sit down beside him again. ...if he was sitting on one end of the piano bench, she'd be at the other end. If he slid over a bit, she'd slide with him." In this particular recording, that extended to lying down on the floor with him as he sang the lead vocal on this version of the song. John had decided he'd be more comfortable lying down to sing this, so a boom mike was rigged to suspend above him during the recording. And Yoko curled up right there next to him.
I like this song and even appreciate the slow pace, though I prefer the single version. What I dislike about this one are the "shoo-be-doo-wah"s. I dunno.
Mr. krista: "It’s like they had a decent idea for a song and just kept playing it and playing it and playing it. Beatles were best when they just got to the ####### point."
Suggested cover: Not really sure which version I would call this is a cover for, but it's never a bad idea to listen to
Nina Simone.