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Tonight the boys got together to record their annual Christmas single. For the occasion they had written a new song, which they called “Christmas Time (Is Here Again),” and was the second song this year (after “Flying”) credited to all four Beatles – though I suspect Paul was the driving force.
Afterward, according to The Beatles Bible,
The group then recorded 10 takes of speech and sketches, overlaid with sound effects. These included parodies of radio and television broadcasts, a tap dancing duet by [Ringo] Starr and [Victor] Spinetti, a brief rendition of Plenty of Jam Jars by “The Ravellers,” and a spoof advert for the miraculous product Wonderlust. It ended with a nonsense poem by John Lennon, narrated on top of an organ version of Auld Lang Syne.
When it was all edited together, it sounded something like this:
After the Beatles session, says Mark Lewisohn, “Lennon stayed behind to make tapes for the National Theatre production of a play he had written, Scene Three, Act One, based on the short piece of the same name in his 1964 book In His Own Write.” Furthermore, he adds,
John was not the only Beatle presently using Abbey Road for a solo project. George had just begun the recording of his soundtrack to the film Wonderwall and had been in to tape sound effects and songs with working titles “India” and “Swordfencing” (both later changed) on 22 and 23 November.
Why, Mark Lewisohn, did you not tell me this on November 22 or 23, when it would have been relevant and I was dying for something to write about? Is it just that nobody cares what George is doing?
Anyway… tonight’s session marked a couple of lasts. It was the last Beatles session of 1967, and the last time the Beatles would be in the studio together to record a Christmas single — the 1968 and 1969 singles would be edited together from tapes made by the four individuals.
It’s all a bit sad, really. But that’s life.