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Today the final overdubs for the White Album were recorded: guitar, tambourine, and bongos played by George Harrison, and organ and electric piano played by Chris Thomas, all for “Savoy Truffle.” George was obliged to play his own percussion because Ringo was no longer around, having flown off to Sardinia with the family, leaving the other Beatles to finish the album.
Aside from that, there was a whole lot of mixing going on: Mono mixes of three George songs, “Savoy Truffle,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Long, Long, Long,” and stereo mixes of “Truffle,” “Gently Weeps,” “Birthday,” “I Will,” “Yer Blues,” “Sexy Sadie,” and “What’s the New Mary Jane.” This last, of course, did not make the album; I suspect that John was eventually forced to choose between it and “Revolution 9,” which he loved beyond all reason.
I’d like to keep today’s post short, but can’t in good conscience leave off without sharing this quote from Chris Thomas, as related in The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions:
I was given the grand job of waggling the oscillator on the “Gently Weeps” mixes. Apparently Eric Clapton insisted to George [Harrison] that he didn’t want the guitar solo so typically Clapton. He said the sound wasn’t enough of “a Beatles sound.” So we did this flanging thing, really wobbling the oscillator in the mix. I did that for hours. What a boring job!
Speak for yourself, Chris. A lot of us would give our eyeteeth to waggle a Beatle’s oscillator, am I right? Nudge nudge, say no more, say no more.