Carry That Weight (Lennon/McCartney)
Carry That Weight was originally part of You Never Give Me Your Money, but Paul liked the song separately at the end of the medley, as it brings the medley into full circle. Paul was frightened by the financial situations of the band, and wrote about them in several “Abbey Road” tracks. Carry That Weight and Golden Slumbers were recorded as a single song during recording session. John was not present during the initial recording (he was in the hospital following a car accident) and he rejoined the group for vocal overdubs on July 30.
Recording dates
- July 2, 1969 (15 takes, basic track)
- July 3, 1969 (rhythm and lead guitar, lead vocal, and chorus vocal overdubs; reduction mixing into take 17)
- July 4, 1969 (overdubs)
- July 30, 1969 (vocal overdubs, first mixing into medley)
- July 31, 1969 (drum, timpani, and vocal overdubs)
- August 15, 1969 (orchestral overdubs)
- August 18, 1969 (stereo mixing)
- August 19, 1969 (mixing; crossfade into The End)
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – lead vocal, piano, rhythm guitar, chorus vocal
- John Lennon – chorus vocal
- George Harrison – 6-string bass guitar, lead guitar, chorus vocal
- Ringo Starr – drums, chorus vocal
- Uncredited session musicians – 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, double bass, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, trombone, bass trombone
Release history
- Abbey Road (1969)
- Abbey Road Anniversary Edition (2019) [2019 mix]
- Abbey Road Anniversary Edition (2019) [as part of “The Long One” trial edit]
- Abbey Road Anniversary Edition (2019) [take 17 medley instrumental – strings & brass only]
