Cry Baby Cry (Lennon/McCartney)
Tense sessions
Geoff Emerick, longtime engineer, quit during the July 16th session and tapes from the session have shown that the atmosphere was more than tense with constant arguing and the band swearing at each other.
Quotes
“I lost interest in the White Album because they were really arguing among themselves and swearing at each other. The expletives were really flying. I said to George, ‘Look, I’ve had enough. I want to leave. I don’t want to know any more.’ George said, ‘Well, leave at the end of the week’ – I think it was a Monday or Tuesday – but I said, ‘No, I want to leave now, this very minute.’ And that was it.” – Geoff Emerick on quitting, from The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions
Recording dates
- July 15, 1968 (unnumbered rehearsal takes)
- July 16, 1968 (10 takes; basic track, reduced to take 12, overdubs)
- July 18, 1968 (lead & backing vocal, harmonium, tamborine, sound effects overdubs)
- October 15, 1968 (mixing)
Personnel
- John Lennon – lead vocal and harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, organ
- Paul McCartney – bass guitar, vocals
- George Harrison – lead guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine
- George Martin – harmonium
“Can You Take Me Back?”
- Paul McCartney – lead vocal, acoustic guitar
- John Lennon – percussion, maracas
- Ringo Starr – bongos
Release history
- The Beatles (1968)
- Anthology 3 (1996) [take 1]
- The Beatles Anniversary Edition (2018) [2018 stereo mix]
- The Beatles Anniversary Edition (2018) [demo]
- The Beatles Anniversary Edition (2018) [unnumbered rehearsal]
- The Beatles Anniversary Edition (2018) [Can You Take Me Back take 1]
