Magical Mystery Tour (Lennon/McCartney)
The title track to the EP (and later LP), Magical Mystery Tour was never intended to be anything more than a sort of “commercial” for the film. Lyrics were derived from a studio session in which Beatles assistant Mal Evans wrote down words and phrases suggested by the band associated with a tour of the sort. Two days after Paul had begun to work with the original list he brought a completed song.
Million dollar use in Indiana Jones
The Beatles’ original studio recording of “Magical Mystery Tour” was used in the 2023 film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in a scene set in 1969 where Indiana Jones was awoken by the song being played by his neighbors. It was reported that the licensing of the recording cost $1,000,000.
Quotes
“Because those were psychedelic times it had to become a magical mystery tour, a little bit more surreal than the real ones to give us a license to do it. But it employs all the circus and fairground barkers, “Roll up! Roll up!”, which was also a reference to rolling up a joint. We were always sticking those little things in that we knew our friends would get; veiled references to drugs and to trips. “Magical Mystery Tour is waiting to take you away,” so that’s a kind of drug, “it’s dying to take you away” so that’s a Tibetan Book of the Dead reference … Magical Mystery Tour was the equivalent of a drug trip and we made the film based on that.” – Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, piano, bass guitar, percussion
- John Lennon – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
- George Harrison – harmony vocal, lead guitar, percussion
- Ringo Starr – drums, percussion
- Mal Evans – percussion
- Neil Aspinall – percussion
- David Mason – trumpet
- Elgar Howarth – trumpet
- Roy Copestake – trumpet
- John Wilbraham – trumpet
Release history
-
- Magical Mystery Tour (EP) (1967)
- Magical Mystery Tour (LP) (1967)
- 1967-1970 (1973)
- Reel Music (1982)
Notable covers
- Cheap Trick (from Greatest Hits)
