Video: 'I Don't Want To Spoil The Party (Remastered 2009)'
(Tuesday, September 29, 1964, 2:30-10:45 p.m. BST with a break between 6:30-7:00 p.m.; during sessions for Beatles For Sale) — Barely a week after returning from their historic North American tour, The Beatles wasted no time getting back to work, reconvening today at EMI Studios in London to continue recording sessions for their eagerly anticipated fourth studio album.
With only four songs recorded before their tour, and just a few new compositions penned during their brief break, the pressure was on to complete the album. Despite the tight schedule, the band made significant progress today.
Sandwiched between four takes of “Every Little Thing” and seven of “What You’re Doing,” the group successfully completed one new track between 4:30 and 9:00 p.m. BST — John Lennon’s charming country-style ballad, “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party.”
Video: 'The Beatles - I Don't Want To Spoil The Party - Isolated Vocals'
The recording process for the song was meticulous, with the band perfecting the backing track in 19 takes. The arrangement featured bass, drums, and acoustic guitar on one track, George Harrison’s lead guitar on a second, and the distinctive vocal harmonies of Lennon and Paul McCartney on a third.
For the verses, McCartney’s lower harmony blends so seamlessly with Lennon’s lead that it almost sounds like a second Lennon. During the bridges, McCartney takes the high harmony, adding to the song’s rich vocal texture.
Video: 'The Beatles - What You're Doing and No Reply Sessions (29-30 Sep. and 26 Oct. 1964)' ("What You're Doing" take 5 at 0:00-0:18)
An additional overdub on the fourth track added smooth “ooh” backing vocals and tambourine, giving the song its final polish. Both mono and stereo mixes of the track are nearly identical, with only subtle differences in the level of Harrison’s guitar.
After completing “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party” the group recorded seven takes of ‘What You’re Doing’’s rhythm track, although two further remakes were taped on subsequent days before all were happy with the results.
