Video: 'The Beatles - What You're Doing? (take 11 - rehearsal)'
(Tuesday, September 30, 1964, 6:30-10:30 p.m. BST; during sessions for Beatles For Sale) — The Beatles resumed production on their forthcoming album, Beatles For Sale, this evening, recording an early take of “What You’re Doing” and completing the track “No Reply” during an intense session at EMI Studio 2 in London.
The evening began with five additional takes of “What You’re Doing,” which featured drums, bass, and rhythm guitar on one track, George Harrison’s iconic twelve-string guitar on a second, and Paul McCartney’s lead vocal on a third, complemented by rough harmonies from John Lennon.
Take 11 was initially selected as the best version, with further vocals on the bridge and additional guitar laid down on the fourth track.
Although this take was ultimately discarded, it remains notable for the Byrds-like chime of Harrison’s twelve-string guitar and an unexpected instrumental break that briefly modulates the key from D to G major.
Video: 'The Beatles Song Takes' ('No Reply' takes 1-2 at 2:56)
The session then shifted focus to “No Reply,” a song The Beatles reclaimed after it went unreleased by NEMS artist Tommy Quickly, who had originally demoed the track in June.
The band felt the song was too strong to leave unused. Early takes saw drums, bass, acoustic guitar, and piano—played by producer George Martin—recorded on one track, with John and Paul singing vocals in unison on a second.
Take 1 began with some light-hearted studio banter, with John humorously warning Paul not to slow down or risk losing his “drug supply.”
As the take progressed, Lennon and McCartney sang the verses together, but John struggled to hit the high note on “I saw the light,” forcing them to stop.
Before attempting Take 2, John suggested lowering the key from C major to A, but the idea was quickly vetoed.
Video: 'No Reply (Remastered 2009)'
Instead, Lennon opted to sing a low harmony on “I saw the light” and “I nearly died,” but the take faltered, with Ringo Starr losing his place during the middle eight and John succumbing to a fit of giggles, even ad-libbing “with another plank in my place” and mistakenly adding another bridge where the coda should have been.
Finally, the eighth and final take was selected as the best, with further revisions to the arrangement.
John sang the verses solo, and George Martin’s piano was temporarily omitted.
Overdubs of vocals, handclaps, and piano—limited to the bridge—were added to the tape’s third track, while dramatic cymbal and piano crashes filled the fourth.
Notably, about a minute into the song, John’s vocal on “in my place” hits a wrong note, sounding almost as though he’s attempting to harmonize with himself. This mistake was mixed out in the mono version but remains audible in the stereo mix.
