The Ballad of John and Yoko
Single by The Beatles • 30 May 1969 • Parlophone R 5786
Get Back / Rooftop (Jan 1969) — London winter sky over Savile Row. Live, raw.
About this release
The Ballad of John and Yoko is a UK single on Parlophone (catalogue R 5786), released 30 May 1969. Cut by John & Paul alone (Ringo on tour, George abroad).
The recording context is the band's Get Back / Rooftop (Jan 1969) period, produced by George Martin with Glyn Johns, Alan Parsons (2nd) engineering. The track(s) were committed at Apple Studios rooftop, 3 Savile Row, London on Apple's mobile 8-track to studio downstairs via the Hand-built Apple desk.
Contents Preface 4 The Paul McCartney Interview 6 1962 Recording sessions for: `Love Me Do', `Please Please Me' 19631967 16 Recording sessions for: `Penny Lane', 92 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Yellow Submarine, `All You Need Is Love', Magical Mystery Tour, `Hello, Goodbye' Recording sessions for: Please…— Mark Lewisohn, The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, p.3
What's distinctive
2 tracks; average length 3:08. Lennon dominates the lead vocals (1/2). Lead writing credit: Lennon–McCartney (1 of 2).Tracklist
Side A
Side B
Pattern analysis
Lennon 1
Harrison 1
Era technical context
| Microphones | AKG D19 (Ringo kick), STC 4038, U47 (vocals) |
|---|---|
| Outboard | Live to tape — minimal |
| Guitars | Fender Rosewood Telecaster (Harrison), Epiphone Casino (Lennon), Hofner 500/1 (McCartney), Fender Rhodes electric piano (Billy Preston) |
| Amplifiers | Fender Twin Reverb |
References & external databases
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