I'm Only Sleeping
Song by The Beatles • Lennon
Revolver (1966) — Studio awakening — backwards everything, tape loops.
Background
I'm Only Sleeping is a song by The Beatles, written by Lennon and led on vocal by John Lennon. Backwards lead guitar by George; languid, drowsy.
What's distinctive
One of 101 UK songs led primarily by John. Recorded approximately 9 of 16 into the Revolver / Studio Awakening (1966) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'backwards-guitar' — no other UK song shares it.Opening line — "When I wake up early in the morning…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Recording
The session work falls within the band's Revolver / Studio Awakening (1966) period, recorded 27 Apr 1966 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. George Martin produced; Geoff Emerick engineered. The track was committed to Studer J37 four-track (with vari-speed, ADT) via the REDD.51, with the era's standard signal chain — EMI RS124, EMT 140 plate, Fairchild 660 limiter, EMI Artificial Double Tracking (ADT), Leslie cabinet (vocals). Likely instrumental setup followed the era's working kit: Epiphone Casino, Gibson SG (Harrison), Rickenbacker 4001S bass (McCartney introduced), amplified through Vox AC100, Vox 7120, Fender Showman, Fender Bassman. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.77 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below).
| Studio | EMI Studios, Abbey Road — Studio Three (largely) |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Studer J37 four-track (with vari-speed, ADT) |
| Console | REDD.51 |
| Microphones | Neumann U47/U48, AKG C12, STC 4038, close-miking pioneered (Emerick) on Ringo's bass drum |
| Outboard / effects | EMI RS124, EMT 140 plate, Fairchild 660 limiter, EMI Artificial Double Tracking (ADT), Leslie cabinet (vocals) |
| Guitars | Epiphone Casino, Gibson SG (Harrison), Rickenbacker 4001S bass (McCartney introduced) |
| Amplifiers | Vox AC100, Vox 7120, Fender Showman, Fender Bassman |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer / 2nd | Geoff Emerick • Phil McDonald (2nd) |
Pattern analysis
Legacy & release history
In the UK canonical discography it appears on the LP Revolver. Documented alternate versions include Anthology 2 (1996), 2009 Stereo Remasters. Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below.
Mono & stereo
- Mixed primarily in MONO at Abbey Road; the Beatles attended only the mono mixes through Sgt Pepper.
- Stereo mixes from this period were prepared (often without the band present) and are now considered secondary by purists.
Documented alternate versions
- Anthology 2 (1996) — alternate take or mix
- 2009 Stereo Remasters — Allan Rouse / Guy Massey remaster
Released on
- Revolver — LP, 5 August 1966
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (backwards-guitar, sleep, languor)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
backwards-guitarsleeplanguor