Revolver

Revolver
Released	5 August 1966
Recorded	April–June 1966
Studio	EMI Studios, London
Genre	Rock • pop • psychedelic rock
Length	35:01
Label	Parlophone • Capitol
Producer	George Martin
Album Guide
previous Rubber Soul / Yesterday and Today	next Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Revolver is the seventh studio album by English rock band The Beatles. It was first released on 5 August 1966 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and on 8 August 1966 in the United States by Capitol Records. Produced by George Martin, it was recorded following a three-month break from professional commitments at the start of 1966, during a period when London was considered the era's cultural capital. Much of its songs reflect the influence of psychedelic drugs such as LSD, and the increasing sophistication of the band's lyrics to address themes including death and transcendence from material concerns.

Revolver was the band's final recording project before their retirement as live performers, and marked their most overt use of studio technology up to that time, building on the advances of their previous album Rubber Soul (1965). With no thoughts of reproducing new material in concert, the band made liberal use of studio techniques such as varispeeding, reversed tapes, close audio miking, and automatic double tracking (ADT), in addition to employing musical instrumentation outside of their standard live setup. The album's diverse sounds include tape loops and reversed recordings on the psychedelic "Tomorrow Never Knows", a classical string octet on "Eleanor Rigby", and Indian music backing on "Love You To". Some of the changes in studio practice introduced by Revolver, particularly ADT, were soon adopted throughout the recording industry.

Revolver was promoted with the release of its fourteen tracks to radio stations in the United Kingdom throughout July 1966; its release in the United States coincided with the band's final tour, which was marred by controversy surrounding band member John Lennon's remark about how they had become "more popular than Jesus". Nevertheless, Revolver topped the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard Top LPs chart for several weeks. It received universal acclaim from critics, and is often credited with helping expand the scope of pop music in terms of stylistic range, compositional form, and lyrical content; it is also considered influential in advancing principles espoused by 1960s counterculture and in inspiring the development of subsequent genres such as psychedelic rock, electronica, progressive rock, and world music. The album was certified 5x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments of over 5 million copies in the United States, and in 2013, after the British Phonographic Industry changed its sales award rules, it achieved 2x BPI platinum status, denoting shipments of over 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom. In 2003, Rolling Stone placed Revolver at number 3 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", a position it kept after the list was updated in 2012.

Tracks

All songs written by Lennon/McCartney, except where noted otherwise. The songs "I'm Only Sleeping", "And Your Bird Can Sing" and "Doctor Robert" were not featured on the US version possibly due to being already released on Yesterday and Today.

UK release

Side one

1. "Taxman" (George Harrison) – 2:39
2. "Eleanor Rigby" – 2:07
3. "I'm Only Sleeping" – 3:01
4. "Love You To" (Harrison) – 2:59
5. "Here, There and Everywhere" – 2:25
6. "Yellow Submarine" – 2:40
7. "She Said She Said" – 2:37

Side two

1. "Good Day Sunshine" – 2:09
2. "And Your Bird Can Sing" – 2:01
3. "For No One" – 2:01
4. "Doctor Robert" – 2:15
5. "I Want to Tell You" (Harrison) – 2:29
6. "Got to Get You into My Life" – 2:30
7. "Tomorrow Never Knows" – 2:57

U.S. release

Side one

1. "Taxman" (Harrison) – 2:39
2. "Eleanor Rigby" – 2:07
3. "Love You To" (Harrison) – 3:01
4. "Here, There and Everywhere" – 2:25
5. "Yellow Submarine" – 2:40
6. "She Said She Said" – 2:37

Side two

1. "Good Day Sunshine" – 2:09
2. "For No One" – 2:01
3. "I Want to Tell You" (Harrison) – 2:29
4. "Got to Get You into My Life" – 2:30
5. "Tomorrow Never Knows" – 2:57

Credits

• John Lennon:Lead, Harmony and Backing Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (1965 Epiphone ES-230TD Casino), Acoustic Guitar (1964 Gibson J-160E, Framus Hootenanny|1964 List of Instruments|Framus Hootenanny 5/024), Hammond Organ, Harmonium, Tambourine, Maracas, Handclaps, Finger-Snaps and Tape-Loops
• Paul McCartney:Lead, Harmony and Backing Vocals, Bass Guitar (1964 Rickenbhacker 4001S), Lead Guitar (1962 Epiphone ES-230TD Casino), Piano, Clavichord, Handclaps, Finger-Snaps and Tape-Loops
• George Harrison:Lead, Harmony and Backing Vocals, Lead Guitar (1961 Fender Stratocaster, 1965 Epiphone ES-230TD Casino, 1964 Gibson SG Standard), Bass Guitar (1966 Burns Nu-Sonic), Sitar, Tambura, Handclaps, Finger-Snaps and Tape-Loopa
• Ringo Starr: Lead Vocals, Drums, Tambourine, Maracas, Handclaps, Finger-Snaps and Tape-Loops
• George Martin: Producer and Piano
• Alan Civil:French Horn
• Anil Bhagwat: Tabla
• Geoff Emerick: Engineer
• Brian Jones:Backing Vocals (uncredited)
• Donovan:Backing Vocals (uncredited)
• Mal Evans:Bass Drum and Backing Vocals (uncredited)
• Marianne Faithfull:Backing Vocals (uncredited)
• Neil Aspinall:Backing Vocals (uncredited)
• Pattie Boyd:Backing Vocals (uncredited)
• Tony Gilbert, Sidney Sax, John Sharpe, Jurgen Hess:Violins
• Stephen Shingles, John Underwood:Violas
• Derek Simpson, Norman Jones:Cellos
• Eddie Thornton, Ian Hamer, Les Condon:Trumpets
• Peter Coe, Alan Branscombe:Tenor Saxophone

Instruments

• Grestch Tennessean
• Epiphone 230TD Casino
• Fender Stratocaster
• Gibson SG Standard
• Rickenbacker 4001S
• Gibson J-160E