Transcript of "Think for Yourself" session
JohnBL
during the recording of “Think for Yourself,” November 8, 1965. Some
of it is unintelligible – several people talked at once from time to
time – but it’s about 95% accurate insofar as the talk that can be
heard clearly. The only things left out are the moments when they
rehearsed a line of the song over and over again.
The transcript, of course, cannot capture the silly voices they used
throughout. All seemed in good spirits on this day, despite the
problems in nailing the vocals. Exchanges that might seem insulting in
print are really good-natured jibes when heard.
“Booth” represents a voice heard from the booth. It’s obviously George
Martin in most instances, but the voice sounds different a few times
(Norman Smith, perhaps?). Because I’m not 100% who spoke at what time,
I left it as “Booth.”
If anyone else has this recording and can fill in a few of my gaps, or
correct a few moments of uncertainty, please do so!
--------------------------------------------------------
Paul (singing): “…and go where you’re going…to”
John (over some unintelligible chatter): I already did it once on the
first take, you know. Now I’ve got it in my bleedin’ mind for
remembering it…”
Paul: I will have a cup.
John and George (singing): “…about the…about the good things that we
can have if we…”
George: No, play major…
John: You want me to play?
John and George: “…about the good things that we can have if we close
our eyes…close our eyes…our eyes…our eyes…”
George: Eyeeeeees! That chord, play that chord…
John (or Paul?): BLEAHHH!
(The continue to rehearse the line.)
John: Okay…
Paul: Otherwise, you…
John: “close our eyes…close our eyes…” It doesn’t matter if I keep
going. I’ve forgotten it already!...Okay…
Booth: Play it again…(unintelligible)…
Paul: …to say about the girls that you…do! All rrrright…
(A tape “thwip” indicates a blown take edited out. Sounds of tape
rewinding, dishes and silverware clanking…)
(Unintelligible chat with the guys in the booth.)
John: Yeah, yeah…just can’t play any more…You’ll just have to bear
with me or have me shot.
George (singing): La-la-la-la-la-la…
John: La-la…We’ll just have to have a go of it, you see.
Booth: (unintelligible)
John: It could be there and it couldn’t.
Booth: Could be where?
John: There. Or it couldn’t. All right, Paul, come along then now.
(singing:) da-da-da…about the good things that we can have if we close
our eyes…
John and Paul (singing): Close our eyes…
John: I’m sure that wasn’t the real one, but it’ll do. If that works,
I’m in for it…close our eyes…(unintelligible)…That’ll do,
huh?...announcer…
Paul: (unintelligible)…that’s the only thing about this one…ding!
(makes fart noise)...(mumbles, sounds like “I’m with the jukebox”) To
say, Sir Harry, things that you do…and this…
(Another blown take)
J, P, & G sing the line a few times…
Paul (singing): …and go where you’re going to…yeah…
John: Close our eyes…Okay, I think I might have it now…
Booth: Aw, you’re a right particular one, aren’t you? (??)
John: I know. I get something in me head and all the walls of Rome
couldn’t stop me.
(Laughter, sounds of sniffing.)
Paul: You’re ripe (??). Pickled onions.
John: Poo! And I stink too. I’ve been waiting for someone to say
something about it.
Paul: Probably that B.O.-dorant you use.
John: ‘Tisn’t!
Paul: It is!
John: Cynthia licked me clean before we left.
Paul: Let me tell you, it’s that B.O. That B.O.-dorant you’re using.
(Singing:) B.O.-dorant, B.O.-dorant, that great big B.O.-dorant…
John (singing): …da-da-da-da…about the good things that we can have if
we close our eyes…da-da-da (breaks into melody of “Yesterday”)
Paul: Shhh! Keep quiet!
(Another blown take)
Booth: (unintelligible)…the last one was pretty good…
Paul (“Doofus” voice): Uh, well, let’s try another one.
John: I did one or two variations on a theme.
Paul (singing): Think for yourself ‘cause I’m over there…
John: Yeah, ‘cause he kept pointing over there. Why did you keep
pointing over there every time?
Paul: I was doing it as a joke because every time we came to there you
pointed it out.
John: Well, you know that was the first time that I went wrong when
you started doing that, and ever since then we’ve had trouble…
Paul: Do you wanna fight?
John (meekly): No.
Paul: Okay.
John: Good.
Paul: Let’s settle it…other ways.
John: You play snooker?
Paul: Yeah.
John: I don’t. (Laughter)
Paul: Did you see Rocky Marciano last night? “Duh…”
John: Yeah, the whole conversation was about everything else and he
goes, “I remember da great Joe Louis…”
Paul: “He was a great fighter...” Dubba-dubba-dubba-da…(Paul may be
making “punching bag” sounds here)
John: And what do you attribute it to, Rocky?
Paul: Tween (??). Condition.
John: Yeah, “my condition…”
Paul: No, I have a good condition.
John: “My real name was Rocky”…he was proud of being called “Rocco.” I
thought the bum was named “Frank.”
(Here the lads apparently start confusing Rocky Marciano with Rocky
Graziano)
Paul: Yeah, Frank…Frank Graziano…
John: Somebody up there likes me!
George: Okay!
John: It’s Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who gave his only begotten
bread for us to live and die on!
Paul: It’s so used…(?? – unintelligible)
John: …and that’s why we’re all here, I’ll tell you, brethren. There’s
more of them than there are of us, and that’s why there’s so few of us
left.
Paul: Why such fury?
John: Condemn now the thoughts of men…right…
Paul (or George?): Yeah, but it’s His wrath that beholds you…
John: Yeah…
Paul: Why such fervor? Why such fervor?
John (shouting): And he calls (??), they bloody well come!!
George (laughing): Okay, let’s go…
Paul: Yes, right, but if you look in your Bible…I can’t go on, I
really can’t. Come on, let’s do this bleeding record…(growls softly
into mike:) And that B.O.!
(Another blown take)
Paul: De-de-diddle-dow-dow…
George: George, can we…take it…you know that…
Booth: (unintelligible)…still A-major…
John: Mine. (unintelligible) Get away from that…
Paul: Remember, they’re all minors.
John: Hey, you can’t do it in bits, can you?
(unintelligible)
John: Well, we’ll have one more try and then I concede.
Paul: Try! It looks like Supercar’s getting out of control. (Singing:)
Da-de-da…Aquamarina…
John: Yeah, we’ll do them for Christmas.
Paul: Harrumph, harrumph. (Singing:) How can you fuck up everything
that you do?
John: I will be pleased to see the Earth men disintegrated!
(Another blown take)
George: We’ll just go then…you know, the beginning of the last verse…
John: What did you do then, Paul? It’s very interesting.
Paul (singing in silly falsetto voice): “Although your mind’s upset I
still can’t explain the things…you go dup-you go dup…”
(A bit of the backing track plays)
John (singing): “Do whatchu worry woo…”
Paul: Are we getting it or anything?
John: Well, I think we had the rest of it. Not coming through down
here if you think it is.
Booth: All right, beginning with the last verse…
George: Just before it…
Booth: …when we made the mistake.
John: Oh, we’re going to do two in fact?
George: It’s “Try thinking more if just for your own sake,” but that
doesn’t have that…
(Unintelligible as John, George, and George M. all speak at once)
John and George: It’s okay, we know, we know!
John: This might be it!
George: Just go “ching, ching, ching, bum, bum, bum…”
John: Which bit are we going to do?
George: Just before I sing “Try thinking more if just for your own
sake…”
John: Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Why not?
Paul: He’s going to lead us in.
John: Sure enough.
(Another blown take)
John: Ohhhh…I thought…hello?
Paul: Mmmmm.
John: I’m sorry, sometimes I feel less than useless at these sessions.
I really do. ‘Course Cynthia understands; I often talk to her about it
when we get home. I say, “Sometimes you know, Cynthia, I just can’t
get the note.”
Paul: Well, yeahhh…
John: She understands a lot of things like that because she went to
Beli (??) for her holidays.
(Unintelligible silly voices…)
Booth: Same place again.
George: Yes, oh yeah…
John: I don’t care how you feel, I feel ridiculous.
Paul (falsetto voice): I always thought it was a waste, grammar
school, in Beli aye…!”
John: Come back, Neal.
Paul (Russian accent): Come back, nnn; come back, nnn. Ee Russky
joornai (??)…
(Another blown take)
Paul: What was wrong? Oh I’m so sorry, I feel so stupid, I don’t know
what to do…gosh…Look, Terrence, if you want to resign from the amateur
dramatics, do!
John: It’s not that, I’ve put a lot of money and thought into the
whole thing!
Paul: Yeah, let’s face it, you’re crap! Aren’t you?
John: Well all right, all right!
Paul: And you’re only doing walk-ons…
John: Who was it got the bloody hall in the first place, eh?
Paul: You’re only doing walk-ons with your farting nose up…
John: Nell!
Paul: Oh, Christ!
John: Give us a kiss! Ha! Oh, that might be an idea…
Paul: Let’s take it from the top and run it.
John: Don’t take it from the top.
Booth: Same place.
Paul: Yes, okay, let’s run it from there then.
(Unintelligible mumbling; another blown take; more mumbling)
John: You know, little things like that just throw me. Can we just do
the little bit together with me? ‘Cause I’ve forgotten what it was.
Paul: All right.
John: Just the last one. (Sings:) “And you’ve got time to – come on,
come on, one-two, one-two…
J, P & G (singing): “And you’ve got time to rectify all the things
that…”
George: I don’t know…
Paul: What key are you in, Jock?
George (singing): “And you’ve got time to rectify all the things that
you should…”
Paul: That’s me.
John: Oh, good. Good luck.
(A few more run-throughs of the line…)
Paul: Mmmmmagic!!
(One more run-through.)
Paul: That was it!
John: You should have got me there, boy, I was movin’! (Mumbling:)
Until I’m known to get back in here, you know, he’s kinda groovin’ out
the place, you know.
Booth: He’s here all the time.
John: Is he? I can bet that’s just a drawing.
George: Okay.
(Unintelligible)
John: Oh, I’ve got it now. Listen to this! I’m gonna get expression as
well!
(Another blown take)
Booth: Um, not quite right on the end. Can we go over the end?
George: Yeah. (Unintelligible) Just from the last two bits, the last
two “do what you want to do’s“
John (singing, to the tune of “Do You Want to Know a Secret”): Do you
want to hold a penis, do-wah-do…
(Another blown take)
George: Last verse, the bit with “And you’ve got time to rectify all
the things that you should,” right there. The bit that JOHN FINALLY
GOT! – just after that, then we’ll do both of the “Do what you want to
do’s,” the choruses.
Booth: Just trying to find it…
Paul: It’s kind of funny…
George: “The future still looks good and you’ve got…” – That’s what
he’s saying at the time…
Paul: The future still looks good, have you got it?
(Another blown take)
Booth: I’m sorry, I made a little –
George: Ah, but that was –
Paul: – great!
Booth: Okay, I’m afraid we need John again then.
Paul: Come on, John!
George: Why?
Booth: I started taping one thing before I should have done then (??)…
George: Ah, naughty! John?
Paul: John, luv!
(Some quiet mumbling…)
Booth: Jonathan, we’re ringling (sic)!
Paul: Where is he – is he messing behind those – I’ll get him! (Very
distant:) Have you seen John over here then?
(George whistles the Ringling Bros. Circus theme. Footsteps are
heard.)
John: What is it?
Paul: We have to re-do the bit that you just got right.
John: I was just singing in the toilet, so I think I should get it.
(Sniffling, coughing, muttering)
George: Paul?
Booth: From “The future still looks good.”
George: Oh! Oh, I see, okay,
John: What’s that?
(Sniffing)
George: So it’s just that…”And you’ve got time to rectify all the
things...”
John: Just from there?
George: Yeah, just that line.
John: It’s not even the, uh…
George: No. Well, there’ll be a lead-in before that.
John: Oh, God, yes, of course there will!
George: (??) – will you rub off what else I’m doing?
Booth: I’m going to start recording you. I’ll give you a forehand (??)
but I’ll start recording you on “The future still looks good…”
George: Okay.
(Sniffing)
John (or Paul?) (whispering): I think there’s a bit left…
(Another blown take)
John: Oh, right in there, is it?
George: Yeah.
John: Which bit was that?
Booth: (??)– to sing with you “the future still looks good,” then…
George: Yes I will, but I didn’t really know exactly if that was the
end of “Think for Yourself ‘cause I won’t be there with you,” that’s
what I thought it was going to be. It started exactly on…all that.
(Drums and tambourine heard) It’s hard to recognize it just from the
chords, which line I’m up to, really.
Booth: John, do you want to hear your words, then?
John and George: NO!
John: God, we have never heard them once, ya fool! No wonder we’ve
been gettin’ it wrong!
Booth: I’m hearing them up here.
John: Wonderful for you.
Booth: Very lovely.
George: Wonder if Ian (??) Richards is free tomorrow?
(John laughs. Loud feedback.)
Booth: All right, here it comes.
John: Paul!
Paul (sniffing): Yeah? I just got in from Olympia. I lit the torch.
(End of tape)
###
richforman
'Ppreciate the effort John, but this really isn't nearly as
interesting without being able to hear the playing and singing.
richforman
JohnBL
> interesting without being able to hear the playing and singing.
>
> richforman
Oh, I know that, but there's actually very little playing and singing
on the tape. The takes were edited out.
You're right in that something like this will never read as well as it
plays. But there was some discussion in the other thread as to what
occured in this session. I maintained that the main focus of this
session was getting John to nail his harmony line. Others heard it as
J, P and G trying to work out the harmonies during the session.
Sometimes there's satisfaction in even the most trivial
vindication. ;)
I had the day off and there was a curling match on the Olympics. Had
to do something to pass the time.
John L
ermitano
>
> leer más »
great job.. and very interesting to me...
this bootleg is very long and boring, i prefer to read this
transcription or listen a 4 minute compilation (posted on youtube)
than to hear the complete tape
Crisstti
interesting. I didn't know these things were around. I certainly
apreciate having a transcript, 'cause it's very hard for me to
understand that kind of thing just listening to it...
Poor John!, he could get it, lol.
JohnBL
> Did you transcribe it?. Thanks a lot for posting either way!
Yes, I typed it up as I listened to it yesterday. As I said, it was
something to do on a slow day.
Thanks for the thanks!
JL
The Harmonic Wheel
You're proving to be A REAL ASSEST to the group, John!
The Walrus was Danny
wrote:
As most Scousers are....:-)
Danny
cuppajoe2go
wrote:
Well, I think we all know how exciting those fiendish curling matches
can get. Thanks for the transcription.
Their misfires seem to give us all hope :)
blu...@comcast.net
tomorrow. Ron Richards was another Abbey Road producer mostly known
for working with the Hollies. George was referring to the "Booth"
saying i started taping one thing before I should have done then"
just a goof at G. Martins expense.
Jay
JohnBL
> The last thing George says is "I wonder if Ron Richards is available
> tomorrow. Ron Richards was another Abbey Road producer mostly known
> for working with the Hollies. George was referring to the "Booth"
> saying i started taping one thing before I should have done then"
> just a goof at G. Martins expense.
> Jay
Ah, thanks much. George was mumbling a bit when he said it and I
couldn't quite catch the name. Makes sense now.
John L