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| Revolver (album) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Revolver |
| Type | studio |
| Artist | The Beatles |
| Released | 5 August 1966 |
| Recorded | 6 April – 21 June 1966 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | Rock, pop, psychedelic rock |
| Length | 34:43 |
| Label | Parlophone, Capitol |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Prev title | Rubber Soul |
| Prev year | 1965 |
| Next title | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band |
| Next year | 1967 |
Revolver (album) is the seventh British studio album by The Beatles, released in 1966 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and Capitol Records in the United States. Produced by George Martin and recorded at EMI Studios during sessions in 1966, the album features songs written principally by John Lennon and Paul McCartney with contributions from George Harrison and collaborative arrangements involving the band and studio personnel. Revolver marked a decisive shift from the band's earlier rock and roll and pop music output toward experimental production, studio techniques, and diverse influences drawn from Indian classical music, baroque music, and contemporary electronic music.
Revolver's genesis came after the international success of Rubber Soul and the exhaustion of The Beatles following their 1965–66 touring schedule, including performances at venues such as Shea Stadium and the Hollywood Bowl; the group ceased regular touring to focus on studio work with producer George Martin, engineers like Geoff Emerick and technicians at EMI Studios, and collaborators including arranger Geoffrey Burke and session musicians from London orchestras. During pre-production the band members—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—brought in material ranging from Lennon's autobiographical sketches influenced by Yoko Ono-adjacent avant-garde circles to McCartney's melodic compositions influenced by Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys; Harrison introduced songs inspired by studies under Ravi Shankar and visits to India. Recording sessions between April and June 1966 saw innovations such as close miking, tape loops, automatic double tracking (ADT) developed by Ken Townsend, and Varispeed techniques experimented with by Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick.
The album's songs encompass a wide stylistic palette, blending McCartney balladry, Lennon's experimental vignettes, and Harrison's raga-influenced pieces alongside arrangements that incorporate classical elements from composers like Johann Sebastian Bach and studio textures reminiscent of Karlheinz Stockhausen and elements of musique concrète. Tracks ranged from baroque-pop string arrangements to psychedelic soundscapes featuring backward tape, orchestral crescendos, and Indian instrumentation such as sitar and tambura introduced by Harrison under the tutelage of Ravi Shankar. Lyrical themes span introspection, social observation, and surrealist imagery with allusions to figures and places such as Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds-era iconography, while harmonic language reflects influences from Dmitri Shostakovich and twentieth‑century popular songwriters like Cole Porter and Irving Berlin in melodic construction. The band's interplay with studio personnel created a hybrid of pop craftsmanship and avant-garde production associated with contemporaneous work by Phil Spector and exploratory recordings from The Velvet Underground and The Byrds.
Martin's production approach combined orchestral scoring, novel microphone placement, and tape manipulation executed at EMI Studios with engineers Geoff Emerick and Ken Townsend; the sessions used techniques including close miking of drums, manual varispeed, and backward-recorded guitar parts that redefined pop production standards alongside contemporaneous studio achievements by Brian Wilson on Pet Sounds. The album was sequenced, mixed, and mastered for mono and stereo formats, released in the UK on 5 August 1966 by Parlophone and in the US by Capitol Records with variations in packaging and track order; cover art by Klaus Voormann, a friend of the band from the Hamburg scene, provided a distinctive illustrative portrait linking The Beatles to the continental art milieu that included figures like Andy Warhol and photographers from the London art scene.
Upon release Revolver received acclaim from critics writing for publications such as Melody Maker, New Musical Express, and Rolling Stone, and from figures in the music community including Bob Dylan and contemporaries like Mick Jagger and Pete Townshend. The album's experimental production and songwriting influenced subsequent artists and movements, informing work by The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and later psychedelic rock and progressive rock musicians while contributing to the studio-as-instrument paradigm also embraced by producers such as Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. Over decades Revolver has featured in critics' lists compiled by Rolling Stone magazine, NME, and Time (magazine), and is commonly cited in scholarly studies alongside recordings like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Pet Sounds for its role in the development of popular music, studio technology, and artist autonomy.
1. "Taxman" – written by George Harrison 2. "Eleanor Rigby" – written by Paul McCartney 3. "I'm Only Sleeping" – written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney 4. "Love You To" – written by George Harrison 5. "Here, There and Everywhere" – written by Paul McCartney 6. "Yellow Submarine" – written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon 7. "She Said She Said" – written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney 8. "Good Day Sunshine" – written by Paul McCartney 9. "And Your Bird Can Sing" – written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney 10. "For No One" – written by Paul McCartney 11. "Doctor Robert" – written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney 12. "I Want to Tell You" – written by George Harrison 13. "Got to Get You into My Life" – written by Paul McCartney 14. "Tomorrow Never Knows" – written by John Lennon
- John Lennon – vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, tape loops - Paul McCartney – vocals, bass guitar, piano, acoustic guitar - George Harrison – vocals, lead guitar, sitar, tambura - Ringo Starr – drums, percussion - George Martin – producer, piano, arranger, harpsichord - Geoff Emerick – engineer - Ken Townsend – technical innovations, tape effects - Orchestral musicians – string and brass players from London session orchestras contracted by EMI Studios - Klaus Voormann – cover art
Revolver reached number one on the album charts in the United Kingdom and the United States, topping listings compiled by Record Retailer and Billboard respectively; it has since received multiple certifications including BPI and RIAA awards reflecting sales milestones. Over time the album has re-entered charts in the digital era and has been included in curated lists by institutions such as the Library of Congress and music publications documenting best albums of the twentieth century.
Category:1966 albums Category:The Beatles albums