Today considered one of the most important albums in
music history, this stark white album bearing nothing but “The BEATLES” in
small raised letters was met with great anticipation by the throngs of
Beatles fans eager for a Beatles fix. Hitting the shelves in
November of 1968–11 months after Magical Mystery Tour had taken us on
a “mystery trip”—The Beatles both bewildered and elated record buyers
accustomed to seeing ever-more fantastic cover art that hinted at what lie
waiting inside. Few imagined that a flat-out masterpiece was actually in
hand.
Quickly becoming known on the streets as “The WhiteAlbum,” The Beatles (the band’s ninth official studio album)
effectively smashed the Pop/Rock album template—as only the Beatles
could. Not only did this two-album, 30-track collection clock in at an
unprecedented 93 minutes, it did the unthinkable: it shared the Fab Fours’
spotlight with eight guest musicians (including Beatles road manager and
personal assistant Mal Evans, Cream guitarist Eric Clapton, and Beatle wives
Pattie Harrison, Maureen Starkey, and Yoko Ono) and utilized dozens of session
players.
While fans were accustomed to the Beatles using instruments not
traditionally associated with Pop/Rock music (as evident by Sgt.
Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour) and there had always been nods to
honorary “fifth” Beatles, this now appeared to be the band’s likely direction.
Said to have been written and recorded during a particularly tumultuous
period for the Beatles (following their highly-publicized visit with the
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India), it was during the recording of The Beatles—May
to October of 1968—that the first signs of internal dissension and discontent
began to manifest. As Beatle lore now attests, Ringo made a brief exit
from the band (leaving Paul to lay down drum tracks on two songs), with many of
the remaining songs essentially solo projects—not utilizing the band per
se. And while the 23” x 34” collage-poster that accompanied the album
well-represented the unified artistic phenomenon that was “the Beatles,” those
who poured over the album quickly realized that the four individual 8” x
10” color glossies far better represented who they were becoming. But
from the opening riff of the exhilarating McCartney-led “Back in the U.S.S.R.,”
none of that really mattered.
Seeming to pull out all the creative and
technological stops—both as individual musicians and as a band—The
Beatles White Album features 11 songs vocally credited to McCartney
(including “Blackbird,” “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da,” and the now (in)famous “Helter
Skelter”), 11 Lennon-driven compositions (including “Dear Prudence,” “Happiness
is a Warm Gun,” and the dark-and-bluesy, “Yer Blues”), the Lennon/McCartney
Rock ‘n’ Roller “Birthday,” 4 Harrison pieces (including the iconic “While My
Guitar Gently Weeps”–with Clapton delivering what is arguably the most famous
guitar lead on record), and 2 Ringo ditties (including the satirical “Don’t
Pass Me By”). (Beatles aficionados can argue who wrote which songs, but
these tracks so well reflect the Beatles’ subsequent solo endeavors that the
division is obvious.)
Despite initially receiving mixed reviews from
music critics and fans—many of whom considered the satirical songs trite and
not what they’d come to expect from the Beatles–the “White Album” sold nearly
3.5 million copies within the first four days, reaching #1 on both the U. S and
U. K charts (ultimately spending 155 weeks on the Billboard 200),
selling nearly 20 million copies worldwide (platinum 20 times over).
(According to some sources, The White album is the 9th best-selling
album of all time.) Now recognized as one of the greatest collections of
music of all time—and most deservedly so—The Beatles ‘White album’ is a
bona fide work of art reflecting four extraordinarily talented artists at the
pinnacle of creativity.
For an in-depth overview of the Beatles ‘White
Album’ take a look at this site, the White Album Project.
Read more
about the Beatles Albums on our Beatles Albums page.
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