‘No, you have to hang up,’ said Paul.
’IT’S GETTING BETTER’
Another afternoon — it was the first afternoon of spring — and Paul went for a walk with his dog Martha. John still hadn’t arrived for their latest recording work on Sergeant Pepper.
He pushed Martha into his Aston Martin and got in beside her and started the car, but it wouldn’t start. He gave it a few bangs, hoping that would do it, then he gave up and got out of the Aston Martin and into his black-windowed Mini Cooper. He revved up first time. His housekeeper opened the large black doors and he shot through, catching all the fans by surprise. He was away before they realized he’d come out.
He drove to Primrose Hill, where he parked the car and left it, without locking it. He never locks his cars.
Martha ran around and the sun came out. Paul thought it really was spring at last. ‘It’s getting better,’ he said to himself.
He meant the weather, but the phrase made him smile because it was one of Jimmy Nichols’s phrases, one which they used to mock all the time in Australia.
When Ringo was once ill and unable to play, Jimmy Nichols deputised for him on part of their Australian tour. Every time one of them asked Jimmy how he was getting on, if he was liking it and was he managing OK, all he ever replied was ‘It’s getting better.’
That day at two o’clock, when John came round to write a new song, Paul suggested: ‘Let’s do a song called, “It’s getting better”.’ So they got going, both playing, singing, improvising and messing around. When the tune was at last taking shape, Paul said, ‘You’ve got to admit, it is getting better.’
‘Did you say, “You’ve got to admit, it’s getting better”?’
Then John sang that as well. So it went on till two in the morning. People came to see Paul, some by appointment. They were left waiting downstairs, reading, or were sent away. They stopped once for a meal, a quick fry-up.
The next evening, Paul and John went to the recording studio. Paul played the new song on the piano, la-la-ing the accompaniment or banging in tune to his words, to give the others an idea of what it sounded like. Ringo and George said they liked it, as did George Martin.
The first stage in the layer cake system that they now use in recording songs was to get the backing recorded on one track.
They discussed what the general sound would be like and what sort of instruments to use. They also chatted about other things. When they got bored, they went off and played on their own on any instruments lying around. There was an electronic piano in the corner of the studio, left over from someone else’s recording session. Someone doodled on it and it was decided to use it.
Ringo sat at his drums and played what he thought would be a good drum backing, with Paul singing the song to him in his ear. Because of the noise, Paul had to shout in Ringo’s ear as he explained everything.
After about two hours of trying out little bits and pieces, they had the elements of a backing. George Martin and two studio technicians, who’d been sitting around just waiting up until then, went up into their sound-proof glass control room, where they continued to sit around and wait for the Beatles to get themselves organized.
Neil and Mal got the instruments and microphones arranged in one corner of the studio and the four of them at last started to sing and play, ‘It’s Getting Better’. Ringo looked a bit lost, sitting slightly apart on his own, surrounded by his drums. The other three had their heads together over one microphone.
They played the song over about ten times. All that was being recorded, up in the sound-proof box, were the instruments, not their voices. From time to time, Paul said ‘Once more, let’s try it this way,’ or ‘Let’s have less bass, or more drums.’ By midnight they had recorded the backing.
The next day John and George assembled at Paul’s house. Ringo wasn’t there. They were just going to do the singing track for ‘It’s Getting Better’ and he wouldn’t be needed. Ivan Vaughan, the schoolfriend of John and Paul, was also at Paul’s house. At 7.30 they all moved round to EMI, where George Martin, like a very understanding housemaster, was ready and waiting for them.
The backing for ‘It’s Getting Better’, which they’d recorded the night before, was played over and over again for them to listen to. George Harrison and Ivan went off to chat in a corner, but Paul and John listened carefully. Paul instructed the technician on which levers to press, telling him what he wanted, how it should be done, which bits he liked best. George Martin looked on, giving advice where necessary. John stared into space.
Dick James, their song publisher, arrived wearing a camel coat. He said hello to them all, very jolly and breezy. He made a joke about there being no truth in the rumour that EMI were buying Northern Songs.
He listened to the backing of ‘It’s Getting Better’ and showed no expression. Then they played him one of their other songs, about a girl leaving home. George Martin said this was the one that almost made him cry. Dick James listened and said yes, it was very good. He could do with more of them. ‘You mean you don’t like the freak-out stuff?’ Dick James said no, no, he didn’t mean that. Then he left.
They played the backing track of ‘It’s Getting Better’ for what seemed like the hundredth time, but Paul said he wasn’t happy about it. They’d better get Ringo in and they would do it all again. Someone went to ring for Ringo.
Peter Brown arrived. He’d just returned from a trip to America. He gave them some new American LPs which they all jumped upon. They played him ‘She’s Leaving Home’ and a few other of the Sergeant Pepper songs, already recorded. Then they played him the backing track of ‘It’s Getting Better’. As it was being played, Paul talked to one of the technicians and told him to try yet a different sound mix. He did so, and Paul said that was much better. It would do. They didn’t need to bring Ringo in now after all.
‘And we’ve just ordered Ringo on toast,’ said John. But Ringo was cancelled in time and the studio was got ready to record the sound track, the voices. As it was being set up by Neil, Mal brought in tea and orange juice drinks on a tray.
Paul let his tea go cold while he played with an oscillating box he found in a corner. By playing around with the switches, he managed to produce six different noises. He said to one of the sound engineers that if someone could produce oscillating boxes with the sounds controlled and in order, it would be a new electronic instrument.
They were ready at last. The three of them held their heads round one microphone and sang ‘It’s Getting Better’ while, up in the control box, George Martin and his two assistants got it all down on track. The three Beatles were singing, not playing, but through headphones strapped to their ears they could hear the recording of the backing track. They were simply singing to their already recorded accompaniment.
In the studio itself, all that could be heard were the unaccompanied, un-electrified voices of the Beatles singing, without any backing. It all sounded flat and out of key.
They ran through the song about four times and John said he didn’t feel well. He could do with some fresh air. Someone went to open the back door of the studio. There was the sound of loud banging and cheering on the other side. The door began to move slightly inwards, under the strain of a gang of fans who’d somehow managed to get inside the building.
George Martin came down from his box and told John he would be better to go up on the roof and get some air, rather than go outside.
‘How’s John?’ Paul asked into the microphone to George Martin up in the control box.
‘He’s looking at the stars,’ said George Martin.
‘You mean Vince Hill?’ said Paul. He and George started singing ‘Edelweiss’ and laughing. Then John came back.