On This Day in Beatles History: Recording Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Something & You Never Give Me Your Money – 11 July 1969

July 11, 2026

On This Day in Beatles History: Recording Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, Something & You Never Give Me Your Money – 11 July 1969

On 11 July 1969, The Beatles held a recording session at Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, running from 2.30pm to midnight. Produced by George Martin and engineered by Phil McDonald, the session covered overdubs and reduction mixes for three tracks destined for the Abbey Road album: 'Maxwell’s Silver Hammer', 'Something', and 'You Never Give Me Your Money'.

Session Details

Date: 11 July 1969
Studio: Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Phil McDonald
Session times: 2.30pm–midnight
Tracks worked on: 'Maxwell’s Silver Hammer', 'Something', 'You Never Give Me Your Money'

Maxwell’s Silver Hammer: Lead Guitar and Vocals

The session opened with further work on 'Maxwell’s Silver Hammer', Paul McCartney’s darkly comic tale of a murderous medical student. George Harrison added extra lead guitar to the choruses, sharpening the track’s melodic top line. Harrison and McCartney then recorded additional vocals together on the final line of the song — “Silver hammer, man” — reinforcing the track’s theatrical, music-hall conclusion.

Something: Harrison’s Lead Vocals and Billy Preston’s Hammond Organ

'Something' had been started in May 1969 but left unfinished. On 11 July, George Harrison recorded his lead vocals for the track, double-tracking them in the choruses to add warmth and depth. Billy Preston — the American keyboard player who had become an unofficial fifth Beatle during the Let It Be sessions earlier in the year — also added a Hammond organ part, contributing a soulful, sustained texture beneath Harrison’s vocal.

By this point the eight-track tape was full, making a reduction mix necessary before any further overdubs could be added.

Reduction Mix: Take 37

The reduction mix for 'Something' was numbered take 37. It combined the piano and lead guitar onto track one, and both vocal tracks onto track seven. The remaining tracks were left unchanged: drums on track two, bass guitar on track five, rhythm guitar on track six, and Preston’s organ on track eight. Tracks three and four were left clear for future overdubs.

It has been reported that Harrison later re-recorded his lead guitar part during the orchestral overdub session on 15 August 1969. However, the take 37 reduction mix made on 11 July contains Harrison’s final guitar solo, which had originally been recorded on 5 May 1969. Four rough stereo mixes of 'Something' were also made during this session.

The reduction mix was ultimately rendered unnecessary when Harrison re-recorded his lead vocals later that week, requiring the mixing process to restart from that point.

You Never Give Me Your Money: Bass Guitar

The session closed with work on 'You Never Give Me Your Money', one of the most structurally ambitious tracks on Abbey Road — a McCartney composition that moves through several distinct musical sections and serves as a meditation on the financial and personal tensions within the group at the time. McCartney recorded a bass guitar part onto track seven of the tape.

Something: Harrison’s Masterpiece

'Something' is widely regarded as George Harrison’s finest composition and one of the greatest songs in The Beatles’ catalogue. Frank Sinatra famously called it “the greatest love song of the past 50 years” and, perhaps apocryphally, attributed it to Lennon and McCartney. It was released as a double A-side single with 'Come Together' in October 1969, becoming the first Harrison composition to be issued as a Beatles A-side.

The song’s recording history was long and iterative. Harrison had first demoed it at Trident Studios in February 1969 during the Let It Be sessions, and the Abbey Road version went through numerous takes and overdub sessions before reaching its final form. The 11 July session was a key step in that process, establishing Harrison’s lead vocal and Preston’s organ as central elements of the finished track.

Billy Preston at Abbey Road

Billy Preston’s presence on the 11 July session was a continuation of his involvement with The Beatles that had begun during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions in January 1969. His keyboard playing — on both electric piano and Hammond organ — had been credited on the 'Get Back'/'Don’t Let Me Down' single released in April 1969, making him the only artist other than The Beatles themselves to receive a performance credit on a Beatles single.

His Hammond organ contribution to 'Something' on 11 July added a gospel-inflected warmth to Harrison’s composition that complemented the song’s emotional directness.

Abbey Road Studios, 3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, London — where The Beatles recorded from 2.30pm to midnight on 11 July 1969, working on three tracks for the Abbey Road album.

On This Day in Beatles History

Date: 11 July 1969
Studio: Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin | Engineer: Phil McDonald
Session: 2.30pm–midnight
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer: Harrison adds lead guitar to choruses; Harrison and McCartney add vocals to final line
Something: Harrison records double-tracked lead vocals; Billy Preston adds Hammond organ; reduction mix take 37 created; four rough stereo mixes made
You Never Give Me Your Money: McCartney records bass guitar onto track seven

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Frequently Asked Questions

What did The Beatles record on 11 July 1969?

The Beatles worked on three Abbey Road tracks: 'Maxwell’s Silver Hammer' (lead guitar and vocals), 'Something' (Harrison’s lead vocals, Billy Preston’s Hammond organ, and a reduction mix), and 'You Never Give Me Your Money' (McCartney’s bass guitar).

Who was Billy Preston?

Billy Preston was an American keyboard player who became closely associated with The Beatles during the Let It Be sessions in January 1969. He is the only artist other than The Beatles to receive a performance credit on a Beatles single ('Get Back'/'Don’t Let Me Down', April 1969).

What is a reduction mix?

A reduction mix combines multiple recorded tracks onto fewer tracks, freeing up space for further overdubs on a multi-track tape. The take 37 reduction mix on 11 July combined piano and lead guitar onto one track and both vocal tracks onto another.

Did Harrison re-record his guitar solo on 'Something'?

It has been reported that Harrison re-recorded his lead guitar during the orchestral session on 15 August 1969, but the take 37 reduction mix made on 11 July contains his final guitar solo, originally recorded on 5 May 1969.

When was 'Something' released?

'Something' was released as a double A-side single with 'Come Together' in October 1969. It was the first George Harrison composition to be issued as a Beatles A-side.