Monday 22 July 1968 | Studio One, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Producer: George Martin | Engineer: Ken Scott
On 22 July 1968, George Martin convened a full orchestra and choir in Studio One — the largest recording space at EMI Studios on Abbey Road — to record orchestral and vocal arrangements for two tracks destined for The Beatles (the White Album): ‘A Beginning’ and ‘Good Night’. The session, engineered by Ken Scott, was one of the most elaborate of the entire White Album recording period, drawing on the full resources of a classical studio orchestra and a professional vocal ensemble.
A Beginning: An Orchestral Introduction to Don’t Pass Me By
‘A Beginning’ was conceived by George Martin as an orchestral introduction to Ringo Starr’s ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ — the first song Ringo had written alone and the first Ringo Starr composition to appear on a Beatles album. Martin’s score was recorded in four takes, with the final take selected as best.
The instrumentation was rich and varied:
- Twelve violins
- Three violas
- Three cellos
- Three flutes
- Harp
- Clarinet
- Horn
- Vibraphone
- String bass
The piece had a notable prior life: it had already been used in the Yellow Submarine animated film, which had received its world premiere just five days earlier, on 17 July 1968, at the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus. George Martin evidently felt the piece worked equally well as a standalone introduction to ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ on the album.
In the event, ‘A Beginning’ was not used as an introduction to ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ on the White Album — the two tracks were separated on the final running order. The piece remained unreleased until Anthology 3 in 1996, where it appeared as a standalone track, finally giving it the audience it had been denied for nearly three decades.
Good Night: Ringo’s Lullaby, Orchestrated
‘Good Night’ was written by John Lennon as a lullaby for his son Julian, though it was given to Ringo Starr to sing — Lennon felt his own voice was too knowing for the song’s innocent, tender quality. The result is one of the most unusual tracks in the Beatles catalogue: a full orchestral lullaby, sung by the drummer, closing the White Album’s fourth side.
The Beatles’ previous attempts at recording ‘Good Night’ were discarded entirely. On 22 July 1968, the orchestra recorded their parts in 12 takes, numbered 23 to 34, with take 34 marked as best. The track was built up across four carefully structured recording tracks:
- Track one: Flutes, violins, violas, horn and clarinet
- Track two: Cellos and string bass
- Track three: Chorus vocals, harp and extra flutes (overdubbed 10.30–11.50pm)
- Track four: Ringo Starr’s lead vocals plus backing (recorded 11.50pm–1.40am)
The Mike Sammes Singers provided the choral backing — four men and four women — whose lush, old-fashioned vocal style gave ‘Good Night’ its deliberately nostalgic, almost music-hall quality. The choice of the Mike Sammes Singers was entirely intentional: their sound evoked a pre-rock era of light entertainment, perfectly suited to the song’s role as a gentle, ironic coda to one of the most turbulent and experimental albums The Beatles ever made.
Studio One at Abbey Road
Studio One at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) on Abbey Road in St John’s Wood, London, is the largest of the three main recording spaces in the building. Designed for orchestral recording, it has a capacity for a full symphony orchestra and is acoustically distinct from the smaller Studio Two, where the vast majority of Beatles recordings were made.
The choice of Studio One for the 22 July 1968 session was dictated by the scale of the arrangements: the combined forces of a string section, woodwind, brass, harp, vibraphone, and an eight-voice choir required a room large enough to accommodate them all simultaneously. George Martin — himself a classically trained musician and former head of Parlophone — was entirely at home in this environment, and the results reflect his mastery of orchestral writing for popular music.
George Martin and Ken Scott
George Martin had been The Beatles’ producer since their first EMI session in June 1962. By 1968, his role had evolved significantly: while the group increasingly produced their own material, Martin remained the architect of their most elaborate orchestral arrangements — from the string quartet on ‘Yesterday’ to the 41-piece orchestra on ‘A Day in the Life’. The 22 July 1968 session was a further demonstration of his ability to translate the group’s instincts into fully realised orchestral scores.
Ken Scott was one of the engineers who worked on the White Album sessions alongside Geoff Emerick (who had resigned mid-project) and others. Scott would go on to produce and engineer significant albums for David Bowie, Supertramp, and Elton John in the 1970s, but in 1968 he was a young EMI staff engineer learning his craft on some of the most complex recording sessions in popular music history.
The White Album Context
The White Album recording sessions ran from 30 May to 14 October 1968 — a period of intense creativity and equally intense internal tension. The group had returned from their Transcendental Meditation retreat in Rishikesh, India, with a vast stockpile of new songs, and the decision was made to record a double album. The sessions were notable for the increasing tendency of individual Beatles to record alone or in small groups, with the others present only when required.
The 22 July 1968 session was an exception to this pattern: a large-scale, formally organised orchestral date of the kind that had characterised the Sgt. Pepper sessions. George Martin was firmly in charge, the musicians were professional session players, and the results — particularly ‘Good Night’ — stand among the most polished and carefully crafted recordings on the entire album.
Key Facts: 22 July 1968
| Date | Monday 22 July 1968 |
| Studio | Studio One, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer | Ken Scott |
| Tracks recorded | A Beginning (4 takes); Good Night (takes 23–34, take 34 best) |
| Vocalists | Ringo Starr; Mike Sammes Singers (4 men, 4 women) |
| A Beginning release | Anthology 3 (1996); previously used in Yellow Submarine film (premiere 17 July 1968) |
| Good Night release | The Beatles (White Album), Side 4, November 1968 |
Abbey Road Studios, 3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, London — where the orchestral sessions for ‘A Beginning’ and ‘Good Night’ were recorded in Studio One on 22 July 1968.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is ‘A Beginning’ by The Beatles?
‘A Beginning’ is an orchestral piece composed and arranged by George Martin, originally intended as an introduction to Ringo Starr’s ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ on the White Album. It was recorded on 22 July 1968 in Studio One at Abbey Road. The piece had previously been used in the Yellow Submarine animated film. It was not included on the White Album and remained unreleased until Anthology 3 in 1996.
Who sang Good Night on the White Album?
Ringo Starr sang ‘Good Night’ on the White Album. The song was written by John Lennon as a lullaby for his son Julian, but Lennon gave it to Ringo to sing, feeling his own voice was too knowing for the song’s innocent quality. The orchestral and choral arrangement was by George Martin.
Who were the Mike Sammes Singers?
The Mike Sammes Singers were a British vocal ensemble led by Mike Sammes, known for their lush, old-fashioned choral style. They provided the backing vocals on ‘Good Night’ — four men and four women — giving the track its deliberately nostalgic, pre-rock quality. They also sang on other Beatles recordings including ‘I Am the Walrus’.
What is Studio One at Abbey Road?
Studio One is the largest of the three main recording spaces at Abbey Road Studios in St John’s Wood, London. Designed for orchestral recording, it can accommodate a full symphony orchestra. Most Beatles recordings were made in the smaller Studio Two, but large-scale orchestral sessions — such as the 22 July 1968 White Album date — took place in Studio One.
Who wrote Good Night?
‘Good Night’ was written by John Lennon as a lullaby for his son Julian Lennon. Despite being a Lennon composition, it was sung by Ringo Starr on the White Album. The orchestral arrangement was composed and conducted by George Martin.
When was the Yellow Submarine film released?
The Yellow Submarine animated film had its world premiere on 17 July 1968 at the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus — five days before the 22 July 1968 Abbey Road session at which ‘A Beginning’ was recorded for the White Album. The piece had already been used in the film before its intended use as an album introduction.
→ 22 July in Beatles History
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→ John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ George Harrison: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
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