Saturday 26 October 1974 | Recording | Record Plant, New York City
John Lennon recorded “Be-Bop-A-Lula” and “Ya Ya” for his Rock ’n’ Roll album on 26 October 1974, according to the dated session chronology. Lennon produced the New York work himself, returning to music that had helped shape his earliest performing years.
“Ya Ya” already had a place on a Lennon album, but the version being prepared for Rock ’n’ Roll was a new recording. It was separate from the short performance with his son Julian that closed Walls and Bridges.
The session at a glance
| Date in the daily chronology | Saturday 26 October 1974 |
|---|---|
| Studio | Record Plant, New York City |
| Artist and producer | John Lennon |
| Album | Rock ’n’ Roll |
| Songs | Be-Bop-A-Lula; Ya Ya |
| Earlier Ya Ya version | Walls and Bridges recording with Julian Lennon on drums |
| Later stereo mixing | Both songs listed for 7 November 1974 |
The New York phase of Rock ’n’ Roll
The album had begun with Phil Spector in Los Angeles during 1973. Those sessions proved difficult, and the project stalled before Lennon returned to it in New York.
By the autumn of 1974, he had made Walls and Bridges and was ready to complete the earlier covers project with musicians from his New York working circle. This phase was Lennon-produced, rather than another Spector-led Los Angeles session.
The official Rock ’n’ Roll album account describes that return to Record Plant East. The finished album combined material from the two periods and appeared in February 1975.
Be-Bop-A-Lula: returning to an early favourite
“Be-Bop-A-Lula” was associated with Gene Vincent and carried songwriting credits for Vincent and Bill Davis. For Lennon, its connection to the beginning of his musical life gave the recording particular resonance.
The official album history recalls that he had performed the song at the 1957 church event where he first met Paul McCartney. His 1974 version therefore revisited repertoire linked to a moment long before the Beatles became a recording group.
On Rock ’n’ Roll, “Be-Bop-A-Lula” became the opening track. Its position sets out the record’s purpose immediately: Lennon interpreting the music that preceded and helped inspire his own songwriting career.
Ya Ya on Walls and Bridges
The earlier “Ya Ya” was recorded during the Walls and Bridges sessions. Julian Lennon played drums, while John supplied piano and vocals.
The brief, informal performance offered a father-and-son moment at the end of that album. The official Walls and Bridges notes explicitly credit Julian on drums and “Dad” on piano and vocals.
That recording should not be confused with the fuller band arrangement prepared for Rock ’n’ Roll. Hearing one does not mean hearing the same performance in a different mix.
Why Lennon returned to Ya Ya
The covers project also had a publishing-dispute background involving Morris Levy and Big Seven Music. The official album account describes the short Walls and Bridges performance as insufficient to resolve that matter, after which Lennon pressed ahead with completing the earlier project.
The session story is therefore both musical and practical. Lennon was returning to an established favourite while preparing a new recording for the album he needed to finish.
The key recording distinction is straightforward: the Julian performance belonged to Walls and Bridges; the new band version belonged to Rock ’n’ Roll.
The musicians on the finished recordings
The official Ya Ya release notes provide track-specific credits for both songs. Lennon is listed on vocals and electric guitar, alongside Jesse Ed Davis on electric guitar, Eddie Mottau on acoustic guitar, Ken Ascher on piano, Klaus Voormann on bass, Jim Keltner on drums and Arthur Jenkins on percussion.
For “Ya Ya”, the credits also identify Joseph Temperley and Frank Vicari on saxophones and Dennis Morouse on tenor saxophone. These credits describe the released recordings; they do not establish an hour-by-hour timetable for each contribution.
Recording dates and later mixing
The dated account places these recordings on 26 October. Some album-credit databases use a broader 21–25 October range for the New York recordings. This entry follows the specific daily chronology while retaining that dating difference.
Both “Be-Bop-A-Lula” and “Ya Ya” are subsequently listed in the 7 November 1974 stereo-mixing session. Recording and mixing should therefore remain separate stages in the timeline.
The neighbouring work is covered in our 25 October Do You Wanna Dance? article, another part of Lennon’s New York effort to complete the album.
Location map: Record Plant, New York
The recordings belong to the New York Record Plant phase of the album.
Frequently asked questions
Which songs are listed for 26 October 1974?
Be-Bop-A-Lula and Ya Ya, recorded for John Lennon’s Rock ’n’ Roll album.
Where did the work take place?
At the Record Plant in New York City, with Lennon producing.
Was this a Phil Spector session?
No. It belongs to the Lennon-produced New York phase, rather than the earlier Los Angeles sessions with Spector.
Is Ya Ya the same recording as on Walls and Bridges?
No. Walls and Bridges used a short performance with Julian Lennon on drums; Rock ’n’ Roll used a separate band recording.
Where does Be-Bop-A-Lula appear on the album?
It is the opening track of Rock ’n’ Roll.
When were the songs later mixed?
Both are listed in the stereo-mixing session of 7 November 1974.
Continue exploring: Do You Wanna Dance?, 25 October 1974 · On This Day in Beatles History.
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