Wednesday 11 September 1968 | Recording, Studio, White Album
| Date | Wednesday 11 September 1968 |
| Studio | Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London |
| Session time | 7.00pm β 3.30am |
| Producer | Chris Thomas |
| Engineer | Ken Scott |
| Takes recorded | 34 takes of the rhythm track |
| Best take | Take 33 |
| Notable take | Take 15 β a six-minute jam |
On Wednesday 11 September 1968, The Beatles began recording 'Glass Onion' β the third track on side one of The Beatles (the White Album) β during a late-night session at Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road. The session ran from 7pm to 3.30am, with Chris Thomas producing and Ken Scott engineering.
By September 1968, the White Album sessions had been running for several months. George Martin had stepped back from day-to-day production duties during this period, and the relatively young Thomas β who had been working as Martin's assistant β found himself in the producer's chair for a significant portion of the album's most intensive recording stretch. 'Glass Onion' was one of the sessions he oversaw.
The rhythm track: 34 takes
The session was devoted entirely to recording the rhythm track for 'Glass Onion'. The line-up was the full quartet playing live together: John Lennon on acoustic guitar, George Harrison on electric guitar, Paul McCartney on bass, and Ringo Starr on drums.
Thirty-four takes were recorded. By the standards of the White Album sessions β which were often characterised by long, searching approaches to individual songs β this was a considerable number. Most takes were broadly consistent in length, suggesting the arrangement was relatively settled from early in the session. The exception was take 15, which extended into a six-minute jam β an improvised departure from the song's structure that the group apparently allowed themselves before returning to the task of nailing the definitive take.
The penultimate attempt, take 33, was judged the best. Overdubs were scheduled to begin the following day.
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Glass Onion: the song
'Glass Onion' was written by John Lennon, though credited to LennonβMcCartney in the standard fashion. It is one of the more unusual songs in the White Album sequence β a playful, self-referential piece in which Lennon strings together references to earlier Beatles songs: Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am the Walrus, Lady Madonna, The Fool on the Hill, and Fixing a Hole. The song's most provocative line β βthe walrus was Paulβ β would later be seized upon by those who promoted the Paul is Dead rumour, though Lennon consistently maintained it was a piece of deliberate misdirection, written partly to mock the obsessive analysis fans applied to Beatles lyrics.
In one sense, 'Glass Onion' is Lennon in a sardonic mood, pulling the curtain back β or appearing to β while in fact offering nothing more than a series of in-jokes and red herrings. It is a song about interpretation, written by someone who had grown weary of being over-interpreted. The handwritten lyrics Lennon produced for the song, with their crossings-out and revisions, give a glimpse into the compositional process behind what sounds, on record, like effortless word-play.
The track features a string arrangement, overdubbed after the rhythm track sessions, that gives the finished recording a dense, layered quality at odds with its deceptively simple lyrical surface. The strings were arranged by George Martin.
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Chris Thomas and the White Album sessions
Chris Thomas was 21 years old when he worked on the White Album sessions. He had joined AIR London β George Martin's production company β as an assistant, and found himself elevated to producer when Martin took a holiday during the album's recording. Thomas went on to become one of the most significant record producers of the following decade, working with acts including Roxy Music, Pink Floyd, and the Sex Pistols. His production credit on the White Album is among the most consequential early career assignments in British music history.
Ken Scott, the engineer on this session, similarly went on to a major career, engineering and producing albums for David Bowie, Elton John, Supertramp and others. The 11 September 1968 session brought together two figures who would each, in their separate ways, help shape the sound of British popular music through the 1970s. For more on the people behind The Beatles' recordings, visit People in Beatles History.
Key Facts
| Session date | Wednesday 11 September 1968 |
| Studio | Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London |
| Session time | 7.00pm β 3.30am |
| Producer | Chris Thomas |
| Engineer | Ken Scott |
| Lennon | Acoustic guitar |
| Harrison | Electric guitar |
| McCartney | Bass |
| Starr | Drums |
| Total takes | 34 |
| Notable take | Take 15 β six-minute jam |
| Best take | Take 33 |
| Album position | Track 3, side one, The Beatles (White Album), released 22 November 1968 |
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Glass Onion recorded?
The rhythm track for Glass Onion was recorded on 11 September 1968 at Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road. The session ran from 7pm to 3.30am. Thirty-four takes were recorded, with take 33 judged the best. Overdubs were added in subsequent sessions.
Who played on the Glass Onion recording session?
John Lennon played acoustic guitar, George Harrison played electric guitar, Paul McCartney played bass, and Ringo Starr played drums. The session was produced by Chris Thomas and engineered by Ken Scott.
What is Glass Onion about?
Glass Onion was written by John Lennon as a self-referential song that strings together references to earlier Beatles songs, including Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am the Walrus, Lady Madonna, The Fool on the Hill and Fixing a Hole. Lennon later said he wrote it partly to mock the obsessive analysis fans applied to Beatles lyrics. Its most famous line β βthe walrus was Paulβ β was a deliberate misdirection.
Who produced Glass Onion?
Glass Onion was produced by Chris Thomas, who stepped in as producer for a portion of the White Album sessions while George Martin was on holiday. Thomas was 21 at the time and was working as Martin's assistant at AIR London. Ken Scott was the engineer.
How many takes of Glass Onion were recorded?
Thirty-four takes of the Glass Onion rhythm track were recorded on 11 September 1968. Most takes were similar in length. Take 15 was an exception, extending into a six-minute jam. Take 33, the penultimate attempt, was considered the best.
Where does Glass Onion appear on the White Album?
Glass Onion is the third track on side one of The Beatles (the White Album), released on 22 November 1968. It follows Back in the U.S.S.R. and Dear Prudence.
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