Monday 27 October 1969 | Recording and stereo mixing | Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Ringo Starr began recording his first studio album, Sentimental Journey, on 27 October 1969. The opening song was Cole Porter’s Night and Day, recorded at EMI Studios with George Martin producing and conducting an arrangement by Chico O’Farrill.
The day unfolded in three stages: an afternoon orchestral session, Ringo’s evening vocal recording and a late stereo mix. It was the start of an album built around standards, taking Ringo into a different musical setting from the Beatles’ recent recordings.
| Date | Monday 27 October 1969 |
|---|---|
| Song | Night and Day |
| Songwriter | Cole Porter |
| Album | Sentimental Journey |
| Studio | Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London |
| Producer and conductor | George Martin |
| Arrangement | Chico O’Farrill |
| Engineers | Phil McDonald and Geoff Emerick |
| Orchestra | 17 musicians |
| Work completed | Orchestral backing, lead vocals and stereo mixing |
Night and Day: the opening song
Written by Cole Porter, Night and Day belonged to the popular-song tradition that shaped Sentimental Journey. Tommy Dorsey had enjoyed a hit with the song in 1937, and Ringo’s recording brought the standard into his own debut album project.
The arrangement was prepared by Chico O’Farrill, with George Martin conducting the musicians. Their contributions gave the session a clear division of roles: O’Farrill supplied the arrangement, Martin directed the performance and production, and Ringo provided the lead vocal.
Beginning with this material established the character of the project. Rather than opening his first studio album with a new rock song, Ringo chose a familiar standard supported by an orchestral arrangement.
2.30–5pm: recording the orchestra
The first session ran from 2.30pm to 5pm. During this afternoon booking, the 17-piece ensemble recorded the backing track for Night and Day.
The band included saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass guitar, piano and drums. Brass and reeds were therefore part of the recording from the outset, alongside the rhythm section that supported Ringo’s subsequent vocal.
With the orchestral backing recorded in the afternoon, the evening could concentrate on the voice at the centre of the track. The sessions were separated by a two-hour dinner break.
7–9.30pm: Ringo records his vocals
Ringo returned to the song during the second recording session, from 7pm to 9.30pm, adding his lead vocals to the backing track.
His role here was that of the featured singer. The instrumental backing had already been recorded by the ensemble, giving him an orchestral setting for the song rather than a Beatles group performance.
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9.30–10.45pm: the stereo mix
Once the vocal recording was complete, Night and Day was mixed in stereo between 9.30pm and 10.45pm. The song’s first day of work therefore carried it from the orchestral backing through the vocal session and into mixing.
| Time | Work |
|---|---|
| 2.30–5pm | 17-piece orchestra records the backing track |
| 5–7pm | Dinner break |
| 7–9.30pm | Ringo records his lead vocals |
| 9.30–10.45pm | Stereo mixing of Night and Day |
Geoff Emerick’s memory of the session
In his memoir Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles, Geoff Emerick recalled the first Sentimental Journey session and the practical difficulties he encountered while working at EMI as an outside engineer.
According to Emerick, studio policy required a maintenance engineer to make changes to the patchbay. He remembered requesting an alteration and receiving no response, leaving the session and its orchestra waiting while his assistant, John Kurlander, searched for the engineer. Emerick put the delay at nearly twenty minutes.
The recollection offers a glimpse of the working arrangements behind the recording. Alongside the musical preparation, the session depended on the studio staff and technical routines needed to keep a large ensemble’s work moving.
From this first session to the finished album
Night and Day opened a project that continued into 1970. The later 6 March recording session for You Always Hurt the One You Love completed the album’s recording work, followed by the final mixing session that evening.
Sentimental Journey was released in Britain on 27 March 1970 and in the United States on 24 April 1970. The October session marks the beginning of that recording story, with Ringo stepping forward as a solo album vocalist while working with George Martin.
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Studio Three at EMI Studios
The recording and mixing took place at EMI Studios on Abbey Road in London, with Studio Three providing the setting for the first Sentimental Journey session.
Frequently asked questions
When did Ringo begin recording Sentimental Journey?
He began on 27 October 1969, recording Night and Day at EMI Studios in London.
Who wrote Night and Day?
The song was written by Cole Porter.
Who arranged and conducted Ringo’s recording?
Chico O’Farrill prepared the arrangement, and George Martin conducted the orchestra and produced the session.
How many musicians were in the backing ensemble?
The backing was recorded by a 17-piece ensemble featuring saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass guitar, piano and drums.
When did Ringo record his vocals?
He added his lead vocals during the evening session, from 7pm to 9.30pm on 27 October 1969.
When was Night and Day mixed in stereo?
The stereo mixing took place from 9.30pm to 10.45pm that evening.
The final Sentimental Journey recording session · Completing the album’s mixes · The US album release · More On This Day in Beatles History
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