Recording, mixing: Yer Blues, What’s The New Mary Jane – 14 August 1968

Wednesday 14 August 1968 | Anthology, Studio, White Album

A marathon session running from 7pm to 4.30am at Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road on 14 August 1968 saw the near-completion of ‘Yer Blues’ and the recording of a fascinating White Album outtake, ‘What’s The New Mary Jane’. The session was engineered by Ken Scott, who had taken over from Geoff Emerick — who had walked out of the increasingly fractious White Album sessions in late July — and produced by George Martin.

Yer Blues

‘Yer Blues’ had been substantially recorded in earlier sessions, with the basic track built from an edit of takes 17 and 16 of the song. On 14 August, the group returned to the multitrack tape to add a series of crucial overdubs onto track four.

John Lennon recorded his lead vocals during this session, with Paul McCartney adding harmonies. Ringo Starr contributed extra snare drumming during the guitar solo and after the edit point — a subtle but important addition that tightened the track’s rhythmic drive. Following the overdubs, four mono mixes of ‘Yer Blues’ were created.

One notable technical issue affected the final mix: because of poor separation between instruments during the original recording — the group had recorded in a small annexe room off Studio Two to achieve a tighter, more claustrophobic sound — Lennon’s guide vocal and some unused lead guitar leaked into the final mix. Rather than being a flaw, this bleed contributed to the raw, abrasive quality that makes ‘Yer Blues’ one of the most viscerally powerful tracks on the White Album.

‘Yer Blues’ was written by Lennon as a sardonic commentary on the British blues boom of the late 1960s — the title itself a wry dig at the affectations of white British musicians adopting American blues idioms. Lyrically, however, the song is one of Lennon’s most nakedly confessional, expressing suicidal despair and profound loneliness. He later performed it live at the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in December 1968, with a supergroup featuring Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell.

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What’s The New Mary Jane

‘What’s The New Mary Jane’ was a John Lennon composition that had first surfaced as a demo in May 1968, during the group’s sessions at George Harrison’s Esher home. On 14 August it was recorded properly in Studio Two, with an unusual lineup: John Lennon, George Harrison, Yoko Ono and roadie Mal Evans. Notably, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were not involved in the recording.

Four takes were recorded. The first two were relatively conventional in structure, with Harrison on acoustic guitar and Lennon on piano and vocals. By take four, however, the session had evolved into something far more experimental. The final take lasted 6 minutes and 35 seconds and featured a lengthy improvised section in the avant-garde style that Lennon and Ono were increasingly exploring together. Overdubs added to take four included additional piano and guitar, a second vocal track, and an eclectic array of percussion: drums, vibraphone, tambourine, handbell, slide whistle, cowbell and ratchet.

A rough mono mix of ‘What’s The New Mary Jane’ was made towards the end of the session, truncating the track to 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Two further mono mixes were made on 25 September 1968, and two stereo mixes on 14 October 1968. The song was mixed and readied for inclusion on the White Album but was left off at the last minute.

Despite being considered for the White Album, ‘What’s The New Mary Jane’ remained officially unreleased for nearly three decades. It finally appeared on Anthology 3 in 1996, where it was presented in a version running to over six minutes. The song has divided opinion ever since: some regard it as a fascinating document of Lennon’s avant-garde period, while others find it among the most challenging material in the entire Beatles catalogue.

End of session

At the close of the session, tape copies of the rough mix of ‘What’s The New Mary Jane’ and the third mono mix of ‘Yer Blues’ were made and taken away by John Lennon for further listening — a common practice during the White Album sessions, when the group frequently took home reference copies of work in progress.

The White Album sessions in context

By August 1968, the recording of The Beatles — the double album that would become universally known as the White Album — had been underway since late May. The sessions were marked by growing tension between the four members, the increasing presence of Yoko Ono in the studio, and the departure of longtime engineer Geoff Emerick, who found the atmosphere too uncomfortable to continue. Ken Scott, who engineered the 14 August session, was one of several engineers who stepped in during this period.

The White Album was eventually released on 22 November 1968, comprising 30 tracks across four sides of vinyl. ‘Yer Blues’ appeared on side two; ‘What’s The New Mary Jane’ did not make the final cut.

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Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

→ The Beatles live: Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland – 14 August 1966
→ Recording: I’m A Loser, Mr Moonlight, Baby’s In Black, Leave My Kitten Alone – 14 August 1964
→ August in Beatles History
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