THE BEATLES’ WHITE ALBUM FIFTY YEARS ON
THE White Album was actually a nickname. The 30-song double disc was really called The Beatles. It got its popular moniker from the colour of the simple white sleeve embossed only with the name of the band.
THE Beatles’ ninth album, it includes hit tracks Back In The USSR and George Harrison’s While My
Guitar Gently Weeps, featuring a solo by Eric Clapton, right. His love of chocolate inspired the song Savoy Truffle.
CATCHY track Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da was named after a phrase from a Nigerian tribe meaning “life goes on” while Martha My Dear was inspired by Paul McCartney’s sheepdog. THIS week it’s half a century since the Beatles released their White Album and a a new anniversary edition has been brought out to celebrate the landmark.
The album has been delighting millions of fans since it came out on November 22, 1968.
Here JAMES MOORE drums up 12 fascinating facts about the Fab Four’s controversial classic.
MANY songs were written while the band were at a meditation retreat in India. Ironically, rows broke out while they were recording in London. JOHN Lennon, who was divorcing wife Cynthia, controversially brought his new partner Yoko Ono into the sessions. The pair’s experimental album Two Virgins came out in the same month as the White Album.
A FED-UP Ringo Starr quit the band for two weeks, with McCartney taking his place on drums for the track Dear Prudence. When Ringo agreed to return he found his kit was covered in flowers.
THE fall-outs meant only 16 of the tracks have all four band members performing. McCartney admitted that “there was a lot of friction” during the recording.
SOME of the songs were recorded 70 times. The band kept beds in the studio, while George Harrison powered up on cheese and Marmite sarnies. Despite 103 attempts to record his song Not Guilty it was still left off the finished record.
ON its release the album went straight to No.1 in the UK charts and was at the top spot for eight weeks. In the US it was No.1 for nine weeks. In total the White Album has sold at least 19million copies. MURDEROUS cult leader Charles Manson believed the track Helter Skelter carried coded messages about the apocalypse and used it to inspire his followers to kill. In fact it was about the fall of the Roman Empire.
WITH their individual serial numbers, the sleeves – designed to be the opposite of the colourful Sgt Pepper – became collector’s items. In 2015, Ringo’s personal copy, number 0000001, sold for £600,000.
THE album has also inspired modern musicians such as Oasis’ Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller who recorded a special version of the track Birthday to celebrate Paul McCartney turning 70 in 2012.