The mystery session

12 Responses

  1. Unknown says:

    Note: Ringo seems to be trying to learn his lines for the film he's in while he's playing drums at the same time; true multi-tasking. I lean towards the "rehearsing I Want You (She's So Heavy)" theory too.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Well I had been thinking and saying this around the boards at various times, but it seems to me this is an almost shocking example of how Beatle buffs, apparently including Mark Lewisohn, will prefer documentary to oral history even when the former are unavailable or unrevealing.

    Or to put it bluntly
    In the 11+ years that sites have been discussing this,
    WHY HASN'T ANYBODY ASKED ETHAN RUSSELL?

    ethanrussell.com/?page_id=86
    twitter.com/ethan_russell

    Sometimes the simple ways are just too much for the irredeemable of nerdish

    😛

  3. Anonymous says:

    Oh wait.

    Date: Tue Dec 9, 2003 1:25 pm
    Subject: Re: Beatles Picture doubt/Ethan Russell replies

    He responded:

    "Definitely Apple basement. Good guess re Don't Let Me Down…."

    Some mystery huh?
    😛

  4. wogew says:

    I read Russell's reply before I posted the article, and I didn't give it much weight. Sounds to me that he's just acknowledging what a good guess it was, it's not like he actually remembers what went down.

  5. winston o´boogie says:

    No mystery, that`s the "I Want You" session. Just read Lewisohn's "Recording Sessions" book, and link the looks (Paul shaved, etc) and the chords that they're playing (in the photos). I'm amazed that take years for someone to solve this "mystery".

  6. Bthecook says:

    Can anybody read what is on the clipboard in the first picture, maybe that would help…

  7. reviloremeor says:

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  8. reviloremeor says:

    By the way, one of the photos from this day found its way onto the backcover of the european "Let It Be" VHS video cassette by "Warner Home Video" from United Artists (e.g. in Germany and The Neatherlands) back in 1984, which was only available for a very short time until Apple forced them to pull it off the market:

    directupload.net/file/d/4178/dfw6z3zo_jpg.htm

  9. Beach Boys Opinion Page says:

    Paul is using his Hofner bass, weigh he rarely if ever used on the eventual Abbey Road sessions. Nothing is proved by his use of the Hofner, but it might lend additional credence to the idea that it's just a rehearsal for "I Want You."

    One question is, why did they bring Ethan Russell along? Did they really need more photos? Interesting stuff.

  10. Chigolf says:

    beatlesource.com/bs/scans/pix/mystery%20pix/mystery.html

  11. Claudio Dirani says:

    I recall discussing this on a forum (maybe Steve Hoffman's) about 10 years ago. That's indeed one of the most intriguing pictures of the Fabs, despite not being one of the older ones.

  12. El Guajolote says:

    Hofner bass in Abbey Road was used extensively, actually most of the songs on that album were recorded with the Hofner, especially "I Want You", so it could be possible that they were rehearsing "I Want You" and also they were recording overdubs for "Don't Let Me Down".

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