Flying (Beatles instrumental)
The Beatles released an instrumental track called Flying on 1967. This song marked the first time since 1965 that the group wrote a piece without lyrics. The composition relied on the classic twelve-bar blues chord progression used in many earlier rock songs. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all received writing credits for this work. Their names appeared as Harrison/Lennon, McCartney/Starkey on the official release. Two other instrumentals existed from their early years. Cayenne was recorded in 1960 while Cry for a Shadow followed in 1961. These earlier pieces did not carry the same collective credit structure.
Engineers captured the core performance of Flying on the 8th of September 1967. They added Mellotron sounds along with guitar bass maracas and drums during that session. Tape loop overdubs entered the mix on the 28th of September under the title Aerial Tour Instrumental. The original version stretched to 9 minutes 38 seconds before editors shortened it. John Lennon and Ringo Starr created the tape loops that replaced a fast-paced New Orleans jazz coda. Editors cut the final track down to 2 minutes 17 seconds for public release. The band members sang wordless melodies over the instrumental arrangement. Lennon played the main theme on the Mellotron while McCartney handled bass duties. Harrison contributed guitars and Starr played both maracas and drums.
The song accompanied aerial footage taken from an aeroplane flying over Iceland. Color-altered images of the Icelandic landscape appeared alongside the music in the Magical Mystery Tour film. Unused footage from Stanley Kubrick's 1964 Dr Strangelove also appeared during these scenes. The music served as background for these visual sequences without any spoken dialogue. The soundtrack version matched exactly what listeners heard on the official album releases. This connection between audio and visual elements defined how audiences experienced the piece initially. The film used the track to underscore moments of flight and movement across the screen.
Some bootleg albums like Back-track 1 contained versions with added Hammond organ sounds. These alternate takes included strange whistling noises during the early portions of the track. A different ending featuring the original jazz-influenced sequence appeared on these unofficial releases. That version clocked in at around 2:08 instead of the shortened radio edit. Mark Lewisohn speculated that this coda seemed copied from an unidentifiable modern jazz record. The jazz section actually utilized a Mellotron set to Dixieland Rhythm mode. This setting allowed entire banks of pop orchestra samples to play popular musical styles. The tape loops created by Lennon and Starr formed part of the final released product.
Richard Goldstein wrote about the track in The New York Times shortly after its release. He described it as more interesting than other album tracks due to its modest nature. Robert Christgau compared the song favorably against Paul Mauriat while noting it lacked Beatles greatness. Rex Reed offered a harsh review in Stereo Review calling it similar to old jungle movie soundtracks. His critique mentioned feeding chanting populations to cobras as a metaphor for the music's effect. Popular Discs and Tapes published his comments in March 1968 on page 117. Critics generally viewed the piece as either modestly successful or entirely forgettable depending on their perspective.
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Common questions
When was the Beatles instrumental Flying released?
The Beatles released an instrumental track called Flying on 1967. This song marked the first time since 1965 that the group wrote a piece without lyrics.
Who received writing credits for the Beatles song Flying?
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all received writing credits for this work. Their names appeared as Harrison/Lennon, McCartney/Starkey on the official release.
What instruments were used to record the core performance of Flying by the Beatles?
Engineers captured the core performance of Flying on the 8th of September 1967. They added Mellotron sounds along with guitar bass maracas and drums during that session.
How long is the original version of the Beatles song Flying before editors shortened it?
The original version stretched to 9 minutes 38 seconds before editors shortened it. Editors cut the final track down to 2 minutes 17 seconds for public release.
Which film featured aerial footage from Iceland alongside the music Flying by the Beatles?
The song accompanied aerial footage taken from an aeroplane flying over Iceland. Color-altered images of the Icelandic landscape appeared alongside the music in the Magical Mystery Tour film.