Revolution 9
John Lennon stood in a London studio on the 30th of May 1968 and began recording the final minutes of a song called Revolution. He did not intend to create a conventional track but rather to paint a picture using sound alone. The project drew heavy influence from Yoko Ono, who had recently released her own avant-garde album titled Two Virgins with Lennon. She attended every session and helped him select which tape loops to use for the collage. Her style included screeching, howling, word pieces, talking, and breathing that intrigued Lennon deeply. He stated he wanted to do one piece like hers after hearing her strange stuff. The Beatles had experimented before with songs like Tomorrow Never Knows in 1966 and an unreleased piece called Carnival of Light recorded in January 1967. Paul McCartney said those works were inspired by composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage. Stockhausen was also a favorite of Lennon and appeared on the Sgt. Pepper album cover. Music critic Ian MacDonald suggested Revolution 9 may have been influenced specifically by Stockhausen's Hymnen.
The recording sessions stretched over several weeks beginning in late May 1968 at EMI Studios. Take 20 of the original Revolution song lasted more than ten minutes and received additional overdubs during subsequent sessions. Mark Lewisohn described the final six minutes as pure chaos filled with discordant instrumental jamming and feedback. John repeatedly screamed RIGHT while Yoko talked about becoming naked and added off-the-wall phrases. George Harrison and Ringo Starr selected sounds from EMI's tape library including the dialogue Number nine number nine. Authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter noted that Harrison's experimental piece Dream Scene recorded between November 1967 and February 1968 suggests he had greater influence than acknowledged. The work culminated on the 20th of June when Lennon performed a live mix using tape loops running on machines across all three studios. During this process the STEED system ran out causing the sound of rewinding to appear at the 5:11 mark. More overdubs were added on the 21st of June followed by final mixing in stereo. The stereo master was completed on the 25th of June when it was shortened by 53 seconds. Paul McCartney had been out of the country when the track was assembled and mixed.
The composition begins with a slow piano theme in the key of B minor accompanied by an EMI engineer repeating words number nine. This loop pans quickly across stereo channels and recurs many times throughout the eight-minute duration serving as a central motif. Much of the track consists of tape loops faded in and out sampled from classical performances like Vaughan Williams motet O Clap Your Hands. Listeners hear the final chord from Sibelius Symphony No. 7 alongside reversed finale of Schumann Symphonic Studies. Violins from A Day In The Life appear briefly while sped up loops from Tomorrow Never Knows provide texture. An Arabic song called Awal Hamsa by Farid al-Atrash plays shortly after the 7-minute mark. Unidentified operatic performances echo through the mix along with backwards mellotron and violins. A noisy oboe cello duet reverses itself against orchestral clatter while loud cymbals crash repeatedly. A string quartet in E-flat major appears reversed near the end. One notable loop rumored to be from Carnival of Light starts at about 2:30 featuring industrial noise chair creaking and discordant double bass. George Martin shouts Geoff could you put the red light on before distorted amplifier feedback follows.
During compilation of the master tape for The Beatles album two unrelated segments appeared between Cry Baby Cry and Revolution 9. The first was an improvisation sung by Paul McCartney based on Can you take me back recorded between takes of I Will. The second contained conversation where Alistair Taylor asked Martin for forgiveness for not bringing him a bottle of claret then called him cheeky bitch. Revolution 9 released as penultimate track on side four of the double LP without gaps from Cry Baby Cry. Track division points varied among reissues resulting in different lengths depending on placement of the conversation segment. Some versions place the conversation at end of Cry Baby Cry yielding length of 8:13 for Revolution 9. Others start Revolution 9 with conversation creating total duration of 8:22. Later CD and digital releases moved conversation to beginning of Revolution 9 entirely. Paul McCartney remained unimpressed when he first heard finished track and tried persuading Lennon to drop insistence it be included. Lennon stated final editing done by himself and Ono alone despite other band members' involvement earlier. Complexity necessitated mono mix being direct reduction of stereo master rather than separate remixing process used elsewhere.
Lewisohn summarized public reaction upon release as most listeners loathing it outright while dedicated fans tried understanding it. Music critics Robert Christgau and John Piccarella called it anti-masterpiece noting no Beatles appeared during eight minutes. Alan Walsh of Melody Maker described track as noisy boring meaningless while NMEs Alan Smith derided it pretentious old codswallop idiot immaturity blotch on talent. Jann Wenner wrote in Rolling Stone that Revolution 9 beautifully organized had more political impact than Revolution 1. Ian MacDonald remarked piece evoked era revolutionary disruptions culturally one significant acts Beatles perpetrated world widely distributed avant-garde artifact. Rob Sheffield wrote justly maligned but funnier than Honey Pie or Yer Blues. Mark Richardson of Pitchfork commented biggest pop band exposed millions fans great frightening avant-garde art. David Quantick writing 2002 described still most radical innovative track ever bring rock record climax. Edward Sharp-Paul of FasterLouder said sound illusion shattering Yes Beatles human sometimes drop almighty turds. Track voted worst Beatles song 1971 poll conducted by WPLJ and Village Voice. Writing for Mojo 2003 Mark Paytress said remained most unpopular piece music Beatles ever made yet also most extraordinary recording.
Lennon stated he painting picture revolution mistakenly made it anti-revolution according to his own analysis. MacDonald doubted Lennon conceptualized piece representing revolution usual sense instead sensory attack citadel intellect revolution head aimed each listener. Structure suggests half-awake channel-hopping mental state underlying themes consciousness quality awareness. Loop number nine fueled legend Paul McCartney death reported sounded turn me on dead man played backwards. Interview held home the 2nd of December 1968 asked if Revolution 9 about death because seemed like that interviewer. Lennon answered Well then it is when heard listen another day sun outside see if about death then. He went on not specifically anything set sounds walking street set sounds captured moment time put disc vague story behind sounds revolution apart that just set sounds. Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi asserted Charles Manson believed many songs album contained references confirming prediction impending apocalyptic race war scenario Helter Skelter. Gregg Jakobson noted Manson mentioned Revolution 9 more often any other album tracks interpreted parallel Chapter 9 Book Revelation. Manson viewed portrayal sound coming black-white revolution misheard Lennon distorted screams Right command Rise. Drawing parallels animal noises close Harrison White Album track Piggies similar sound machine-gun fire appears Revolution 9.
Kurt Hoffman Band Weeds performed Revolution Number Nine 1992 album Live at Knitting Factory Downtown Does Beatles released by Knitting Factory Records. Jam band Phish performed Revolution 9 along almost all songs from The Beatles Halloween 1994 concert released 2002 as Live Phish Volume 13. Band member Jon Fishman streaked across stage after line if you become naked. Australian dance rock Def FX recorded version 1996 album Majick. Little Fyodor recorded cover 1987 released CD single 2000. Shazam recorded cover appearing final track mini-album Rev9 released 2000. Brazilian musician Rogério Skylab recorded cover 2008 collaborative tribute album commemorating 40th anniversary release White Album. Contemporary classical ensemble Alarm Will Sound transcribed orchestral re-creation performed tour recorded 2016 album Alarm Will Sound Presents Modernists. Jazz trio Neil Cowley Trio recorded both Revolution 9 and Revolution magazine Mojo 2008. Punk group United Nations inspired song Resolution 9 while rock band Marilyn Manson created Revelation Number 9. White Zombie Real Solution Number 9 contains samples Prime Time Live interview Diane Sawyer conducted Manson Family member Patricia Krenwinkel. Sample heard saying Yeah remember her saying I already dead. Skinny Puppy references reversed melodic fragment Love in Vein Last Rights album. Mexican rock Botellita de Jerez redemption theme Devolución no hay second album La venganza del hijo del guacarrock.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Who created Revolution 9 and when was it recorded?
John Lennon created Revolution 9 during recording sessions that began on the 30th of May 1968 at EMI Studios. The final stereo master was completed on the 25th of June 1968 after multiple overdubs and mixing sessions.
What is the duration of Revolution 9 on The Beatles album?
The track has varying durations depending on the release version with some editions lasting 8 minutes 13 seconds and others reaching 8 minutes 22 seconds. Later CD and digital releases moved a conversation segment to the beginning of the song which altered its total length compared to the original vinyl pressing.
How did critics react to Revolution 9 upon its 1968 release?
Music critics Robert Christgau and John Piccarella called the piece an anti-masterpiece while Alan Walsh described it as noisy boring and meaningless. A 1971 poll conducted by WPLJ and Village Voice voted Revolution 9 the worst Beatles song despite Ian MacDonald noting its cultural significance.
Why does Charles Manson believe Revolution 9 predicts Helter Skelter?
Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi asserted that Charles Manson believed many songs on the White Album contained references confirming his prediction of an impending apocalyptic race war scenario. Manson mentioned Revolution 9 more often than any other album tracks and interpreted the sounds as parallel to Chapter 9 of the Book of Revelation.
Which bands have covered or performed Revolution 9 since 1968?
Kurt Hoffman Band Weeds performed the track in 1992 and Phish played it during their Halloween 1994 concert released as Live Phish Volume 13. Other groups including Def FX Little Fyodor Shazam Rogério Skylab Alarm Will Sound Neil Cowley Trio United Nations Marilyn Manson and White Zombie all recorded versions between 1987 and 2016.