Within You Without You
George Harrison stood on a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, during the autumn of 1966. He had traveled there with his wife Pattie Boyd to study under Ravi Shankar, the master sitarist who would become his mentor. The trip began after Harrison and Boyd visited Shankar in Bombay, where local fans and press quickly discovered their presence. They moved to the houseboat to receive personal tuition while absorbing religious texts like Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. This period coincided with Harrison's introduction to meditation and his first experience with communal chanting in Vrindavan. Upon returning to England on the 22nd of October, he adopted a Hindu-aligned lifestyle of yoga, meditation, and vegetarianism at their home in Esher. The education he received regarding the illusory nature of the material world resonated with his experiences using LSD. Harrison later attributed the song to having fallen under the spell of India after experiencing its pure essence through Shankar's guidance.
The composition follows the pitches of Khamaj thaat, which serves as the Indian equivalent of Mixolydian mode. Written in the tonic key of C, the track features an exotic melody over a constant C-G root-fifth drone that is neither major nor minor. Musicologist Dominic Pedler describes this structure as demonstrating Harrison's advances since his earlier work Love You To. The alap introduces the main musical themes using tambura drone over which the dilruba outlines the melody. Boyd began learning the bow-played string instrument during her time in India. Throughout the vocal section known as gat, the rhythm maintains a 16-beat tintal cycle at medium tempo. The vocal line is supported by the dilruba echoing the melody in the manner of a sarangi. The first three words of each verse create a tritone interval between E and B, enhancing spiritual dissonance. An extended instrumental passage switches the tabla rhythm to a 10-beat jhaptal cycle. A musical dialogue ensues between the dilruba and sitar before shifting to a Western string section. This interplay follows the call-and-response tradition of Indian classical music called jawab-sawal. The passage resolves in melodic unison as instruments state a rhythmic cadence or tihai to close the middle segment.
The basic track was recorded on the 15th of March 1967 at EMI's Abbey Road studio 2 in London. Participants sat on a carpet while Indian tapestries hung on the walls with lights turned low and incense burning. Harrison and Neil Aspinall played tambura while musicians from the Asian Music Circle contributed on tabla, dilruba, and tambura. Three tamburas produced a denser-than-usual buzzing sound that highlighted natural harmonics. Lennon and artist Peter Blake attended the session alongside John Barham, a pianist who shared Harrison's desire to promote Indian music. Recording engineer Geoff Emerick close-miked the twin hand-drums to capture their texture and resonances. Two additional overdubbing sessions took place on the 22nd of March and the 3rd of April. George Martin arranged orchestration for eight violins and three cellos based on Harrison's instructions. The orchestra imitated slides and bends of the dilrubas during the 3rd of April session. Harrison added crowd laughter taken from an Abbey Road library sound effects tape on the 4th of April. Martin and Emerick opposed this addition but deferred to Harrison who said it provided light relief. The completed recording was enhanced through automatic double tracking before being edited and sped up.
Contemporary reviews offered widely divergent opinions upon the song's release in May 1967. Richard Goldstein writing in The New York Times called the lyrics dismal despite calling the music remarkable. Allen Evans of NME found the deep rich rhythm appealing yet bemoaned difficulty deciphering lyrics merged with sitar music. Hit Parader opined that the repetitious recitation became monotonous and the laughter deflated pretentiousness. Author Tim Riley dismissed the track as directionless in 1988 while Alex Young grouped it with major clunkers in 2009. Conversely Ian Inglis considers the song absolutely central to form and content of its parent album. Ian MacDonald views it as the conscience of Sgt Pepper and necessary sermon accompanying community singing. Kenneth Womack terms it quite arguably the album's ethical soul. Mark Prendergast includes it among outstanding cuts of dronal psychedelia ever recorded. David Fricke described it as beautiful and severe, a magnetic sermon about materialism within a record devoted to gentle Technicolor anarchy. Mikal Gilmore stated only this track and A Day in Life transcend the album's legacy as a whole greater than sum of parts.
Harrison's interest in Indian culture was swiftly adopted by peers and their audience following the song's release. Simon Leng writes that the track sparked fashion for Indian music and million backpacker pilgrimages to Kashmir. Juan Mascaró wrote to Harrison calling it a moving song that might move souls of millions. Stephen Stills had lyrics carved on a stone monument in his yard while Lennon admired Harrison's clear mind and music. David Crosby described the fusion of ideas as utterly brilliant and done at highest level possible. Paul Rodgers cited the track supporting Harrison's standing as Beatles musical medicine man who introduced wisdom of East to generation worldwide. Peter Lavezzoli highlights effect of Sgt Pepper and spiritual centerpiece on Shankar's popularity during 1967. This year served as annus mirabilis for Indian music and watershed moment when search for higher consciousness reached critical mass. Jeffrey Cupchik noted these songs marked inception of new hybridic East-West style immensely widespread today. Walter Everett lists Spirit Mechanical World and Incredible String Band Maya as works directly influenced by the song.
Big Jim Sullivan included the song on Sitar Beat first released in 1967 while Soulful Strings recorded it for Groovin with Soulful Strings. Sonic Youth transformed the composition into rock complete with guitar feedback for NMEs multi-artist tribute Sgt Pepper Knew My Father in 1988. Vulture staff placed their version number two among favorite Beatles covers of all time in 2007. Big Daddy performed free jazz style pastiche reminiscent of Ornette Coleman or Don Cherry on 1992 Sgt Pepper tribute album. Oasis covered the track for BBC Radio 2 project celebrating 40th anniversary in 2007. Easy Star All-Stars featured Matisyahu on Lonely Hearts Dub Band in 2009. Cheap Trick appeared on Sgt Pepper Live DVD that same year. Flaming Lips recorded With a Little Help from My Fwends featuring Birdflower and Morgan Delt in 2014. Rainer Ptacek opened his 1994 album Nocturnes with stunning instrumental reading recorded live in Tucson chapel. Patti Smith included it on her 2007 covers album Twelve where Chris Jones said it sounded written for her. The Love remix mixed Harrison's vocal over rhythm section from Tomorrow Never Knows created for Cirque du Soleil show.
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Common questions
Where did George Harrison study under Ravi Shankar in 1966?
George Harrison studied under Ravi Shankar on a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir during the autumn of 1966. He traveled there with his wife Pattie Boyd to receive personal tuition while absorbing religious texts like Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi.
What musical mode does Within You Without You follow and what instruments are featured?
The composition follows the pitches of Khamaj thaat which serves as the Indian equivalent of Mixolydian mode. The track features an exotic melody over a constant C-G root-fifth drone supported by tambura drone dilruba sitar tabla and Western string section.
When was the basic track for Within You Without You recorded at Abbey Road studio 2?
The basic track was recorded on the 15th of March 1967 at EMI's Abbey Road studio 2 in London. Two additional overdubbing sessions took place on the 22nd of March and the 3rd of April before the completed recording was enhanced through automatic double tracking.
How did critics react to Within You Without You upon its release in May 1967?
Contemporary reviews offered widely divergent opinions upon the song's release in May 1967 with Richard Goldstein calling the lyrics dismal despite finding the music remarkable. Other reviewers like Ian MacDonald viewed it as the conscience of Sgt Pepper while Tim Riley dismissed the track as directionless in 1988.
Which artists covered Within You Without You after its original release date?
Big Jim Sullivan included the song on Sitar Beat first released in 1967 while Sonic Youth transformed the composition into rock complete with guitar feedback for NMEs multi-artist tribute Sgt Pepper Knew My Father in 1988. Oasis covered the track for BBC Radio 2 project celebrating 40th anniversary in 2007 and Flaming Lips recorded With a Little Help from My Fwends featuring Birdflower and Morgan Delt in 2014.