Everything you ever wanted to know about the great Beatles song "Across the Universe", which was being recorded exactly 45 years ago today, courtesy of Bob Dearborn's The Olde Disc Jockey's Almanac...
February 4, 1968… In London, the Beatles began recording "Across the Universe" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios. Sensing that the song could be improved by the addition of falsetto harmonies, John Lennon and Paul McCartney invited two girl fans – 17-year-old Gayleen Pease and 16-year-old Lizzie Bravo – into the studio to sing on the recording. Take 8 from this day was used for overdubs four days later, then the song was shelved for 11 months before being remixed in January 1969 and appearing on the World Wildlife Fund charity album, "No One's Gonna Change Our World," released in December 1969. This version was later issued on the Beatles compilation albums, "Rarities" and "Past Masters."
In January 1970, Glyn Johns remixed the February 1968 recording, omitting the teenage girls' vocals and the bird sound effects of the World Wildlife Fund version, but this version was not released.
The most familiar rendition of the song came from Phil Spector, who in the spring of 1970 remixed the February 1968 recording and added orchestral and choral overdubs for the Beatles' "Let It Be" album.
In 2003, the "Let It Be... Naked" CD included the February 1968 master remixed yet again, stripped of most of the instrumentation, and digitally processed to correct tuning issues.
This is the last version Bob mentions. I think it's my favorite of the many versions.
