Helter Skelter

[Bekah]

Yes, there supposedly is a really,  really long version (26-27 minutes  
all told)  but it's never been released.   I think the story is that  
Paul owns it (among other things).

 From the clip on YouTube:
"The Beatles recorded the song multiple times during the The White  
Album sessions. During the 18 July, 1968 sessions, a version of the  
song lasting 27 minutes and 11 seconds was recorded, although this  
version is rather slow and hypnotic, differing greatly from the volume  
and rawness of the album version. Another recording from the same day  
was edited down to 4:37 for Anthology 3, which was originally twelve  
minutes long. On 9 September, eighteen takes of approximately five  
minutes each were recorded, and the last one is featured on the  
original LP. After the eighteenth take, Ringo Starr flung his sticks  
across the studio and screamed, "I've got blisters on my fingers!" The  
Beatles included Starr's shout on the stereo mix of the song  
(available on CD); the song completely fades out around 3:40, then  
gradually fades back in, fades back out partially, and quickly fades  
back in with three cymbal crashes and Ringo's scream (some sources  
erroneously credit the "blisters" line to Lennon; in fact, Lennon can  
be heard asking "How's that?" before the outburst). The mono version  
(on LP only) ends on the first fadeout without Ringo's outburst. The  
mono version was not initially available in the US as mono albums had  
already been phased out there. The mono version was later released in  
the American version of the Rarities album.

According to Chris Thomas, who was present, the 18 July session was  
especially spirited. "While Paul was doing his vocal, George Harrison  
had set fire to an ashtray and was running around the studio with it  
above his head, doing an Arthur Brown." Starr's recollection is less  
detailed, but agrees in spirit: "'Helter Skelter' was a track we did  
in total madness and hysterics in the studio. Sometimes you just had  
to shake out the jams."

On the version that appears on the Anthology 3 album, McCartney  
occasionally sings "hell for leather" instead of "helter skelter."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfkVGCU_BA

Bekah


On Sep 17, 2009, at 12:55 PM, rich wrote:

> so, Beatle fanatics--is there truly a 26 minute version of Helter  
> Skelter?
>
> p.s. RIP Mary Travers of PPM--she's got the pedigree last name
>
> rich

http://web.mac.com/bekker2/