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Overview
"Baby, You're a Rich Man" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as the B-side of their "All You Need Is Love" single in July 1967. It originated from an unfinished song by John Lennon, titled "One of the Beautiful People", to which Paul McCartney added a chorus. It is one of the best-known pop songs to make use of a clavioline, a monophonic keyboard instrument that was a forerunner to the synthesizer. [Wikipedia]
Background
Baby, You're a Rich Man is a song by The Beatles, written by Lennon–McCartney and led on vocal by John Lennon. Recorded at Olympic Studios; clavioline (Lennon) gives the eastern lilt.
What's distinctive
One of 101 songs led primarily by John. Recorded approximately 4 of 11 into the Magical Mystery Tour (late 1967) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'clavioline' — no other song shares it. Take count: 12 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)).Opening line — "How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Pattern analysis
Recording
The session work falls within the band's Magical Mystery Tour (late 1967) period, recorded 11 May 1967 at EMI Studios + Olympic Sound Studios (Barnes) for some MMT/All You Need Is Love work. George Martin produced; Geoff Emerick engineered. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.111 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below). The repetitive McCartney singalong demonstrates the group's confident playfulness in pop forms, though it lacked the depth that distinguished rock from commercial pop music (MacDonald 1994, p.111).
| Studio | EMI Studios + Olympic Sound Studios (Barnes) for some MMT/All You Need Is Love work |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Synced J37 four-tracks; first Beatles 8-track session (Trident's Ampex AG-440) imminent — Hey Jude, July 1968 |
| Console | REDD.51 + Helios at Olympic |
| Microphones | U47/U48, AKG C12, ribbon mics (4038) |
| Outboard / effects | EMI RS124, EMT 140, Fairchild 660, ADT, tape phasing, Leslie cabinet |
| Guitars | Epiphone Casino, Fender Stratocaster (Harrison — psychedelic 'Rocky' Strat), Mellotron, clavioline |
| Amplifiers | Vox AC100, Vox UL730, Fender Showman, Fender Bassman |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer / 2nd | Geoff Emerick • Ken Scott on some sessions |
| Estimated takes | 12 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)) |
Legacy & release history
In the canonical discography it on the single All You Need Is Love. Documented alternate versions include 2009 Stereo Remasters. Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below. Recorded at Olympic Sound Studios on 11 May 1967; near the instrumental break, the brass part under 'Noooow!' extends longer in stereo [b] than mono [a].
Mono & stereo
- Mixed primarily in mono at Abbey Road; the Beatles attended only the mono mixes through Sgt Pepper.
- Stereo mixes from this period were prepared (often without the band present) and are now considered secondary by purists.
Documented alternate versions
- 2009 Stereo Remasters — Allan Rouse / Guy Massey remaster
Released on
- All You Need Is Love — Single, 7 July 1967
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (clavioline, olympic, satire-of-jet-set)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
claviolineolympicsatire-of-jet-set
References & external databases
Frequently asked
Who wrote Baby, You're a Rich Man?
“Baby, You're a Rich Man” was written by Lennon–McCartney.
Who sings lead on Baby, You're a Rich Man?
The lead vocal on “Baby, You're a Rich Man” is by John Lennon.
When was Baby, You're a Rich Man recorded?
“Baby, You're a Rich Man” was recorded 11 May 1967 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road.
How many takes did Baby, You're a Rich Man require?
Mark Lewisohn's session log documents up to 12 numbered takes for “Baby, You're a Rich Man”.