Talk:A Day in the Life

Bassoon balloon

Currently the article states: "George Martin recalled that...a bassoon player placed a balloon on the end of his bassoon, leading to its inflation with every blow." He may indeed have "recalled" that, but it's certainly not true, and its falsehood should be obvious to anyone who's played a bassoon (or any other woodwind). - Nunh-huh 02:27, 16 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Interesting. So the statement in the article is true (that is, he did make the quote -- I added or corrected the sentence you refer to based upon info in Mark Lewishon's book), and I think it adds texture and color to the article, but it is probably an inaccurate recollection and might lead a reader to draw an incorrect understanding of how woodwinds work. So, what should we do? Jgm 13:41, 16 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Good question. A footnote? ¹A balloon placed on the end of a bassoon wouldn't actually inflate this way, so his recollection is mistaken.. Or "George Martin claimed...". Or just let it lie? The odd thing is that one would assume George Martin would know that a balloon on the end of a tube with a lot of holes in it wouldn't inflate...not a bassoon, not a clarinet, not a piccolo. It sounds like he'd been watching too many Marx brothers movies! - Nunh-huh 21:24, 16 Oct 2004 (UTC)

I'd leave it in, assuming it is an actual quote, but as previously suggested, put a footnote stating that while George Martin is actually quoting as saying that, such an event would be impossible due to the fact that a bassoon has many holes in it and a balloon would not inflate in that matter (and if it did, would all but entirely mute his sound =P). Me2NiK 03:51, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Picture

Do we really need a Sgt. Pepper's cover photo on this article? Does it really help at all? How on earth is it directly related to the song? I'd rather we have a still from the promo film, but I don't know how to capture one using software on Linux. Johnleemk | Talk 15:39, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Appeal

This was my addition... what does everyone think? - JollyBengali

Please Please Me

The info on the Please Please Me album page currently contradicts your assertion here that the Please Please Me album was recorded in its entirety in ten hours. GeneMosher

Inner groove

"The 1987 CD rerelease - in any country - recreates this effect, although, since an infinite loop cannot be created on compact discs, the Beatle chatter is looped eight or nine times before fading slowly out."

The trouble with CD's is that they are spun at a much higher rpm than LP records, so a concentric end loop of pits and lands wouldn't work.203.214.75.127

On another note, in the biography of the Beatles by Bob Spits, he mentions that the inner groove is actually a backward recording of the beatles saying "We'll fuck you like we're supermen." Why isn't this mentioned in the article? Is it not 100% confirmed? Jhayes94 23:28, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

"We'll fuck you like we're supermen"? Sorry, but that seems like something a fan desperate to know what the last line is would make up. I don't think it is decipherable, even when played backwards.--I Am The Walrus 03:11, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I've got two different copies on vinyl and neither one has any sound on the run-out track after the high pitch note. Is it only certain pressings that have the goofy chatter? I have a manual turntable so it isn't a question of 'not getting to the inner groove' and I can stand there and see that there is no groove between the label and the inner circle the needle is on. So whats the deal? Gront 07:07, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

As far as I can tell, the US pressings of the LP do not have the chatter inner groove, only the UK pressings.Gront 19:07, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Sort of Off-Topic

I recently found out that the high-pitched note before the 'crazy blabber' at the end that I've heard all my life is only hearable by some humans, and I tested it on my friends and close contacts, apparently, I'm the only one that can hear it. Can anybody else? -RPharazon 20:51, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

I can.Rt66lt 01:54, 18 April 2006 (UTC)

I can hear some of the lower tones, but not the really high pitches.

--I Am The Walrus 02:54, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

You can hear the really high pitched noise if it's quiet. Spartacusprime 19:37, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Recent revert

We need a source for the assertion that George Harrison wasn't involved in the final chord. (Oh, and it's unnecessarily informal to refer to the other Beatles as John, Paul and Ringo. That's fine for a fan site but not for an encyclopaedia.) Johnleemk | Talk 05:37, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

I agree--they should be referred to as Lenoon, McCartney, Starr, Harrison for an encyclopaedia. Freshacconci 18:32, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

The Chord

Somewhere I heard that the choice of the prominent E chord at the end of this song (and album) was meant to coincide precisely with another E chord which is on the beginning of another album, not by the Beatles, I think it was some classical album. The idea was that you'd have that record set to play immediately after this one ended, and aside from a brief silence while the record dropped, one would lead right into the other, the classical album's E chord building at almost the same rate as this song's E chord fades away at the end. Does anyone have more info on this? --Lurlock 21:19, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

You are right. 'A Day in the Life' is based on 'Polymorphia' for 48 strings by Penderecki, which was published in 1961. But the chord in 'Polymorphia' is in C-major. The authors of the Beatles-project should mention it. Excuse my bad English. Best wishes -- Gudrun Meyer 10:25, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

Super-High Note

Is there by chance any way to edit this out of the song? I can hear it, and every time I come to that part, I have to turn the volume way down or skip to the next song because it kills my ears. I'm fine with doing that, but if there is some way of editing that out it would be nice.

There's lots of ways to do that. But then, why would you want to? That's like putting black bars on the nudity on famous paintings. By changing it, you change the entire artistic intent of the song. -- 12.116.162.162 19:48, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Is it really true most humans can't hear that? That's really hard for me to believe since it's so damn loud.--71.236.97.221 07:40, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

The American CD release supposedly omits the noise and the repeating chatter at the end. I think I have both versions of the album because one has the noises while the other ends after the chord fadeout. – Zone46 16:57, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Missing Comment

This sentence needs cleaning up: "Perhaps it would have remained in any event; Martin later made a cryptic mention that editing it out would have been unfeasible." Anyone know what the comment was and/or have a link to it? Wwwhhh 13:56, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Concert at Albert Hall Reference

It should be noted that the line "Now they know how many holes it take to fill the Albert hall" refers to a concert the Beatles played at the Royal Albert Hall. The meaning of the line is to suggest that many of the Beatle's fans were empty "holes" who screamed and shouted too loud to actually hear the music, and without information about the Albert Hall concert, the meaning is lost. --I Am The Walrus 02:49, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

What's the source of that info? The article already says, and I've read it elsewhere, that John couldn't think of the verb ("fill") for that line and it was suggested to him by someone else. If that's true, it calls into question the connection with the concert and fans being the holes. John Cardinal 14:32, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Every account I've read says the same thing: Lennon read something about work being done at Albert Hall and the "how many holes" bit is Lennon punning. Freshacconci 18:39, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

No, It's actually based on Lennon's reading about Pothole filling in Blackburn. The Albert Hall thing was, like previously mentioned, a line recommended to him.

This is the very first time I've ever heard that assertion, and I'm extraordinarily well-read on Beatles lore and facts. The Beatles only played the Royal Albert Hall twice, 18 April and 15 September 1963. I can't think of ever seeing a mention of a tie-in to any concert in any of the biographies or Anthology. Donnymo

Drumming

I think somewhere should mention Ringo Starr's excellent drumming on this song. One of his best, IMO, along with Tomorrow Never Knows and Strawberry Fields. --58.165.94.71 11:24, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps a drummer could add something as long as it's WP:NPOV and not fanspeak. I agree Starr is a great and often underrated (misunderstood) drummer, but we don't want to resort to "It's amazing the way he..." type language. I'm not a musician so I don't want to touch it from a technical point of view. Maybe some references to professional drummers (Phil Collins, Max Weinberg, Dave Grohl) who highly rate Starr as a drummer and innovator and count him as a main influence. Freshacconci 18:37, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

Opening paragraph

Is it only to me that the last line of the opening paragraph appears somewhat pretentious? "...the song is considered to be one of the most ambitious, influential, and groundbreaking works in music history." First of all, considered by whom? And I mean, sure, it's a great song, but it's not the Eroica or anything.Lbark 04:19, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Drug references/date inconsistency

"The song became notorious for its supposedly numerous references to drugs — on June 1, 1967 (two days before the Sgt. Pepper LP was released) the BBC announced it was banning "A Day in the Life" from British stations due to the "I'd love to turn you on" line, which according to them, implicitly advocated drug use." Wasn't the album released on June 1, 1967? – Zone46 16:54, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Yes, and it is correct in the infobox and the album's page. I will correct this. --Jd204 23:25, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

is it legal

to put the song here? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.138.106.143 (talk) 16:36, 19 November 2007 (UTC)