Why the Beatles' Producer Really Hated 'I Am the Walrus'
What did it take for The Beatles to make a masterpiece? It depended on the song and situation. With the epic “A Day in the Life,” John Lennon came in with the idea, Paul McCartney contributed his part, and longtime producer George Martin found a way to realize John’s complete vision.
On the classic “Yesterday,” Paul said the music came to him in a dream. From there, he struggled to find the right lyrics but eventually nailed down one of his signature songs. Again, Martin made the song come to life — and, for the first time, without the participation of the other Beatles.
Other brilliant tracks took innovative recording techniques to make the root of John’s ideas blossom. On one occasion, he asked for his voice to sound “like the Dalai Lama on a mountaintop.” After some scrambling and experimentation, another classic went on record.
But when John came to the studio with “I Am the Walrus,” Martin could not see a masterpiece about to be born. Quite the contrary, in fact — he seemed to hate the song and the controversy it might bring.
Source: cheatsheet.com
