Blue Jay Way

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Blue Jay Way is a song on The Beatles' 1967 album Magical Mystery Tour. It was written by George Harrison.

Contents

[edit] Writing

The song was written on August 1, 1967, while George was waiting for Beatles publicist Derek Taylor to arrive at a house Harrison was renting in the Hollywood Hills. Taylor had become lost in fog in the Los Angeles canyons. Harrison was visiting California with his wife Pattie, Neil Aspinall, and Alexis Mardas (AKA Magic Alex). While he was waiting for Taylor, he composed this song on a Hammond organ inside the house. George recalled, "Derek Taylor got held up. He rang to say he'd be late. I told him on the phone that the house was in Blue Jay Way. And he said he could find it OK... he could always ask a cop. So I waited and waited. I felt really knackered with the flight, but I didn't want to go to sleep until he came. There was a fog and it got later and later. To keep myself awake, just as a joke to pass the time while I waited, I wrote a song about waiting for him in Blue Jay Way. There was a little Hammond organ in the corner of this house which I hadn't noticed until then... so I messed around on it and the song came." Some fans misinterpreted te lyric "Please Don't Be Long" as "Please Don't Belong," telling them to drop out of society.

[edit] Recording

The song was first recorded September 6, 1967, when the basic track was recorded in one take. A technique used extensively on this recording was ADT, or artificial double-tracking, invented by Abbey Road engineer Ken Townshend in 1966. This effect involved playing a part once, and then copying the part, playing it slightly slower and synching it to the original key. This gives the song it's phasing effect. The vocals, both forward and backwards, were recorded on the evening of September 7. The final overdubs - cello and tambourine - were recorded on October 6, 1967.

[edit] Recording Sessions


[edit] In the film Magical Mystery Tour

In the film Magical Mystery Tour, George 'performs' this song while sitting down on a keyboard drawn on the floor. In this sequence, different prisms were used to create multiple images of Harrison.

[edit] LOVE Mix

An instrumental remix of the song was included right after Something and right before Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite on the 2006 album LOVE. It includes parts of the vocal overdubs from Nowhere Man, Revolution 9 noises, tape loops from Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite, and gasping vocals from the intro of Hey Bulldog. It has also been suggested that noises from Carnival Of Light were included on the left speaker during the first half of the chorus, but noone can know for sure.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] The Beatles

[edit] Guest Musicians

  • Cello: Unknown

[edit] Production

[edit] Available Versions

[edit] Available On

[edit] Cover Versions

  • Beatlejazz on their 2001 album Another Bite of the Apple
  • Dan Bern on his 1998 album Smartie Mine
  • Tracy Bonham on her 2006 EP In The City + In The Woods
  • Borbetomagnus on their 1990 album Buncha Hair That Long.
  • Buddha Pest
  • Rodney Graham on his 2000 album What Is Happy, Baby?
  • Greg Hawkes
  • Mark Johnson
  • Colin Newman, on his 1982 album Not To.
  • Pickwick (Live Only)
  • The Secret Machines in the 2007 movie Across the Universe
  • Siouxsie and the Banshees on their 2003 live album Seven Year Itch

[edit] Sources

Retrieved from "http://www.beatleswiki.org/wiki/Blue_Jay_Way"
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