The Abbey Road medley EXPLAINED

The flipside of The Beatles' 1969 album "Abbey Road" features a medley of tracks known as "The Long One". This long one was effectively The Beatles last grand effort in songwriting and recording and is a real jewel of their discography. So today let's look at how this intricate run of tracks was assembled, how the different songs segue and reference each other, and how the Beatles took cues from symyphonic music.

This video was edited by Issac Everett

SOURCES:

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0:00 The Long One
0:38 You Never Give Me Your Money
4:11 Sun King
5:21 Mean Mr Mustard
6:05 Polythene Pam
8:00 She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
9:39 HDpiano
10:11 Golden Slumbers
12:00 Carry That Weight
13:20 The End
16:35 Her Majesty
17:24 George Martin
18:25 Patreon

[majman]

The transition between Polythene Pam to She Came In Through the Bathroom Window is 🔥

[donstalos]

I love how John's solo in "The End" is so recognizably John, as compared with the other two.

[mryumish]

One of your best videos yet, ty. I’m a massive Beatles fan and have always thought the Long One was the peak of their powers. George Martin deserves the shoutout too, as do the engineers and mixers. Brilliant.

[quentinr]

In a world where the news of the day can really get you down, the music of The Beatles provides upliftment and a reminder that, maybe, there is some hope.

[AndrewsVideoEssays-ylpb]

LET’S GOOOO I have been WAITING for this one

[PartTimeBuddhist]

But the real question remains: just how, exactly, did Mr. Mustard keep a ten-bob note up his nose?

[bornon]

1 million subscribers to this channel makes me think there is hope for this world

[martifingers]

I loved this analysis.
There have been other attempts to combine rock and symphonic forms but few have the enduring impact of The Long One. Apart from the melodic creativity of The Beatles, I think this might be because that each section/song retains its rock attitude so to speak ( I am including here the ballad-like sections) ie the emotionality is central to the music. It was possibly George Martin's genius that he was able to mould the material without simply decorating it with orchestral arrangements.
The person who took up this particular torch though is surely Mike Oldfield who in a couple of years would take this in a new direction.

[WastedMotorcycle]

I think an important detail for The End is to mention how similar Ringo's drum solo is to In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida's famous drum solo. This was also Ringo's inspiration to go forward and include a drum solo, something he never did before.

[TheMister]

Huh... you're using some genuine versions this time, rather than recreations / covers. Brave!

[dkimuk]

I always fill up with tears at the end of The End.
I love the sense of fun in this medley though. Trading solos, cheeky lyrics, harmonising, the gorgeous Scouse accents, it was like they'd come full circle and we're back in Cavern mode.
They accomplished so much in so little time - we'll never see their like again.

[dojyaan.]

I love when The Beatles pull out their long one!

[BlueSR]

I only recently got into the Beatles and i was blown away by the abbey road medley. The reprise of You Never Give Me Your Money into The End is so exctatic and Her Majesty is a fantastic little final snippet.

[DesertRat]

Abbey Road is my favorite. You have two of George's best songs ever, a good song written by Ringo, a drum solo by Ringo, and a three-guitar duel by Paul, George, and John. Plus the harmony on "Because". They went out on a high note.

[jamesslick]

Despite hearing the medley THOUSANDS of times in the more than 50 years I've heard it. The dang thing STILL gives me chills. It's a MONUMENT in the history of rock. There are a LOT of great moments in rock, But this medley, Link Wray's "Rumble" "The End" (Doors) and "Maybelline" (Chuck Berry) Still leave in AWE.

[mrlightbulb]

When I first heard Ringo’s solo in “The End” it blew my mind. I was 10 and just discovering the Beatles. I believe that it’s one of the coolest drums solos I’ve ever heard in rock.

[DeKevers]

The whole album feels so chill, no other does it like Abbey Road.

[matthewbartlett]

the horns breaking through with the you never give me your money in carry that weight is one of my favorite synergized moments in any album ever

[pebblefattree]

Even now, after hearing it so many times, the last lines of 'The End' still get me teary-eyed ;(

[elliotwilson-woodrow]

Abbey Road is a perfect album, no skippable songs