The Radical Innovations of the Perfect Beatles Song: Rain

55 years ago this week, The Beatles entered EMI Abbey Road Studios for what would arguably be the most revolutionary week of their recording career. Working closely with their beloved producer George Martin and an eager young EMI engineer named Geoff Emerick, the band developed a slew of innovative new techniques that would forever change their sound and the sound of pop music.

The song "Rain", born out of these sessions and released as the B-side to Paperback Writer in mid-1966, would be the world's first glimpse into the brilliant new ideas and sounds that burst forth on the landmark Revolver album in August 1966.

In this video, we'll dissect the incredible innovations that make Rain - a favorite of many Beatles fans, and for good reason - so special.

As a fair warning, once I point them out, you can't unhear this ;)

Special thanks to the following individuals for sharing insights and materials for this episode:

Dash Cole
Eli Rosen
@DLD2Music

Check out my other videos:

The Hidden F-Bomb in 'Hey Jude'

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Questions / Comments / Ideas:

[YouCantUnhearThis]

NEW EPISODE! What do YOU think about Rain? Should it have been included on Revolver instead of being released as a single?

[BlinDefender]

I was at a Grateful Dead concert in Las Vegas years ago. During the show, a small lighting storm rolled over the stadium dropping a short but intense rain shower.
During the shower, the band transitioned from the song they were playing into a cover of Rain. After the shower passed, they slipped seamlessly back into the original song.
It was excellent, totally spontaneous moment.

[curtisduncanmusic]

I WAS around in '66, and yes, "Rain" sounded completely fresh and revolutionary. I am so glad to have lived through this incredibly creative, innovative period of time.

[andrewcrocker]

Even as a fan, what The Beatles achieved never ceases to amaze me. The stars truly aligned when they met. Anybody who denies the colossal effect they had on popular music and society clearly doesn't understand what they did. Analogue equipment and just 4 track to boot. Rain has always been massively underrated and is a work of absolute genius.

[sgvincent]

I’m 66 and every Beatles song that came out added to the soundtrack of my coming of age. “Rain” is one of those standouts, an absolute masterpiece. I don’t think it’s too dramatic to say that my jaw probably hung open in amazement whenever the Beatles released new music.

[ronlemons]

I grew up with The Beatles. I'm a 70+ year old musician. The Beatles are the absolute best ever. Thank you John, Paul, George and Ringo.

[soulagent]

To me "Rain" is the whole Revolver album compressed into one song.

[jegog.]

In 1966, when this song was released, I was 10 years old. My brother, 5 years older, had bought the single, and Rain captivated me. I played it over and over, and sang along. Several weeks later, I was away at summer camp. I loved to sing and I loved musical theater, so I decided to try out for the camp production of "Oliver!". I had a beautiful boy soprano voice and decided to sing "Rain" for my audition a cappela. I thought I nailed it but I remember getting a great many odd looks as apparently nobody else knew the song and they didn't know what to make of the song, or me. I didn't get cast, but it is one of my proudest memories.

[gavinspencer]

I really dont think one could describe this track as "tragically overlooked". To Beatles fans, it's a masterpiece.

[daytripper]

Well for someone who was there in 66 I will tell you my story. I lived in Redondo Beach California and went to a little elementary school right in the middle of the neighborhood. I was in the fifth grade and already a huge Beatles fan. Had seen them on Sullivan in 64 of February. Our little record store was about 5 to 7 minutes away from the elementary school. The record store used to have a little card that had the top 30 songs and on the back of it it would say these songs are hit bound. And one of them was Paperback writer and Rain single. Back then we had three huge AM radio stations, KHJ, KRLA and KFWB. All three were playing the daylights out of paperback writer and rain. I had called the record store and he told me the release date of the single. At lunch time I left the school grounds went to the record store and bought a copy of paperback writer and Rain which I think came to about a buck. I walked from the record store to my grandparents house which was a block away from the school. Mind you I had 30 minutes to do all this so I had to haul ass. The record store was 5 minutes away from the school but I still had to run to the record store then run to my grandparents house play paperback writer five times play rain five times run back to school. As soon as I stepped on the school grounds the bell rang so I just made it. To go back a little bit at my grandparents house playing that song on my grandfather's stereo the first thing that I noticed immediately was the bass. It sounded so different from hearing it on my transistor radio. I remember the rumor that was going around back then that somebody I think at EMI or possibly Capital records was worried about the bass sound thinking that the needle would skip on the record player. Damn near did. I remember that day clear as day. It's funny, I can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago but I can sure as hell remember what happened over 50 years ago thanks to music and the Beatles. I wish I could go back to that June day in 1966.

[davidharvey]

I bought Paperback Writer/Rain on the first day of release in 1966.

My father worked at EMI Ltd, Hayes, and one of the the benefits of working for this great organization was that the staff got a discount on the records and audio equipment that they produced.

During the 1960s, I would meet my father after he had finished work at EMI and we'd go to the Staff Sales record section and I'd look through the huge selection of records that EMI produced. Its true to say that I spent a great deal of my money at EMI Staff Sales.

For some reason which I cannot remember, I didn't go to EMI to buy The Beatles new single, Paperback Writer/Rain, my father bought it on my behalf and brought it home for me.
We had a Marconi-phone radio-gram (another EMI product) back in the sixties and after I had played the A side, Paperback Writer, I turned the record over to hear the B side,

Rain hit me like an express train coming out of a tunnel, this was something quite different to what had come before. I played Rain repeatedly much to my parents displeasure!

It still rates as one of my favorite Beatle songs, its not the lyrics that set it apart, its the sound, the overall sound that hits you!!

Thank God its not just me that appreciated this great B side all those years ago!

It must be difficult to appreciate The Beatles for anyone born after 1970, if you were growing up in the 1960s you were living through a period of immense cultural change and every new Beatles record meant more change, and the changes effected so much, it was much more than the music, it was about fashion, politics, religion, sex, literature, theatre and travel.

The changes were huge and we still feel those changes to this day.

[nathaneast]

Thank you for making this video. Rain has always been one of my favourite Beatles songs, capturing a transcendent, otherworldly feel that is redolent of most of the Revolver album (even though it didn't appear on it). It's my favourite track on the Past Masters singles compilation.
Revolver, not Sgt Pepper, is the gateway drug. It's the signpost to a new kind of sound and a new kind of consciousness. The Beatles are not just of a time and a place; their sound and their innovations belong to all of mankind, for all time.

[GeneJenkins]

I was 9 years old in 1966 and I clearly recall this song and Paperback Writer being released. They were inching the new sounds along a little at a time but the innovations were clearly noticed and a side note...I recall being at a swimming pool that summer when a storm came through. They made everyone get out of the pool and some person in tune with the situation selected Rain on the juke box. There suddenly was John Lennon singing along to a downpour through the loudspeakers at the pool. It was a moment I’ll never forget and exemplary of how the Beatles fit into life and touched the moments that would forever remind us of those times.

[themusicaljunkie]

OMG. "Rain" is one of my top favorite songs of all time. Every insturment fits so perfectly. The dreamy noisy guitar, the marching yet complex drums, the bouncy bass lines while John's melodious voice and the harmonies behind him swim in the middle of all the swirling sounds.

During every long drive, i blast it through my car speakers, singing along, air drumming, air guitar playing, air bass playing. It does feel like a drug trip. It's a timeless psych-pop jam at it's finest.

[MrUnderdog-vnzf]

Paul's bass work took these Beatle's songs to a whole other level of grooviness!!

[gregkindvall]

One of my favorite Beatles tunes. It shows how far ahead of time they were. No one had ever heard anything like this before. Each instrument and the vocals are brilliant. Such a masterpiece!

[nicholassands]

I always thought of myself as a Beatles historian and certainly I am one, however I have to tell you that your commentary on Rain was one of the most thoughtful, incisive, insightful and wonderfully well written commentaries on any Beatles song that I have ever heard. I have never posted a comment of any kind on YouTube, but I could not resist posting this comment to you as it is so extremely well deserved. Kudos to you and please keep up the great work! Rain has always been one of the most fascinating and awe-inspiring Beatles songs to me... All the best, Nicholas Sands

[rome]

Man, that bass line is genius. It plays so well rhythmically and melodically off of everything else going on. You could make an hour long video just analyzing what Paul is doing and why it works.

[horset]

I get Rain stuck in my head every time it rains in my area!

[ranchjp]

In 66 I was 17, and in a band in Chicago. This was one we could never do live LOL. We did Stones, Monkees, Paul Revere, etc and some "simple" Beatles tunes. Interestingly I liken many Beatles compositions like architectural creations of Frank Lloyd Wright - they are timeless