The Chaotic Recording History of Helter Skelter

Helter Skelter is one of the most controversial and polarizing Beatles songs. But whether you love it or hate it, you might not realize it contains a whole assortment of wild and unexpected anomalies.

In this episode, we'll breakdown the fascinating recording history of Paul McCartney's wildest contribution to 1968's White Album. We'll also explore a mystery that fans have debated for years: who is really playing bass, John Lennon or Paul McCartney?

As a fair warning: you can't unhear this.

-------
Join as a YCUT Fan + Supporter to get access to fun perks:

Questions / Comments / Ideas:

Sources:
- The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn
- The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 4: The Beatles through Yellow Submarine (1968 - early 1969) by Jerry Hammack and Gillian G Gaar
- Recording the Beatles by Kevin Ryan & Brian Kehew

Image Credits: Linda McCartney

Special thanks to @DLD2Music for providing isolated tracks, and to Ken Womack and Eli Rosen for historical insights.

Eli Rosen
Jeremy Ribakove
Kheng Lai Tan
Danny van Leeuwen
YouStainedMe

----------

#TheBeatles #YCUT #Music

[YouCantUnhearThis]

*New episode!* 🎧 It's the longest YCUT yet - there's just so much to discuss about Helter Skelter. What do you think about the bass debate? Let me know what you think in the comments! 🎸😎

[daBEAGLE]

I always found it chilling how they switched from the heavy Helter Skelter into the quiet Long Long Long on the album.

[MarsHottentot]

Favorite Beatles song; as a kid in the early 70s, my mother played the White Album frequently and "Helter Skelter" always got my little brother and I bouncing off the walls!!

[TonyBurke]

I'm 70 and it's such a buzz to hear the music that got me through my teens is still being played. I love the Beatles and will continue to do so until they nail the lid onto my coffin. Even nowadays in 2024 they are still revered and respected.

[areareare]

This guy would have a field day with "You know my name".

[KealohaHarrison]

This is one of my favorite songs ever not to mention one of my favorite Beatles songs ever. I was so amazed when I found out some of those weird noises were actually from a saxophone mouthpiece. I hope they release the 27 minute first take some day!

[cesarmadero]

I'm proud to sing the watered hidden lyrics "It's the Helter Skelter" right since I listened to it in the 2009 remastered versions.

[tdunph]

Before the age of 13, whenever I heard this song i was scared shitless. This song, as with Rev#9, gave me the willies as a kid.

[o.b.v.i.u.s]

great forensic work... as a lifelong professional bassist and beatles nut (who is old enough to have bought all the albums when they were first released), i concur with your assessment... thanks for this! really impressive!

[Alcatrazer]

Couldn't someone just ask Paul McCartney himself whether he or John was the one playing bass on the final Helter Skelter track?

[elirosen]

Congratulations on getting this cranked out! It was a pleasure assisting in this process of researching for this video! Like many of these Beatles mysteries, it's uncertain that we may ever solve this one definitively. But the one positive I do take away from Helter Skelter is that it's the one track off the White Album where it's evident they put their differences aside, and let themselves have fun together as a group again.

[josephcooter]

I can remember listening to this song on a tape recorder in my room back when I was in High School and my mother freaking out when she walked into my room and heard the song.

[brewstergallery]

Ned from Spain here. Helter Skelter is such a monster, it blew me away when my folks bought it for me about 50 odd years ago. The White Album totally changed my perception of them and how hard, raw and wild they could play. I wish you could have talked about the trash guitar noise ( John I assume ) and high twiddling ( George ) that fade in and out at 3:00 and 3:06 respectively. John's guitar is so nasty and white noise it sounds like an amplified toilet flushing. Properly tuned though...Great work and thanks for the video.

[sampoernaquatrain]

Awesome episode! Not only did you convince me that it's Paul playing bass, but the isolated parts showed me that what I heard for decades as John singing "...is my baby sleeping" is actually Paul singing "Oh the Helter Skelter!" Mind blown.

[VolodyaVolodenka]

21:22 Bass VI, with its three pickups, is capable of both those tones and more

[ValueNetwork]

Oh HELL YEAH I was waiting for you to make a video on my favourite Beatles song. This is the band at their most experimental and they want you to know it. The song is Paul challenging himself to craft a new take on rock music by harnessing the bands iconic bedlam, and he succeeded. A helter skelter is a fairground ride, and this is the Beatles showing you the playground.

[wilberforce]

Differences in bass tone can also be attributed to amp/mic setup (in addition to playing style and mix).

[andyhinds]

This is so informative! For years, I thought that used his Rickenbacker from 1966 onwards, but this has been a fantastic insight into what went on in those recording sessions. I have two jazz basses and they sound amazing. If only I could afford a Rickenbacker. Paul had the greatest, grungiest tone at that time.

[howardmaryon]

“Fanny Cradock”. Was a very popular TV chef on British TV in the ‘60’s. Teamed with her husband Johnny, they were the ones who pioneered cooking as entertainment. Fanny was very dramatic and let Johnny just recommend the wine to go with the dish of the day. They suddenly disappeared from TV after a fire on their yacht left Johnny badly burned.

[Ash]

20:08 The Helter Skelter photo is from Clacton on Sea pier.