The Beatles 'Revolver' turns 50

The Beatles seventh studio album 'Revolver' has turned 50 years old.

'Revolver' was recorded between 6 April and 21 June 1966 and released on 5 August 1966. The album featured 14 tracks and clocked in at 34 minutes and 43 seconds.

'Revolver' contained only one Beatles double A-side single 'Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby".

'Revolver' was a significant benchmark in the history of The Beatles. It was the final album in their touring cycle. On August 29, 1966, The Beatles played their last concert ever at Candlestick Park, San Francisco. (There only public appearance after was the performance on the rooftop of Apple on January 30, 1969, filmed for the Let it Be movie).

Despite having a new album in that last live month The Beatles never performed any of the songs from 'Revolver' live.

When I asked George Harrison about The Beatles retiring early from live performances he said, "I was disappointed retrospectively. I was disappointed that we got so famous, because as musicians, we were a really good band in the early days. And the more fame that we got, the more the audience screamed and the more that we did just 20 or 30 minute shows of our latest singles. The musicianship kind of went out the window. And when I hang out with somebody like Eric Clapton, who, on the other hand never stopped touring and never got into that situation, he always just changed bands, he really became so fluent on his instrument. You know, we pigeonholed ourselves by the mania that was going on and the inability to perform for longer periods at a time, because of the way it was.

After 'Revolver' when the band stopped touring they released their most creative works with 'Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, 'The Beatles' and 'Abbey Road'. George told me, "If we'd have kept touring, we might not have gone into the studio to do those kind of intricate works. But the last tour we did, I remember trying to do "Paperback Writer", which had a kind of double-tracked vocal and all that stuff, and it was a bit embarrassing at the time. I remember, "This isn't making it. This doesn't sound very good." So I don't know, but the Beatle tours were something else. You would have had to have been there to know how ridiculous it was. There was no way we could have continued under those circumstances".

'Revolver' marked one door closing and another opening for The Beatles. 'Revolver' captured the 'Metamorphosis of The Beatles.

Revolver track list

Taxman
Eleanor Rigby
I'm Only Sleeping
Love You To
Here, There And Everywhere
Yellow Submarine
She Said She Said
Good Day Sunshine
And Your Bird Can Sing
For No One
Doctor Robert
I Want To Tell You
Got To Get You Into My Life
Tomorrow Never Knows

http://www.thebeatles.com/album/revolver

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