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Encyclopedia > Strawberry Fields Forever
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
"Strawberry Fields Forever" cover
Single by The Beatles
A-side "Penny Lane"
Released February 13, 1967 (UK)
February 17, 1967 (US)
Format 7"
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
November–December 1966
Genre Psychedelic rock, acid rock
Length 4:10
Label Parlophone (UK)
Capitol (U.S.)
Writer Lennon/McCartney
Producer George Martin
The Beatles singles chronology
"Eleanor Rigby" / "Yellow Submarine"
(1966)
"Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane"
(1967)
"All You Need Is Love"
(1967)
Music sample
" Strawberry Fields Forever"
Problems? See media help.
Magical Mystery Tour track listing
"Hello, Goodbye"
(7)
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
(8)
"Penny Lane"
(9)

"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song recorded at the end of 1966 by The Beatles, and released at the beginning of 1967. Widely considered to be one of the group's best recordings, it is also one of the defining works of the psychedelic rock genre. Although conventionally credited to both John Lennon and Paul McCartney (see Lennon/McCartney), "Strawberry Fields Forever" is known to have been composed chiefly by Lennon, except for McCartney's introduction. It has been covered numerous times. Image File history File links Pennystrawps. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... Music sample Penny Lane ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... A 12-inch record (left), a 7-inch record (right), and a CD (above) Two 7 singles (left), two colored 7 singles (middle), and two 7 singles with large spindle holes (right). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. ... Acid rock is a form of psychedelic music and was the first form of it to achieve popular acclaim. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Parlophone is a record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at the... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... The songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, usually referred to as Lennon/McCartney (sometimes McCartney/Lennon), is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations of all time. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... For other uses, see George Martin (disambiguation). ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... For the novel by Douglas Coupland, see Eleanor Rigby (novel). ... Music sample Yellow Submarine Problems? See media help. ... Music sample Penny Lane ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... Music sample All You Need Is Love ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... Image File history File links Strawberryfields. ... “Magical Mystery Tour” redirects here. ... ... Music sample Penny Lane ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ... The songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, usually referred to as Lennon/McCartney (sometimes McCartney/Lennon), is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations of all time. ...

Contents

Release

The single was released on 13 February 1967, in Britain, and subsequently on 17 February 1967, in the United States, as one side of a double A-side single, paired with the McCartney composition "Penny Lane". When manager Brian Epstein pressed producer George Martin for a new Beatles single, Martin told Epstein that the group had recorded what were, in his opinion, their two finest songs to date ("Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane"). Epstein suggested that Martin issue the songs as a double A-sided single, as they had done with their previous single, "Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby". Following UK protocol in the 1960s not to include songs released as a single within a new album, both songs were ultimately left off Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. George Martin later figured that this was the greatest mistake of his career with the Beatles. is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into B-side. ... Music sample Penny Lane ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... Brian Samuel Epstein (IPA: ) (born in Liverpool, England; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was the manager of The Beatles. ... For other uses, see George Martin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Sgt. ...


The single reached #2 in the UK charts, behind Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me". "Penny Lane" reached #1 in the United States, while "Strawberry Fields Forever" peaked at #8. The fact that the single only reached number 2 in the UK charts has always been seen as a failure. The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ...


In the U.S., both songs were included on the LP Magical Mystery Tour, which was released as a six-track double-EP in the UK. The LP format is now the official version in the Beatles' discography. This song also appears on the John Lennon Imagine soundtrack. Magical Mystery Tour is an album by British rock band The Beatles, first released in late November 1967. ...


Composition

Lennon began writing the song in late 1966, while in Almería, Spain filming Richard Lester's How I Won the War. Lennon's "Strawberry Fields Forever" and McCartney's "Penny Lane" shared the theme of nostalgia for their childhood in Liverpool, and both referred to actual locations there, but they also had strong surrealistic and psychedelic overtones. “Almeria” redirects here. ... Richard Lester (born January 19, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a UK based film director famous for his work with The Beatles. ... How I Won the War is a 1967 film directed by Richard Lester. ... One may feel nostalgic for the familiar routine of school, conveniently forgetting the painful experiences such as bullying. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ...

Strawberry Field now attracts a large amount of tourists
Strawberry Field now attracts a large amount of tourists

Strawberry Field was the name of a Salvation Army Children's Home just around the corner from Lennon's boyhood home in Woolton. Lennon and his childhood friends Pete Shotton and Ivan Vaughan used to play in the trees behind the home. One of Lennon's childhood treats was the garden party held each summer on the grounds of Strawberry Field. Lennon's Aunt Mimi recalled: "As soon as we could hear the Salvation Army band starting, John would jump up and down shouting, 'Mimi, come on. We're going to be late.'"[1] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 583 pixelsFull resolution (1572 × 1146 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 583 pixelsFull resolution (1572 × 1146 pixel, file size: 1. ... Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army orphanage in Woolton, England, founded in 1936. ... Shield of The Salvation Army The Salvation Army is a non-military evangelical Christian organisation. ... Woolton is a suburban area of South Liverpool, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. ... Boyhood friend of John Lennon of the Beatles, who also attended Dovedale Primary and Quarry Bank schools. ... Boyhood friend of John Lennon, and later schoolmate of Paul McCartney. ...


The period of its composition was one of momentous change and dislocation for Lennon. The Beatles had just retired from touring after one of the most difficult periods of their career, including the infamous "more popular than Jesus" controversy and their disastrous tour of the Philippines. Lennon's marriage was failing, and the psychological wounds of his childhood were causing him renewed pain. He was also using increasing quantities of drugs, especially the powerful hallucinogen LSD. Although there are no obvious references to drugs, the song's style, tone, and oblique stream of consciousness lyrics often are thought to have been influenced by his LSD experiences. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... An assortment of psychoactive drugs A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior. ... The general group of pharmacological agents commonly known as hallucinogens can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. ... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ... In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a literary technique which seeks to portray an individuals point of view by giving the written equivalent of the characters thought processes, either in a loose internal interior monologue, or in connection to his or her sensory reactions to external ocurrences. ...


There exists a rich documentary record of demos and studio takes which reveal the evolution of the song. The earliest demo version of the song has a single verse with no refrain:

No one is on my wavelength, I mean, it's either too high or too low; That is you can't you know tune in but it's all right, I mean it's not too bad.

In later demo versions Lennon altered this verse to make it more obscure, and added a second verse; these became the second and third verses respectively on the released version. The first verse on the released version was written close to the time of the song's recording.


Recording

The song's groundbreaking production and complex arrangement gave clear evidence of the band's near-total mastery of the recording studio and their increasingly avant-garde approach to their music. It featured extensive overdubbing, prominent use of reverse tape effects and tape loops, and extensive audio compression and equalization. In addition to the standard guitar-bass-drums backing, the arrangement also included piano, Mellotron (played by McCartney), trumpets, cellos and some unusual instruments including the swarmandel, an Indian stringed instrument which provided the sitar-like sound at the end of each chorus. A work similar to Marcel Duchamps Fountain Avant garde (written avant-garde) is a French phrase, one of many French phrases used by English speakers. ... Tape loops are loops of prerecorded magnetic tape used to create repetitive, rhythmic musical patterns. ... The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. ... Trumpeter redirects here. ... This article is about the stringed musical instrument. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...


The released version of the song is an edit of two different performances. The band recorded multiple takes of two quite distinct versions of the song. The first version featured relatively basic instrumentation of Mellotron, guitars, bass and drums. For the second version, recorded some weeks later, Lennon opted for a much more complex arrangement (scored by George Martin) that included trumpets and cellos, along with the prominent sound of backwards cymbals during the verses. For other uses, see George Martin (disambiguation). ...


Lennon decided that he liked the first part of Take 7 (the first version) and the ending of Take 26 (the "orchestral" version). He wanted the finished master to combine these sections from the two versions, so he gave producer Martin the task of joining them together.


Martin's and Emerick's problem was that the two versions were played in different keys and tempos (Take 7 in A major and Take 26 in C major). Fortunately for Martin and Emerick, the faster version was also in the higher key. That the two pieces of the song, when joined, have the same tempo and the same key is the result of slowing down the faster and higher-keyed version and speeding up the slower and lower-keyed version to a speed at which both tempo and key matched. (Decreasing the playback speed of a recording has the effect of lowering its key, while increasing a recording's playback speed raises its key.) That the two takes were able to match when tempered in this way and fit together so seamlessly was, according to George Martin, a happy coincidence; when Lennon had first asked Martin to make this edit, the latter observed the two different takes and insisted it would be impossible. There are two edits in the released version: one just after the first verse, before "Let me take you down" (where a superfluous verse was removed); and the second a few seconds later, a more prominent edit between the words "'cause I'm" and "going to" at exactly one minute into the song (where Take 7 blends into Take 26). The pitch-shifting in joining the versions also gave Lennon's lead vocal a slightly other-worldly "swimming" quality. A major is a major scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, and A. Its key signature consists of three sharps. ... C major (often just C or key of C) is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature has no flats/sharps (see below: Diatonic Scales and Keys). ...


The instrument that produced the flute-like sound in the song's introduction was a Mellotron, purchased by Lennon the previous year and brought in to the Abbey Road studio especially for the song. However, it was McCartney who discovered the potential of this new instrument composing the introductory passage and playing the Mellotron during the recording. This innovative British-made electronic keyboard used eight-second tape segments (or samples) of real instruments such as brass, strings (used on take 1 of the song), and flutes (on takes 2 through 7). The Beatles were one of the first rock bands to acquire a Mellotron, and "Strawberry Fields Forever" is believed to be the first use of the instrument on a pop recording. As a result of the Beatles' patronage, the instrument was rapidly taken up by other groups and used on other famous recordings of the psychedelic era by Traffic, The Moody Blues, and The Rolling Stones. â™  This article is about the family of musical instruments. ... The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. ... For psychedelics, see psychedelic drug. ... Traffic was a rock band from Birmingham, England, formed in late 1966 by Steve Winwood with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason. ... The Moody Blues are a British rock band originally from Birmingham, England. ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ...


Contrary to belief of the Paul Is Dead urban legend supporters, Lennon says "cranberry sauce" at the end of the song rather than "I buried Paul", a fact that Lennon himself confirmed in a 1980 Playboy interview. He said that it was a kind of icing on the cake of the weirdness of the song, where anything he might have imagined saying would have been appropriate. On the sessions released in The Beatles Anthology, the words "cranberry sauce" are more clearly heard, especially during the edit piece joined onto the end of take 7. The sound of the rolling drumbeat and high electric guitar drone heard during the final fade in was borrowed by Paul Simon for the introduction and ending fade out of Simon and Garfunkel's August 1967 single "Fakin' It". Paul McCartney Dead: The Great Hoax, a magazine reporting on the rumours concerning McCartney. ... Cranberry sauce is a sauce or relish made out of cranberries. ... For other uses, see Playboy (disambiguation). ... Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ... The duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are American popular musicians known collectively as Simon and Garfunkel. ...


Promotion and reception

The song reached number two on the British charts. The number one single at the time was Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me". (An interesting note is that until February 1969, there was no single definitive singles chart in the UK. The retroactive determination of "British chart history" flows smoothly from NME's 1950s chart through Record Retailer's expanded chart, which began in 1960, into the one compiled by the British Market Research Bureau that is used today. "Strawberry Fields"/"Penny Lane" was ranked as a number one entry on Melody Maker's weekly singles chart.)[2] The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ... UK trade paper for the record industry. ... Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was (until its closure) the worlds oldest weekly music newspaper. ...


The promotional film for the song is now recognized as one of the first and most successful conceptual music videos, featuring reverse film effects, stop motion animation, disconcerting jump cuts from daytime to night-time and (among other things) the Beatles playing and subsequently pouring paint over and smashing an upright piano. It also featured the use of jarring juxtaposition of setting with props - such as a table in the middle of an open field - often seen in more recent 'eccentric' music videos. It was filmed on January 30, 1967 in Knole Park in Sevenoaks, and directed by Peter Goldmann. Goldmann was a friend of Klaus Voormann who recommended the Swedish TV director to the group.[3] The location of the filming is easy to find, as it is on one of the main roads through the park with a recognisable tree. Both videos were selected by New York's MoMA as two of the most influential music videos in the late 1960s; both were originally broadcast in the United States in early 1967 on the variety show Hollywood Palace, with Liberace as host. A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Stop motion is an animation technique which makes things that are static appear to be moving. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Knole House in 1880. ... Sevenoaks is a town in the Sevenoaks district of Kent in South East England and forms part of the London commuter belt. ... Klaus Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German artist, musician, and record producer who was associated with the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg and later designed the cover of their album Revolver. ... This article is about the state. ... General Electric GE90-115B fanblade, on display at MOMA. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. ... Wladziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987), better known by only his last name Liberace (LIB-ber-RAH-chee), was an American entertainer. ...


The song gave its name to the Strawberry Fields memorial in New York City's Central Park, near the site of Lennon's assassination. Flowers and a card left at the Strawberry Fields Memorial in Central Park, NYC The Strawberry Fields memorial is the name given to a garden in New Yorks Central Park, dedicated to the memory of musician John Lennon, and named after one of his songs, Strawberry Fields Forever. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Central Park is a large public, urban park (843 acres, 3. ...


Brian Wilson claimed that "Strawberry Fields Forever" was partially responsible for the collapse of the Beach Boys' legendary unfinished album SMiLE. Wilson first heard the song on his car radio while driving, and was so affected by it that he had to pull over until the song finished. He then remarked to his companion (either wryly or in despair, according to the version of the story) that the Beatles had "got there first" (i.e., to the sound he was trying to achieve with the new album). SMiLE was shelved shortly afterwards. For other persons named Brian Wilson, see Brian Wilson (disambiguation). ... The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band. ... For other uses, see Smile (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Smile (disambiguation). ...


Before playing the song on his radio show in January 2006, BBC Radio 2 DJ Mark Radcliffe said it could be described "without fear of contradiction as the greatest double-A side ever". BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is by far the most popular station in the UK, reaching some 27% of the available audience in 2006[1]. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in... Mark Radcliffe (born 29 June 1958) is an English broadcaster who has worked in various roles for the BBC since the 1980s. ...


According to AcclaimedMusic.net (a site which combines hundreds of musicians' and critics' best-of lists from around the world), "Strawberry Fields Forever" is the Beatles' most critically acclaimed song of all time, ranking at #16 on the All Time Top 3000 Songs.


In 2006, a newly mixed version of the song was included in the album Love. This version builds from an acoustic demo and incorporates elements of "Hello, Goodbye", "Baby You're a Rich Man", "In My Life", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Penny Lane", and "Piggies"[4] Love is a soundtrack compilation album by The Beatles released in November 2006. ... For other uses, see demo. ... ... Magical Mystery Tour track listing Hello, Goodbye (9) Baby, Youre a Rich Man (10) All You Need Is Love (11) Yellow Submarine Songtrack track listing With a Little Help from My Friends (10) Baby, Youre a Rich Man (11) Only a Northern Song (12) Baby Youre a... In My Life is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and first appeared on The Beatles 1965 album Rubber Soul. ... Music sample Sgt. ... Music sample Penny Lane ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... For the animal, see pig. ...


Covers

Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, USA), is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. ... Faithful is Todd Rundgrens seventh album, released in 1976. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... James Sturgess (born 1981) is a British actor. ...

Notes

  1. ^ Davies, The Beatles, 9
  2. ^ http://uproar.fortunecity.com/galaxy/399/extranoones.htm
  3. ^ Lewisohn, The Complete Beatles Chronicle, 242
  4. ^ Love unveils new angle on Beatles. BBC (2006-11-17). Retrieved on 2006-11-17.

For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ...

References

  • Davies, Hunter (1968). The Beatles: The Authorised Biography. Heinemann. 
  • Lewisohn, Mark (1992). The Complete Beatles Chronicle. Harmony Books. 
  • Emerick, Geoff (2006). Here, There, and Everywhere. Gotham Books. 

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Strawberry Fields Forever - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2093 words)
Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army orphanage just around the corner from Lennon's boyhood home in Woolton.
Brian Wilson claimed that 'Strawberry Fields Forever' was partially responsible for the collapse of the Beach Boys' legendary unfinished album 'SMiLE'.
American baseball player Darryl Strawberry was known as a "good hit, no field" kind of player during his career in the 1980s and 1990s, and was also a troubled man off the field.
TheBeatlesWebsite.com (860 words)
Strawberry Field is a large Victorian building with extensive wooded ground surrounding it near John's childhood home.
Strawberry Fields was an orphanage were John use to hang out with the kids especially when they had yard partys.In 1966 the touring thing came to an end which made John deeply analyze and think of the past due to things slowing down.
So with strawberry fields he is saying that this orphanage is a sad sight but yet a fun place for him.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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