Back In The U.S.S.R. - Music

Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Back in the U.S.S.R.

The-Beatles - Love

"Back In The U.S.S.R." Is A Song Written By Paul McCartney Credited To Lennon/McCartney And Recorded By The Beatles For Their 1968 Album The Beatles. Released Three Months After The Warsaw Pact's Invasion Of Czechoslovakia The Beatles' Sympathetic Portrayal Of The USSR Prompted Condemnation In The West From Both The New Left And The Political Right. Background & Inspiration McCartney Began Writing The Song As "I'm Backing The UK" Inspired By The "I'm Backing Britain" Campaign Which Had Gained Wide National Support In January 1968 A Month Before The Beatles Departed For India To Undertake A Course In Transcendental Meditation. According To Author Ian MacDonald McCartney Altered The Title To "I'm Backing The USSR" And Then Drawing On Chuck Berry's 1959 Hit Song "Back In The U.S.A." Arrived At The Song's Eventual Title. Donovan The Scottish Singer-Songwriter Who Joined The Beatles In India Said That "Back In The U.S.S.R." Was One Of The "funny Little Ditties" That McCartney Regularly Played At The Ashram Adding That "of Course Melodious Ballads Just Poured Out Of Him". In A November 1968 Interview For Radio Luxembourg McCartney Said The Song Was Inspired By Berry's "Back In The U.S.A." And Was Written From The Point Of View Of A Russian Spy Returning Home To The USSR After An Extended Mission In The United States. Mike Love Of The Beach Boys Another Student At The Meditation Retreat Recalled McCartney Playing "Back In The U.S.S.R." On Acoustic Guitar Over Breakfast In Rishikesh At Which Point He Suggested To McCartney That The Bridge Section Should Focus On The "girls" In Russia In The Style Of The Beach Boys' "California Girls". In His 1984 Interview With Playboy Magazine McCartney Said He Wrote It As "a Kind Of Beach Boys Parody" Based Around "Back In The U.S.A." He Added I Just Liked The Idea Of Georgia Girls And Talking About Places Like The Ukraine As If They Were California You Know? It Was Also Hands Across The Water Which I'm Still Conscious Of. 'Cause They Like Us Out There In Soviet Russia Even Though The Bosses In The Kremlin May Not. Recording The Sessions For The Beatles Also Known As The "White Album" Were Fraught With Disharmony Among The Band Members. While Rehearsing "Back In The U.S.S.R." On 22 August 1968 Ringo Starr Became Tired Of McCartney's Criticism Of His Drumming On The Song And Of The Bad Atmosphere Generally And Walked Out Intent On Quitting The Group. The Other Beatles Continued With The Session Which Took Place At EMI Studios Now Abbey Road Studios In London. Ken Scott The Band's Recording Engineer Later Recalled That They Created A "composite Drum Track Of Bits And Pieces" In Starr's Absence. Five Takes Were Recorded Of The Basic Track Featuring McCartney On Drums George Harrison On Electric Guitar And John Lennon On Fender Bass VI. Take 5 Was Chosen As "best". During The Overdubbing On The Song On 23 August McCartney And Harrison Also Contributed Bass Parts And Both Also Added Lead Guitar Parts. After These Additions Were Mixed Down To A Single Track McCartney Sang A Lead Vocal Using What He Described As His "Jerry Lee Lewis Voice" And Lennon Harrison And McCartney Added Backing Vocals Including Beach Boys-Style Harmonies Over The Song's Bridges. All Three Musicians Added Handclaps. Other Overdubs Included McCartney's Bass Harrison On Six-String Bass And Lennon Playing A Snare Drum. Harrison Played The Guitar Solo In The Instrumental Break While McCartney Contributed A High-Pitched Single-Note Solo Over The Final Verse. After The Other Beatles Urged Him To Return Starr Rejoined The Group On 4 September To Participate In The Filming Of A Promotional Clip For Their "Hey Jude" Single. During A Break In The Filming Marc Sinden Who Appears In The Film Recalls Lennon Playing A Song On His Acoustic Guitar. "Everyone Went 'Wow' ... Filming Started Before We Could Ask What It Was. When It Was Later Released We Realised It Was Back In The USSR."