Come Together

Recording[edit]

The Beatles taped the basic track for "Come Together" at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in Studio Three on 21 July 1969, during the sessions for Abbey Road. George Martin produced the session, assisted by the balance engineers Geoff Emerick and Phil McDonald.^[14] At McCartney's request, the session marked Emerick's first with the group since July 1968; Emerick had quit working with the group during sessions for their 1968 album, The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"), due to what he found a tense and negative atmosphere.^{[15][note 1]} The session also marked Lennon's first new composition for the band in three months, having last recorded "The Ballad of John and Yoko" on 14 April.^{[14][note 2]}


The group taped eight takes of "Come Together", with take six marked "best".^[14][17] The line-up consisted of Lennon singing lead vocal, McCartney on bass, George Harrison on rhythm guitar and Ringo Starr on drums.^[14][18] Starr placed tea towels over his tom drums to further dampen their sound.^[17] Without needing to use his hands to play guitar, Lennon added handclaps each time he sang "Shoot me!",^[14] also adding tambourine over both the solo and coda.^[18] Taped on 4-track recording equipment,^[18] at the end of the session, take six was copied over to 8-track tape in Studio Two,^[14] allowing for both overdubbing and the easy manipulation of EQ.^[19]