A Day In The Life - The Truth At Last!

Here you go...Found this.

A Day In The Life

0:36
The middle note (the �D�) of the three descending notes after John�s "aaah" is played a little early and quiet, with a backbeat feel that doesn�t match the rest of the playing.

1:43
Switch click as the orchestra comes in, orchestra�s volume suddenly doubles at this point (right channel). Maybe this is the introduction of one of the additional tracks of orchestra used to thicken the sound.

1:44-2:16, 3:50-4:19
Mal Evans is heard counting the bars from 1 to 24; only about the first dozen are audible, starting at about three to 12 (left channel). 1:53 "9" and 1:55 "10" stick out quite well, as do 3:51 "4" 3:52 "5" 3:53 "6".

2:17
Right channel � sudden intake of breath.

2:18 Listen!
An alarm clock sounds to mark the end of the first 24 bar orchestral section. At this point in the recording, there was a gap 24 bars long, with no orchestra. It was undecided what would go there, the orchestra was added in later.

2:18-2:20
A strange ticking noise, like a rotary-dial phone returning to its rest position. It could be a �tick� sound through a heavy delay setting. Then someone says "One" to mark the downbeat (it�s easy to lose the correct rhythm without this). Quieter, but just audible on the CD is the trailing "two three four" (right channel).

2:40
Strange effect on the "t" of "flat", it�s really over-pronounced, like "fla-tuh".

2:42-2:48
Just before and after the words "had a smoke", Lennon starts talking and carrying on, most audibly a loud "hoooo" under the word "smoke" (right channel).

2:58
(Left channel) Sounds like a cough.

3:02-3:12
Paul can be heard doing a faint falsetto "ooo" harmony above John�s more prominent "aah�s".

4:49-4:52 Listen!
A chair squeaking (four creaks total, the last three being most audible). This is probably one of the piano stools.

Also wrongly reported as a nose sniffle, paper rustling, someone saying "Shh!", the sustain pedal being released on the piano ...

4:52-end
I�ve failed to verify reports I occasionally get of the sound of an air conditioning fan in this area of the track. I�ve also seen reference to it in Lewisohn�s "Recording Sessions", but I can�t find it to verify for myself.

Rumour has it that the alarm clock at 2:18 was timed to go off after 24 bars to mark where the downbeat is. Common sense should tell you that this is nonsense. You cannot set an old, mechanical style alarm clock to go off with anything like that level of accuracy.

The more likely explanation is that the alarm was "let off", that is deliberately triggered by hand at that moment. Lewisohn states this was a mechanism to mark the end of the passage. Many people disbelieve this, as the musicians should be capable of following along for 24 bars. However odd Lewisohn�s comment seems, it may well be true. I�ve had justifications of why the count of bars (on its own) is insufficient to cue the orchestra.

JustToJess@aol.com writes

I've spent my entire life since I was three in musical theatre, and I can assure you that many people do need to "wake up" after 24 bars of music. Not that they have poor concentration, or that they would have missed the cue, but after rehearsing this song over and over and over again, and after countless takes, it is VERY reasonable to assume that the alarm clock (most likely hit from the piano �) got them back into the music, and started that "umph" that they needed to maintain the same quality of � atmosphere? Charisma? I don't know the right word, but just that little bit of enthusiasm and excitement by the performers that gives the song that special something. I know that many a director I have worked with has done something like this during long, tedious rehearsals.

Yes, certainly the alarm fits in with the "Woke up, fell out of bed..." line. I don�t think that was intentional � it is widely written that fitting with the lyrics was only coincidental, and the alarm clock�s purpose was originally as a marker. Nothing more. A happy accident that was capitalised on, as the Beatles often did.

Even given this, I still received reports on this alarm clock entry, perpetuating the idea that the alarm was set and timed to go off after 24 bars. Please feel free to try it with any wind up alarm clock of your choice, if you can do it, I�d like to hear about it.

I think the reason for this long running misconception is this :-

There is a very subtle distinction between "setting an alarm clock to go off" and "setting an alarm clock off". In telling of this story, one phrase has turned into the other. The former implies an interval passing between doing something with the clock, and having it sound 24 bars later. The latter implies direct interference with the clock to make it sound now. The latter is the only reasonable explanation.

Probably won't make any diference though. lol