After the longest wait yet for the 'official' next album, there was widespread and heightened anticipation of what The Beatles would do to follow 'Sgt. Pepper'. Issued on 22 November 1968, the stark white cover of their ninth UK album signaled they had, once again, overturned all expectations. Called simply 'The Beatles', but forever to be known as 'The White Album', the double-LP may be the most eclectic album ever released. The Beatles seemed determined to write and play in every style imaginable.
The origins of the music are rooted in The Beatles' visit to Rishikesh, India where they studied transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Their trip in March 1968 was a communal experience that reinforced the group's unity. It certainly inspired a prolific phase of songwriting. In May, before sessions began at EMI Studios, The Beatles taped acoustic demo versions of 27 songs at George Harrison's house. They began recording these new compositions at Abbey Road on 30 May and studio work occupied most of their time until the final date on 16 October 1968. "Hey Jude" and "Revolution" were the first songs to be heard from the sessions when they were released as a stand-alone single on 30 August 1968. It is doubtful whether any other artist would have even considered leaving off their album such a monumental hit single.
The juxtaposition of loud and soft is one of the reasons 'The White Album' is so surprising. The raucous rocker "Helter Skelter" precedes the delicate "Long Long Long". The pastoral calm of "Mother Nature's Son" is placed between the fiery "Yer Blues" and the wildness of "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey". As usual, there are many humorous touches - as heard in "The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill," "Rocky Raccoon," "Piggies" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". In 1968, The Beatles changed their approach to recording. As Ringo remembered: "On 'The White Album' we ended up being a band again and that's what I always love.' Conversely, more than ever before, it was not considered necessary for all of The Beatles to play on every song. Only sixteen out of 30 tracks featured the participation of all four. Uncredited, Eric Clapton played lead guitar on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."
It was clear to everyone in 1968 that The Beatles had recorded an album that was in sharp contrast to its predecessor. As George Harrison explained: "We always tried to make things different. There was no chance of a new record ever being like the previous one." The group's remarkable achievement in creating 'The White Album' is that, despite such dazzling diversity within the collection, each track is stamped with the unmistakable sound of The Beatles. — Kevin Howlett