The Beatles’ Producer Said 1 ‘Revolver’ Song Showed They ‘Turned Their Back on the Past’
Some classic rock songs changed everything for the bands that made them. The producer of several Fab Four albums said a song from The Beatles’ Revolver was a sea change in the band’s career. Sadly, the song did not make as much of an impact on the public as it could have.
A producer said a song from The Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ proved the band was ‘relentless’
Giles Martin is the son of George Martin, who produced all of The Beatles’ albums. Giles made a name for himself producing the 50th anniversary rereleases of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Abbey Road. During a 2022 interview with USA Today, he discussed Revolver: Special Edition. He said the album’s song “Tomorrow Never Knows” was a turning point for the Fab Four.
“Just the way the drums open the song, you can sense they turned their back on the past in a way,” Martin said. “The Beatles were relentless in their creativity.” After releasing “Tomorrow Never Knows,” The Beatles delved more and more into psychedelic and experimental music.
“They were punching through the walls of Abbey Road [Studios],” Martin said. “They made a conscious decision to take off the Beatles suits and not have the haircuts and become individuals.”
Giles Martin discussed how the world reacted to ‘Revolver’
Martin was very appreciative of Revolver. “It’s a cherished record and it’s been embraced by people in a good way,” Martin opined. “My question is always, ‘Why are we doing this?’ The purpose is to find the thing where you go, ‘I love this record, but how about actually hearing it?'”
Martin was happy to work as a producer on Revolver: Special Edition. “One of the thrills I get when doing this is for people to experience the same thing I experience,” he said. “Going through the cobwebs and finding the gold — that’s what I want to transfer to other people.”
How The Beatles’ ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ performed on the pop charts
Revolver was a massive hit for The Beatles. The record topped the Billboard 200 for six weeks, staying on the chart for 94 in total. Sadly, “Tomorrow Never Knows” was never a single in the United States, so it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. It later appeared on a compilation record called Tomorrow Never Knows, which peaked at No. 24 and remained on the chart for two weeks. Tomorrow Never Knows featured a selection of the band’s most striking psychedelic and hard-rock tunes.
According to The Official Charts Company, Revolver charted multiple times in the United Kingdom. In the 1960s, the record was No. 1 for seven of its 34 weeks on the chart. In the 1980s, Revolver reached No. 2 and stayed on the chart for 33 weeks.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” didn’t chart in the U.K. either. Meanwhile, the album Tomorrow Never Knows hit No. 44 for a single week.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” wasn’t a big hit but it was an important part of The Beatles’ musical evolution.
