The Beatles' Magical Orchestra: "Tomorrow Never Knows"

Originally titled "Mark I," the trailblazing conclusion to the album REVOLVER eventually got its name from Ringo's endless library of off-the-cuff remarks.
And now, presenting The Magical Orchestra's performance of "Tomorrow Never Knows," featuring Walt Sargent on tampura, semoP ynohtnA on backwards guitar, and five real reel-to-reel tape recorders with tape loops going around and around and...
Kudos to keyboardist Keith Hill who masterfully faded the looped sounds in and out at all the right times.
If you enjoy our not-for-profit Beatles live performances, PLEASE PLEASE help us continue our work by making a tax-deductible donation of any amount. Yes, even $5 makes a difference! Visit us at www.MagicalOrchestra.org
THANK YOU!
Magical Orchestra Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in New York State.
THIS PROJECT IS NOT AFFILIATED OR SPONSORED BY APPLE CORPS LTD., THE BEATLES, OR ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS.
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statue that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
No infringement of copyright is intended in any way under DMCA, under the terms of fair use for education. NO PROFIT is made by us on any material contained herein.

[@pwk22]

If I had a nickel for every time I'd heard a cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows", I'd have .... a nickel.

[@TheMacattack71]

Oasis did it

[@lucyfur3]

😄😄😄

[@johnbunyan9008]

Phil Collins off Face Value,best cover ever.

[@taigalain]

Yukihiro Takahashi too

[@StratsRUs]

The Sandkings did it.

[@robynsegg]

Amazing that a song that was never meant to be played live... is now played live... by damn everyone. Can we just acknowledge how ahead of their time The Beatles were?

[@bitdropout]

The most influential song in pop music? Probably. Everything changed after this.

[@niggato23]

@Rain Tommorow Never Knows is my all-time favorite Beatles song

[@roiangeloangeles729]

Well, it has sense and taste than the modern ones

[@lzasyr]

Rain yeah I like stairway and rhapsody but they are way too overrated

[@kjthekunoichi]

It changed me definitely🌈🌈🌈🌸🌸🌸

[@valentinp.g.hubauer8509]

@Rain Paul may have even had the most influence on this song all the tape loops were his idea.

[@bentorrado4598]

This is, yet today in 2021 a futuristic song. This kind of music will rule in the year 5,000.

[@joe6096]

This proves that even with modern technology this 58 year old song is STILL difficult to pull off live. On the Anthology, which was produced between 1994-95, George Harrison said you could do Tomorrow Never Knows now with all sorts of synthesizers, emulators, and a 100 piece orchestra - but as this shows, you actually DO need old tape machines with the sound effects on tape, not programmed emulators, because the speed, pitch, and fade of each sound effect comes in and goes out live, on the spot, in real time. You can’t really match that on a computer. Even with modern computers.

[@wambam1741]

That makers no sense. According to George Martin they could.reproduce this using 1960''s equipment again.. Using modern computers and today's equipment, not 20th century computers like George Harrison was talking about - he died in 2001- is fairly easy. Any decent computer and engineer or AI could duplicate this quite easily. but why even bother to recreate when they could just play the song itself. Here are a couple of covers that are nearly identical or practically indistinguishable from the original using equpment accessible to anyone. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4akpHapqd2pqZosi=mJW4suitTw875_4y kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJfbg6dvqayUr5Y

[@javiermgtaoism5702]

Lennon's hypnotic songs!!! One of many. Love it.

[@hewgrebe4771]

Javier Mgtaoism this one only had two chords. Lennon knew how to write a good, fast song.

[@alonenjersey]

If it's hypnotic what you want. I highly recommend the original Take 1 done by The Beatles on April 5, 1966. You can find it on the Anthology soundtrack.

[@IsaacWale2004]

Of all the live versions I've heard of this song, this is probably the most impressive.

[@robbf9294]

Lennon and McCartney is our Mozart

[@seattleday9690]

Sounds allright cover version.

[@luchito478]

Pero Paul mccartney quedó completamente fuera de este tema... Más diría que Harrison y lennon son los responsables de esta obra

[@standave57]

You're right. John is awesome in this song and probably George Martin too.

[@carl_anderson9315]

John Lennon: lyrics, guitar and singing. George Harrison: sitar and backwards guitar. Ringo : drum beats Paul McCartney: bass and audio loops.

[@ewest14]

@@luchito478they were Paul’s loops

[@renepascalvanpoorten5669]

When I see this group playing Tomorrow never knows live on stage, it's so clever from the Beatles recording this song in 1966. There was no synthesizer at that time. And recording this song on a four track recordingsystem. And this group who plays it live is very clever too. With the tape loops live on stage. What a great performance. And the singer has almost the same voice as John Lennon. Amazing! Thank you very much. I enjoy this performance very much.

[@Billfartsalot]

WOW! incredible performance of what I always considered an unrepeatable studio creation by the boys and George Martin. Really exciting to listen and watch.

[@BubbaZen10]

+Bill Burakoff It's really good. It made me wonder if they were using the actual tape loops. The "laughing birds sound" (for lack of a better way to describe it) was just right on.

[@hewgrebe4771]

BubbaZen10 I was thinking the exact same thing. From how they started this off with those reel to reel machines turned on, then the musicians adding to the tone of this song. Great work, guys.

[@jimilee4609]

George Martin and Referring to THE BOYS ! Really Got Old!

[@wanderer1955]

@@jimilee4609 Only for you, maybe.

[@lundsweden]

Love the seagulls!

[@alohaohana901]

Lennon's voice is so hard to emulate, but this singer came very close.

[@alohaohana901]

@@cyndimoring9389 Give it a shot and let us be the judge.

[@fitzerelli1]

Lennon's voice was changed in the studio by George Martin for this song

[@alohaohana901]

@@fitzerelli1 Fair enough, but if he used my voice and changed it, I don't think the song would be too good.

[@fredrice4392]

ish

[@dannyvine3605]

@@cyndimoring9389 lol NO Lennon was not high on this song! Lennon's voice was done through a Leslie speaker which played a revolving sound ( intermittent vibrato effect).

[@robertdominguez6002]

Those tape loops sound so rich and full. The best rendition of this song apart from the original. The drumming is on point and the backwards guitar solo is pretty spot-on.

[@BubbaZen10]

+Robert Dominguez No one ever does the drums just right. He did good, but, it's still not quite ... damn man, Ringo just hit something wierd on that one. (AND came up with the name for the song!)

[@robertdominguez6002]

+BubbaZen10 is it just me or does the drummer come in slightly too early

[@BubbaZen10]

Robert Dominguez Yeah, but he comes close man. It's just such a weird little beat. Never heard anyone really nail it. (i tried on keyboard, and failed miserably! but, i came up with a weird version of it)

[@BubbaZen10]

Robert Dominguez It's strange, because it seems like such an easy little beat, but, no one can seem to do it just right. (hell, i wonder if even Ringo himself could have duplicated it!)

[@robertdominguez6002]

+BubbaZen10 I've realized that with every single drum cover

[@pinkmark4047]

I love the cuts to the tape machines whenever the loops kick in.

[@Hotsk]

I would never have thought this would be possible. Bravo! Well done.

[@st.charlesstreet9876]

That was Excellent!! An extremely hard song to duplicate and it was done excellently! Thank You for the post :)

[@wanderer1955]

Bloody marvelous. Gives you an idea of what the Beatles would have to have onstage to reproduce their music "live". Just as well they stopped touring in 1966, because I doubt very much the technology was there to do this music justice.

[@latenightlogic]

The crucial part of this song which elevates it to my all time number one song, is finally included in this live version - including the other tape loops. The haunting, goosebumps inducing organ note that accompnies each verse (except the verse following the interlude in the original - though its mistakenly put in here) I love the way it goes back and forth, up and down as the vocals 'of the beginning' repeat themselves at the end.

[@chipgaasche4933]

I think you're mistaken about that organ, late.

[@aerch1968]

John exploring, reaching his climax. Left us his mind art profound in our brains, like a the painting or sculpture. Thank you John.

[@jordi9698]

All the tape loops were idea of McCartney

[@masterwolf202]

@@jordi9698 A John lo que es de John, a Paul lo que es de Paul. Está canción es autoría completa de John. En cuanto a los aportes ahi son todos los Beatles, incluso George Martin hizo un excelente trabajo.

[@pkoven]

which, by the way, goes to prove that Yoko added nothing to his creativity which already did this in 1966.

[@dannyvine3605]

@@jordi9698 No they were not! Stop this misleading nonsense! The original guitar tape loops were Lennon, and all the Beatles contributed to the other tape loops, along with Geoff Emerick (read his book!) with George Martin supervising!

[@jordi9698]

@@dannyvine3605 are you blind bro?

[@julioaranton461]

Dearest John & George hope you both enjoyed it as much the wonderful memories it brought forth of your incredible talents while on this plane & are having a chuckle wherever you are.🤗🙏⚘

[@carloszarate5431]

Que sorprendente y magnífico cover!!

[@andrewwilliams9599]

Tepid response to a seemingly effortless rendition of "Tomorrow Never Knows" which required hours of preparation (especially the tape loops, since I doubt TMO had access to the original loops the Beatles used) and musicians who have to respond LIVE to prerecorded cues. I thought it was fucking phenomenal.

[@Syd4510]

This is REALLY amazing - Thanks for posting this

[@jedidrummerjake]

There is no other way to say beyond magnificent!

[@jessicacrane9953]

The drums sound the way they do and Ringo freely admits his unique time signatures comes from being a lefty who was forced to write/use his right hand by his parents. He plays drums left handed and his breaks are that of a left handed player forced to be a righty, but playing left handed on a right handed drum kit. This in his own words in a recent interview in which he replys to the popular notion that his playing and time signatures are considered pure genius by other drummers.. If I find it again I will post a link

[@hewgrebe4771]

That, too. How can someone play their instrument backwards? I only know of a few musicians that do, but how can they accomplish that?

[@w.rustylane5650]

@@hewgrebe4771 Backwards masking is usually done on a mellotoron that uses tape segments played on a capstan. John Lennon used a mellotron for all the backward masked notes. He was also a fan of the clavioline which is featured on Baby, You're a Rich Man. If you listen to the song (Beatles version) with headphohnes you'll hear the clavioline coming mostly from the left side of the stereo signal.

[@danielbrownf1]

I play the same way as Ringo and can sound exactly like him if I want to... probably my proudest accomplishment

[@pkoven]

you're exaggerating the influence of his left-handedness. in that interview he said it it was a limitation, not an asset. Ringo himself never said otherwise. and your theory provides no explanation for his signatures in particular, and certainly not his general creative genius in thinking up the particular drum arrangements on so many songs like this, Rain, Ticket to Ride etc. a right-hander could have created those too. But it was Ringo the unique drummer, not Ringo the left-handed drummer, who created all those masterpieces which right-handers can also play once they've heard it. btw, i'm a lefty too.

[@dannyvine3605]

Here's why the drum sounds of TNK sounds as they do - Nothing to do with Ringo being left handed and very hard to replicate live! "I stuffed a woollen jumper inside the drum to deaden the sound. Then we put the sound through Fairchild 660 valve limiters and compressors" (Geoff Emerick).

[@fredmila]

The singer/guitarist reminds me of Jack Black in School of Rock :-)

[@reversefulfillment9189]

The brass section is really digging the vibes.

[@jagco2594]

wow, they should have this longer. great sound.

[@anthoniodegravio3525]

Sure a fine performance of a strange not easy song ! Thanks for posting!

[@beatlespaz]

Ok. That was FREEKIN AWESOME!!!!!!!

[@tto0508]

I love this

[@1988WHISKY]

THIS IS AWESOME, THE BEST COVER I'VE EVER HEARD!!!! AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! PERFECT!!!!!!

[@enjoeymusic]

Even the description of your video is so cool. Thank you so much for uploading this beauty

[@curiousaboutanything2454]

Remember It all happened back in 1966.WOW.😮😮

[@wambam1741]

very nice.

[@dafyddil]

this song is so incredibly powerful... I can't even put it into words

[@jamesgorski7551]

Remarkable.

[@permanentvacation2406]

you guys went all out and it turned out great

[@gujakis4688]

This is actually very, very good interpretation 👍

[@vekesim]

marvellous

[@ashrafosman7845]

I am speechless !

[@pipeandslippersman]

my new favourite band. especially the 1/4 inch machines!

[@carstenhohmann2955]

Goosebumps4JoHN!

[@Alex-bz9mq]

This is f' awesome...!!! 👏👏👏👏👏

[@realromey]

Insane

[@garyjenkins2500]

This song is a classic

[@lukester8472]

The tape loops sound like something from a horror movie 😂😂

[@padgemahaj3167]

But still fucking genius 😂

[@lukester8472]

@@padgemahaj3167 ehhh I could do something better, btw not trying to act cocky

[@padgemahaj3167]

@@lukester8472 right you go make a revolutionary and innovative song and then come back to me

[@misterree1443]

Amazing works people. Amazing

[@eliast8965]

Muito bom! Por ser uma música muito trabalhada!!!!

[@fernagomes]

This is just as awesome as it is bold. Thanks, comrades, you nailed it!

[@Jariel3311]

Thank you, Fernando!

[@scotttaylor7220]

WOW

[@franktaconelli9095]

This is pretty darn cool

[@bobdole7127]

The vocals even sound like they're being fed though a Leslie cabinet. Talk about attention to detail.

[@chipgaasche4933]

Sorry..there's no Leslie on this performance. Which is odd..it's easy enough to do today.

[@3-methylindole730]

But it sounds like it. That's what the comment said. Not that it's actually a Leslie.

[@Artokol]

Здорово, без слов, Молодцы!!!

[@scottlewis8386]

Wonderful

[@vittoriopatricia7919]

Musica dei beatles?un miscuglio di soul bles jez rock.nessun altro complesso al mondo fa musica come I beatles.grandi!

[@davidevans3227]

singer sounds good 🙂 x

[@franklinrwful]

It was interesting to see some of the orchestras reaction to this. Some where impassive and others were seemingly enjoying it.

[@kjthekunoichi]

Fair enuf for a live version of the song for me... I just wanna see how this song would be played live, this song changed my life👍👍🌈🌸anyways, i would say this song kinda actually achieved what John's vision for it, to have the chorus part sounded like monks chanting on the mountains bcuz my sister who heard the song for the 1st time when I was playing it out loud on my phone & she tot it was some monk chanting.. heheh, but this song is by far, one of the most psychedelic, hypnotising & at the same time, still rock song... dope😊😊

[@axelgalan8463]

Is Possible make TNK live... YES!!

[@thefoodtechteacher7642]

Beautiful!

[@lotusflower9025]

awesome!

[@johnallen2771]

Love and God is inside you. It's not some outside entity living in the sky. Look inside yourself and you will find it there.

[@chipgaasche4933]

Preach your beliefs somewhere else, john.

[@KebabMusicLtd]

I always wondered about the reel-to-reel tape loops and whatever happened to them. If you see film of the original recording (of Benefit), the tape loops seemed to be pieced together in a very slap-dash way. You could imagine that once the recording was completed that the original ‘miles’ of tape loop would have simply been tossed away. But considering they represent an important part of the finished recording, a recording that it would never be possible to performed 'live' because of the tape loops, were those original loops actually preserved. Or are the tape loops at the start of this video a simulation of the originals?

[@hewgrebe4771]

On some show about the Beatles, they showed the room, as this song was being recorded with reel to reel machines all over the building and people with a glass on one, a pencil somewhere on another but this could have only been recorded once. The version on the anthology was the only other of this to have been recorded but you still know what song it is. But there were so many tapes being played to give effect. They were going to name Revolver, Everest on the name of cigarettes an engineer smoked. On your talk on “Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite”, those were just one foot pieces of reel to reel tape chopped into one foot bits and they just joined them back together with tape. Both are great songs.

[@aalam5747]

Yess

[@Explodicon]

The singer almost convinced me that he was john lennon

[@spockboy]

Are you kidding? He couldn't even sing in tune.

[@andreasfahlen4936]

Yeah sounds like they picked up a drunk guy from the street.

[@zzzyzzzyzzzyxxx]

Malkovich on drums!

[@edwardmulholland7912]

This is great

[@Johnny_Shears]

THIS IS SO AWSOME!! :'D

[@buddyneher9359]

Very trippy!

[@jamesaron1967]

☮

[@frankpalomacity]

holy shit

[@janebraun4482]

As good as one can do to reproduce.

[@macm3081]

wouldn't it have been great if the beaatles had performed this. singer sounded very much liike john. great stuff

[@camilomorales4785]

Wow

[@johnnylong2023]

on the drums...JC van Damme

[@hughbarton5743]

Gosh.....

[@rickkolpek9850]

Wow--Beatles couldn't pull that off

[@hewgrebe4771]

Sounds great! How many reel to reel players are going? Dang, you guys are great.

[@hohaia01]

Two things. Johns singing and Ringos drumming. They didn't nail it.

[@3-methylindole730]

Pretty close, but no-one besides the Beatles themselves can really NAIL it

[@20thCenturyPox]

Very good. Too fast, but very good.

[@w.rustylane5650]

Where's the clavioline and the mellotron? That's how they got those types of sounds. Backwards masking of notes played on the mellotron. Guess you guys have to record some of the unusual Beatles' sounds as they're hard to duplicate with a full orchestra. However, you all did a good job on this very unusual Beatle song. John Lennon also sang through a Hammond organ Leslie system. That's how they got that weird sound of his voice. You can mike a Leslie system as well by putting a mike in front of the spinning horn on the Leslie system. They usually only put out about 40 watts of power so many groups that sing through a Leslie usually mike them. At least that's how we did it when I played in a band in HS.

[@oscarmanueldelossantoscuel6630]

Con unas 4 cubas encima es mi sueño hacerlo pronto me urge .

[@antoniocadena9911]

Jaime Maussan entre los músicos... Yeah 🤘

[@chrisnewman7281]

All the singer needs to do now is singing into a mike connected to a Leslie speaker rotating for the second part of the song

[@Jariel3311]

Actually, there is a Leslie speaker effect on his voice for the second part. It's not that easy to hear, but it's there! (Try listening with headphones.)

[@dannyvine3605]

Worth reading what Geoff Emerick says about the song. Lennon's voice in TKN is all through a revolving Leslie speaker

[@me-also-youtuber]

orchestra members: John never like

[@555pontifex]

Where did you get the tape loops from?

[@lemonchicken507]

What a fucking tune

[@dickhead5964]

Drums!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@arturobanuelos1]

¿Bajaron del cielo? ¿Los envió Dios?

[@nickypanicci8428]

SILLY

[@foreverpinkf.7603]

Nice copy

[@jetzzaelisautirdoclaveran8004]

festival de la UAS traigan a esta orquesta por favor

[@brainscott8198]

Most of the old white dudes sitting in front of the singer and drummer are like, "WTF is this fucking noise???"..lol

[@dougrigel1997]

Shoulda used a Dilruba for the beginning drone.

[@reidspeed77]

I'm pregnant !

[@OlymPigs2010]

...Essentially...Don't get Annoyed by the Void...cause you'll end up Paranoid...or think you're listening to Pink Floyd!

[@macm3081]

far out man.

[@jamesconnolly9591]

MaGicKal VerSion MaGicKal HappY 80TH BirThdaY RinGo GoddeSS God BleSS Ii WormHolT GeeZer God.....

[@delfinastral]

demasiado mimético...le falta la frescura de lo improvizado

[@adriandominguez2464]

Carla alzar