Back in the U.S.S.R.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Back in the U.S.S.R." | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by the Beatles | ||
| from the album The Beatles | ||
| Released | June 1976 (Single) | |
| Format | vinyl record 7" | |
| Recorded | 28 August 1968 | |
| Genre | Rock and Roll, Rock, Hard Rock | |
| Length | 2:43 | |
| Label | Parlophone (UK) | |
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| the Beatles singles chronology | ||
| "Got To Get You Into My Life" (1976) |
"Back in the USSR" (1976) |
"Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" / "A Day in the Life" (1978) |
| The Beatles track listing | ||
| "Back in the U.S.S.R." (1) |
"Dear Prudence" (2) |
|
"Back in the U.S.S.R." is a song by the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney (John Lennon shares songwriting credits, although Lennon's contributions were reportedly minimal), and which opens the double-disc album The Beatles, commonly referred to as The White Album.
The song describes, in parody, a bad flight from the United States to the Soviet Union ("U.S.S.R." stands for "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics") on board a British BOAC aeroplane; the beauty of Soviet women; the sound of balalaikas ringing; and the fortune of returning to a communist state.
The song is a parody of Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A." and the Beach Boys' "California Girls", and also contains a pun on Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia on My Mind" (McCartney is singing about the Soviet Republic of Georgia, whereas 'Georgia on My Mind' refers to a girl named Georgia). McCartney thought that when he listened to the Beach Boys, it sounded like California, so he decided to write a song that "sounded" like the U.S.S.R.. The title was inspired in part by British Prime Minister Harold Wilson's "I'm Backing Britain" campaign. It has been suggested that McCartney twisted that into "I'm Back In (backin') the U.S.S.R."
A conservative American backlash against the song rapidly ensued, citing the song as evidence of left-wing Beatle propaganda. McCartney's recent confession of having used LSD (combined with Lennon's assertion that the Beatles were "bigger than Jesus") made the Beatles the target of a new anti-rock campaign. A flustered McCartney responded: "'Back In The U.S.S.R' is a hands-across-the-water-song... They like us out there. Even though the bosses in the Kremlin may not, the kids do."[citation needed]
"Back in the U.S.S.R." was released by Parlophone as a single in the UK in 1976. It featured the song "Twist and Shout" on Side B.
The song segues into the next song on the album, "Dear Prudence".
[edit] Ringo walks out
The "White Album" sessions allowed the four members to work on separate projects at the same time and, as a result, kept tensions to a minimum. However, during the recording session on 22 August 1968, tempers flared, and Ringo Starr walked out and announced that he had quit.
"Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence", the first two tracks of the album, were then recorded without Starr, with McCartney playing the drums instead. (Lennon also played six-string bass guitar, a Fender VI; George Harrison played 4 string bass guitar.) McCartney's drums are most prominent in the mix, but both Lennon and Harrison recorded drum tracks for the song; these are audible in the left channel of the stereo mix. Lennon was later asked in an interview: "Do you think Ringo is the best rock drummer in the world?" Lennon replied: "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles." (Lennon was famously moody, and on other occasions he was much more complimentary about Starr's drumming.) Starr would later return to the group. The next session he played may have been on September 8, 1968, for "Helter Skelter." The stereo mix of that song includes what is sometimes thought to be Starr shouting "I've got blisters on my fingers!" which might have been taken from the 22 August session for "Back in the U.S.S.R."
[edit] Cover versions
- In 1969, Chubby Checker's cover version charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Also in 1969, John Fred & His Playboy Band released it as a single and on their 1970 album Love My Soul.
- In 1979, the punk group Dead Kennedys recorded a live version of the song that was released in 2004 on Live at the Deaf Club.
- In 1987, Billy Joel covered the song on his live-in-the-Soviet Union album КОНЦЕРТ.
- In 1992, the Leningrad Cowboys covered the song on their album We Cum From Brooklin.
- In 2001, Sigourney Weaver covered the song in the film Heartbreakers.
- In 2004, Beatallica recorded a heavy metal parody version titled "Blackened the U.S.S.R" on their album Beatallica, aka The Grey Album.
- In 2006, Guns N' Roses covered the song live at Wembley Arena. Their version of the song was called "Back In the Fucking UK".
- Type O Negative covered the song.
