Phil McDonald
People · Recording engineer

Phil McDonald

Recording Engineer

British balance engineer active at EMI's Abbey Road and other London studios through the 1960s and 1970s.

61
songs
Phil McDonald engineered 22 Beatles recordings from 1969 to 1970, nineteen of them in 1969. The first was 'Hey Bulldog' and the last 'I Me Mine'. The lead vocals go Paul on eight, John on six, George on five and Ringo on one. All four of them take the lead on 'Carry That Weight'. Three of them share it on 'Because'. McDonald also assists on 39 recordings. Of the 22, 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' carries claves as well, which only four of their recordings do. McDonald engineered most of what they cut in 1969, taking over from Ken Scott, though McDonald was still at the desk in 1970.

Analysis

Every song on this page, across all of them: assistant engineer and engineer.

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)

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Songs(60 of 61)

Year
Album
Writer
Lead vocal(s)

I'm Down

1965·Past Masters·Paul

Help!

1965·Help!·John

Additional engineering

I've Just Seen a Face

1965·Help!·Paul

Additional engineering

It's Only Love

1965·Help!·John

Additional engineering

Yesterday

1965·Help!·Paul

Additional engineering

Nowhere Man

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Second engineer

Run for Your Life

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Additional engineering

Wait

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Additional engineering

Rain

1966·Past Masters·John

Second engineer

Paperback Writer

1966·Past Masters·Paul

Second engineer

And Your Bird Can Sing

1966·Revolver·John

Doctor Robert

1966·Revolver·John

Eleanor Rigby

1966·Revolver·Paul

For No One

1966·Revolver·Paul

Good Day Sunshine

1966·Revolver·Paul

Second engineer

Got to Get You into My Life

1966·Revolver·Paul

Here, There and Everywhere

1966·Revolver·Paul

Second engineer on June sessions

I Want to Tell You

1966·Revolver·George

Second engineer / tape op

I'm Only Sleeping

1966·Revolver·John

Second engineer on session dates

Love You To

1966·Revolver·George

She Said She Said

1966·Revolver·John

Second engineer / tape op

Taxman

1966·Revolver·George

Second engineer / tape op

Tomorrow Never Knows

1966·Revolver·John

Second engineer / tape op

Yellow Submarine

1966·Revolver·Ringo

Second engineer

Penny Lane

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·Paul

Strawberry Fields Forever

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·John

A Day in the Life

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·John

When I'm Sixty-Four

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·Paul

Hello, Goodbye

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·Paul

The Fool on the Hill

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·Paul

Revolution

1968·Past Masters·John

Blackbird

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Paul

Don't Pass Me By

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Ringo

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Paul

Revolution 1

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John

Revolution 9

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)

Hey Bulldog

1969·Yellow Submarine·John

Old Brown Shoe

1969·Past Masters·George

Because

1969·Abbey Road·John

Carry That Weight

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Golden Slumbers

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Her Majesty

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Here Comes the Sun

1969·Abbey Road·George

I Want You (She's So Heavy)

1969·Abbey Road·John

Maxwell's Silver Hammer

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Mean Mr. Mustard

1969·Abbey Road·John

Octopus's Garden

1969·Abbey Road·Ringo

Oh! Darling

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Polythene Pam

1969·Abbey Road·John

She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Something

1969·Abbey Road·George

Sun King

1969·Abbey Road·John

The End

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

You Never Give Me Your Money

1969·Abbey Road·Paul

Come Together

1969·Abbey Road·John

Across the Universe (Wildlife version)

1969·Past Masters·John

Let It Be

1970·Let It Be·Paul

Across the Universe

1970·Let It Be·John

Spector overdub session

For You Blue

1970·Let It Be·George

I Me Mine

1970·Let It Be·George

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