Title:	Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Credits:	John Lennon - Paul McCartney
Recorded:	EMI Studios, London, 23 September, 1968
Producer:	George Martin
Location:	The Beatles - track 12, disc 1

Written and sung by John Lennon gaining inspiration from a magazine advertisement for guns worded in the title. The song consists of three clearly separate song ideas, each composed at different tempos, but John had welded them together before he began recording (as 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun In Your Hand') on 23 September 1968. The final version is an edit of two recording takes.

The Beatles held rehearsal sessions at George Harrison's home in Esher on May 20, 1968, during which they recorded a demo of 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun'. This recording was released in both the US and the UK on October 29, 1996 on "The Beatles Anthology Volume 3."

The Beatles began recording 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun' on September 23, 1968 under the working title 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun In Your Hand'. Forty-five takes were recorded this day, due mostly to the complicated tempo changes between 3/4 and 4/4 time. On September 24, thirty-five more takes (46 - 70) were recorded. The Beatles were still working on the rhythm track - bass, John Lennon's lead guitar and his guide vocal and George Harrison's fuzzed lead guitar. At the end of the session it was determined that take 53 was the "best" take of the first half of the song and take 65 was the "best" take of the second half. These two takes were edited together September 25 (edit of takes 53 and 65 into take 65).

Overdubs of John's lead vocal, backing "bang, bang, shoot, shoot" vocals by John, George and Paul McCartney, an organ, a piano, a tuba, a snare drum, a tambourine and a bass guitar were added September 26. Two mono mixes (remixes 1 and 2 from take 65) were prepared this day. Ten more mono mixes (remixes 3 - 12 from take 65) were completed September 26. The stereo mixing was completed October 15 (remixes 1 - 4 from take 65). The mono and stereo releases are considerable different, and it has been reported that the final drum beat is missing from the Italian release of "The Beatles."

Instrumental overdubs from the September 25 recording session have been bootlegged and can be found on "Arrive Without Aging" (CD) and "Control Room Monitor Mixes" (CD).