Helter_skelter_second_version_take_17 (2024)

Watch the official visualiser for this legendary outtake to hear the raw intensity Paul and the band brought to the studio:

"Helter Skelter (Second Version - Take 17)" is a raw, high-energy studio outtake from The Beatles' 1968 sessions for the White Album , famously released on the Anthology Collection and featured as a key track on the 2025 release Anthology 4 . Recorded during a session of "total madness and hysterics," this take is prized by fans for its unpolished, aggressive punk-like edge compared to the heavy metal feel of the final album version. Key Characteristics of Take 17 helter_skelter_second_version_take_17

Bass (specifically a Fender Jazz bass, though often debated). George Harrison: Electric guitar. Ringo Starr: Drums. Watch the official visualiser for this legendary outtake

While Take 17 was a strong contender for the album, the band eventually chose Take 21 as the master version for the original White Album release. George Harrison: Electric guitar

Paul McCartney delivers a wild, loose vocal performance, literally "throwing words out with no real control".