Back In The USSR: Introduction

“Back In The USSR” is from the 1968 album “The Beatles,” aka the “White Album.” However, this track was also a single release in the UK in 1976, too.

In Detail

Publisher: Northern Songs
Release Date: November 22, 1968 (White Album), June 25, 1976 (single) (UK)
Format: 7-inch single (A-side) (B-side is Twist and Shout), also an album track
Recorded: August 22–23, 1968
Studio: EMI Studios, London
Genre: Rock and roll, hard rock
Track Duration: 2:43
Record Label: Apple
Songwriters: Lennon-McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Ken Scott

Performers And Instruments

Paul McCartney: double-tracked vocal, backing vocal, piano, bass guitar, drums, lead guitar, handclaps, percussion
John Lennon: backing vocals, rhythm guitar, six-string bass, handclaps, drums, percussion
George Harrison: backing vocals, rhythm and lead guitars, bass, drums, handclaps, percussion

Where To Find “Back In The USSR”

You can still buy this song on the following albums:

The original version is on the White Album, while the Love album is a mashup.

Back In The USSR: Background

Written by Paul McCartney but credited to the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership, “Back In The USSR” is a parody of Chuck Berry’s “Back in the USA” as well as the Beach Boys‘ “California Girls“.

While Berry shows patriotism towards the United States, The Beatles sentiment is towards Communist Russia. The singer, in this case, Paul McCartney, expresses his relief about returning to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), aka the Soviet Union. In other words, he is singing as a Russian spy returning home.

“It’s tongue in cheek. This is a travelling Russkie who has just flown in from Miami Beach; he’s come the other way. He can’t wait to get back to the Georgian mountains: ‘Georgia’s always on my mind’; there’s all sorts of little jokes in it… I remember trying to sing it in my Jerry Lee Lewis voice, to get my mind set on a particular feeling. We added Beach Boys-style harmonies.”
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles

The song is the first track on the 1968 “White Album,” so the opening sound that we hear on the album is that of a jet aircraft landing on a runway. The band emulates The Beach Boys’ singing style on the bridge’s backing vocals. Meanwhile, the lyrics go on to admire girls from various regions of the USSR. Thus, the inspiration for the song becomes clear.

Back In The USSR: Other Inspirations

Paul McCartney’s inspiration for “Back In The USSR” also came from the “I’m Backing Britain” campaign. The idea behind that campaign was to support British industry and came from Prime Minister Harold Wilson. In fact, the original title for McCartney’s song was “I’m Backing the UK.”

That campaign was from January 1968, a few weeks before The Beatles went to Rishikesh, India, to study Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. McCartney wrote the song while at the training camp. Indeed, he would often sing the song at the ashram. There was also another inspiration that came from Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia On My Mind.”

Recording Studio

The Beatles began recording “Back In The USSR” on August 22, 1968, in Studio Two at the EMI Studios, London, during the 7.00 p.m.–4.45 a.m. session. The band recorded 5 takes, with the last one suitable for the master rhythm track.

Ringo Starr doesn’t feature in the song because he briefly left the group. He walked out on them because the “While Album” sessions came at a time when the band members were not seeing eye to eye. Paul McCartney became the drummer on this track as well as “Dear Prudence.”

The next day, the overdubbing session saw further instrument additions as well as the vocals to complete the song. It is the opening song on the album and comes before “Dear Prudence.” The song also features on the band’s 2006 album, “Love.”

“Back In The USSR” became a single in the UK during 1976 and it reached 19. The B-Side to that single was “Twist and Shout.”

In America, its release in 1968 caused a stir, with the John Birch Society claiming The Beatles were encouraging communism. However, the Russians loved it. Of course, in those days, they got hold of the Beatles’ music behind the Iron Curtain through smuggled tapes.

Take A Listen

Give the song a try, then leave us your opinions below.