Rain

Rain is a form of precipitation where water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor fall by gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water for hydroelectric power plants, crop irrigation, and suitable conditions for many types of ecosystems. [Wikipedia]

Rain is a song by The Beatles, written by Lennon and led on vocal by John Lennon. B-side of 'Paperback Writer'; first commercially released backwards vocal. Within the catalogue, its b-side thread connects it to You Can't Do That, Thank You Girl, I'll Get You. John Lennon's impressionistic B-side to 'Paperback Writer' captured the group at their most experimental: a lyric celebrating precipitation's indifference paired with reverse-recorded vocals and backwards guitar passages. Lennon's vocal processing, created through tape reversal and Leslie speaker treatment, transformed his lead into an otherworldly presence. The song's heavy rhythm section and drone-like accompaniment presaged later psychedelic work (Lewisohn 1988, p.74). Kozinn identifies 'Rain' as part of the single pairing with 'Paperback Writer' for June 1966 release, serving as contemporary companion material to the Revolver album proper. (Kozinn 1995, p.144)

The session work falls within the band's Revolver / Studio Awakening (1966) period, recorded 14 Apr 1966 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. George Martin produced; Geoff Emerick engineered. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.6 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below). Recorded on 14 and the track employed reverse-tape techniques for both vocal and instrumental elements, creating the song's signature disorienting soundscape. Lennon's vocal was recorded normally then reversed, then reversed again for effect; guitar passages underwent similar processing. George Martin and Geoff Emerick's technical mastery enabled these experiments while maintaining sonic clarity. The rhythm section's heavy, almost hypnotic groove provided foundation for the experimental vocal and instrumental layers (Lewisohn 1988, p.74).

Rain — the B-side of Paperback Writer, recorded 14 April 1966 — is the band's first released recording with backwards-tape content, and one of the earliest worked examples of the techniques catalogued in Kehew & Ryan's Recording the Beatles (2006). The backwards vocal at the end of the song is documented with two conflicting origin accounts in Lewisohn 1988 (p. 74). Lennon's long-standing claim was that he stumbled on the effect at home by threading a tape backwards. George Martin's account in Lewisohn's book is the opposite: Martin, working in the studio while Lennon was away, lifted a bit of Lennon's vocal off the four-track, reversed it, and slid it into position himself — Lennon discovered the result on returning to the studio. Lewisohn presents both accounts without resolving which is correct.

Per Lewisohn (The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, 1988, pp. 73–75):

• 1966 UK mono single (Parlophone R 5452) — the band-attended mix; the reference master. The backwards-tape vocal sits central, faded in over the final ~30 seconds.
• 1976 UK Rock'n'Roll Music compilation — used a separately-prepared stereo mix; the backwards vocal panned to one side. Subsequently corrected on later compilations.
• 1980 Rarities (UK) — different stereo mix, the backwards vocal more present.
• 2009 mono remaster (The Beatles in Mono) — flat transfer of the 1966 mono single master.
• 2009 stereo remaster (Rouse / Massey) — re-EQ'd from the four-track tape.
• 2014 US The U.S. Albums (Yesterday and Today) — Capitol's mono fold of the song, with US-typical heavier compression.

The relevant techniques are anchored on the equipment hub:

• Backwards tape — the backwards vocal at the end of the song is Lennon's vocal stem reversed and mixed back in (Kehew & Ryan, Ch 8). Backwards tape had appeared on the Tomorrow Never Knows sessions a week earlier (6-7 April 1966) but Rain was the first released recording with backwards content (Paperback Writer / Rain single, 10 June 1966; Revolver followed 5 August 1966). The technique spread to I'm Only Sleeping and onward into the Sgt. Pepper sessions.
• Varispeed — the basic track was recorded at a faster tempo and varispeeded down for the released mix; the resulting heavy, slightly-pitch-down rhythm anchors the track (Kehew & Ryan, Ch 8).
• Studer J37 — the session was on a single J37 four-track (Kehew & Ryan, Ch 6).
• REDD.51 desk routing (Kehew & Ryan, Ch 3).
• Neumann U47 — Lennon's lead vocal (Kehew & Ryan, Ch 5).
• EMT 140 plate — reverb tail on the backwards vocal section (Kehew & Ryan, Ch 4).

In the canonical discography it on the single Paperback Writer. Documented alternate versions include 2009 Stereo Remasters. Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below. Rain occupies 14 pages in Lewisohn's reference frequency. John Lennon lead vocals appear in 73 canon songs, with 26 in Revolver, establishing this as characteristic Lennon work. Though originally a B-side, the track achieved canonical status through later anthologies and critical reassessment, recognized as a pioneering psychedelic recording that influenced the experimental directions rock music would take throughout the late 1960s (Lewisohn 1988, p.74).

Film, TV, and other screen works whose primary title matches this song. Some are direct cultural references (the 1965 Beatles film, the 2019 Danny Boyle feature). Many are coincidental title shares -- worth knowing about but not claiming as soundtrack appearances. Sorted by IMDB vote count.

• Rain (1932, film) IMDB 6.9 · 3,514 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (1929, short film) IMDB 7.2 · 2,072 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2019, TV episode) IMDB 7.7 · 1,798 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2001, film) IMDB 6.9 · 1,678 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2021, TV episode) IMDB 9.5 · 1,291 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2008, film) IMDB 6.4 · 461 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2006, film) IMDB 5.7 · 434 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2001, film) IMDB 5.3 · 383 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2001, film) IMDB 5.4 · 370 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2008, film) IMDB 6.6 · 187 votes [IMDB]
• Rain (2020, film) IMDB 6.0 · 133 votes [IMDB]

Source: IMDB public dataset (title.basics.tsv + title.ratings.tsv) joined locally. Includes titles with sufficient vote counts to indicate cultural visibility.

Other recordings sharing era, vocalist, writer, key, studio, or producer with this one. Higher scores indicate stronger overlap on documented attributes.

• And Your Bird Can Sing (score 11)
• Doctor Robert (score 11)
• I'm Only Sleeping (score 11)
• She Said She Said (score 11)
• Tomorrow Never Knows (score 11)
• All You Need Is Love (score 9)
• Sexy Sadie (score 8)
• Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (score 7)