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. Recorded on 14 April, 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).^1,2
• Source conflict per §1 — origin of the backwards vocal. The backwards vocal at the end of the song carries two conflicting origin accounts. Lennon’s long-standing claim was that he stumbled on the effect at home by threading a tape backwards; Lewisohn also records George Martin’s opposite account — that 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 discovering the result on returning. Lewisohn presents both accounts without resolving which is correct.¹