house, Kinfauns, in Esher, Surrey. Lennon concluded the performance with a brief spoken commentary during which he says that the song is about "[a girl] who attended a meditation course in Rishikesh". In Hertsgaard's description of the recording, after McCartney interjects with "Cuckoo!", Lennon adds sarcastically: "Who was to know that she would go completely berserk, under the care of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?" In his book Revolution: The Making of the Beatles' White Album, David Quantick writes that the "cynicism" in Lennon's delivery reflects his disillusion with the Maharishi in light of rumours alleging that their teacher had made sexual advances towards Mia Farrow. He adds that Lennon now reinterpreted Prudence's episode "in an anti-Maharishi light" and "Dear Prudence" was therefore "quite divorced from its original purpose". Studio recording The Beatles formally recorded the song at Trident Studios in London from 28 to 30 August. This period was marked by tension and hostility within the group, which had led to Ringo Starr temporarily leaving the band during the recent sessions for McCartney's song "Back in the U.S.S.R." On 28 August, the three remaining Beatles completed the basic track for "Dear Prudence", comprising various guitar parts by Lennon and Harrison, including Lennon's finger-picked electric rhythm part, and McCartney on drums in place of Starr. Using eight-track recording equipment – which gave them more options than the four-track equipment they usually worked with at EMI Studios – the band were able to perfect and re-record their parts as they developed the song. Everett writes that this freedom "allow[ed] a cleaner additive layering in the increasingly thick vocal and instrumental arrangement", and that the recording also benefited sonically from Lennon's new Fender Twin Reverb guitar amplifier and Harrison's recently acquired Fender Telecaster. On 29 August, McCartney overdubbed bass guitar and Lennon sang his lead vocal, doubled for effect, to which McCartney and Harrison added harmony vocals. The other contributions were handclaps and percussion, including Harrison and McCartney on tambourines, and more backing vocals. For these additions, the Beatles were joined by Mal Evans, Apple Records artist Jackie Lomax, and McCartney's cousin John McCartney. Although cut from the released recording, the performance originally ended with the backing singers all cheering and applauding. The following day, McCartney added piano over the end portion of the song and, according to Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn, a brief snippet of flugelhorn. Music journalist Robert Fontenot says that although