The two greatest love ballads produced by the Beatles are “In My Life”, written by John Lennon and appearing on the Rubber Soul album, and this one: “Something,” by George Harrison, the second song on Abbey Road (1969). It’s a wonderful piece, at first not appreciated by Lennon and McCartney, who tended to neglect Harrison.
The recording was tortuous, lasting months. This is only a small part of the changes it experienced (from Wikipedia):
The group recorded “Something” on 16 April before Harrison decided to redo the song, a new basic track for which was then completed at Abbey Road on 2 May. The line-up was Harrison on Leslie-effected rhythm guitar, Lennon on piano, McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr on drums, and guest musician Billy Preston playing Hammond organ. On 5 May, at Olympic Sound Studios, McCartney replaced his bass part and Harrison added lead guitar. At this point, the song ran to eight minutes, due to the inclusion of an extended coda led by Lennon’s piano.
After taking a break from recording, the band returned to “Something” on 11 July, when Harrison overdubbed what would turn out to be a temporary vocal. With the resulting reduction mix, much of the coda, along with almost all of Lennon’s playing on the main part of the song, was cut from the recording. The piano can be heard only in the middle eight, specifically during the descending run that follows each pair of “I don’t know” vocal lines.
[JAC: The released recording is here. The string orchestration was, as always, provided by the “fifth Beatle,” George Martin. Harrison’s recorded guitar solo at 1:44 remains one of the Beatles’ best. Lennon’s descending piano riffs can be heard at 1:27 and 1:40.]
Eventually the song’s quality was recognized: Lennon called it the best song on Abbey Road, and it remains, after “Yesterday,” the most covered Beatles song. It’s #6 on Rolling Stone‘s list of best Beatles songs. Here’s Harrison performing it at the famous Concert for Bangladesh in Madison Square Garden, New York City (there were actually two performances, both on August 1, 1971—shortly after I graduated from college). Harrison was 28 years old.
This was not long after his big Album, All Things Must Pass came out and was very popular at the time. I remember first hearing some of it while at a party in Mildenhall England at the time.
Abbey Road is my favourite Beatles album. The first one I bought on a CD even though I already had a vinyl copy.
A great song.
And, yes, In My Life is too. That one is my favorite Beatles song of all.
In My Life was my wife’s requested song at our wedding 45 years ago. Mine was May the Long Time Sun Shine Upon You from the Incredible String Band. Both songs are still operative.
“Something” is a stunner.
When it comes to thinking of the LPs, my favorite Beatles album is “Revolver”, but my favorite LP side, is side two of “Abbey Road”.
I followed Harrisons post Beatle career more so than the others, Lennon lost me (all that screaming about his mother) and so did McCartney after his1st solo album. But that is not to say I didn’t listen to both anymore, I think I identified with George more. I have the DVD, Tribute to George at the Royal Albert which is very good, with the first half of the concert written by Ravi Shankar with an Indian Orchestra.The second half being his Beatles and solo stuff performed by an all star band. The closing song by Joe Brown a long time friend of his ‘See you in my Dreams’ a ukulele classic.
I agree. The Tribute is an excellent concert to watch on DVD and Joe Brown’s closing number is lovely.
“Lennon lost me (all that screaming about his mother)”
I think that was one of his best songs, post Beatles.
I agree – Plastic Ono Band is an extraordinary album. The sixty seconds or so of My Mummy’s Dead just breaks my heart. And Imagine has some unutterably lovely songs on it too. Those two albums are certainly better than Let It Be, which was pretty patchy.
This was the first song I ever danced to with my (not then) girlfriend. I had barely said a word to her before but somehow I had the courage to ask her to dance to one of my favourite songs.
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I daresay McCartney’s bass playing nearly (other’s may say it does) outperforms George’s guitar on the Abbey Road release.
One of my favorites too.
Mike
In My Life embodies everything I left unsaid to my wife when she died. I can’t hear it without breaking into a blubbering mess, and I can’t stop listening to it whenever I hear it.
“In My Life” was my recommendation for one of the songs to be played at my brother’s funeral (he had been a big Beatles fan). His daughter vetoed it because it would have been too emotional.
Thanks, Jerry!! Like me You are a Great Beatles fan!! Unlike me You are a Great evolutionary biologist!! Beatles 4ever, évolution 4ever!!
Was that Leon Russell at 1:10 to 1:17?
Yes, along with Billy Preston bouncing along on the b3.
Love that Hammond organ!
I’m always amazed at just how damn good the Beatles were. I feel lucky to know their work.
Just listened to Pepper, White Album, and Abbey Road a couple days ago. Structurally, texturally incredible. A huge awareness of how to borrow from other eras and cultures to create really evocative soundscapes. George Clinton (Parliament/Funkadelic), a big fan, feels that was the most enduring thing they brought to pop. A damn good straight ahead rock band, too. Underrated!
“A damn good straight-ahead rock band” – yes they could do rock and roll if they wanted, they were just a lot more adventurous than bands like The Who, MC5, The Stooges, so they didn’t write that many ferocious, heavy songs. But for evidence that they could, that they could turn their hand to anything, thete’s Helter Skelter, which just looms above every other heavy rock song of that era like Godzilla.
For lovers of the second side of Abbey Road here is an “isolated vocal” of the long medley.
“Something” and “In My Life” are both great tunes and can be defended as the best. But the lads had a catalogue of great love songs, others of which could compete for “best.” At one time or another, the following have been my absolute favorite Beatles’ love song, for ever & always: I Will; Here, There, Everywhere; Anna (technically a break-up song, but letting go as an act of love); This Boy; Oh! Darling; Michelle (with half the lyrics in French? mon Dieu!); And I Love Her; You Really Got a Hold on Me (the cover of Smokey’s hit, with even more soul); If I Fell; Julia (John, with the mum thing again); and Norwegian Wood (about an affair, but close enough for love-song work).
Yes, yes, yes! Julia, the loveliest thing that any of them wrote, so delicate and ephemeral, with a weird oedipal subtext. It’s been my favourite Beatles song for a while now, but like you say their catalogue is so preposterously brilliant a choice of favourite tends to change over time.
I like your choices, although I’d give an honourable mention to Long, Long, Long, from the white album. Lennon’s solo material is patchy but has some absolute pearlers in terms of ballads – Remember Love, a simple Ono sung b-side that I only discovered a year ago, The Ballad Of John And Yoko, the gorgeous Oh My Love, Jealous Guy, Bless You…
I think a lot of hipsters and record collection rockers that I’ve met desperately want to be able to sneer at the Beatles, or dismiss them as overrated, or insufficiently avant-garde – but they can’t, because the music is so indisputably, obviously majestic. They’re the one band that everyone agrees on.
Let us not forget the mysterious and beautiful Number 9 Dream!
Yes, that’s lovely too – they had three brilliant songwriters in the band but I think Lennon was of a different order and the respective quality of their solo stuff bears this out. In my opinion of course. Please don’t flame me Macca fans.
I agree with you, man. Macca had all the tools: a great voice, a great ear for melody, great musicianship. But, lacking character and depth, he frequently got lost in the wilds of pop. (Those who consider Paul a great rocker, or even the best Beatle, no doubt believe Pamela Anderson is the most fetching woman to grace the face of the earth in the last 50 years.)
John couldn’t match Paul’s musical tools (though he was at least as good a songwriter). He could also lack focus and musical judgment. But John had brains, wit, and soul — and soul goes a long, long way.
I’m inclined to agree that Lennon was the best songwriter. Always trying for something different. It does say something when the second best songwriter came up with these:
All Together Now
All my loving
And I Love Her
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Blackbird
Can’t Buy Me Love
Carry That Weight
Day Tripper
Drive My Car
Eight Days a Week
Eleanor Rigby
Fixing a hole
For No One
Getting Better
Golden Slumbers
Hello Goodbye
Helter Skelter
Here Today
Hey Jude
I’m Down
I Saw Her Standing There
I’ve Just Seen a Face
Lady Madonna
Let It Be
Listen to What the Man Said
Live and Let Die
Lovely Rita
Maybe I’m Amazed
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
Oh Darling
Paperback Writer
Penny Lane
She Came in Through The Bathroom Window
The End
The Long and Winding Road
Waterfalls
We Can Work It Out
With a Little Help from My Friends
Yellow Submarine
Yesterday
No doubt I’ve missed a few gems.
The third best songwriter in the group wasn’t bad either.
Oops. Forgot “She’s Leaving Home”
You forgot “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?”, too.
I was going to include it in the alt list of best love songs (maybe some people don’t like their lovin’ quite so sweet), but then thought the better of it.
Love You Really Got a hold on Me, Here, There, and Everywhere, and If I Fell. I’ve heard Michelle a few gazillion times too many.
“Something” was also subjected to many cover versions. Even Frank Sinatra gave it a try, though he introduced it as a Lennon/McCartney song!
Elvis Presley regularly sang “Something” from 1970 to 1973, when he performed it at his Hawaii concert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdDhwa3WYHo
Hey, revelator60, I heard from the Chairman-of-the-Board’s knock-around guy, Jilly Rizo. He said to tell you: “If Frank says it’s a fuckin’ Lennon/McCartney song, it’s a fuckin’ Lennon/McCartney song, OK? You gotta problem with that?”