Written by: Martin, Coulter; lyrics by Harrison, Evans, Klein
Recorded: October 1970
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Ken Scott, Phil McDonald
Released: 30 November 1970 (UK), 27 November 1970 (US)
George Harrison: vocals
Mal Evans: vocals
Eddie Klein: vocals
Available on:
All Things Must Pass
It's Johnny's Birthday was a 30th birthday tribute to John Lennon, released on the Apple Jam disc from the All Things Must Pass album.
Although originally given a composer credit to George Harrison, the song takes its melody from Cliff Richard's 1968 hit Congratulations. In December 1970, however, that song's composers Bill Martin and Phil Coulter filed a claim for royalties, and subsequent pressings of the album had the credits amended to acknowledge Martin and Coulter's contributions.
It's Johnny's Birthday was the only one of the five Apple Jam tracks to feature vocals. The backing track features a fairground organ and percussion backing, although no performer credits are known.
Lennon spent much of his 30th birthday at EMI Studios in London, where he recorded the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band song Remember. Earlier that day, at Tittenhurst Park, he saw his father Alf Lennon for the final time.
Harrison visited Lennon at the studio during the Remember session, arriving in his dark blue Ferrari 330 GTC. He presented Lennon with a plastic flower and the pair hugged one other.
George Harrison had a Ferrari, a 330 GTC, which was dark blue with a cream interior, and it was parked out the front of the studio. And stuck to his windscreen he had a little vase holder with a little plastic flower in it. He took it out, walked into Studio 3 and said, 'Happy birthday, John.' He gave him the plastic flower and they had a hug. Yoko had brought in this present for John, which was a sensory box. It was about twice the size of a shoebox, with lots of holes in it. You had to put your finger in – one hole would be warm and mushy, one would be wet, one would have a pin in it. John had such a ball with it.
#OTD 9OCT1970 George presents @johnlennon with #ItsJohnnysBirthday @AbbeyRoad for his 30th. http://t.co/wJmFMKhXb2 pic.twitter.com/1bsr1YMVi3
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) October 9, 2014
Heard George merely wrote this song for John Lennon’s birthday- but it sounds like John’s struggle with heroin to me. Not sure though- was hoping someone else would know!