Written by: Harrison
Recorded: May-October 1970
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Ken Scott, Phil McDonald
Released: 30 November 1970 (UK), 27 November 1970 (US)
George Harrison: guitar, vocals, backing vocals
Eric Clapton: guitar
Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland: acoustic rhythm guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Billy Preston, Gary Wright: keyboards
Ringo Starr: drums
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Mike Gibbins: tambourine
Available on:
All Things Must Pass
The Concert For Bangla Desh
Wah-Wah was written on the day that George Harrison walked out of The Beatles during the ill-fated Get Back/Let It Be sessions on 10 January 1969.
Harrison had grown unhappy with the increasing tensions of the sessions, the lack of direction, Paul McCartney's drive, ambition and eagerness to return to live performance, and John Lennon's sniping, sarcasm and closeness to Yoko Ono.
They were filming us having a row. It never came to blows, but I thought, 'What's the point of this? I'm quite capable of being relatively happy on my own and I'm not able to be happy in this situation. I'm getting out of here.'Everybody had gone through that. Ringo had left at one point. I know John wanted out. It was a very, very difficult, stressful time, and being filmed having a row as well was terrible. I got up and I thought, 'I'm not doing this any more. I'm out of here.' So I got my guitar and went home and that afternoon wrote Wah-Wah.
It became stifling, so that although this new album was supposed to break away from that type of recording (we were going back to playing live) it was still very much that kind of situation where he already had in his mind what he wanted. Paul wanted nobody to play on his songs until he decided how it should go. For me it was like: 'What am I doing here? This is painful!'
Then superimposed on top of that was Yoko, and there were negative vibes at that time. John and Yoko were out on a limb. I don't think he wanted much to be hanging out with us, and I think Yoko was pushing him out of the band, inasmuch as she didn't want him hanging out with us.
Anthology
After they split up, none of The Beatles was averse to referencing his former band in song – perhaps the best known example being Lennon's stark statement that "The dream is over" on 1970's God. Wah-Wah was the first of Harrison's Beatles-subject songs; others included All Those Years Ago and When We Was Fab.
The Wah-Wah of the title was superficially the foot pedal deployed by guitarists to create an onomatopeic effect. In Harrison's song, however, it was a synonym for headache or other unspecified ailment, representative of his desire to break free from The Beatles and fame.
Wah-wah, now I don't need to wah-wahs
And I know how sweet life can be
So I'll keep myself free
Of wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah
On All Things Must Pass, Wah-Wah acted as a buffer between the spirituality of My Sweet Lord and the stoic resignation of Isn't It A Pity. It showed that Harrison had not forgotten how to play wild rock 'n' roll, and hadn't abandoned his musical roots in his pursuits of more spiritual matters.
Wah-Wah was the opening song in both of Harrison's sets in the two Concerts For Bangla Desh at New York's Madison Square Garden on 1 August 1971. It was the ideal live opener, with Harrison in fine voice, gospel backing vocals, two drummers, more guitarists and a brass section.
Harrison often played the song at his rare subsequent live appearances. It was also the last of his compositions played at the Concert For George tribute, begun by Eric Clapton but with Jeff Lynne and Billy Preston taking some of the lead vocal duties. It was included in the album of the concert, but omitted from the DVD release.
In the studio
Wah-Wah was the first song recorded during the All Things Must Pass sessions, which began in May 1970 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road.
By the time Harrison came to record Wah-Wah he may have lost his immediate anger with The Beatles, but none of his passion. The result was the album's heaviest rock song, a maelstrom of sound which allowed producer Phil Spector free rein at the mixing desk. The full wall of sound armory was deployed, with heavy reverb and instruments multitracked to give a thick sonic sludge which threatened to tip over into chaos.
Harrison knew the recording was cluttered and would have benefited from being stripped back.
He knew it was overproduced. If you have all those acoustic guitars on top of each other, it clutters the sound. He knew that.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Simon Leng
The production features Bobby Keys and Jim Price on saxophone and trumpet respectively, virtually reprising parts they had played on Delaney & Bonnie's Coming Home, featuring Eric Clapton. Coming Home is perhaps the closest musical predecessor for Wah-Wah, showing that Harrison had moved on from being influenced by Lennon and McCartney and was learning from his new peers.
On 17 August 1970 Phil Spector wrote a letter to Harrison in which he outlined his thoughts on the first mix of the All Things Must Pass album. He gave specific suggestions on 14 songs, and an overview of how he envisaged the final release sounding.
This still needs some bridge, and perhaps a Bobby Keyes [sic] solo. Also needs lead vocal and background voices.
Please do not say that George wrote this song after he temporarily quit the Beatles because of a fight with Paul. It is well documented that he left the Let It Be sessions because of a fight with John. (They even came to blows–and we even know the reasons why they clashed that day.) Maybe because of the Let It Be movie where we see a row between Paul and George, people are inclined to speculate that that was the reason why George quit the sessions, which is false.
There is an interview where george states that it had to do with paul. It came out of his own mouth. He wrote “wah wah” about Paul in particular.
when are they going to release a version of “All things Must Pass” stripped down (de-specotorized)? Just like Double Fantasy. Love George, Love the songs, hate the production.
yeah, I know what you mean. The album is amazing, but some (most) songs were overproduced. This album would be pretty awesome as an “unplugged” performance.
Check Concert for Bangladesh Vimeo video at 22:00 mark. Most of the same players+ no echo chamber. #GeorgeHarrison Wah-Wah
I am sure it was a culmination of frustrations but George specifically says in an interview with Crawdaddy magazine that he got up and left immediately following being filmed having a “row” with Paul.
George and Paul’s row, as documented in the Let It Be movie, happened 6th January 1969. George walked out on the 10th, according to George Martin following an incident with John which turned physical, but the whole thing was hushed up.
John alludes to it in the Rolling Stone interview.
I don’t think we will ever hear ATMP stripped down. We have Early Takes vol. 1 instead. It’s beautiful. And also I would love to hear “Living In The Material World” spectorized really!
One of my favorite rockers from GH. I used to have a great tube amp & pre-amp (Dynaco) and huge Dynaco speakers that could handle the Spector production, peel off the clashy tops, pull up the middle, etc. But with everything miniaturized, including player systems, little speakers or ear “buds”, this song, along with a few of the louder ones, is just painful. It feels like the reverb is turning back in on itself til it’s cacophony. C’mon, one of you young nerds out there, invent a program to strip away reverb!
Yes, great live versions on Bengladesh & Concert for George!
Love the history. Discord with band members is always a slippery slope. Eric Clapton’ contribution to so many of Georges’ endeavors is notable. George had a loving spiritual pursuit in his years of life. The quest of finding that higher power; the one we all try to come to grips with. Like all musicians we write with emotion and what we feel. The fortune George and his mates had was a captive following that consumed hisand their beautiful contributions to the Universe. I believe George put love at the front of who he was. Peter Frampton carries a love for George and pays tribute at all concerts. He keeps talking about George’s Mandolin obsession. I also hear this from Tom Petty. George you are loved for the gifts you gave. I am not afraid of darkness. I embrace the next existence with an open heart. Thank you George for all you gave.
I love the big sound 😉 Grew up on it. Didn’t know better… Awesome album just they way it is…
God Bless you in heaven George!
I own “Concert for George” on DVD and have watched it several times. Recently (February 25, 2018), saw it in the theater and noticed the song “Wah Wah” was omitted. Does anyone know why?