Comments on: Fixing A Hole

By: Hodgie Nelson

Hodgie Nelson — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 03:52:11 +0000

This and “A Day in the Life” are my favorite tracks on Pepper. Great guitar work by George and the tone is incredible. The harpsichord really pushes the rhythm forward in way that a guitar especially and acoustic guitar couldn’t. There’s no way that’s John playing bass.

By: Teddy Boy

Teddy Boy — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 13:49:25 +0000

“Paul knew exactly where he was going with ‘Fixing A Hole,’” wrote George Martin in the book “Summer Of Love.” He continues: “As a result, it was one of the fastest tracks we recorded, in an album of 13 songs that took some five months to complete…
I’ve read, on this site, that when Paul composed a song, he would learn all of the parts, and he would bring this musical wealth with him to the recording session. With this in mind, it’s not inconceivable that Paul showed the guitar lead to George who then played it on the recording. This is purely conjecture on my part, but I don’t think it’s out of the question.
Finally, I love this song (as I do 99.9% of all Beatles’ songs)! It reminds me of a Salvador Dali painting – fluid, colourful, distorted reality, etc.
Thanks Joe. This is a fantastic site. I thoroughly enjoy the insightful comments.

By: MikeP

MikeP — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 00:32:30 +0000

I never cared much for either. Both are the weakest songs on that album, IMO.
Often bypass them when the album is playing.

By: Mr. Kite

Mr. Kite — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 23:00:43 +0000

The real throwaway is “Getting Better”….it seemed dated almost from the time the album was released.

By: Didinon

Didinon — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 03:52:54 +0000

According to studio notes, (meticulously recorded by Lewisohn and Leng), band members present, and recording team, George Harrison played the guitar solos. Indeed, the style is classic Harrison, mid-period Beatles: the chordal comping reflects Harrison’s Tal Farlow/Chet Atkins jazzier influences (All My Loving, You Like Me Too Much, Every Little Thing You Do, etc.); and the descending, gutaral guitar line reiterates his Carl Perkinisms (Everybody Wants to Be My Baby, Help!, etc.), albeit through a now psychedelicized, sitar- like glissando descent as opposed to the once amphetaminized Perkin’s stutter of Harrison’s earlier contributions.

The studio notes, eye-witness accounts, and absolutely unmistakable Harrison style, even under a now psychedelicized evolution, make a Macca’s claim risible.

As for Macca’s after-the-fact claim, it is part and parcel of his, shall we say, inflated claims as to his impact on the Beatles, which if taken even half seriously, would have the world believe that he sang and played all of the parts during the Beatles live performances on Ed Sullivan, writing Imagine for John, playing Harrison’s slide solo on How Do You Sleep (while cleverly disguising himself as George before the filmed sessions), and playing the drums on It Don’t Come Easy and Back Off Boogaloo.

In other words, Macca is full of crappa.

By: wm mir

wm mir — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 02:27:01 +0000

I found it on YouTube aearching for an alternate take

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 02 May 2018 11:54:47 +0000

Thanks Martin. I went back to the book from the Sgt Pepper 50th anniversary box set, which contains some new findings about the sessions, and rewrote this page and the two recording session pages. It seems that they added an entire new rhythm track during the second session, with McCartney on bass and Martin on harpsichord, and Starr on drums. This was in addition to the first rhythm track from 9 February, which had McCartney on harpsichord, most likely Lennon on bass, and Starr on drums/maracas.

I think it’s correct now, although the book does also claim that McCartney is on guitar, yet contains no more information about that.

By: MartinSoundLabs

MartinSoundLabs — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 20:27:48 +0000

Regarding whether John played bass (would he have used a Fender VI that early?) on this, with the new Reissue and outtakes it becomes more intriguing. Got to go back up there and see what you all said that i read last year. That said, i just found this Giles Martin quote. As a bassist, this means much to me; GAWD i love this song and album.

““Fixing a Hole” features two bass parts, including McCartney’s, later overdubbed at Abbey Road. “On the tape from Regent Sound—it’s a 4-track tape—I think it’s Paul playing harpsichord, John’s playing bass, Ringo’s playing drums. George is probably talking to Jesus—or arguing with him!” Martin laughed.”

https://www.prosoundnetwork.com/pro-sound-news-blog/2435

So that conflicts with the above that George Martin was on Harpsichord (sounds like Paul) and it does sound like a lackluster Lennon bass part on the early basic track.. So confusing all the various theories. Remain confused.. Will have to listen harder now.

By: MartinSoundLabs

MartinSoundLabs — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 19:32:03 +0000

Thanks for this… I can very much relate.

By: MartinSoundLabs

MartinSoundLabs — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 19:27:29 +0000

i will never forget seeing him in 2005 in Sacramento play that song, stripped with piano, maybe some drums…. same night i heard I’ll Get You and Too Many People live.. Blew my mind. Good luck finding that track you heard on SIRIUS. Was it clearly a Post-Beatle recording?

By: MartinSoundLabs

MartinSoundLabs — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 19:27:06 +0000

By: Michael Sieger

Michael Sieger — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 21:08:09 +0000

The sound is just so unbelievably captivating. The icy harpsichord bars underneath that outrageous and growling guitar bolstered all up by that melodious bass. And those interchanges between Paul’s wonderful singing and those guitar responses. Such a good song.

By: Right Where I Belong...

Right Where I Belong... — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 00:20:53 +0000

I heard a version of this song on SiriusXM and it sounded like a more contemporary McCartney recording. He played it during something he was hosting on the Beatles channel. It was mixed very clean, very crisp and extremely tight… it was not live. Anyone know where I can find this recording?

By: Robert Edmond

Robert Edmond — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 18:18:35 +0000

Listening to the remastered Pepper outtakes version of ‘Fixing A Hole’, the drumming doesn’t sound like Ringo’s playing. The unsteady tempo, the bounce off the snare drum, switching beats midsection. Ringo couldn’t play this way if he tried. This drummer is following the harpsichord and not the other way around. It’s my hunch that Lennon took the drums for a bit. Please give a listen. I’m interested in feedback.

By: judg3

judg3 — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 23:10:47 +0000

They did 3 takes of this at that studio “Regent”. They used take 2 as the backing track. And Paul sang a guide vocal. Later at emi he dubbed in the final vocal.
It says in this post and the thread that the guide vocal blead through. It’s been stated here a FEW times.

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 23:35:09 +0000

It is a fantastic solo and the “every-note-is carefully chosen” quality of it lends itself to be George. The only problem with your theory is that Paul was also a excellent imitator of the other Beatles style when he wanted. If it wasn’t well known that Paul played the Taxman solo, most would assume it was George, as it had a Indian flavor. Or think of McCartney’s “Let Me Roll It”. It’s a dead on imitation of Lennon’s style. I hope is was George though, cuz it’s awesome and it seems he didn’t do much on Pepper.

By: Dr Winston O'Boogie

Dr Winston O'Boogie — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 09:29:02 +0000

I’ve always thought that the final vocals were recorded live during the take as a guide and then Paul double tracked in some point. Not an overdub.

By: SaxonMothersSon

SaxonMothersSon — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 00:46:35 +0000

As was noted above, just about the time of this song, “Pinkie” & “Blue Boy” came off the beige walls of suburban bedrooms, to be replaced with Indian bedspreads and Pop Posters (these were 2′ x 3′ blow ups of your favorite stars). Many of us heard Paul say: “It’s OK to do this.” And we did!
*Also, one of GH’s BEST solo’s of that era!

By: Roger Dale

Roger Dale — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 22:45:58 +0000

The drumming on this song is totally under rated. The use of hi-hat is magical by Ringo.

By: Jim Ferrell

Jim Ferrell — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 06:00:45 +0000

I like the chord progression too. Did you ever notice how similar it is to the intro of Michelle: F | E+5 | fm7 | fm6 | (Fixing a Hole) vs. fm | E+5 | fm7 | fm6 | (Michelle) with the bass note descending chromatically in both?