In the studio
Following the 25 February solo demo, recording for Something began properly on 16 April 1969. The Beatles recorded 13 takes, with George Harrison on guitar, Paul McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr on drums and George Martin on piano. Although John Lennon was in the studio on the day, he didn't play on the recording, which also featured no vocals.
A re-make of Something was begun on 2 May. This time 36 takes were recorded, forming the basis of the eventually-released version. Again, on this day no vocals were recorded, but Lennon played piano. An organ part by Billy Preston was added at an unknown later date.
At this point the song was 7'48" long – a four-chord coda in 6/8 time, led by John Lennon on piano, nearly doubled the song's length. The chord pattern was later sped up by Lennon and used as the basis for the song Remember, which appeared on his 1970 album Plastic Ono Band.
On 5 May McCartney overdubbed another bass part, and Harrison taped his guitar solo. Something was then left until 11 July, when Harrison recorded his lead vocal, and the song was edited down to 5'32'.
Paul started playing a bass line that was a little elaborate, and George told him, 'No, I want it simple.' Paul complied. There wasn't any disagreement about it, but I did think that such a thing would never happened in years past. George telling Paul how to play the bass? Unthinkable! But this was George's baby, and everybody knew it was an instant classic.
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It was later reported that Harrison re-recorded his lead guitar part during the 15 August orchestral overdub session. However, the take 37 reduction mix made on 11 July contains Harrison's final solo, indicating that it was in fact recorded on 5 May.
Handclaps and McCartney's backing vocals were added on 16 July. Recording was finally finished almost a month later, on 15 August, when the strings were overdubbed.
Something was completed on 19 August, when the extended instrumental jam was finally edited from the end.
Chart success
Initially released on the Abbey Road album, the song was subsequently issued in the US and UK as a double a-side single, along with Come Together, on 6 October 1969. In the UK it was the only time that a single was taken from an already-released Beatles album; previously they had either released songs ahead of their albums, or on the same day.
Something was George's first single, released in October. It was a great song, and frankly I was surprised that George had it in him.
Anthology
Something peaked at number four in the UK. In America it fared better, topping the Billboard chart for a week. It also marked the first time a George Harrison song was the a-side of a Beatles single.
On a bootleg there’s take 37, so there aren’t only 36 takes.
True, but take 36 was, as I wrote, the basis of the version which ended up on the album. The Beatles did some reduction mixes to free up some extra space on the eight-track tapes; these were numbered 37-39 and contained a range of overdubs.
John only played Piano in this song. George played both the Lead and Rhythm Guitars.
I read somewhere that John did backing vocals only in the middle eight and handclaps
Where was filmed the Beatle’s videoclip “SOMETHING”, what locations? please I need the answer.
I think John or Ringo said they filmed it separately at their own homes. The band was falling at the time.
Oh, you’re right, I’m sorry 😉
By the way Ringo also overdubbed along with handclaps some percussions, like more toms and cymbals, and piano track was dropped from the master tape, there’re only a little bits of piano which are left in the tape.
I have heard that John gave George some advice on the writing of this song and this advice was captured on tape during the recording sessions. Lennon also apparently insisted that Something should be the A side of the upcoming single when confering with manager Allen Klein.
I love the bootleg in which George is still working out the final lyric and is laughing at the ridiculousness of his temporary substitution of “…attracts me like a pomegranate”!
John did not give George advice on the writing of Something, he gave him advice on songwriting in general. He told him to try and finish a song in one sitting if he can. He had nothing to do with writing or advising on Something. Something is Harrison’s “baby” alone.
My comment on the writing of Something is based on what I heard or read some time ago.
There are numerous comments on the Beatles Bible website that begin with “I have read…” or “I have heard…” without providing a source.
I believe George wrote the song in question, no doubt in my mind whatsoever.
I think this should help solve the question about the writing process of “Something”. John comes up with the word “attracts” and some other things… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLq2duUROlc
You left out how Ol’ Blue Eyes also frequently introduced Something as his “favorite Lennon/McCartney tune.” 😉
Can someone explain how Sinatra sang Something at The Royal Festival Hall on 1 June 1962 when George Harrison didn’t write this song until 1969?
He didn’t:
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/frank-sinatra/1962/royal-festival-hall-london-england-3d2f1b3.html
My absolute favorite song of all time.
I’m a little put off by George Martin’s comment that he was surprised George had it in him. By 1967 George was writing songs as good as or even better than Lennon/McCartney, just my opinion of course. Not sure why he’d be surprised that George could write a great song in 1969.
I pretty much like all of George’s songs. “I Need You” is one of my favorites. So, I don’t get why he would say that either.
I think what he means is that it’s in a completely different league than Taxman, Love You To and Within You.
Yes, George was starting to get good. Still, my favourite of his is his Lennon tribute: All those years ago. Although I’m not really much of a Lennon fan.
I also feel this is my favourite song of all time. My parents also love this song, and around the time it came out I used to lie in bed as a child and listen as it repeated on the record player in the lounge. 1969 was a magical year.
As a writer George made modest contributions to the Beatles Albums. Lennon and McCartney contributed around 180 songs and they were called upon to write hit after hit which not only cemented the Beatles as the greatest music group of all time, it also gave the members of the Beatles the financial freedom to do what ever they wanted. I can fully understand George Martin being surprised that Harrison contributed “Something” for it wasn’t another Inner Light or Within You Without You. It was not some obscure Indian themed chant but a genuine Beatles song with “hit” written all over it. The Beatles experimented over the years, whether it was a song like You Know My Name, Look Up The Number or Revolution 9, but they also knew what the public wanted and paid good money for. “Something” is a song the public wanted, and the money rolled in.
George had been writing good songs prior to 1967 but perhaps George Martin did not notice the gradual improvement that Harrison was making. Yes, Within You, Without You is a great song and so is Something but one or two great songs per album does not an album make. He admitted his frustrations at not being prolific in the Hunter Davies book. Lennon and McCartney were writing album after album of great songs. It was just as well that George had a backlog after the Beatles were finished or else All Things Must Pass would not have been the great album that it was. George Harrison had to put up with several years of “toeing the line” but on the other hand he was learning the craft of songwriting by witnessing the workings of the greatest songwriting team ever in pop music.
Isaac Hayes does a fantastic version. It’s mad long.
I kind of wish John’s piano wasn’t so buried in the mix. You can hear it right before the solo starts.
The original basictrack take 37 can be found on youtube.You’ll hear Lennons piano
all the way through. Many of Ringos fills are played with Lennon, so his ideas are still on the record, you might say.
To be honest, I don’t care much for that piano part.
The deep notes are perfect before the solo, but all in all it’s an out of tune “saloon” piano and doesn’t fit.
Also his fast chords over the “I don’t want to leave her now” part don’t fit the rhythmic feeling, imo.
The final mix is just PERFECT!!
“Something” is the only song I have ever heard that I can replay over & over again and still have the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. What a shame I was born in 1973.All the concerts I missed!!!!
The bass in “Something” is one of my favorites.
And right you are. Pure melodic genius by Paul, as usual on George’s tracks.
i agree and if that was pauls idea of keeping it simple i can only say WOW
I was thinking the same thing. If that’s simple bass, what’s complicated? Love it BTW. Despite not sounding simple, it’s totally tasteful and pleasing to the ear. Paul always achieved that.
Yes, a “song within a song,” that fits the song perfectly and can be appreciated on its own. Genius playing on a genius song.
McCartney really needed to stop showing off on Lennon’s and Harrison’s songs and play a majestic bass line on his compositions
Lovely Rita’s bass part to me, is splendid. Really displays his greatness and ingenuity as a bass player/composer.
I love the bass in Getting Better and Martha My Dear per example.
Did Geoff say that the solo is in the same track of orchestra?
As I’m hearing Rock Band multitracks, I can say that the solo has his own track and there are two orchestra tracks.
George said about Something. “Actually, it’s about Krishna. But I couldn’t say he could I ? I had to say she, adding with a twickle in his eye, or they’d think I ws a poof ( British slang for Gay ).
A reporter once noted his inability to to tell if George was singing about Krishna or a woman. “That’s good” , George replied, “I like that. I think individual love is just a little of universal love…Singing to the Lord, or an individual is, in a way, the same. I’ve done that consciously in some songs”
~ from Here Comes The Sun – The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison by Joshua M Greene p. 142
Another song that is about separation from Krishna which sounds like a love song to a woman is “Long , Long, Long”
The Patti Boyd book is titled “Wonderful Tonight”, not “Wonderful Today”
Love the website.
In the UK (where I am, and where Pattie is from) it was published as Wonderful Today. Elsewhere it was published as Wonderful Tonight, though I’m not sure why. Incidentally, she’s called Pattie not Patti.
Eric Clapton had a modest hit record with “Wonderful Tonight” in the ’70s, which Wikipedia tells us was Pattie-inspired.
Yes, thanks. I’m aware of the song. What I’m not sure about is why the book title varies in different territories.
Retitled for printing in countries where they might not get the joke, I’d expect.
yes “wonderful tonight” was Eric’s song to Pattie. no doubt the change of book title had to do with that. The UK version with Today was perhaps not her intent and it was corrected.
As a kid I had thought this was a Lennon/McCartney song sung by John or Paul. When I finally read the Abbey Road cover and saw George as the composer it peaked an interest in Harrison that I still have today. He is my favorite Beatle in part due to this classic song. Every bit deserving of the praise lauded on to it over the years. George’s masterpiece!
Best song on Abbey Road. The best song on the White Album was “While my guitar gently weeps.” Not bad considering Harrison was working with just the two greatest songwriters in the history of man.
What I don’t understand is, if John played piano on the basic track. Who played the flanged guitar strumming on the verses? Is that just Harrison? Because I thought John and George both played guitar on this track. George being all the lead notes we hear and John being the wobbly “flanged” guitar strums we hear in the verses… Correct me if I’m wrong.
I always thought the same thing; Lennon on rhythm guitar and George on lead … one of the greatest mysteries in life… the question of who plays the rhythm guitar…
George Harrison’s guitar on You Never Give Me Your Money has some sort of rotating Leslie Speaker thing on it. Could that be also the case here? My thinking is, the rhythm guitar part on Something was played by George.
I laugh out loud at the comment about one take on the solo. George had never played any tone like this , feel like this or licks like this. It is one of the great solos of all time and is masterfully arranged. Every nuance is planned and carried out. Listen to some of his guitar work and solos and outakes, there is nothing close to this. He has never played it live and his couple attempts failed. I wish they would stop lying to us and admit that it’s Clapton playing this solo , and surely not one take.
In fact, the sound is very much George’s, for example that certain thin and whimsical tone and the fast vibrato.
But keep laughing, that’s healthy! 😉
It probably wasn’t a single take. It’s been written that Harrison redid the solo on the day the orchestra was added, but this is unlikely to be true – it was present in its final form in much earlier rough mixes. Also, there are possibly two punch-ins on the track, indicating it was recorded in stages. The punch-ins can be heard at around 1:56 and 2:03, but are much more audible in the 5.1 surround mix of Love.
Cheers.. Never noticed those before.. I just had a listen now and the 2.03 one is particularly noticeable now I know about it (on standard CD AR album mix)
So I know this is going to really tick some people off, but I’m going to say this anyway only because from the first moment I read this comment above from Sam, from over a year ago, it has stuck in my head – and so even though I don’t have definitive proof, or even any “proof” I now suspect that the solo on Something was played by Eric Clapton.
OK breathe.
It’s just my opinion so relax – but here’s why I think it.
It doesn’t sound like George – it’s sounds like Eric trying to sound like George (just as Eric said he tried to sound like George on WMGGW).
In any George live version that I’ve heard of this song – George doesn’t even come close to playing the solo in a way that feels like the record. It doesn’t flow off him.
There’s no definitive final statement of when the solo was recorded.
The edits (actually they’re punches) surround the solo.
I’m only talking about the actual solo not the rest of the leads parts.
Ok – now you can hate me.
Why doesn’t someone just ask the guy? Joe, can you get an interview with Clapton? Let’s settle this thing once and for all!
You have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s George through and through. For proof, listen to this George Harrison concert, where he actually plays the song with Eric Clapton – the bulk of the all guitar, including intro solo, outro solo, and first main solo, is all George – Eric only plays the 2nd main solo – you listen that entire song, which had thousands watching it live, and tell me the recorded version isn’t all George. You’re out of your mind!
Sorry – long time coming , I agree .
I’ve alwsys felt the live versions lacklustre compared to the finished album track and never cut my emotions as much when played live – I think you have a good point .
I recommend a visit to your friendly neighbourhood ear doctor if you think the solo was Clapton and not Harrison. It is George through and through, his guitar playing in the Beatles just got better and better, with this solo perhaps the high point. What I’d like to know is, did he play it with a slide?
Harrison had a distinctive way of choosing notes to play and bend (like the bend of the 5th to the sixth in this song and for example Dig a Pony, if I recall correctly) quite different from the usual pentatonics mostly used by Clapton and a host of others and was much more likely to do chord based things (like to move from F to C here), so this song is not too much different from his single note playing in other songs. Supposedly he used an LP here also, when Clapton was also using HB’s, I believe.
Stunning bass in “Something”. Beautiful and melodic. The bass line is a song in itself!
without that bass line the song is souless,the genius of paul at work again
When does john’s piano play, I just hear billy’s organ. And does john play guitar too, yes lewissohn says he did but lewissohn also said it was billy on piano so he wasn’t very informed about these takes. I read nowhere about a guitar overdub by john and i read many times that it was george on guitar, paul on guitar, ringo on drums, john on piano and billy on organ
The Beatles greatest love song, hands down. Masterpiece.
Despite the comment from Harrison, it doesn’t sound or feel like McCartney on bass. Listen to the isolated track on youtube. That bottom F isn’t characteristic of McCartney, even given his propensity for chameleonism!
WTF ? Are you suggesting it was Ringo who played bass?
After decades of listening to this song, finally I noticed how beautifully George’s and Paul’s voices blend together in harmony, especially on the line in the final verse, “and all I have to do is think of her.” For a long time I’ve said my favorite Beatles voice is John and Paul in unison or harmony, but that line makes me not so sure.
Absolutely astounding guitar solo! Emerick claimed that it was performed with a slide but because of the perfect pitch I found that hard to believe (after all the story about layimg it down simultaneously with the orchestra is baloney). But George Harrison was an amazingly accurate slide guitarist and the evident punch-ins support the suggestion that it was performed with a bottleneck. Incidently the solo from the Bangla-Desh concert is equally soulful and heartfelt ‘though played in the standard manner.
I don’t think it was performed with a slide. I’ve listened to a lot of George’s slide guitar, and in all its various incarnations it sounds far more fluid and piercing, somehow, than this solo, which is extraordinarily understated. ‘Something’ is simply George using standard bends and slides, both specialties of his.
In my humble opinion, it’s his most hauntingly evocative solo ever–it expresses everything words fail to express.
Agree. There’s no slide there.
If you listen to the vocals only Youtube video you can hear Paul singing George’s guitar solo buried in the mix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oduyr8A70eE
Funny that it mentions Paul being asked to simplify his bass line..because of the reason stated. Unusual to see George that assertive over Paul (and a sign of reaching higher maturity). But also because the bass line that is used, is, well, really intricate and not obvious or simple. It is one of the things that attracts me to the song quite a lot and brings out some of the intended harmonies and the notes that change and stay the same from chord to chord. Although George’s guitar solo does the same.
I will say that I also think that George gets insulted sometimes even when complimented. That is not to say that his songs on this album are not more epic and show more of the sophistication to come in his later recordings… but I like a lot of his stuff since the song “I need you” as someone mentioned. And Long, Long, Long is a favorite. But these songs are at least compositionally a little more complicated/mature, so I get the acknowledgement too.
The song is great because of how well it works as a whole. But I think that the first several chords are not some brilliant innovation in songwriting or anything. Unless this is the first song to use that progression. But I think I hear the same first 4 chords in lots of songs. Kind of like how stairway to heaven or Michelle follow similar voice leadings. It sounds complicated, yet, it is just using basic existing tried and true ideas, that just happen to be a little more complicated than I IV V. Still, it is the way that it is used that makes it so memorable, and the way it is followed up by the rest of the chords of the A section (actually the two chords after the first four are what make it for me… love that dominant II chord) and the bridge.
Why does Paul McCartney say, during his recent tours, (last 10 years or so…check Utube) come out with a Ukulele and say he came over to George’s house (He says George gave him the ukulele) and gave George this idea for a song… and then says it was his idea and sings “Something”? Paul came up with the idea and then George wrote it? What’s the truth?
No. Paul says he LEARNED to play one of George’s songs, which was this one.
The best song on Abbey Road. Perhaps the best Beatles song ever!
Yes, Mukunda Goswami even mentions this in the recent Scorsese documentary. And when you listen to the song with Krishna in mind, it makes it even more beautiful.
It doesn’t say so in this article, but John did INDEED sing on this song. You can clearly hear him at 2:17, when he says the word “knows.” The harmonies at that moment (between 2:13 and 2:18) are arguably the best part of the song. All three beatles harmonize, with each voice having it’s own split second of emphasis.
One of the best Beatles song and to me the 2nd best vocal performance by Harrison on his career – only second to “My Sweet Lord”
“Paul started playing a bass line that was a little elaborate, and George told him, ‘No, I want it simple.’ ”
So, Paul played the most noodley and elaborate bass line he’s ever done on anything. lol wtf is emerick talkin’ about him complying? Has he heard the song lately?
Lol!!
Haha. Yeah…I’d enjoyed getting into Geoff Emerick’s ‘Here There And Everywhere’ book which I didn’t finish reading properly. Someone then bought me the audiobook and it was while listening that I realised that Geoff is a fervent Paulist and can’t be relied upon to be objective in these tales which anyway he must have been telling around his many production roles in the business until the embellishments replace the facts.
This George story is probably correct as an account of works in progress but George also talked of Paul’s busy bassline retrospectively and made it sound much more like he’d been convinced in favour of Paul’s approach.
In any case, Geoff rather gives his game away in his account because he makes it sound like the typecast version of The Beatles with fixed roles. As we know from listening to all the chit chat pieces since Anthology and Love not to mention bootlegs, there were no fixed positions when that band were at the blast furnace of creativity. The good idea won out in the end because there were five people (including George Martin) who had to sign off a finished product. Geoff wasn’t part of that team and I suspect his story goes along with his admitted grieviances with grumpy George Harrison elsewhere in the book.
In the recent ‘Allen Klein-The Man Who Transformed Rock and Roll’, it’s clear that George had an image of himself as THE most difficult Beatle. But I’m giving spoliers on an excellent read you should treat yourself to one of these days.
I agree. It’s probably the busiest bass line in any Beatle song.
A beautiful song written by George Harrison in his finest form. This made John and Paul sit up and listen and they gave it due credit by giving it the A side. John Lennons Come Together is a great song in its own right. Together they make the perfect opening to the brilliant Abbey Road album. And side two starts with another George Harrison classic Here Comes The Sun. I just love the beautiful rhythm guitar opening to that. Back to Something, I just love the line ”You’re asking me, will my love grow? I don’t know, I don’t know ” .Beautiful. .
For me the best line in the song is “Somewhere in her smile she knows… that I don’t need no other lover” For lack of better words, I’ll say it just sounds something in the middle of sexy and reassuring. It’s like “Among other things, something in your smile evidences that you enjoy knowing that I know myself totally lost for you”. It could work for Krishna too, in a more spiritual way, naturally.
I love the drums too!! They’re simply perfect. It’s like Ringo is singing the song himself in his own way. They let him do his thing and he totally nailed it, as usual.
It’s a stone cold classic on all levels, a truly great song beautifully recorded. Regarding some of the wildly inaccurate comments about the guitar solo:
If you’ve studied guitar gear and the styles of classic guitarists it’s so obviously George Harrison’s work that I’m amazed anyone thinks otherwise. Doesn’t sound or feel like Lennon or McCartney, and it’s definitely not Clapton! Check out some of the later live versions with Clapton playing lead and the difference is obvious.
It’s a textbook example of Harrison’s knack for miniature compositions in the form of guitar solos. He clearly worked it out a melody and practiced it until he had it down, banged out a few takes, and kept the best one. And it’s certainly not played with a slide…that’s just not what slide sounds like! Geeky details aside, it’s a thing of beauty.
Absolutely agree. Every particle of this solo is signed by George Harrison. You can hear it in the sound, the notes, the timing (and this solo is very intricate and avant-garde in that respect).
Sorry, Claptonites but Eric isn’t capable of this kind of invention.
This is the work of inspiration and absolute graft, George being renowned well beyond the Beatle years for infinite takes in pursuit of perfection. With this solo, he GOT that perfection.
It also explains, for me, why in the course of the production, Paul’s bassline ideas might be pushed out and let back as the ‘soup’ started to blend.
There’s an awful lot of writing about the band that has encouraged people to think of the members as little more than extensions of their cartoonish characters in the movies. They were a band who in the process of tracking a song moved from being slackers to the best musicians in the world and would come back on the next recording session for a new song as beginners and slackers again. It’s something that persists throughout their careers because they play with their heads and hearts, not their hands.
“Something” is one of the greatest love songs ever.A beautiful song written by George Harrison.I love the lead guitar solo, classic George.
Something is one of greatest songs every recorded. Whether you listen to the version on the Concert for George CD, or the Grammy Special in 2014, it remains the highlight of the Beatles recordings. The best version will always be the original by George
I hope this isn’t a duplicate. But here’s Ringi’s drums isolated. Genius. All four of those guys really made the entire group.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vvmwhqGciA4
I thought that McCartney sang the first line “Something in the way she moves”,
then George sang “attracts me like no other lover”
then McCartney sang “Something in the way she moves me”.
That first and 3rd line sounds EXACTLY like McCartney.
Does anyone else hear that?
I hear McCartney singing the first and 3rd line on the 2nd verse as well.
Listen again Bob. That’s all George. You don’t really think that George would have let Paul step on his “baby” do ya?
Where exactly are the handclaps? I made a playlist of all the Beatles songs with one or more members doing the handclaps. It says something has handclaps.
Do someone knows who played rythm guitar on Something ( or any Beatles song) ? Is there a list somewhere ?
John plays the rythym guitar on almost all Beatles songs, don’t know who if anyone played rythym on Something, this info is provided at the beginning of the post
Does anyone have a definitive answer to which bass Paul played on Something? Some people have it that he used his Ric but an equal number say it was the Höfner? Many thanks
Is this possible ric? because I think his voice is like a rickenbacker. this is just my opinion only.
Paul also had a Fender Jazz bass. Can’t tell which one myself.
This has already been asked here but nobody seems to have an answer, where exactly are the handclaps on this song? People seem adamant that they are there but I can’t seem to hear them anywhere unless they are deep within the mix or hidden under the sound of the snare.
I’m pretty sure people are confusing this song with “Here Comes The Sun” because I don’t believe there are any handclaps either.
I think they’re on the “I don’t know” parts before the solo. Either that or my brain is placing them there.
I confirmed with the mogg files. The claps are during the “You’re asking me will my love grow” segment immediately after Ringo’s cymbal trills. Hard to hear without isolating the drum track.
“Michael said: ‘Oh, you wrote that? I thought it was a Lennon/McCartney’.”
Harrison replied * “No, Michael. You don’t own that one.” LOL!!
* reply is a fictitious should-have-been.
Listened on an iPad and am now pretty much converted to the slide side. Or at least when I play the solo I sound more like the record than I do without.
Maybe I’m looking for black cat in dark room but now I think that in this song George in some way speaks to Eric Clapton.
In other words “you stick around now it may show” addressed directly to him
is there an acoustic version by harrison alone? during the beatles? not the instrumental. it’s definatly a studio version. i believe it’s harrison’s vocals alone. i can’t seem to find it anywhere. it was so beautiful and powerful 🙁
lyra
What you probably thinking of is the version found on Anthology 3. That is the demo version of Harrison playing unaccompanied on his Fender Telecaster I believe. He had yet to finish the lyrics for the song at that point. I don’t no if that was the first play through for the boys, but apparently they were all highly impressed, and rightfully so.
Regards,
Corvus