| "Oh! Darling" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by The Beatles | ||
| Album | Abbey Road | |
| Released | 26 September 1969 | |
| Recorded | 20 April – 11 August 1969 | |
| Genre | Rock and Roll | |
| Length | 3:26 | |
| Label | Apple Records | |
| Writer | Lennon/McCartney | |
| Producer | George Martin | |
| Abbey Road track listing | ||
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"Oh! Darling" is a song of The Beatles composed by Paul McCartney[1] (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and appearing as the fourth song on the Abbey Road album in 1969. Its working title was "Oh! Darling (I'll Never Do You No Harm)".[2] McCartney later said of recording the track, "When we were recording 'Oh! Darling' I came into the studios early every day for a week to sing it by myself because at first my voice was too clear. I wanted it to sound as though I'd been performing it on stage all week."[3]` He would only try the song once each day, if it was not right he would wait until the next day. In order to make sure he got every precious first take right, McCartney would practice the song in the bathtub. He once lamented that "five years ago I could have done this in one take". In a 1980 interview with Playboy magazine, John Lennon said, "'Oh! Darling' was a great one of Paul's that he didn't sing too well. I always thought I could have done it better—it was more my style than his. He wrote it, so what the hell, he's going to sing it."[1]
After an early attempt at this song on 27 January, 1969 during the Let It Be sessions, Lennon announced, "Just heard that Yoko's divorce has just gone through", after which he and the band burst into an improvised version of the song, substituting "I'm free at last" for a part of the lyric.[4] The song and the following improvisation are included on the Beatles Anthology 3 CD. The basic track was recorded on 20 April, 1969, but there were many overdub sessions, including multiple attempts at the lead vocal by McCartney (as described above).[2] According to Ian MacDonald, the backing vocals were "exquisite", but "sadly underplayed in the mix."[5] McCartney played piano and later overdubed the bass. George Harrison and Ringo Starr resumed their usual roles. Lennon had not turned up at the sessions yet but did offer a background vocal in an overdub session.
Credits
- John Lennon – backing vocals, piano
- Paul McCartney – lead vocal, bass guitar
- George Harrison – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Ringo Starr – drums
Notes
- ^ a b David Sheff (2000). All We Are Saying. New York: St. Martin's Press, 203. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
- ^ a b Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books, 174. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
- ^ The Beatles (2000). The Beatles Anthology. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 339. ISBN 0-8118-2684-8.
- ^ Mark Lewisohn. The Beatles Recording Sessions, 168.
- ^ Ian MacDonald (1994). Revolution in the head: the Beatles' records and the sixties. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 279-280. ISBN 0-8050-2780-7.
