Paul did not play bass!

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:04 pm

...on some Beatles' recordings. Can anybody come up with a list with songs that either John or George did? This is something I didn't know til I read it on this forum, thank you very much!

apollo11 · Post by **apollo11** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:27 pm

Lennon, bass on Hey Jude
Harrison, bass on Old Brown Shoe

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:50 pm

There's a thread at Voxtalks with tons of replies that has a pretty good list....

bosifis · Post by **bosifis** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:13 pm

Didn't George play bass on "She Said, She Said"?

glass_onion · Post by **glass_onion** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:19 pm

harrison on old brown shoe? is that for real?

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 3:21 pm

I've heard that Helter Skelter is another one Paulie didn't play on. Maybe Taxman too? And yes, Harrison on Old Brown Shoe is for real.

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 3:53 pm

Harrison on "She Said, She Said" because Paul left in a huff for some reason. Paul played the guitar solo on "Taxman" but I think he also played bass.

swedish_nick · Post by **swedish_nick** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 3:53 pm

Paul definitely played bass on Taxman.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 5:56 pm

It was Lennon on "The Long and Winding Road" and most likely "Let it Be" as well.

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:05 am

I wonder what song George is playing here?
I think it was during Abbey Road.
Wish there was a full shot.

maplered · Post by **maplered** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 1:52 pm

George played bass on Hey Jude, not Lennon. That photo of George w/ the jazz bass is probably from Golden Slumbers. He did play bass on that one.

Paul did play bass on Old Brown Shoe. He doubled George's guitar line. George basically wrote the bass line and Paul doubled it.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 12:24 pm

I always thought Paul played bass on the recording of "Hey Jude".

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:42 pm

From Lewisohn's "The Beatles Recording Sessions": "Thursday, Aug. 1, 1968 -- Between 5 and 8 p.m. on this day Paul McCartney overdubbed a bass guitar and his lead vocal ... Then from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. the orchestra was recorded for the musical build-up during the song's long refrain. (The bass guitar part was wiped in favour of a separate track for the strings.)" The next day, final mixes were done. Piano, guitars, drums and a scratch vocal had been recorded the previous day according to the book. Nowhere does Lewisohn say that McCartney redid the bass part but if it was wiped, wehave to assume that Paul redid the bass after strings were added. At any rate, he did play bass.

danbind · Post by **danbind** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:41 pm

Later, they mimed to a film for "Hey Jude", where George was shown "playing" a Fender VI--this is the source of the misconception.

According to "Beatles Gear" by Andy Babiuk, John or George played the bass part on the Fender VI relatively often, when Paul was playing something else. "Back in the USSR" was actually recorded during a period where Ringo had briefly quit, with a basic track of Paul on drums, George on guitar, and John on the VI. John also overdubbed Fender VI on Helter Skelter. George played it on "Honey Pie".

Paul played ALL the instruments on "Why Don't We Do It in the Road", actually (according to Babiuk).

revolver323 · Post by **revolver323** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:26 am

Why DON'T we do it in the road, by the way? Still the great unanswered musical question of all time ...