Drive My Car - Who Played Lead?

[JakeK]

From what I hear in the isolated right channel of my headphones, it sounds like two guitars. Perhaps George playing slide on his Strat and Paul on the Casino?

I think this was the time George was leaving the Gretsch Tennesean/Country Gent sound behind, and used the Strat as his main guitar for Rubber Soul. Also around this time, Brian Jones of the Stones and George were starting to hang out quite a bit. Could Brian have possibly told George about slide?

[revolver323]

I'm a bass player. but I have to agree that whoever played the solo guitar on "Drive My Car" didn't use a slide. The slide parts that are mentioned previously in "Another Girl"are very similar to the parts that a replayed on"Ticket To Ride" during the fade out where it goes in to double time.

"For I have got ..." slide? part ... "another girl" ...
"My baby don't care..." slide? part

[sloop_john_b]

I'm a bass player. but I have to agree that whoever played the solo guitar on "Drive My Car" didn't use a slide. The slide parts that are mentioned previously in "Another Girl"are very similar to the parts that a replayed on"Ticket To Ride" during the fade out where it goes in to double time.

"For I have got ..." slide? part ... "another girl" ...
"My baby don't care..." slide? part

No no, there's no disputing the fact that there's a slide on "Drive My Car". There is.

IMO, neither of the tracks you mentioned have slide guitar.

[revolver323]

Yeah, I Agree that there is no slide on "AnotherGirl" or "Ticket to Ride."

Google for "slide guitar on Drive My Car" and you will find the link to "Secrets from the Masters," A book in which George is interviewed. Google for "Secrets from the Masters Guitar"and you'll get a page with the link to the top. On page 106, George says this: "There's a number of songs that Paul played lead on, or John did, but people just think that because it said 'lead guitar,' it was all me. Paul played slide actually on 'Drive My Car. That wasn't me. ...'

So, I stand corrected. Like I said, I play bass ...

Nice excerpt from this book.

:

[JakeK]

Well, that answers everything...

[rickboy88]

Once you hear enough of Paul's leads, you start to recognize his sound and style. In his book "Here, There, and Everywhere," Geoff Emerick notes that sometimes George would really struggle with a guitar solo, so sometimes Paul would do one instead.

I love many of Harrison's later solos such as from "Something" and the pretty slide guitar that starts his single "Blow Away" (I still have the original 45 with jacket), but it appears he did struggle at times, especially with Paul playing the solo for "Taxman," which was George's song.

Not to slight the others, I've always felt that Paul was the most natural musician of the four.

[rickboy88]

Here is more backing info on Paul playing the lead in "Drive My Car":

http://www.thecanteen.com/mccartney5.html

If you get the chance, "flip" through the web pages. Interesting info and good images.

[biffblaine]

Pretty sure it was Paulie! Could swear I read that in a book, not word of mouth.

[ric330]

Then George was driving the car...

[rick36]

I'll stick my neck out here. After hearing this track literally hundreds of times, I am absolutely 100% certain that John is playing slide on "Drive My Car" as well on "Run For Your Life" and George plays lead on both. John stated he wrote the latter - a throwaway - as a favor to George (although he was extremely proud of the early slide work on a 'Pop' record)...

[Bosifis1]

From what I've read, it was George on the solo until the end-where it was Paul on the slide. But, then again my book isn't any better than the others. To add more fuel on the fire---Hear the guitar on the right channel after, "I told that girl that I could start right away"??? Was there an unused lead guitar over the last verse and this part leaked into the final mix? OOOOoooooh!

Regardless, a GREAT song. No matter who played what. AND my 2nd favorite album opener(I Saw Her Standing There 1st. Taxman 3rd)