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I Don't Want to Spoil The Party - Lead Vocals
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:09 am
by mikestop
Was wondering if this one is John singing both parts on the verses. It has always sounded like his voice and phrasing on the lower harmony. I have always heard this credited to Paul but both voices sound like John to me. Anyone know for sure???
Mike...
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:41 am
by scottpro1969
Sounds like it to me Mike, John on both. When "though tonight she's made me sad" it's definitely Paul doing harmony.
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:47 am
by mrkite1963
I agree with Scott, it sounds to me like John harmonizing with himself during the verse and Paul coming in with high harmonies in the chorus.
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 7:25 am
by mikestop
Hi Dave. Just listened to it a few more times and I'd swear it's John singing both parts on the verse. Pauls voice is very distinctive on the higher harmony during the "though tonight she's......" section. I'm usually able to pick out the voices on most of there background and harmony vocals. This one has always (to my ears anyway)sounded like ALL John on the verse. Might be another small fact that we'll never be 100% on!
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:04 am
by beatlefreak
It's actually quite hard to tell, the lower harmony is blended so well with the melody. Because it is blended so well, it's quite possible it is John singing both parts.
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:18 am
by soundmasterg
John is doing the high part on the verses, and switching to the low part on the chorus. Paul does the high part on the chorus. George is actually doing the low part on the verses. As far as I know, this is the only song they did with George and John doing harmonies with each other like this. I read that it was George doing the low parts on the verses in a little book about the Beatles, but I can't recall the title at the moment. If you listen closely, you can tell it is George on the lows on the verses.
(I know I'll catch flak for this so let it fly!) I'm sticking to my guns!

Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:24 am
by jt10824
To the best of my knowledge, Paul doesn't sing on Tomorrow Never Knows at all, neither on the released version or the Anthology version. Are you sure you're not confusing it with another song?
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:27 pm
by karl_teten
'I Don't Want To Spoil The Party' is one my favorites!
John Lennon beat Gram Parsons in the official country-rock race by several years with this one....Buck Owens beat and all.
Check out my song written in 1988 titled 'Look Around You Girl' for IDWTSTP inspired.
http://www.myspace.com/theallisons1989
That's 22 year old me in 1989 on all guitars and all vocals. Lead is a '84 RIC 370WB!!
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:54 pm
by cowboy_joe
Definitely John and Paul--Lennon was a good singer on his songs, when he wanted to be, but Paul is and was a great VOCALIST, if that makes any sense. I think John was fully aware of what he could sing, and what he couldn't, and left those type of songs to the others.
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:52 am
by glass_onion
one of my all time fav tunes this - dig the " though tonight...." part. just awesome.
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:15 am
by lawton
Just to throw my thoughts in here -- I've always thought it sounded like John & George on the verse (John melody, George harmony) with Paul singing melody on the chorus (John harmony there). As to John & George doing all the vocals on a song (no Paul), there is one -- "Words of Love."
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:06 am
by jt10824
In his book, Geoff Emerick remembers John, Paul, and George doing their vocal parts on Words Of Love gathered around a single microphone. Incredibly, the song was recorded along with eight others in a single day. (The others included I Feel Fine and the intro and outro to Eight Days A Week.)
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 7:46 am
by westtexasrickenbacker
Have to agree with John on the Buddy Holly tune. Not simply based on "Here,There and Everywhere", but other books citing it as well.
"Words of Love" is the three, not just John and George.
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:34 pm
by scottpro1969
I hear Paul on Words of Love also.
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:21 pm
by shamustwin
Is WOL three voices/harmonies? For years my pal and I have been doing it, but it always seems something's missing (talent?

)
I figured it was two parts, each double tracked.
If there are three part harmonies, two of them are very, very close. That's hard to do!