If you are a true fan of the Beatles and have been following the band for some time then you might know that “Something” is one of their most famous tracks. Something was written as well as composed by George Harrison which really showed his songwriting talent however, he had a hard time in the band because the band was dominated by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
And because of that oftentimes, Harrison’s talent was neglected. However, talent is Something that is not hidden even if you try to hide or ignore it so there are several of Harrison’s songs in the band that is loved by the fans. Among Harrison’s songs, Something is also pretty popular but did you know while recording this song Harrison gave unthinkable and direct orders to Paul McCartney? well, even if you don’t you are about to know now. So let’s get right into the topic without wasting any more time.
George Harrison gave unthinkable orders to Paul McCartney
As mentioned above, George Harrison wrote the popular song “Something” and since it was his song, he wanted it to do it in his way. He wrote this iconic song in 1969 and this is a very romantic track, and Harisson didn’t want anyone to interrupt his composition.
Since it was his song he also demanded or ordered the band various things however, according to record producer Geoff Emerick, Paul McCartney started the recording by playing a bass line. He said, “Paul started playing a bass line that was a little elaborate, and George told him: ‘No, I want it simple.’ Paul complied.”
Although many might think that it started hard feelings between two the musical legends but it was just a simple act by Harrison as it was his project and Paul also compiled Harrison’s demand. Talking about it more Geoff Emerick said, “George told Paul how to play the bass? Unthinkable!” Furthermore, he also said that Harrison really wanted to do this song on his way and that song was his “baby.”
Geoff also said, “Everybody knew it was an instant classic.” And clearly, they were right because it is now considered one of the best tracks from the Beatles. Moreover, it is also the second most covered song of the Beatles as it was also covered by many iconic musicians including Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. It was so hit that it was on the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, West Germany, and Canada.
Furthermore, according to Geoff Emerick, Harrison also played his “personal best” guitar in this track which makes this song so much more powerful. He said, “He played a guitar solo, but a few days later he decided he wanted to redo it. By that point, we only had one track left and that was for orchestral overdubs. George cut a new solo live with the orchestra. It was a gamble, but he did it in one take, and it was beautiful.”
Fans wanted to know who was the inspiration for this song and in an interview when Harrison was asked the same thing he said, “Maybe Pattie, probably.” However, in 1969 Harrison said that his song was about “nothing.”
