Long, Long, Long
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Long, Long, Long" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by The Beatles
from the album The Beatles |
||||
| Released | 22 November 1968 | |||
| Recorded | 7 October 1968 | |||
| Genre | Jazz waltz, folk, psych folk | |||
| Length | 3:04 | |||
| Label | Apple Records | |||
| Writer | George Harrison | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| The Beatles track listing | ||||
|
||||
"Long, Long, Long" is a song written by George Harrison, and first released by the The Beatles on their 1968 album, The Beatles (also known as The White Album).
Music analyst Alan Pollack said the song has "an off-beat mixture of styles typical of the times: a three-way cross between jazz waltz, folk song, and late sixties psychedelia."[1] Critic Richie Unterberger wrote that "Long, Long, Long" is one of the most underrated songs in the Beatles' large discography.[2] Ian MacDonald also argues that the song is Harrison's "finest moment" on The Beatles.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Background
"Long, Long, Long" is a love song, though as Nicholas Schaffner notes, it is "the first of dozens of Harrison love songs that are ambiguous in that he could be singing either to his lady or to his Lord." Harrison later stated that it had been written about God.[citation needed]
According to Harrison's autobiography, I Me Mine, the rattling heard at the end of the song was the result of a bottle of Blue Nun wine sitting on the Leslie speaker. When Paul McCartney played a certain note on the Hammond organ the bottle began to rattle.[3] To compound the sound, Starr recorded a fast snare drum roll.[4]
Under the working title "It's Been A Long Long Long Time", recording for the song began on 7 October 1968.[4] The Beatles, minus John Lennon, recorded 67 takes of the rhythm track, with Harrison on vocals and acoustic guitar, McCartney playing a modified Hammond organ, and Starr on drums.[4]
[edit] Personnel
- George Harrison – double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitars
- Paul McCartney – backing vocal, Hammond organ, bass
- Ringo Starr – drums
- Chris Thomas – piano
- Personnel per Ian MacDonald[3]
[edit] Cover versions
The song has been covered by My Morning Jacket lead singer Jim James on his 2009 EP Tribute To as well as by Low on their 2004 box set titled A Lifetime of Temporary Relief: 10 Years of B-Sides and Rarities.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Pollack, Alan W. "Notes on "Long, Long, Long"". Notes on ... Series. http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/lll.shtml.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Review of Long, Long, Long". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:pb4tk6axwkbg.
- ^ a b c MacDonald (2005) p323
- ^ a b c Lewisohn (1988), p. 159.
[edit] References
- Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
- MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-844-13828-3.
