Yes It Is
| "Yes It Is" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| A-side | "Ticket to Ride" |
"Yes It Is" is a 1965 Beatles song written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney) which was first released as the B-side to "Ticket to Ride". It features some of the Beatles' most complex and dissonant three-part vocal harmonies and showcases George Harrison's early use of volume pedal guitar.
Composition
In his 1980 interview with Playboy, John Lennon described it as an attempt to rewrite "This Boy" (the style of the song) that "didn't quite work".[1] Paul McCartney on the other hand described it as "a very fine song of John's", and said he was present when Lennon wrote it.[2]
Musical Structure
The Song is in the key of E and begins (on "If you wear red tonight...") with a I-IV-ii7-V7 chord progression (E-A-F#m7-B7) in which the word "tonight" (B melody note) appears as a "delicately haunting" 4th above the F#m7.[3] The melodic pitches of this first two bar phrase are repeated (with initial repetition of the G# melody note) on "remember what I said tonight," except that the B melody note on the second "tonight" is now backed by a ♭VII (D) chord that shapes the B melody note into a more "luscious" 6th.[4] The chorus ("Yes it is, it's true. Yes it is, it's true") involves a I (E chord)- III (G# chord)- IV (A chord)- I (E chord) progression in which the major III (G#) chord appears for the first time in the Song to propel the Plagal drop from IV (A) to the tonic I (E) chord.[5]
Recording
Over the course of a five hour recording session, the Beatles attempted fourteen takes of the basic track before perfecting it,[6] more than any other song they recorded in 1965.[citation needed] It was recorded on 16 February, the same day that they completed Harrison's "I Need You".[6] After completing the rhythm track, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison recorded their vocal harmonies in three hours, singing live together.[6][7]
Release
"Yes It Is" was released as the B-side of "Ticket to Ride" in both the UK and the US.[8] American pressings of the single erroneously show "Yes It Is" as being from the film Eight Arms to Hold You (the original title for the film, Help!),[9] in which it did not appear.[10]
The song was included on Beatles VI in the US, and on subsequent compilation albums including Love Songs, the British version of the Rarities album, Past Masters, Volume One (on which it made its first true stereo appearance), and also on Anthology 2 in an alternative version that combines the second and fourteenth takes. The original mono single mix appears on the Mono Masters CD as part of The Beatles in Mono box set.
Influence
Billy Joel said in a 2008 interview on the nationally-syndicated Rockline radio show that his 1980 song "Through The Long Night" was modeled after "Yes It Is."
Personnel
- John Lennon – double-tracked vocal, rhythm semi-acoustic guitar
- Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, electric bass guitar
- George Harrison – harmony vocal, lead electric guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine
- George Martin – producer
- Norman Smith – engineer
- Personnel per Ian MacDonald[11]
Notes
- ^ Sheff 2000, p. 196.
- ^ Beatles Interview Database 2009.
- ^ Dominic Pedler. The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles. Music Sales Limited. Omnibus Press. NY. 2003. p721
- ^ Dominic Pedler. The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles. Music Sales Limited. Omnibus Press. NY. 2003. p721
- ^ Dominic Pedler. The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles. Music Sales Limited. Omnibus Press. NY. 2003. p112-113
- ^ a b c Lewisohn 1988, p. 54.
- ^ The Beatles Bible 2009.
- ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 200.
- ^ Harry 2000, p. 1074.
- ^ Harry 2000, p. 504.
- ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 146.
References
- "Help". Beatles Interview Database. 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
- Harry, Bill (2000). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Revised and Updated. London: Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0-7535-0481-2.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-844-13828-.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: length (help); Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - "Yes It Is". The Beatles Bible. 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
