Sorry for another Beatle OT thread, but thought some folks here might know the answer to this. I always thought Lennon played the distorted lead part on "Happiness Is A Warm Gun". Wikipedia says it is Harrison. Seems very Lennonesque. This had got to be one of the strangest recordings the Beatles ever did. The time signatures are really weird. In the doo-wop part it seems like Ringo is playing 4/4 and everyone else is in waltz time (never noticed this before). A little bit obsessed with this song right now...

One of my all time favs of Lennon, and on The Beatles. A very interesting song with a lot going on. I believe it is Lennon as well, but let me check Lewison's book. It sound like the same tone Lennon used on The End and during John Lennon Plastic Ono Band.

Together with 'Strawberry Fields' it's my favourite Beatles song. Yeah, George played fuzzed lead guitar on it...

2 1 2 0

They were being ironic. They didn't really mean it.

Quote
71Tele
A little bit obsessed with this song right now...

Can't blame ya...the song is one of their best.

I assume you mean before the "I need a fix..." part. It could be John or George, it's hard to tell. It's certainly an overdub. What's interesting, too, is there's a tuba in that part (mixed very low and playing the same notes as the bass), and Paul has a tremolo effect on his bass.
Also keep in mind since we're talking abut Keith not playing much the past few years, George kinda was the same back then. When he picked up the sitar, he, in his own words, said he very rarely touched a guitar, except for recording, which is why his guitar playing on the White Album, brilliant as it is, is kind of stiff.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-29 10:17 by tomk.

One of the best damned songs he and the band ever recorded ...
absolutely messed up lyrics, but the playing is top notch.

My bets are on Harrison ...

Yep, John had the nasty voice and George the nasty guitar-sound...

2 1 2 0

When I first listened a lot to this song at age 11 or so, the nature of the guitar's distortion made me think one of the Beatles was playing some kind of weird kazoo! Only later did I realize it was a guitar.

The book The Long and Winding Road: A History of the Beatles on Record by Neville Stannard says the guitars are in 3/4 time and the drumming in 4/4.

George's guitar is on Track 4 of Take 65(First Half of Take53 and Second Half of Take65 on Sep 24,1968).

Epiphone Casino (John)
Rickenbacker 4001 (Paul)
Gibson Les Paul (George)
Ludwig (Ringo)
Piano (Paul)
Tambourine (Ringo)

Fuzz sound is George's Les Paul and Marshall Amp.

Hmm... I thought HIAWG would let into WHITE ALBUM MULTI TRACKS SEPARATED.

DISC ONE
BACK IN THE U.S.S.R.
01. Vocals and Backing Vocals
02. Guitars
03. Bass
04. Piano and Sound Effects?
05. Drums

HELTER SKELTER
06. Vocals and Backing Vocals?
07. Guitars #1?
08. Guitars #2?
09. Drums

BIRTHDAY
10. Vocals and Backing Vocals?
11. Guitars?
12. Bass?
13. Percussions?
14. Drums

REVOLUTION
15. Vocals and Backing Vocals?
16. Guitars #1 & Piano?
17. Guitars #2?
18. Bass
19. Drums

DISC TWO
WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS
01. Vocals and Backing Vocals
02. George’s Guitars and Bass
03. Eric’s Guitars
04. Piano and Acoustic Guitar
05. Drums

DEAR PRUDENCE
06. Vocals and Backing Vocals
07. Guitars and Sound Effects
08. Bass
09. Drums



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-29 09:57 by Toru A.

That ain't no Marshall amp.

Quote
His Majesty
That ain't no Marshall amp.

You are a test pilot of marshall amps?

2 1 2 0

Title is a takeoff on the "Peanuts." I remember as a kid, you'd see Peanuts and Snoopy posters all over the place. "Happiness is a warm puppy," etc.






Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-29 14:59 by tatters.

Lennon got the title from an Amercian National Rifle Association slogan 'Happiness is a Warm Gun in your Hand' which George Martin saw in a magazine and showed to John.

Lennon: "I read it, thought it was a fantastic, insane thing to say. A warm gun means you've just shot something."

It's not clear who played the overdubbed low note guitar solo.

The guitar amps used during the recording of The Beatles was Vox Conqueror, blonde Fender Bassman, blackface Fender Showman and Fender Deluxe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-29 15:19 by His Majesty.

I always thought it was a reference to heroin and the "gun" being a needle.

Quote
Elmo Lewis
I always thought it was a reference to heroin and the "gun" being a needle.

I think Lennon refuted this notion in interviews. At work so I don't have any of my Beatles books with me, but I know he's at least discussed it.

At any rate, I am with 71Tele and everyone else here - this song IS obsession-worthy. Far as the guitar solo goes, to me it SOUNDS more like Lennon melodically, especially the snarl and menace it conveys. But all sources I have read say it's Harrison.

Who knows - I only recently found out it was Lennon and not George doing the lead guitar on "I Want You (She's So Heavy)".

Quote
His Majesty
Lennon got the title from an Amercian National Rifle Association slogan 'Happiness is a Warm Gun in your Hand' which George Martin saw in a magazine and showed to John.

Lennon: "I read it, thought it was a fantastic, insane thing to say. A warm gun means you've just shot something."

Okay, then the NRA got it from The Peanuts!

Quote
tatters

Quote
His Majesty
Lennon got the title from an Amercian National Rifle Association slogan 'Happiness is a Warm Gun in your Hand' which George Martin saw in a magazine and showed to John.

Lennon: "I read it, thought it was a fantastic, insane thing to say. A warm gun means you've just shot something."

Okay, then the NRA got it from The Peanuts!

What ever makes yah happy.

Quote
tatters

Quote
His Majesty
Lennon got the title from an Amercian National Rifle Association slogan 'Happiness is a Warm Gun in your Hand' which George Martin saw in a magazine and showed to John.

Lennon: "I read it, thought it was a fantastic, insane thing to say. A warm gun means you've just shot something."

Okay, then the NRA got it from The Peanuts!

Exactly. Peanuts was HUGE in the 60's.


As far as guns, in 1968--the year of the King and RFK assassinations--it was clear that the Beatles were lampooning gun-loving thinking.

I've often wondered if since then someone has heard this song and not gotten the joke.

Quote
theimposter

Quote
Elmo Lewis
I always thought it was a reference to heroin and the "gun" being a needle.

I think Lennon refuted this notion in interviews. At work so I don't have any of my Beatles books with me, but I know he's at least discussed it.

With the line "I need a fix, cause I'm going down", it seems it could easily be referencing heroin usage.
I always thought it did (and still think it does), regardless of what Lennon may have later said.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

That I need a fix part obviously relates to heroin usage and in context the title/chorus implies it does, but it's far more ambiguous.

The first verses were free associated, random lines by Derek Taylor and John.

It's a hodge podge of varying influences, references and musical ideas.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-29 19:10 by His Majesty.

The lyrics are amazing, particularly "Mother Superior jumped the gun". This album came out when I was 10, and I remember being utterly confused and transfixed at the same time by this song.

I always thought it was John, but now I kinda tend to think it could be either one... but I'm sticking with John. Here's why:

Lennon plays that descending arpeggio bit in the very beginning ("she's not a girl who misses much" ) and the guitar tone on that part is kinda murky. Even though it's a Leslie, it sounds to me like the tone knob is rolled off on the guitar. That's John. I think George is playing the trebly, staccatto guitar "burst" parts that come in on the "she's well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand" blah blah blah bits. The murky fingerpicking bits keep going all through that first section, they're centered in the mix and the stacatto bits are on the right.

Then when it goes into that "I need a fix" part, there's an edit, and there's suddenly no more arpeggio guitar...it's gone. But the lick that comes in, it really sounds to me like Lennon's hollowbody Epiphone casino, with fuzz. That guitar tone is very murky, not a whole lot of treble -- to me it's the same way that the tone is murky in the very beginning of the song, which was Lennon, just with no Leslie and more fuzz this time. It's not that high piercing wailing sound that George (or Paul) would normally use for a lead. And it's still in the center of the mix, where John just was.

My main reason for thinking all this, is that I can point to lots of examples on the White Album where George has that trebly, piercing guitar tone and plays those sharp, staccato type chords -- Savoy Truffle, for example, which was recorded on October 5, about one week later. And "Hey Bulldog" from earlier in '68 has George playing those same type of ascending riffs as the "Mother Superior jumped the gun" riff, with a similar guitar tone.

Then the guitar stops playing that solo, when Lennon starts singing "I need a fix cause I'm goin' down" -- to me that's another clue, since at this point in his studio career, Lennon very seldom sang and played guitar at the same time, you can kind of see that happening all over their recordings. Unlike the early days, by 1968-69 in the studio he's usually either JUST singing or JUST playing guitar, seldom doing both at the same time, until they got back into it with Get Back or Let It Be. So that makes me think it might be Lennon playing that lead, and George is just kinda vamping along, with the other guitar, waiting for the "Mother Superior" bit to start.

THEN when it goes into the "Mother Superior jumped the gun" part, the guitar in the right speaker, it jumps right into the riffing thing, which to me sounds very George-like, but it kinda jumps in a half second late, like "Ah, got it! Next part!" instead of leading the way into it.


I also feel like the guitar that is playing the main lick or solo we are talking about is John, because it just has that AUTHORITY to it, that guitar KNOWS how this crazy complicated song goes, while the second guitar in the right channel, is just kinda filling in or vamping through that part, trying to keep up. And the lead has that Lennon THING -- it's kinda lewd and risque sounding, it has a little musical joke in it with that ridiculous bending note....George wasn't ever quite so cerebral and earthy, in what he played.



This is all just guessing. It could very well be George, he played some great stuff on the White Album, no argument there.

anyone who dismisses The Beatles as boy band crap clearly have not heard this song.

Quote
His Majesty
That I need a fix part obviously relates to heroin usage and in context the title/chorus implies it does, but it's far more ambiguous.

The first verses were free associated, random lines by Derek Taylor and John.

It's a hodge podge of varying influences, references and musical ideas.

Yes - hodge podge is a good way to describe it. It's a great song - one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES...Love all the stuff going on it. And I agree the "happiness" started w/ Peanuts.

Quote
memphiscats

Quote
His Majesty
That I need a fix part obviously relates to heroin usage and in context the title/chorus implies it does, but it's far more ambiguous.

The first verses were free associated, random lines by Derek Taylor and John.

It's a hodge podge of varying influences, references and musical ideas.

Yes - hodge podge is a good way to describe it. It's a great song - one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES...Love all the stuff going on it. And I agree the "happiness" started w/ Peanuts.

A nicer word for hodgepodge is "pastiche".

Quote
Turning To Gold
I always thought it was John, but now I kinda tend to think it could be either one... but I'm sticking with John. Here's why:

Lennon plays that descending arpeggio bit in the very beginning ("she's not a girl who misses much" ) and the guitar tone on that part is kinda murky. Even though it's a Leslie, it sounds to me like the tone knob is rolled off on the guitar. That's John. I think George is playing the trebly, staccatto guitar "burst" parts that come in on the "she's well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand" blah blah blah bits. The murky fingerpicking bits keep going all through that first section, they're centered in the mix and the stacatto bits are on the right.

Then when it goes into that "I need a fix" part, there's an edit, and there's suddenly no more arpeggio guitar...it's gone. But the lick that comes in, it really sounds to me like Lennon's hollowbody Epiphone casino, with fuzz. That guitar tone is very murky, not a whole lot of treble -- to me it's the same way that the tone is murky in the very beginning of the song, which was Lennon, just with no Leslie and more fuzz this time. It's not that high piercing wailing sound that George (or Paul) would normally use for a lead. And it's still in the center of the mix, where John just was.

My main reason for thinking all this, is that I can point to lots of examples on the White Album where George has that trebly, piercing guitar tone and plays those sharp, staccato type chords -- Savoy Truffle, for example, which was recorded on October 5, about one week later. And "Hey Bulldog" from earlier in '68 has George playing those same type of ascending riffs as the "Mother Superior jumped the gun" riff, with a similar guitar tone.

Then the guitar stops playing that solo, when Lennon starts singing "I need a fix cause I'm goin' down" -- to me that's another clue, since at this point in his studio career, Lennon very seldom sang and played guitar at the same time, you can kind of see that happening all over their recordings. Unlike the early days, by 1968-69 in the studio he's usually either JUST singing or JUST playing guitar, seldom doing both at the same time, until they got back into it with Get Back or Let It Be. So that makes me think it might be Lennon playing that lead, and George is just kinda vamping along, with the other guitar, waiting for the "Mother Superior" bit to start.

THEN when it goes into the "Mother Superior jumped the gun" part, the guitar in the right speaker, it jumps right into the riffing thing, which to me sounds very George-like, but it kinda jumps in a half second late, like "Ah, got it! Next part!" instead of leading the way into it.


I also feel like the guitar that is playing the main lick or solo we are talking about is John, because it just has that AUTHORITY to it, that guitar KNOWS how this crazy complicated song goes, while the second guitar in the right channel, is just kinda filling in or vamping through that part, trying to keep up. And the lead has that Lennon THING -- it's kinda lewd and risque sounding, it has a little musical joke in it with that ridiculous bending note....George wasn't ever quite so cerebral and earthy, in what he played.



This is all just guessing. It could very well be George, he played some great stuff on the White Album, no argument there.

Agree completely with your analysis. That guitar part just sounds "John" to me all the way!

The guitar in question was played by Blondie Chaplin in another room.

Song shoulda been called "Happiness Is A Warm Blonde".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-29 21:09 by Elmo Lewis.

Quote
Elmo Lewis
I always thought it was a reference to heroin and the "gun" being a needle.

He could also have been talking about his "love" gun, as seen on the cover of the Two Virgins album.

So many ways to take words ...