Did John Lennon INTENTIONALLY Sabotage The Beatles With His Bass Playing?

[@BecomeABassist]

What do you think? Does this bass line actually deserve the hate it gets? Or do you think it’s not that bad?

[@reddederre4290]

Its a good bass line

[@oe1freak]

John´s Bass is in Tune, your´s is not, sorry...

[@unclemick-synths]

The bassline doesn't bother me but the vocal is so dominant in the mix that unusually for me I don't pay any attention to the bass at all.

[@KariKauree]

It is very sloppy but it never affected my enjoyment of the song. My preferred version is the one on Anthology 3 - same take as the released version, minus all the overdubs. Beautiful, despite John's sloppiness.

[@BecomeABassist]

@Helmuth Schulz - John's bass was definitely out of tune in the original recording. Have a look at the 2:44 mark for proof. I tried to emulate the 'amount' of intonation issues, but perhaps I went too far.

[@ownsaucee]

I wouldn't argue against the possibility that John was bored or even passive-aggressively not putting his best effort forward. But I always liked the bass on this track - it's minimal but I think the "strange" rhythm choices and sliding actually compliment the song really well to give it a bit of a lost feeling. The slides always caught my ear in a good way, and make me imagine footsteps disappearing into the darkness (just as it disappears into the piano dancing on some higher notes). One other thought: I believe Paul was not shy at all during this time, and would have easily been coaching John while they learned the song, and giving feedback if he didn't like what he was hearing. And no matter how petty John was feeling, I think he would respect the long-standing working mode between him and Paul where the writer of the song got the final say in how it was performed. That's my understanding anyway.

[@G8GT364CI]

I don't mind the slides but probably because I've heard it a thousand times in my life but I do hate the terrible out of time notes, early and late. This is horrible bass playing, I think he was high.

[@Kooky_Duzzfutz]

Obviously Paul approved of the bass line or he would have done it himself.

[@carlitobrigante330]

Bored, or even passive-aggressively not putting his best effort forward, is precisely how I would put it. Anyone who thinks the Beatles were operating as a well-oiled machine at this point is being somewhat naïve.

[@G8GT364CI]

@@carlitobrigante330 He was a junkie at that point and I would be willing to bet that he was high as a kite. The proof is in the pudding though, that's one of my favorite albums, I'm 69 so grew up with them.

[@carlitobrigante330]

@@G8GT364CI Quite possible, yes.

[@Supersony92]

If you're listening to this song You may think the chords are going wrong But they're not, we just wrote it like that

[@atomicwedgie8176]

I wrote the bass line, perfection! -Yoko Ono

[@RuudVanDrijver]

Well, it’s only a northern song after all..

[@jeremyallenglover6831]

It doesn’t really matter what chords I play, what words I say or time of day it is

[@TomMillerArtist]

Best answer.

[@Photologistic]

Thanks, George

[@elementrypenguin3116]

There’s a scene in the “Get Back” docco where Paul is instructing John how to play the bass on LAWR. John didn’t seem dismissive or upset. Paul was just trying to help him on how to play bass notes on a song Paul had written.

[@SBNewMe]

Yeah, it's a great scene. And let's not assume that for one minute, Paul the perfectionist, or George Martin would have let it pass if they weren't happy with it. I imagine it was quirkiness, if it's scene as 'off' bass playing by anyone else.

[@tikvision]

"Play Like me" what a great input

[@SBNewMe]

@@tikvision with a shit-hot bass player like Paul, indeed. He'd have played it himself if he could.

[@2DanTube]

I suspect John Lennon was suffering from a malcontent personality - typical of many creative types and frustrated want-a-be. His own lyric "I'm just a jealous guy." John's malcontent behaviors grew more intense towards the break-up. Thus Paul became happier on his own - and was glad not to be working with John anymore - though he toyed with the idea of one more gig reunion. But as the years went by - Pual discovered he no longer needed the Beatles. And in December 1980 any chance was over. John started the Beatles and John's malcontent attitude ended the Beatles - Chapman simply was the nail in the coffin. But for "Real Love" & "Free as a Bird."

[@SBNewMe]

@@2DanTube Nicely put - it was a great dynamic which worked well until they all outgrew each other. John is barely recognisable in the Get Back clips, so gaunt and lacking the physical and creative robustness and confidence of the earlier years. Still made some cracking tunes though, even though George and Paul were on a roll. What's fascinating was how he seemed to spring to life when they were on the roof - it was quite a transformation.

[@o.__felixxx]

Ive been a Beatles fan since i was a little kid and this song was one of my early favorites. Always loved the pure emotion that it carries, and i also alwayys loved the wierd slides that John does on the bass on that exact moment, idk it brings a magic feel to the song.

[@dreamitable]

I never noticed but I think you are right.

[@MichaelSotoCE]

The slides are like little Beatle-y snippets that remind you of their Beatle DNA Reminds me of the bass riffing on dig a pony

[@jackpatricklang]

The definitive LAWR for me will never be the Phil Spector version, with the over the top orchestra, but rather the version on "Let it be... Naked". A different take that is simply stunning. That version also features no mistakes from John, and is overall just a better arrangement IMO.

[@BecomeABassist]

@Jack Patrick - I agree. It seems like John just knew the song a little better by that point.

[@quark10051005]

@@BecomeABassist I think on Naked they digitally fixed the bass line

[@BecomeABassist]

@quark10051005 - I don't believe that's the case based on what I've found: web.archive.org/web/20100131010312/mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_naked_truth_beatles/ web.archive.org/web/20031205205124/www.jp.dk/kultur/advsog/artikel:aid=2118846:fid=9828/ It was just a later take, and likely the last/final time the band ran through the song.

[@johnmichaelson9173]

@@BecomeABassist Trust me they fixed bits & bobs on pro tools.

[@fromchomleystreet]

@@johnmichaelson9173Maybe, but it IS recorded five days later, so quite a bit of improvement may simply be down to him knowing it better. All the problems with the original sound exactly like what you’d expect from somebody who doesn’t quite know the song yet.

[@phila3884]

I actually think the notes are so burned into our consciousness now, they "work" in that the genius of the song survives even with musical "mistakes". If he was trying to sabotage the song, he didn't succeed!

[@BecomeABassist]

This is a *phenomenal* point @phila3884.

[@jobiazgarza9571]

this is my thought as well. I am used to the take as it exists, and it sounds correct to me.

[@G8GT364CI]

Yes, it sucks bigtime but would stick out like a sore thumb if it was changed.

[@carlitobrigante330]

Yep. And only musicians (at best) even care.

[@G8GT364CI]

@@carlitobrigante330 What's your point? Of course only musicians care, no one else could even pick that out. It still sucks though. 🤣

[@mars7934]

The 'take' used on the album is basically an early run through...it just happened to have a great McCartney vocal. Lennon wasn't too sure of the chord changes at this point so the bass is a bit uneven. Don't forget that those tapes were lying around for many months. During that time the Beatles split. The reason McCartney rerecorded the bass on Let It Be was because it was going to be their final single. McCartney was unhappy with the choice of take on TLAWR and the overdubs used on the album. He preferred the 31st January version as heard on Let It Be...Naked. The bass is fine on that version! Also there was a big argument about the release date of LIB and the McCartney Lp hence why he had little or no involvement in the albums creation.

[@scottscottsdale7868]

What so I need to listen to the original release version?

[@tillingspoon1592]

I don’t know man, they rehearsed songs a long time before trying to do a take, I doubt they even made a take before they at least learned it.

[@a.m.son222]

@@tillingspoon1592 That’s only half correct. Yes, they did do lots and lots of takes of these songs in rehearsals, but the version heard on Let It Be is a “rehearsal” version. It wasn’t being played in the moment with the intention of “this is a potential take for a record”.

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

@@a.m.son222 Exactly.

[@SamHarrisonMusic]

Well, this is clearly the truth... so often an earlier take thats a better take is let down by one of the band who isnt quite there with the changes yet lol!

[@vyaj]

The mistakes and bizarre glissandos are part of the song to me. I love it as it is.

[@davidmason7765]

Agree. But also, kids, don't think bass is easy enough that taking heroin won't matter ...

[@Larrymh07]

I agree. It lends itself to the sadness of the he song.

[@vyaj]

@@Larrymh07 great way to put it

[@Larrymh07]

@@vyaj Thank you, Tim!

[@Larrymh07]

@@davidmason7765 As a bass player I represent that statement! 😃

[@accam6734]

Funny, since John accused Paul of subconsciously sabotaging his songs.

[@karijohartmann2649]

I accuse John of projecting... not as bad as Trump... but who is?

[@JacksonWright-2006]

@@karijohartmann2649Biden for one

[@karijohartmann2649]

@@JacksonWright-2006 talk to me when he goes away for the good of all...

[@ewest14]

Which is funny since Paul probably worked harder on John’s songs than John himself did

[@daveh4925]

@@karijohartmann2649 i accuse you of projecting onto trump, understandable as the media portrayl is designed to make people hate him, contrast this to when he was a democrat he was the hero on every talk show and had a hit tv show, he was the first to have female building managers for construction and helped many black workers, a black homeless woman was washing and sleeping in trumps building when notified he let her be, i think he handled covid badly as lockdowns and injections where all bs and a money/control grab - something many choose not to see, he might be a bad guy an industry plant but he is self funded and the war machine and CIA want him dead which is actually a sign he may be a normal human - but liberals are tainted by abortion and godless virtue signalling damned to hell in the afterlife so we must suffer their ideology and risk of nuclear war, something they would imply trump would risk - John Lennon was a wife beater and a commie - he was talented but not a good guy

[@jclequy]

Not being a musician, I don’t have the musical theory to figure out what it was, but now that you demonstrate it, i understand the musical discomfort I always had when listening to it. The only “mistakes” that I like are the slides, which gave a distinctive style to this song, as it is never played like this anywhere, because McCartney would have never done it like that.

[@greycatturtle7132]

Same

[@karaamundson3964]

Not sure why Mr. Genius McCartney accepted this version!

[@robkurtzman7113]

John was very into 'slide' at the time having just done the excellent slide guitar solo and fills on George's "For You Blue". It makes sense that he might just have been curious about what he could get away with, sliding into bass notes (given that rare opportunity play the instrument)

[@danielplainview2584]

McCartney does slides a lot, especially on the White Album and Dear Prudence in particular.

[@davidgriffith3938]

I imagine John never thought he had put down a satisfactory bass track. As I understand it, the project was abandoned, and was only released after Phil Spector got a hold of the tapes.

[@mathuwhycough6591]

The bass never ruined the song for me. Maybe it contributes to it’s character. Taking it as is it adds a sorrowful nostalgia and almost angsty edge to a song I can image would strike Lennon as being potentially saccharine. Also, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t prefer a Phil Spector version of the Beatles.

[@havable]

I see the Beatles as being clever in as many ways as they can and trying not to repeat the same cleverness. This may have been purposeful dischord, which there are fans of (like me).

[@TheDylandProductions]

As good of a producer (and musical contributer!) as George Martin was, just listen to the Tony Sheridan stuff. It's night and day sonic difference. I might not prefer it, but I'd be interested to peak into what an alternate "Spector-ized" Beatles would've been like! (We kinda get that anyway on George's solo ATMP, and I love that album!)

[@greatsilentwatcher]

I always thought the bass line was inventive and made a great contribution to a wonderful song.

[@mathuwhycough6591]

also, the argument about the notes that ‘rub’ is really theoretical. It’s not like the potentially dissonant pitches are sustained in the same octave for long enough to bug most listeners.

[@phila3884]

My thoughts are similar. I've spent way too much time on this question. This song has that "the dream is over" quality. What was probably just a studio demo that Paul had John play on, because he couldn't play piano and bass at the same time, ended up good enough to make it on the album. He may have been less than thrilled with the song, but I don't think John is phoning it in- it sounds like he was really trying to play well, but the missed notes now sound perfect, if unintentional.

[@craigcavaliere6744]

Good video. Don't fret. The song went to #1 and all of us non-musicians don't notice it.

[@tahquameken]

The Beatles never did anything the "right" way, did they? That might be why they were so good and considered musical geniuses.

[@SgtZaqq]

I had never heard this song before I started watching this video, but after listening to the original version I have to say the bass line sounds alright.

[@GregMcNeish]

I'm a guitar player beginning to pick up bass, and I think this stands as a great example of how guitar & bass are different instruments. Sure, they look the same, and mechanically they're pretty similar, but the musicianship that goes into each calls upon different sensibilities. Lennon was a good guitarist (and obviously brilliant musician in general), but he wasn't a bassist, and this showed it. Not the sloppiness, which as you illustrate was just a product of a not-great take, but the choices. I like the subtle changes you make, because it's taking the same general musical ideas and not just playing them like a bassist but INTERPRETTING them like a bassist. You show the little contrasts that make up how to THINK like a bassist. Great video. I'll definitely be checking out more of your channel.

[@segodnyamozhno]

disagree. i play the guitar and i can play the bass line like this easily, and I bet John could. of course the guitar and the bass are different instruments, but it's a very easy bass line for a guitarist

[@GregMcNeish]

@@segodnyamozhno That's actually not at all what I was saying. The playing itself wasn't what I was talking about, and yeah, it's not technically difficult to play. What I was saying was that the video illustrated how a guitarist and a bassist might COMPOSE the part differently, by THINKING of different things.

[@segodnyamozhno]

@@GregMcNeish that's true. sorry for misunderstanding

[@GregMcNeish]

@@segodnyamozhno All good. Keep on rockin'

[@ericray7173]

Bass is a wonderful art my friend, you’re gonna love it.

[@westfield90]

I found it interesting that both McCartney and Spector didn’t overdub the bass prior to the release. McCartney did go back into the studio with Harrison and Linda and re-recorded the backing vocals, some piano and organ, limited orchestra and of course bass onto Let it Be so I’m nor sure why he didn’t do the same for Long and Winding Road. As for me I felt the bass was dubbed quite low in the mix and didn’t notice the timing or off notes but rather thought it was a nice subtle bass line which actually fit the song. All I picked out was the slides to the notes and the long slides which I liked and felt added to the song.

[@streamofconsciousness5826]

We Quantize the mistakes after a few listens. Cross over knowledge from learning about Mixing. Their example was Drum Fills, "it's a bit off but I'll fix it later", to eventually thinking, and I paraphrase you "didn’t notice the timing or off beats but rather thought it was a nice subtle fill which actually fit the song. All I picked out was the "moment later" hits and the real lazy ones which I liked and felt added to the song". Cheers! 🍁

[@TheRagingPlatypus]

These are good points. The overdubbing...no clue why that wasn't done. On the not noticing, years ago, yeah. Listen to it now with headphones...hard to miss.

[@kingboagart899]

@@TheRagingPlatypus If you're sitting in a studio with the artists, the producer, and the inevitable Cadre of professional hangers-on, there's nothing getting by that crowd, except sometimes when Clapton shows up to see if he can steal your females. That could have taken their minds off of the subject at hand.

[@colinmcdonald2499]

It was a very bad song. A very f-in bad song in 1970. Seriously a Tom Jones cover would have been better. I think if they cared they would have left it unreleased. Phone-it-in.

[@johnsain]

Who would dare overdub what the Beatles did?....Spector was taking enough liberties by adding a wall of sound to block out Lennon's mess.

[@Hammerman48]

Paul could easily have overdubbed his own bass line…..but he didn’t. End of. I suspect John thought that Paul would be doing it so he didn’t worry about it. It was just jamming on his part.

[@johnapp]

I thought that too. Then maybe they wanted to record every song basically live on this album. Just throwing that out there. Kind of like 1st album.

[@Hammerman48]

@@abcxyz53 I meant he WOULD have overdubbed his own bass if he KNEW it was going to be released......

[@keefer88]

This. You cant tell me they didn't make the song EXACTLY how they wanted it, like all their other songs.

[@Hammerman48]

@@keefer88 I think they just moved on from the Get Back project and made Abbey Road.....they were never ones to look backwards. That's why Phil Spector got the tapes and made a mess

[@snoosnoo7054]

Spectre had complete control over the release - how could he have included John's bass and then complain about its quality. Its pretty clear it was complete-nut-case Spectre deliberately fouling things up, famously releasing Paul's early LIB version behind his back if I remember correctly. Either way, John sabotaging the Beatles is utterly ridiculous, he knew the band would collapse if (and eventually when) he decided to walk away. Good click-bait title, very weak case though, and for the record the song still sounds brilliant.

[@thomasfioriglio]

Oh, I liked this!! What a great video and lesson Luke. I'm wasn't that familiar with the song to notice this before so thanks for putting this together. Great lesson for any bassist and your tweaks certainly do make it a better bass line. I would cool with it if you did more of these. As for my take on what happened, you'd have to look how it was recorded. It sounds like John was still trying to figure out what to play. And it would be the producer's job to catch that. I'm thinking it was either recorded live and McCartney did such a great take they decided to leave the bass line, or maybe John was high on some kind of drugs

[@BecomeABassist]

It could also be ALL of those things @Thomas Fioriglio. On the one hand, it still baffles me that this was OK-ed by so many people for release, but when you look at everything that was going on at the time with the band, I guess it's not so shocking.

[@susanndiaye2180]

Exactly - that's what I thought. He was high on drugs and he didn't care if the notes wasn't right. The Beatles must have agreed on this since they didn't changed it and made a new recording.

[@kristopherguilbault5428]

I don't think there's many more of these type of videos to do with the Beatles lol they were perfectionists! Especially Paul.. which baffles me about why if he didn't like this bassline why he would just overdub a proper one in? 🤔🤔🤔

[@Katya_Lastochka]

I think its a nice change for their more polished sound.

[@irisfromparis15]

The Naked version of the song is just perfect. Phil Spector just choose the wrong take as usual. Nothing was ok in his version of this masterpiece. I hated most part of Let It Be but with the Naked version it became one of my favorite Beatles album. It's just perfect!

[@ksinghldn]

this seems like the most likely explanation

[@frankrusselldesign7563]

Why didn't Paul just replace the bass line?

[@gilassp]

That is puzzling indeed, because he did replace the bass part in Let it Be (song). I think by the time Spector was brought in, nobody cared enough about all that material or project anymore, the band was in it's final days and they were occupied with other things.

[@mr_bassman6685]

@@gilassp Let it Be was already planned as their next single, thus it needed to be polished for release.

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

Don't think John knew or thought this would be the master take. He was struggling simply because he hadn't learned the chord progressions by heart yet. That's how I see it anyway. Or do we know this wasn't the case?

[@evertvdb000]

You are correct

[@ChuckBoris3]

I love those slides up the neck to nowhere in the song. Without it it sounds like something is missing

[@RicardoMartinez-oh9sq]

If you listen to contemporary bands like Finland's Nightwish, Let it Be sounds an amateurish album.

[@ChuckBoris3]

@@RicardoMartinez-oh9sq shut up nerd.

[@sminking-ky9jc]

@@RicardoMartinez-oh9sq I really wouldn't compare a metal band to the Beatles. Completely different genres of music. Also, Nightwish formed more than 20 years after the Beatles disbanded, how is that a contemporary band?

[@magneto7930]

I actually think John had a few good ideas for the bass line. These were live takes for which he probably didn't prepare himself enough for. You have to figure each take was a full band playing so any member could have messed up. Paul hit that sour note on the piano on Let it Be and they left it in the mix, although fixed on Let it Be...Naked. The same thing happened at the end of Two of Us when Paul hit a sour note on the acoustic guitar, for the release they used an alternate take ending.

[@Byzantinian]

Actually, it was John who made that guitar error on Two of Us. There's no denying Paul was easily the better musician. You're comparing one unnoticed note on a #1 hit (while singing a flawless vocal) to a much-ridiculed performance of the easiest instrument to play.

[@magneto7930]

@@Byzantinian Paul played the main lead guitar riff on Two of Us, that was the part that was messed up. I'm not pointing it out to show his flaws or make comparisons. I'm just saying it in general. I've been a Beatles fan since the '60s, as well as a fan of their solo years, I'm certainly not putting them down.

[@Byzantinian]

​@@magneto7930 ​ @MAGNETO You're wrong. It wasn't the lead riff... it was John's strumming. I implore you to look it up as there are many sources supporting this. You're the first person I've seen attribute this to Paul.

[@magneto7930]

@@Byzantinian if it was John then I apologize. I always thought it was Paul because he was playing the riff.

[@raebees2976]

@@magneto7930 it was Paul.

[@jayall00]

I listened to the let it be-Naked version and the bass line is hands down fantastic, compliments the song greatly. I listened to the normal remastered version and couldn't hear any bass at all so I think that's also great. Am I missing something?

[@BecomeABassist]

Possibly @Jay Dawg. Did you know that they're different takes of the same song? The Naked version was recorded 5 days _after_ the original album version (when it seems like John knew the song a bit better). And part of the reason you're struggling to hear any bass on the original version is because Phil Spector produced that song with the specific intent to 'cover up the mistakes', hence the huge orchestration and the low mixing of the bass.

[@jasonw6688]

I think Lennon's bass line gives this song an edge and a nice Beatles quality. You can dissect anything enough and find issues. But with this song, I wouldn't change a thing.

[@StreetPreacherr]

And I BET John WAS a bit BORED, and not exactly THRILLED to be paying bass on one of Paul's 'Grandma Songs'! Like in Radiohead's 'CREEP', where I've heard Johnny threw in that CRAZY ICONIC DISTORTED GUITAR 'noise' at the end of the first verse, because he thought the song was a bit 'boring' and he actually WAS getting frustrated during recording...

[@jasonw6688]

@@StreetPreacherr totally agree. Ever since the white album, John was hating more and more of Paul's songs. So he didn't care but at the same time knew he had to have some level professionalism about him. Yea I've heard that about Radiohead's "Creep" as well.

[@1960taylor]

John knew exactly what he was doing…..I preferred his version.

[@chickenmuffin]

Right? I think the dissonance and rough edges add to the music.

[@humanchannel7825]

@@chickenmuffin that’s just lazy.

[@humanchannel7825]

@Kevin Michael that’s because they could barely hear the bass because it was so low on the mix.

[@michaelblaney4461]

If it was recorded on a bass VI and is harder to get a nice bass tone out of then any standard basses. The design of the bass makes it hard to get good intonation and the strings are much lighter also.

[@johncongerton7046]

Especially on the E string

[@michaelblaney4461]

I just got some la Bella strings for my Bass VI and it has a .95 for the low E string and its 100% better then the previous set with a .84 😁

[@Bedroomfloorguitarist]

I’m sorry but this man is one of the only KZbinrs who can actually teach bass. Luke your absolutely amazing

[@mattlawson714]

Many can play bass very well. Few can teach it this well.

[@ChromeDestiny]

I'm surprised that Paul didn't have John play guitar and George play bass.

[@newusernamehere4772]

John's guitar style would've sounded even stranger on this song than the bass, I think ultimately they were just pressed for time

[@Fireglo]

Who's to say George's bass line would have been any better? They're both guitar players not bassists. The one who should have recorded the bass was Paul.

[@segodnyamozhno]

@@Fireglo No. If you play the guitar you can play the bass. especially bass line like this

[@glicmathan1771]

This was seriously enlightening! I LOVE your revised baseline!

[@victoroliveira9713]

Thank you very much Paul McCartney for releasing the clean version of this song on Let It Be Naked.

[@eranzilberberg341]

John brings his soul to this bass line. "There are no wrong notes" - Miles Davis

[@karlbaudoin]

I'm quite surprised to read some very negative comments to your video as I sensed in your endeavor a true humility and desire to do things properly. That was an instructive, daring but very interesting video. Maybe you could even have "corrected" this bass line by playing it the way Paul would have, mixing fonction with beauty and using more countermelodies and stuff like Paul used to do. Thanks for you work.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

Luke, yours is much smoother, and supports the song, instead of waffling through it. I especially like your change (and Paul's example you borrowed) where instead of half ass slides, you did ascending melodic bass notes in steps, with a descending bass slide for the end of the phrase.

[@wimmeininger7688]

I think he did it on purpose and I think that mr. McCartney approved. When he’d played the notes as it should, it would’ve been a slick love(sick) song. But with all the “mistakes” it gives the song more intensity. So in my opinion it’s more about the feeling the song transfers and note about what should or shouldn’t.

[@BecomeABassist]

I'm not sure Sir Paul _did_ approve - at least of the song as a whole @Wim Meininger. Between citing this song as one of the reasons the Beatles broke up, and him releasing the Naked project (which used a different take of LAWR), it seems like Paul has done an awful lot to distance himself from the original recording.

[@Klaus80804]

I agree - these "wrong" notes build a certain tension and makes the song even better. So Luke, this is your lesson here, never question a genius :-) !

[@wimmeininger7688]

@@BecomeABassist Hi Luke, I apologise, you're right. I checked the biography and Sir Paul was pissed about the remix Phil Spector had made from an originally mostly acoustic song. There already was a sale argument between Paul en John about John's bass playing and him playing the wrong notes. So wouldn't be surprised when the wrong bass notes ended up in the released version. Nevertheless, I still feel the wrong notes belong to the song and give it a kind of edge. But that's probably a personal thing.

[@kennethbarber438]

kind of like the people who say Dylan can't sing. Misses the point.

[@kwt7667g]

A fascinating analysis. Who can say what was going on during that session? It was towards the end the Beatles road. Just mailing it in? The question that kept forming in my mind was, "How did the song get out of studio in that state?"

[@BecomeABassist]

It's pretty much all speculation, but my best guess is that when Phil Spector was sent the tapes, he picked the performance with the 'best' vocal take (since that's what 99% of people will focus on) even if it meant releasing a bass line that wasn't great. Like I mention in the video, the takes from a few days later had WAY better performances from John.

[@wyrdstone85]

You’d have to ask “What kind of state was Lennon in at the time”?

[@alecrodriguez5037]

Ive always loved every component of this song. It is strange; it is unique, but that’s the Beatles

[@tony_machine]

Crazy this fits so well i coulda sworn it played like this already. So sweet

[@raulmacias5735]

James Paul McCartney sabotaged "Across The Universe"! Paul had the nerve to invite two Beatles fans to contribute backing vocals! You see, Pauly wanted the "A " Side for the next single with Lady Madonna!

[@BecomeABassist]

SCAMMER ALERT: There's an account that calls themselves "𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦👉Luke_From_Become_A_Bassist" that's been leaving comments about winning a 'prize' on this video and others of mine. This person is *NOT* me, they are in no way affiliated with me and there is no prize. They are in fact a scammer, phishing for personal information. Please do not interact with them in any way other than to report, then block them. If you've been targeted by this account, I'm very sorry. I've deleted all their comments for now, but these people are like weeds - very hard to get rid of completely. I actually went on Telegram posing as a 'winner' (read: victim) to see what the scam was. I was hoping to waste a bunch of their time, but it turns out they're very lazy in their scamming, but still quite convincing. They use my profile picture from here and you would have no idea you weren't talking to me. Once again, my apologies!

[@AlDunbar]

Apologies? You did nothing wrong - someone else did! A good explanation and a good response to the situation

[@PsyduckVideos]

I’m such a John Lennon fan that just to spite you for insulting this bass line I’m gonna purposely get myself scammed from this fella. Take that Luke (I forgot your name and can’t be bothered to check it)

[@SpaveFrostKing]

From a songwriting perspective, I'd say the best way to "fix" the Long and Winding Road bass is to see how Paul McCartney played it as a solo act (or with Wings). I'd say that's the way it "should" be played. I'd be curious if Paul's changed it at all over the decades; the longer he's been around, the more he's embraced the Beatles nostalgia, so my naive guess is these days it'd be pretty close to the original, while perhaps in the 70s/80s he spiced it up a bit.

[@BecomeABassist]

Here's a live version Paul playing this song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHexkoKja7popJo The issues I mention in the video are completely absent from this performance, which seems telling to me.

[@dreamarcher4018]

If you look at the song metaphorically “A Long and Winding Road” is a journey of ups and downs and is sometime discordant hence the choice of baseline which is sort of in most listeners’ subconscious. I have never thought it sounded bad and I sing an symphony choir and hear violins out of tune!

[@dmcgwhisper5945]

I love Johns long slides. It adds an emotion feel.

[@scottistrad]

In all fairness, the take that was chosen for the album was not supposed to be the final album take. That was recorded on January 31 but not used until the “Naked” album

[@regmunday8354]

Lennon said playing bass was like being kept behind after school to do homework. He obviously didn't enjoy it! But I like it because it has a little bit funky FRETLESS UPRIGHT BASS quality which I think Lennon has in mind when he recorded TLAWR. Finally, if you deconstruct their recordings there is sourness and offkey musicianship in almost everything the Beatles recorded ie Rubber Soul album. I don't care about any of that because the songs and arrangements are so amazing!

[@bryanleigh6497]

I find it often seems like their timing was off somehow.

[@christopherheckman7957]

Glissandos sound much better on fretlesses than fretted basses. Maybe Lennon wasn't able to lay his hands on one when they were recording TLAWR. (It might be interesting to re-record the original bassline using a fretless, and using Luke's improvement.)

[@pibroch]

@@christopherheckman7957 In general I think glissandos are infinitely better on fretted basses, and so do other bass players who prefer playing fretless but not when they know they'll be doing a gliss.

[@mr_bassman6685]

@@pibroch What? Where do you hear about bass players disliking glissando on a fretless bass? Jaco Pastorius would disagree with you...

[@pibroch]

@@mr_bassman6685 Have you compared glisses on a fretless v a fretted? Try it. They usually sound way better on frets.

[@TUSK1157]

Was it payback for Hey Jude? Did he leave it bad to take a sad song and make it better? 🤔😁

[@BecomeABassist]

Bahaha!!!

[@marshillnewengland2027]

Maybe Paul was referring to him taking a song to John that was sad?

[@094340]

The bass is so understated in TLAWR that it's practically irrelevant. Paul's vocals and the orchestration clearly take center stage, the bass line is an afterthought. Moving on.

[@KatharineShaw-z8u]

John said in his last ever interview in dec 1980 (Playboy) that Paul would sub-consciously try to destroy some of his great songs. I think he referred to "Strawberry fields" and "Across the universe" as examples. He didn't explain how. Maybe his lousy bass playing on "The long and winding road" was payback time.Anyway Phil Spectors great production job on that song covered up his bad bass playing so is it really important now?

[@B-kn8yb]

I think he knew exactly what he was doing, everything you took out is for me everything that added character to the song. Those random slide ups aren’t random at all and in the mix seem quite importantly timed to my ear.

[@gumbycat5226]

In his last interview about the Beatles (Playboy, 1980), John accused Paul of "subconscious sabotage," naming a number of songs. It's bizarre because this is the only incident in the Beatles where sabotage seems to have been the order of the day. Paul wrote four major songs for the LP and John wrote a ditty (Dig A Pony), having to resurrect Across The Universe from 11 months earlier. John also said (1970, Rolling Stone) that he was "stoned on H all the time and didn't give a s***" which is indicated on the 14 Jan "two junkies" interview that immediately preceded the session - he must have taken something potent to perform as we see him in Get Back. The terrible bass guitar playing may just have been H lowering his capabilities. The reference version of Long And Winding Road was recorded on 26 Jan - Phil Spector chose the version with the best overall feel and best lyric, and then smothered it with orchestra and choir presumably to hide John. Let It Be Naked features a take from four days later, with no Spector elements, worse lyric but at least John is in order.

[@chickenmuffin]

Poor Paul. Imagine how successful he’d have been without this “sabotage.”

[@moishe43]

I disagree, Paul wrote 5 major songs for the LP. Two of us, Let it be, Get back, I've got a feeling, LAWR. John had 'dig a pony' and that was it. Oh, and Don't let me down. One after 909 was from 1960. He wrote only the middle eight to IGAF and Across the universe a year earlier.

[@MyXxx77]

As a bassist myself, I never questioned it but you're right about everything you pointed out. Why did John play it that way and why did they leave it? I think Mars 79 has the explanation. Those tapes were lying around for months and most likely, the one that was chosen had the McCartney vocal Spector wanted on the same track as the bass so, he made an arbitrary decision and that was that.

[@davebowden4010]

Don't know of this is one of those instances but sometimes bands leave mistakes in due to the entire tracks vibe being spot on despite those mistakes. If you listen closely to some zeppelin tracks, even JPJ makes tiny errors here and there. But they stayed . And cover bands even add them in when they perform the tracks. Loving your vids mate. Ive studied McCartney for many years and learnt so many songs and every one surprises, inspires, and amazes me even after 100 plays

[@bryanleigh6497]

Yes, Squire's isolated bass on Roundabout is a bit scrappy, but great energy

[@robertfrazer8161]

This is why i love the internet/youtube/Beatle obsessives/nerds etc etc For over 60 years i've known this song, never have i thought anything was wrong with the bass! No one i know has ever mentioned the bass, i've never heard anyone else ever mention the bass, yet (apparently) the world is full of people who hate the bass and think it was deliberately "bad" (spoiler - it wasn't!). Some people need to listen to music and calm down! Sheesh!

[@BecomeABassist]

It's wild that different people can listen to the same song and have different opinions about it, right @robertfrazer8161?

[@EltonoutoftheclosetOfficial]

The bass parts in 'The Long And Winding Road' that are usually described as errors are *not* errors. John plays the same pattern *exactly* at the same three locations in the song (bar eight of each verse). Which proves that the pattern was pre-meditated and executed according to John's intent.

[@jonthecomposer]

First off, I don't think ANY musician or artist should be held to such a standard as what would be considered beyond reproach. Secondly, as a bass player, it's REALLY obvious that Lennon was pretty clueless here - whether stylistically or musically speaking. Remember, he was a "lyric man," and the vast majority of Beatles tunes (like LAWR) with any sort of sophisticated harmony was Paul's doing (some George's too). And even with Paul's instruction, you can just hear that Lennon is just "playing notes," not really interpreting or feeling notes. There's no shame in correcting a lacking bass line. And I think you did a bang up job of it too by holding true to the approach that was taken in the song. And I agree on all points, it just really needed a couple bad note corrections as well as some subtle stylistic (we're talking TASTE, not pandering) changes. Great job!

[@titochristian1968]

macfan says

[@jonthecomposer]

@@titochristian1968 Just objective views on bass playing having been a player and educator myself for 30+ years. I rarely even listen to McCartney.

[@Wayne_Robinson]

The song seems to have garnered quite a few plays over the years in spite of this which might also demonstrate something. Illuminated with a bright spotlight those do seem like defects although I'd never fixated on them before. To me the bassline sounds fine as a experiment with varying some attributes and having a bit too much fun with careless glisses like we all might during a rehearsal. Maybe they just focused limited resources on other issues that would have invited even greater scorn a few generations hence but I appreciate your exploration of this topic and promise to be more careful with glissandos in the future.

[@rainyday5654]

I praised this bass line to my friends in a message a couple of months back. I listened to the track again after watching this video. I will not recant what I said to my friends. The line is beautiful in its simplicity and taste. Spector chose the right track for his mix despite his misgivings for it.

[@lglg64]

I just discovered your channel, it's amazing! I just have to ask, what strings are you using?

[@benjati]

Hi, I like it when somebody shares his point of view on matters regarding The Beatles. I Think the D might better have been a Db, but the rest of it is a very nice, supporting bassline. (that's me thinking as a bassplayer). The slides sound to me like a very nice embellishment, especially if you keep in mind the close bandwith John had to deal with, in other words how Paul told him to play. But in the end it's all a matter of taste. I would however keep in mind to listen to it as a total. I like the original bass line, perhaps even because its capriciousness.

[@thedogwoods5716]

I always assumed Paul went back and recorded it himself for the album

[@Bella-nt7ec]

same

[@michaelwirth6843]

I have played electric guitars and basses for 30 years but I still love what Lennon does in this song. The slides are perfect and the dynamic change of long and short notes are also very good.

[@ChicCanyon]

Lol

[@havable]

Variation in note length is called "texture". You don't often see it in bass lines but John is a guitar player who played bass for a song. I've been playing guitar for about 30 years. Two years ago I picked up bass and can't put it down. I also use texture in my bass playing. Also, those "wrong" notes may have been 100% intentional and the rest of the band may have noticed them and called them "genius". Sometimes playing out of key is the right thing to do. "What the song wants" is what the creators want out of the song. But here's an alternate theory: John had the blues, remembering his friend Stu Sutcliffe, who wasn't that great of a bass player but was a true friend and a talented artist who would have gotten 'good enough' by the time the Beatles got a break. So maybe it was sabotage. Personally, I like how it sounds. What matters to me more is how it sounds not what it looks like on paper or whether it follows the rules that were made to be broken in the first place.

[@whyyeseyec]

Sutcliffe had no musical knowledge and couldn't play a note. Had he lived he would have been let go like Pete Best. No rip on him, he just wasn't a musician.

[@alexhicks5889]

Never thought of this as sabotage, but have thought about John's harmony in the last few notes of Yellow Submarine chorus as a hilarious bit of sabotage.

[@Bubdiddly]

Oh my god FINALLY someone mentions this I first noticed that awhile back and cannot I hear it

[@AngeloFonta]

Which harmony?

[@Bubdiddly]

@@AngeloFonta I’m not sure of the note but John’s harmony goes downwards to some weird low note on the “ine” part of submarine

[@AngeloFonta]

@@Bubdiddly are you talking about the Revolver version?

[@Bubdiddly]

@@AngeloFonta probably. I’d have to check

[@jiddyup]

I remember as a child really liking this bass line, maybe Paul hit a few imperfect note vocals too, I really liked them, they stood out to me, may it's dissonance, counter point from the sub conscious or deliberate, I'll never know

[@stewartcohen-jones2949]

Maybe I’m wrong here, but isn’t there a bit in Get Back where we see Paul telling John the bass line that he wants which John then does. In which case Paul sabotaged his own song.

[@davidmecey7209]

I think you guys are missing some of the most created Bass in the history of music. Lennon's Bass lines are perfect for that song along with the organ it takes you to a different place. It's perfect and not only do I think it was deliberate, I think McCartney was 100% onboard for the grove. Not everything is about being like a song should be. Your right in the sense that it makes non sense. But it not only works but works better than if you corrected it. It's a Beatles Masterpiece and I dont think for a minute that Lennon came up with that alone.

[@j.g.campbell3440]

I think he was stoned out of his mind - a great musician suffering from diminished capacity. I once submitted a term paper to a professional typist who was also quite stoned, with similar results. Thank God he wasn't a stoned truck driver on a "long and winding road."

[@derekmonson3276]

I’m a bass player so it’s surprising I never noticed this before. I can’t unhear it now. And the changes on your recording make all the difference in the world.

[@ryanflett4613]

Don't encourage him. If he wants to do a better bass line, write a better song. This video is like when losers singe "Little Help..." and won't sing "Get High..." You don't like it, let it go.

[@hughiepearce]

you could ask why Paul didn't go back in the studio and play the bass part himself?

[@PatapaloVideo]

There could be an easier answer... The engineer used the wrong track/bass take when laying together the record and they didn't notice until it was too late.

[@nitmoiprojects475]

I may agree with you. But the perfect changes you suggested made the whole song so perfectly robotic than John's flowing feeling. John may not be that super musically literate but he got that great musical feeling.

[@CGMiller]

This... people want perfection and want to complain about every aspect of a song that feels a little more "human". It's ridiculous. Music was never meant to be perfect.

[@handybunny]

How did I never notice this? I sincerely doubt it was intentional sabotage. I think John was on drugs, not used to playing bass, and screwed it up.

[@handybunny]

Nice Greco bass by the way!

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

You probably didn't notice because most of it is intentional. Yes, there are a couple of notes that clearly don't sound quite right, but that's about it. Most of the other "mistakes" line up with the other parts of the song that are going on at the same time.

[@stephenjones101]

John and the other Beatles made numerous statements indicating how controlling Paul was. How he took charge over the Beatles after Brian died. They felt like he was treating them as a backup band starting with Magical Mystery Tour. Assuming that's true, it seems Paul would have all the chance in the world to replace John's bassline with his own. But he didn't. Did John not GAF because he knew Paul would likely overdub his playing anyway? Or did Paul leave the out of tune John Bass track in to make him look bad in comparison with Paul's normal acclaimed bass playing? They were definitely at odds during this time period.

[@Chinachik]

John and Paul both preferred the naked version of this song and didn't care for so many of Spector's flowery strings, so John was sloppy on bass purposely...thinking that the sour notes would drive Phil so crazy that he'd scrap it. Turns out, however, that Spector was just crazy enough to let it be. lol

[@BecomeABassist]

That's interesting @RM Worthington - I hadn't heard that John preferred the 'Naked' version (which wasn't actually released until well after John's death). Do you have a source you can share confirming this? A link to an interview or something like that?

[@Chinachik]

@@BecomeABassist I don’t know if I can locate a source online as it’s something I read many years ago in an actual magazine article…you know, back in the days when everything was still on a hard copy. It’s just something I remember seeing about this particular tune. If I find the same article or excerpt online, I’ll certainly share it here.

[@johnnymoondog]

"The Long Unwinding Bass Strings ! ? "

[@RLWGWriters]

Surely if that was not the intended bass line Paul (the perfectionist) would have insisted on adding the correct bass line...?

[@BecomeABassist]

He may have if he knew the Get Back tapes were being prepared for release, but John had sent them (without Paul's or regular producer, George Martin's knowledge) to Phil Spector for production.

[@erkkinho]

@@BecomeABassist Actually Paul was shocked with the end product.

[@alexbowman7582]

John was great with words/lyrics. His songwriting was absolutely brilliant, his rhythm guitar was brilliant, his lead was adequate but Paul McCartney was a far better guitarist than John and I can only think that John couldn’t play bass and so Paul had to play bass.

[@tonyfederici1961]

If we subscribe to your thinking that John was trying to sabotage the Beatles on Long and winding Road. Then we also must subscribe to the fact that Paul on many occasions was also trying to sabotage the Beatles. For instance, he would do hundreds of takes with his own songs, while only doing a few takes of John song. However we know Paul was not trying to sabotage the Beatles. And we know John was not trying to sabotage the Beatles. It’s something that just happened. Paul was more interested in doing his own songs, that’s why he would spend more time on it. And John was not a bass player, that’s why his bass playing doesn’t sound good. Since Paul was very controlling about his songs, and he was giving George direction of how to play on his songs, I also would believe he gave John directions on how to play bass on the long and winding road.

[@michaelfinnegan3805]

Long winded and does not really make sense. John was a bitter asshole, just accept it.

[@duncan-rmi]

"sabotage" was ian macdonald's opinion. he also used the words 'atrocious', 'prodding clumsily', 'comical'... my copy of RITH falls open at this page. but yeah, you try playing a bass part to a song you've only heard a couple of times, when you're a guitarist & the nearest useable bass is a fender VI. it's the best performance of the song that they managed, but not the best take technically. by the time it was mixed, macca's ire was (rightly, imho) more focused on the unneccesary strings, the poor arrangement of which would likewise have incensed george martin. the story of the group dynamic is far more complicated than any of us can properly even guess at, because we weren't there. the best we can do is watch jackson's flick, & do lots of reading, maybe to consolidate the variety of mis-remembered half-truths (geoff emerick's recollection is especially flawed). as for doing loads of takes.... harrison's "not guilty" ran to over eighty & remained unused.

[@stevenhaisch8677]

I like the bass line the way it is, it's how I remember it, don't forget that the Beatles were breaking up at that time, Phil Spector was called in to Co-Produce the "Let It Be" album, and experimenting with musical signatures/and down beat timing such as the song "Drive My Car" was part of their creative genius, you may criticize, but when it was released as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beatles broke up, it became the group's 20th and final number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

[@BecomeABassist]

I think it reached #1 *despite* the questionable bass performance @stevenhaisch8677. I don't hear this bass line as 'experimenting' with musical elements like in Drive My Car. The ideas in that song are a very deliberate kind of thing, and the bass performance on TLAWR is definitely not. The take that ended up on the album was quite an early one and by the sounds of it, John just hadn't quite got his mind or his hands around the song yet. The take from Let It Be...Naked (which Paul selected rather than Spector) was recorded 5 days after the Spector version has a much cleaner bass performance. Plus you can actually hear it, rather than being buried behind Spector's wall of sound. Also, notably, a lot of the things I mention in this video (like the questionable tuning/note choices/timing) are absent from that take, which I think supports the idea that the inconsistencies in the Spector version are just mistakes/slips of the hands rather than conscious experimentation.

[@raspberryjuiceentertainmen719]

Huh so I guess I’m the only one who thought it was gonna be Helter Sketer

[@eranzilberberg341]

totally disagree! great CREATIVE bass line. a steady leangth of notes can sound a bit robotic as it sounds here. also - in my mind - it is a bigger crime to play a Hofner-like beatle bass with roundwound strings as this brother dose.

[@BecomeABassist]

If you want to send me a set of flats, I'd gladly accept. Lol

[@trebleclef46]

Just because a Beatle does not...does not make a dreadful mistake...."creative". It is simply WRONG.

[@llamaking1071]

@@trebleclef46 LMFAO. There does not exist "wrong music". You should listen to some Stravinsky. You don't have to follow rules if your ear is telling you otherwise.

[@ScarletVoodoo]

I'm gonna be honest, this is not one of my favorite Beatles songs, but as I've aged I've come to appreciate it more. Never really paid any attention to the bass on it and now I can't stop laughing. It's so strange to me that Paul being as tightly wound as he was about his compositions allowed this. He would've raked George over coals for playing anything close to this bad but somehow Lennon gets a pass.

[@TheOnlyPommyman]

It was Lennon. He wasn't going to have a go at him at all.

[@gpu213]

I think he was upset abt it actually, paul didnt like this take that phil spector picked, and this was an early take so probably john was being lazy bc they were still working it out, and he assumed this take wud never see the light of day

[@aleccumming4436]

I've always thought John's bass part was quirky and inconsistent, but for me that's the charm. The song is so middle-of-the-road to begin with, so the idiosyncratic bass playing gives it some well-needed personality.

[@Mansardian]

Just subscribed. I'm not a bass player. I'm writing my own songs and for the bass lines I use the vast variety of sampled basses out there. This really helps to get a better understanding what bass lines should be like! This is my third video in a row.

[@Bubdiddly]

“I’m gonna fix John’s bass” *removes all of the flavorful choices that make the bass line what it is*

[@scooopable]

You think wrong notes are flavorful? I'm aware of musical dissonance, but to my ear, it doesn't work here. It's just out of tune.

[@bodyer2120]

Lennon was extremely jealous of McCartney and as an narcissist he couldn't exploit Paul. However, he thought everything he did was the best and if he was here today he would still think his shitty bass was the best. Its not, it's jarring and damages a beautiful song...something that lennon was incapable of producing.

[@keepdufunk]

Dude, this is a masterpiece, it doesn't need anything done to it. I'm sure if you autopsy any classic or iconic song you will find performance issues. In this digital protools world we now live in human expression can't be found. The true feel and the art is in the imperfections. Cheers 🥂

[@onkelmarvin8360]

He hated many of McCartneys songs, and I totally understand him. They were not rocksongs, they were rooted in The British Music Hall tradition. Lennon was The Rebel.........McCartney was the nice guy, and thank god they made it work anyway.

[@dan2050]

John was a jealous guy and he was jealous of Paul’s superior melodies and talent. With the distance of time, we can all see that. John was bitter and jealous and so he stabbed his “best friend” in the back many times. That Paul never retaliated shows what a class act he is. Now 80, Paul wins every poll about favorite Beatle and has Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and many others singing his praises. The Get Back documentary showed the world who the true genius and leader of the Beatles was: Paul McCartney. His recent hit albums and tours show him going strong at 80! And he never hit women and was a great Dad as well. Even John admitted that Julian probably wished that Paul was his dad. When you think about it, John had a lot to be jealous about.

[@07087joenj]

@@dan2050 come down Macca fan.....you are getting carried away with your St Paul worship....

[@dan2050]

@@07087joenj Okay Jose. I guess you disagree but can’t express your opinion. That is sad but we are here if you want to try. We won’t laugh at your viewpoint. Go ahead now- what is your point about this topic or what issue do you have with the points I made. You can do it Jose!

[@dan2050]

@@07087joenj I guess my comment hit a nerve and you disagree but can’t express your opinion. That is sad but we are here if you want to try. Start with one of the points I made that upset you and try to refute it. You can do it Jose!

[@armondtanz]

@@dan2050 i think your comment is a bit of a reach. In the beginning it was lennon, those early tracks which made them world superstars , a lot were lennon. Also Pauls no mug, so to have EVERY SONG lennon & macca is paul giving a nod to the trailblazer. I also heard lennon say , all the anthem songs are maccas, but if he was bitter & jealous u wouldnt say that, jealous ppl dont shine a light on others. And finally if i had a pound for the amount of arguments off pink floyd, zepplin, bowie fans who have been able to slate the beatles by attacking them merry go round tunes macca put on them albums. I Read most of ringos songs were maccas. Songs i would break bones for tripping over to rip them from the airways : Oh bla bloody dee blah bloody dah Octopus garden Lovely rita When im 64 Lennon was the thought provoker, deep, much better lyricist. I remeber jon saying he wrote 75% of elanor rigby. Which strangely is one of my fav macca songs. Again paul had all cheesy lyrics. "Father Mcdoodle"... Saying that im not a massive 'Lennon solo' fan. So just proves what they both brought to table. Rivalry, jealousy, ego, showmanship, it all stares the creative pot. But my god, could those guys get the job done. Unrivalled to this day. The grand masters of them all.

[@retiredarchitect3462]

I always took it as an intentional "souring" of an overtly sweet tune. Never knew that John was playing the bass line.

[@ScoochCubing]

You definitely cleaned it up well. I kind of liked how it was a bit messy though. If there’s anything John wasn’t, it’s being straight forward. And that’s what made him great

[@bassistwithadeathwish7277]

Making a mistake on a recording is like spitting into eternity I don't know who originally said this but this is a great point

[@herbertburack8941]

Paul was a perfectionist. Had he thought the bass was horrible he would have corrected it. Guys, get lives!

[@alexanderSydneyOz]

Exactly.

[@pibroch]

They did correct it, on a later take.

[@ianpatrick3589]

Frankly, this is not an issue. Lennon is gone. He cannot explain himself. Let it be.

[@AB-mt9nf]

Clearly he didn’t know the chord changes. Simple as that.

[@BecomeABassist]

I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't 100% all over it @A B. From what I can tell, the originally released performance was from an early-ish take of the song. It could be that he was still coming to terms with the harmony.

[@IsaacWale2004]

You hardly notice it in the mix, so I don't think it ruins the song...

[@RodrigoFernandez-td9uk]

Well, John being British, passive aggressive behavior should be one of the first hypotheses.

[@BecomeABassist]

Being British, the next thing you know, he'll be at war with France. Lol

[@MarvinLikoPuha]

I love your suggestions.😀 You "made it better."🎸

[@BecomeABassist]

Haha!!! I just did my best to not 'make it bad'.

[@theLeftHandedDog]

This is fascinating... very interesting... but I'd say there are ENDLESS examples you could find of mistakes in a lot of Beatle songs... I think they LOVED making mistakes and leaving them in... did it all the time. Also, as far as coming in late... same thing. There's George's guitar solo in "All You Need is Love"...super behind the beat... which MAKES the solo, I'd say. I can't think of other examples right this minute, but... lots of them. Oh here's one; the way "I Want You (She's so heavy) ends... Boom! Over! When that record came out, everybody demanded a refund - till word got out. BTW, I can't stand The Long & Winding Road! Super Smaltzy, and I'll bet John hated it too... wouldn't be at all surprised if he was uninterested in taking it seriously.

[@BecomeABassist]

Oh for sure. There's even sites where *uber* Beatles nerds catalogue all the 'mistakes': wgo.signal11.org.uk/html/alpha-index.htm There are plenty of them for sure, but the slow 'schmaltz' of The Long And Winding Road means that they're extra noticeable (even if Phil Spector did his best to cover them up).

[@Ballarattrumpetguy]

Fancy anyone asking Spectre about making mistakes!?

[@hqhq4611]

I always hated LAWR and thought it schmaltzy as well but I think a lot of the reason for that is Spector's dreadful, cheesy orchestration. Somewhere on KZbin I heard a different version without all the yucky strings and it was infinitely better IMHO, but still one of my least favorite Beatles' tunes.

[@emmo5637]

@@hqhq4611 have you heard the version on let it be naked. i’m pretty sure it’s an alternate take and without the orchestration.

[@hqhq4611]

@@emmo5637 This is the version I heard although I don't remember it being this short. Perhaps there's a longer version somewhere. Interesting to note that Lennon appears to be playing a Fender Jaguar, not bass. I'll check out Let It Be Naked version, thanks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4fWmnyuesRpha8

[@jeffmurray1681]

When are people gonna realize that part of the Beatles greatness was that they didn't play things the way one is "supposed to" play them.

[@StoryPaul]

As always great content, Luke! I doubt John had any ill intent. But I love the bass work on the 1984 version from the "Give My Regards to Broadstreet" soundtrack.