The Mystery Bass of While My Guitar Gently Weeps
George Harrison’s 1968 song While My Guitar Gently Weeps is often cited as one of the finest songs written during his tenure with The Beatles. But there’s a mystery buried in the track that recently has become the subject of renewed debate among Beatles scholars and fans alike: who is playing the bass part? As a fair warning, once I point this mystery out, you can’t unhear this 😉
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Originally posted by UC0QwGb6erlvTQE_bFbrGmKw at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDCMK2VPeBA
Happy November! I hope you enjoy this new pre-holidays episode about one of my favorite George Harrisongs. Who do YOU think is playing bass here? Let me know in the comments!
“No one diverted you.”
Everyone thinks John and Paul were the main songwriters, and while that is fair, George wrote here comes the sun which is arguably the most popular Beatles song. And obviously many others like this one. It sucks that they broke up when they did because who knows how many more great tunes George could’ve written, especially with the help of Lennon and McCartney. All things must pass is maybe the best of all their solo records.
Far too basic for me to get remotely interested. Yet to find a Beatles song that I didn’t cringe with embarrassment for the band .
? If it's McCartney playing bass, wouldn't the bass be left handed. Which can only mean, he is playing the bass.
If it is the Fender six, which would be right handed, how could McCartney play it upside down. Which only leaves the two other right hand players.
Who would also have to play a left handed bass upside down, if either played the four string. Unless the left handed bass player brought his right hand bass.
I wish Lennon/McCartney had let George contribute more songs to their albums.
There is a video of the Beatles recording some of the song, Paul McCartney was playing bass in the video
bwuh
The bass is addressed by Paul McCartney 1 2 3 and he said it was George harrison friend and said it would have been even a great song on it's own. It would be great to hear all the things that the Beatles taped again all on 8 track pity about Gorge Martin didn't listen to John lennon to record the whole lot of the songs on 8 track again for it sounds so much better
There is no 4 string bass on this track. It's the Bass VI played by John, not Paul, because as someone pointed out, the Bass VI The Beatles had was a right handed instrument. The second instrument in the bridge is a regular electric guitar doubling the Bass VI part.
Well I think the most accurate lineup is the one up my buttcrack
Can't you just contact Paul and ask him?
Bass was played by Paul, stop the bullshit.
[joke] answer: Lennon–McCartney played the bass
Pauls around! Why don't you ask Paul but Paul played it on the fender.
not bad the the non musical members of the band. quote George Harrison
Ask Paul……
"Fender Jazz Master" 6 string bass.
Im sorry but your wrong… as I remember, John was playing the Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI which he played often. well at least when he played bass. I apologize.. yes thats exactly what john played.
Perhaps someone could ask Paul to clarify.
I wonder why its a mystery just call Ringo Starr or Paul McCartney they were there
Most likely John on Bass 6; it's simple enough and has a John feel to it?
Thanks
Without George Martin they would still be playing in pubs
Nine to five or six to four
It seems to me that yes indeed, this awesome raw powerful bass line could not have been produced only by Paul's hofner violin bass which has a great sound but, excuse me, is a sissy version of bass (imagine Flea with a hofner violin ? ????)
So what's the mystery that I can't unhear? That it may have been someone other then paul playing bass??
It’s not the first time a guest guitarist appeared on a beetle album. Someone else played the guitar on Paul McCartney‘s track here, there and everywhere.
George’s friend who stole his wife.
NO I DEA I Didnt even notice it really and iam not too keen on a base in light music arrangements while others really notice it if it isnt there so sorry no offence it makes no difference to me at least ( only if it was a solo guitar performance for instance like Marke Knofler playing solo and possibly making a point of a base guitar sound anyway its irrelevant thanks all the same ( it wasnt very interesting really ) !!!!
Silly video.. We all know it was John on the Fender Bass IV…
I think there were many guitar solos we assumed were played by George but were actually played by others like Paul and John and Eric. I think George's solo ability was over blown. Listen to his early songs as proof.
In 3, 2, 1 McCartney Episode 1 Paul seemed to confirm it was him playing bass on While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
A chorus must have been played by Paul! It is so beautiful!
Friend? I question that! Stole a wife!!!
Maximum Respect! Fabulous Produced Doc
Its only a mystery, if you doubt the guy who said it was john. And he would know. So it was john , like he said. And the Beatles were turned on to the 8 track by the beach boys,, good vibrations,,, while on break they went to California and spent time with them . And zappa, laurel canyon.. of course the place
I heard that George brought Eric Clapton because John and Paul didn't take the song serious. George stormed in to the studio with Eric and began recording
The story I heard with ringo on the white album is that paul recorded the drums for ussr and he realized soon he could be replaced so he returned. Seeing this video it makes sense since they used the 8 track recorder
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Hot Take: George Harrison is the best song writer of the Beatles
Paul McCartney talks about this baseline with Rick Rubin and his most recent 2023 or 2024 interview
Paul did it
I've always just assumed it was John because of the play style. John played the bass much more aggressively than the others.
bring on the hate, my opinion is, who cares. this group like so many others were garbage as far as live entertainment, by that i mean when they all actually played live no one cared what they were hearing they were just in the moment of hearing this group live. to me real music is what comes from the person or group as they play the music, not hours or years of recording different things over and over and mixing it together until you get the sound you want to sell to the unsuspecting public. stand on a stage and sing if you have talent, don't produce it with technology and tell me its music and you are a genius. this video actually says this, it doesn't say anything about real talent, just mixing sounds. from what i remember is most british groups just played so loud you couldn't understand what you were hearing.
Can anyone just ask Paul and Ringo?
"Paul Paul Paul"
Sounds like a guitar doubling Paul’s line on the bridge, tic tac style.
On pet sounds the bass was doubled with organ pedals
If its been established that the bass was overdubbed after the initial backing track was laid down, this then does not rule out that Paul played it. Although It’s cool to think that it might be John. It does sound like a guitar player playing bass. And if it is John, then a non bass player has put down one of the coolest bass parts ever laid down in the history of rock!