Old Brown Shoe

"Old Brown Shoe"
Single by The Beatles
A-side	"The Ballad of John and Yoko"
Released	30 May 1969 (UK) 4 June 1969 (US)
Format	7"
Recorded	16, 18 April 1969 Abbey Road Studios
Genre	Rock
Length	3:16
Label	Apple
Writer(s)	George Harrison
Producer	George Martin
The Beatles singles chronology
"Get Back" / "Don't Let Me Down" (1969) "Ballad of John and Yoko" / "Old Brown Shoe" (1969) "Something" / "Come Together" (1969)

"Old Brown Shoe" is a song written by George Harrison that was first released by The Beatles as a B-side to "The Ballad of John and Yoko". It is also available on the Beatles' compilation albums The Beatles 1967-1970, Hey Jude and Past Masters, Volume Two.

Composition

Harrison commented about this song: "I started the chord sequences on the piano, which I don't really play, and then began writing ideas for the words from various opposites... Again, it's the duality of things – yes no, up down, left right, right wrong, etc."^[1] This idea was also prevalent in their earlier single, "Hello, Goodbye"^[2].

Recording

The Beatles' recording of this song features lead vocals from Harrison, and backing vocals from John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The unusual bass sound was achieved by tracking McCartney's bass with Harrison's lead guitar.

In a two part CREEM interview (published December 1987 and January 1988) George Harrison said that he played bass for the piece. Extract from the interview:^[3]

• Creem: You also told me you played bass on "Old Brown Shoe."
• George: It’s like a lunatic playing.
• Creem: It sounds like McCartney was going nuts again.
• George: That was me going nuts. I’m doing exactly what I do on the guitar.

Although Lennon did play guitar on the track, his instrumentation was removed and replaced by the organ sound.

The song was recorded during the sessions for the Abbey Road album. The group had previously performed the song a number of times over three days during the Let It Be sessions at Apple Studios in January 1969, which have been widely bootlegged.^[4] Harrison made a solo demo on electric guitar at EMI Studios on 25 February 1969 (along with "Something" and "All Things Must Pass"), which was released on Anthology 3 in 1996.

In 1980 John Lennon claimed that he was responsible for the inclusion of "Old Brown Shoe" as the B-side of "The Ballad of John and Yoko" single.^[5]

Personnel

• George Harrison – vocal, guitars, organ, bass guitar
• Paul McCartney – backing vocal, piano
• John Lennon – backing vocal
• Ringo Starr – drums

Personnel per Ian MacDonald^[6]

Cover versions

• Gary Brooker performed the song at the Concert for George in 2002
• Leslie West covered the song on the 2003 album, Songs from the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison.

Notes

1. ^ The Beatles Interview Database 2006.
2. ^ Turner 1994, pp. 139–140.
3. ^ Kordosh 1987.
4. ^ The Beatles Bible 2008.
5. ^ Sheff 2000, p. 166.
6. ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 347.

References

• "Abbey Road". The Beatles Interview Database. 2006. http://www.beatlesinterviews.org/dba11road.html. Retrieved 29 October 2006. 
• Kordosh, J. (December 1987). "The George Harrison Interview". Creem Online. Creem Media, Inc.. http://www.creemmagazine.com/_site/BeatGoesOn/GeorgeHarrison/Interview001.html. Retrieved 5 June 2011. 
• MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 978-1-84413-828-9. 
• Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying. London: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-25464-3. 
• "Old Brown Shoe". The Beatles Bible. 2008. http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/old-brown-shoe/. Retrieved 17 August 2008. 

External links

• Alan W. Pollack's Notes on "Old Brown Shoe"
• George Harrison Creem Interview