Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 18 September 1968
Producer: Chris Thomas
Engineer: Ken Scott
Released: 22 November 1968 (UK), 25 November 1968 (US)
Paul McCartney: vocals, piano, handclaps
John Lennon: vocals, backing vocals, lead guitar, handclaps
George Harrison: bass, handclaps
Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine, handclaps
Pattie Harrison, Yoko Ono: backing vocals, handclaps
Mal Evans: handclaps
Available on:
The Beatles (White Album)
The opening song in the second half of The Beatles' White Album, Birthday emerged from a jam in Abbey Road's studio two.
The Beatles had scheduled an earlier start for their 18 September 1968 session, in order to watch the classic rock 'n' roll film The Girl Can't Help It. It was showing that night for the first time on British TV, on BBC Two between 9.05 and 10.40pm.
I had mentioned to Paul a couple of days earlier about The Girl Can't Help It being on television during this evening. The idea was to start the session earlier than usual, about five o'clock in the afternoon, and then all nip around the corner to Paul's house in Cavendish Avenue, watch the film and go back to work.
So on the day Paul was the first one in, and he was playing the Birthday riff. Eventually the others arrived, by which time Paul had literally written the song, right there in the studio. We had the backing track down by about 8.30, popped around to watch the film as arranged and then came back and actually finished the whole song. It was all done in a day!
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
Chris Thomas was standing in for George Martin, who was away at the time. Paul McCartney's memory is that the song was a joint effort with John Lennon.
We thought, 'Why not make something up?' So we got a riff going and arranged it around this riff. We said, 'We'll go to there for a few bars, then we'll do this for a few bars.' We added some lyrics, then we got the friends who were there to join in on the chorus. So that is 50-50 John and me, made up on the spot and recorded all on the same evening. I don't recall it being anybody's birthday in particular but it might have been, but the other reason for doing it is that, if you have a song that refers to Christmas or a birthday, it adds to the life of the song, if it's a good song, because people will pull it out on birthday shows, so I think there was a little bit of that at the back of our minds.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
John Lennon, interestingly, later claimed that the song had been written in India. While this has been disputed by others, he did throw some light on the sound effects that can be heard towards the end of the song, particularly after the final chord.
That, like all The Beatles [White] album, was written in India. Once we had our mantra, we sat in the mountains eating lousy vegetarian food with a lot of time to write all those songs. Paul wanted to write a song about birthdays, so he did that one. It's a piece of garbage, but there is one interesting sound in it: We put the piano through a guitar amplifier and put the tremolo in, which may have been the first time that happened.
Playboy, 1980
Birthday was a straightforward song to record, and all four Beatles contributed. Backing vocals were added by Pattie Harrison and Yoko Ono, and all - including the group's assistant Mal Evans - recorded handclaps.
Based around a standard blues structure, Birthday contains one of McCartney's finest vocal performances on the White Album. Perhaps the soundtrack to The Girl Can't Help It - which featured Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Fats Domino and others - played a part.
According to Paul, who should know since he was there, Birthday is a collaboration of him and John, the only such song on the White Album.
If it was a collaboration, it probably was one of the weakest, as the song sounds as if it was made up on the spot.
According to the comment from Paul (from his own book), it was made up on the spot.
I think it was collaboration but not a 50-50. Though paul said it was, John´s and chris thomas comments indicates that it was mostly a McCartney's song.
Don't you believe Paul?
Isn't Many Years From Now, Paul's revelations of the songwriting story?
Who knows better?
Paul McCartney or Chris Thomas?
There is definitely more than one guitar on this song whether it's John overdubbed or Paul or George. Listen carefully to the remastered version.
Certainly not a particularly great song but a really enjoyable performance. Sounds like they had fun doing this one, unlike most of the album. How is it that Pattie Harrison was the only Beatle wife allowed to contribute to recordings?
Paul plays lead guitar on this also