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The Beatles' songs, albums, photos, places and much more, including a day-by-day guide to their career from 1957 to 1970 and beyond, plus profiles of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and many others.
The Beatles' songs, albums, photos, places and much more, including a day-by-day guide to their career from 1957 to 1970 and beyond, plus profiles of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and many others.
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You are here: Home » The Beatles' songs » Birthday

Birthday

The Beatles (White Album) album cover artwork 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.

Buy from Amazon

The White Album (Remastered)

The Beatles. EMI 2009, Audio CD, $16.71

4.5

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!

Chris Thomas
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.
Paul McCartney
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.

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.

The effects heard towards the song's end, and in the 'I would like you to dance' section, were created by a piano microphone fed through a guitar amplifier with effects added.

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.

Birthday was written in the studio. Just made up on the spot. I think Paul wanted to write a song like Happy Birthday Baby, the old Fifties hit. But it was sort of made up in the studio. It was a piece of garbage.
John Lennon, 1980
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
Related articles:

  • Good Day Sunshine
  • All Together Now
  • Hold Me Tight
  • Dear Prudence
  • I Want To Tell You

20 responses to “Birthday”

  1. Joseph Brush says:
    Sunday 16 August 2009 at 6.11pm

    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.

    Reply to this comment
  2. Barry says:
    Monday 21 September 2009 at 8.14pm

    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.

    Reply to this comment
    • Joseph Brush says:
      Friday 9 October 2009 at 3.50pm

      According to the comment from Paul (from his own book), it was made up on the spot.

      Reply to this comment
  3. SEBASTIAN says:
    Wednesday 11 November 2009 at 3.59am

    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.

    Reply to this comment
    • EltonJohnLennon says:
      Saturday 24 April 2010 at 10.31pm

      I agree.

      Reply to this comment
  4. Joseph Brush says:
    Friday 20 November 2009 at 9.00am

    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?

    Reply to this comment
    • EltonJohnLennon says:
      Sunday 25 April 2010 at 2.14pm

      In "Many Years From Now" Paul writes much which is - in my opinion - controversial. For example: He says that he wrote the "I read the news today"-part from "A Day in the Life" together with John. But we all know that John wrote this bit alone.

      Reply to this comment
  5. Jean Erica Moniker says:
    Wednesday 2 December 2009 at 5.53am

    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.

    Reply to this comment
    • Gustavo says:
      Wednesday 19 May 2010 at 10.39pm

      You are completly right

      Reply to this comment
  6. Vonbontee says:
    Thursday 3 December 2009 at 11.45pm

    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?

    Reply to this comment
  7. beatleKen says:
    Thursday 24 December 2009 at 3.20pm

    Paul plays lead guitar on this also

    Reply to this comment
  8. PMJLGHRS - rocks says:
    Sunday 21 March 2010 at 8.25pm

    i'm quite sure that someone played organ on 1:11 till 1:25.
    somebody know who?

    Reply to this comment
    • Joe says:
      Monday 22 March 2010 at 8.04pm

      That was a treated (altered-sound) piano, played by McCartney.

      Reply to this comment
  9. thomas says:
    Tuesday 6 April 2010 at 12.46pm

    Any song is really only as good as it's performance; the rock and roll genre itself being based on simple live performances by gifted (and largely unschooled) garage-band musicians. To come up with such a solid rocker while just jamming and goofing around reveals not only great musicianship but a mastery of Rock's blues-based roots few other pop groups had. Not only is Birthday one of my favorites on the White Album, it really shows the talent the Beatles had. If disc 2 only had less Revolution No. 9 and more Birthday/Yer Blues or Back in the USSR/Dear Prudence combos (almost like double A sided singles in album format...)

    The White Album has several not so great songs. But Birthday isn't one of them. I can only wonder what the album would have been like if George Martin's wishes had been followed and a single disc (rather than double) had been produced. Ah well, it's the White Album. Perhaps best to let it be and enjoy.

    Reply to this comment
    • CaroleTucson says:
      Sunday 11 April 2010 at 1.56am

      "I can only wonder what the album would have been like if George Martin's wishes had been followed and a single disc (rather than double) had been produced."

      Yep. I'd imagine most Beatle fans have wondered that at one time or another. It's fun to sit down and try to pick the 14 tracks that should be included :)

      Reply to this comment
      • thomas says:
        Sunday 11 April 2010 at 11.55pm

        I've tried, then I think "what's the use." I'd have to leave out something I really like!

        Reply to this comment
        • Joe says:
          Monday 12 April 2010 at 9.58am

          There's a thread about this very subject on the forum. Feel free to register and join in!

          Reply to this comment
          • thomas says:
            Tuesday 13 April 2010 at 6.24pm

            I don't think I could altruistically follow the forum's parameters. There's a number of songs I'd eliminate but I don't think 7 songs per side would represent enough of those songs I consider essential and just have to keep.

            Also I'm not sure reinventing the white album would be anything more than an exercise of my liking certain songs best. Having said that I'd probably have to go with maybe 8 songs per side (long -- about 25-26 minutes per side but not unheard of on albums.) I also couldn't include Ringo because the one song he wrote for himself (instead of Lennon-McCartney) is one I would definitely eliminate. Sorry Richard!

            Oh well...

            Reply to this comment
  10. Anders says:
    Monday 21 June 2010 at 12.10pm

    How silly to try to draw from the whole that is The White Album. The greatness of which is the plentyful of material to choose from! There's a whole McCartney album in there! A whole Lennon album! And half a Harrison album as well! Stay away from the tracks you don't like and there's still enough stuff to blow you away, right?

    (Birthday is one of the best in there, imho!)

    Reply to this comment
  11. grego mac says:
    Tuesday 13 July 2010 at 8.02pm

    I prefer to listen to it as a whole. Well... While having tea of course.

    Reply to this comment

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