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, bass guitar, piano, handclaps
John Lennon: vocals, tambourine, lead guitar, handclaps
George Harrison: lead guitar, handclaps
Ringo Starr: drums, 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.
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.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
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.
I agree.
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?
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.
None of the Beatles are known for their good memory. They can't even agree to the number of Shea Stadium.
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.
You are completly right
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
i'm quite sure that someone played organ on 1:11 till 1:25.
somebody know who?
That was a treated (altered-sound) piano, played by McCartney.
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.
"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
I've tried, then I think "what's the use." I'd have to leave out something I really like!
There's a thread about this very subject on the forum. Feel free to register and join in!
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...
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!)
I prefer to listen to it as a whole. Well... While having tea of course.
George Harrison plays the bass on this song?? i always thought it was Paul, it sounds more like Macca to me.
Does it piss anyone else off that John's always saying how all these songs sucked?
Yes. It was really irritating how John would publicly trash songs (usually Paul's) by simply dismissing them as garbage or throwaways. However, Lennon never publicly called any of Yoko's "songs" trash, which is a far more apt description of 98% of what she wrote. In fact, I think that might be a reason why Paul claimed John collaborated in the song's composition - to show it wasn't simply one of his songs that John had no part in writing and disliked. It is also the height of hypocrisy and arrogance to call any of Paul's White Album tracks garbage when John had Revolution 9 on the same record.
I think you're being unfair--it seems John trashed his own songs far more often than Paul's or songs that Paul ad significant contributions.
John had issues and those issues colored his opinions of things. I made an argument in the John forum that he had bipolar disorder, and people with untreated bipolar tend to be hypercritical, especially about themselves and anything they have been a part of, and often they recall things in a highly distorted, emotionally colored and unreliable fashion that often makes them portray past events either very negatively or very positively. It's difficult for these people to think about things in a detached, leveled way because they experience everything through the filter of either mania or depression. John's role in the Beatles exposed him to pressures that triggered his insecurities, anxieties and fears of inadequacy, while his relationship with Yoko appeared to be (in its better periods) an emotional sanctuary for him. IMO, it's the cycle of mania-depression speaking. Sad to say that, but it makes sense if you've ever spent time working with someone who is bipolar.
Interesting, but let's please keep this discussion to Birthday. Thanks.
Not a bad theory. I'm pretty sure he didn't think it was garbage when he recorded it. But coming from a family of musicians, I also know sometimes people look down on their own work because they associate it with bad experiences in its recording sessions. I think it's a great song, one of the best in the album. Paul plays it often in his gigs and it's always a great time in his shows when he does.
Lennon even said he wished he could re-record Strawberry Fields, especially Strawberry Fields. The guy just enjoyed being contrarian a lot, and I guess being overly modest when you are that supremely talented is preferable to being supremely arrogant. He's said many different things about the same songs, depending on the year and his mood and probably his interviewer
First off, George played the Fender VI.
The research I've done: unusual recording time, Paul writing song, Paul played lead guitar, Yoko, Patti, and Mal were all on the recording, the recording and mixing, done on September 18, 1968, was a rush job. This all adds up, dispite what those in the "inner circle, including Paul, stated" to being a birthday present to Linda Eastman, (September 24th) who had JUST moved to London for good, and moved in with Paul at Cavindish. What are your thoughts to my theory??
Love the bass playing by George Harrison. Take a listen.
what john says in the 1970 playboy interview should be taken with a grain of salt. He was bitter and when eveything he wrote with or without paul was garbage...spare me john
How can he spare you?
He was bitter at that particular time but towards the end of his life he had mellowed.
People are allowed to change their minds.
Line up needs correction. Most sites indicate Harrison played bass (see also above comment)
guys have you ever read one of Mark Lewishon books?
I have a question that has bugged me a long time about this great song "Birthday". Is there, or is there not, a drum solo by Ringo? Is it considered or qualifies as a solo? They say "The End" was the 1st and only time Ringo ever done one. When I first learned that, I thought "Wait a minute... Yes he did too do one before...". Am I wrong????
That doesn't really count as a "solo" by most peoples' musical definition - he's just playing a really basic 2/4 rhythm over and over for 8 bars or however long it is. And it's not even a solo performance, really, since somebody else is accompanying him on tambourine throughout!
Yeah, vonbontee, I see what you mean. It is only a basic 2/4 beat for 8 bars and there is John with the tambourine too. But it is close enough that I have to wonder if Ringo maybe thought close to the reaction he gave for doing "The End". I think both were very simplistic attributes and were wonderfully done. (Just the right amount, not too much as I agree with Ringo on solos being overly done sometimes.) When I heard his comment about solo's, It brought me to this song and wondered why, "Birthday" was pretty darn close.
While I fully understand, respect and appreciate vonbontee's point above - one could also forward the position that the drum section in Birthday is indeed a solo, albeit a rather uncreative and mundane solo (and I love Ringo, but it is what it is).
It's sort of like the guitar "solo" in Dizzy Miss Lizzie. Is it a solo or a couple of guitar notes repeated over and over for 12 bars?
In terms of the tambourine playing along with Ringo, while drum solos are typically done without any other instruments, I don't think it's a requirement that it be only drums (guitar solos aren't only guitar), especially since in the case the other instrument is a percussion instrument - maybe it's a percussion solo - albeit a rather uncreative and mundane solo.
Not being argumentative (at least not intentionally) just looking at it from all angles.
FYI - I've been playing musical instruments for 49 years - at one time semi-professionally, if it matters.