Written by: Harrison
Recorded: 25, 31 May; 2 June 1967
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Dave Siddle
Released: 17 January 1969 (UK), 13 January 1969 (US)
George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar, Hammond organ
John Lennon: harmony vocals, lead guitar
Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, bass
Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine
David Mason and three others: trumpets
Paul Harvey: bass clarinet
Available on:
Yellow Submarine
Yellow Submarine Songtrack
Written while under the influence of LSD, It's All Too Much was the second song by George Harrison to feature on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack.
It's All Too Much was written in a childlike manner from realizations that appeared during and after some LSD experiences and which were later confirmed in meditation.
Based on a droning G chord, the song transposed the continuing influence of Indian music onto a psychedelic setting. The lyrics combined the cosmic philosophy favoured by Harrison with some nursery rhyme-style whimsy.
It's all too much for me to take
The love that's shining all around here
All the world's a birthday cake,
So take a piece but not too muchSail me on a silver sun, for I know that I'm free
Show me that I'm everywhere, and get me home for tea
It's All Too Much contained a couplet from The Merseys' 1966 hit single Sorrow: "With your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue". The trumpeters, meanwhile, performed a motif from Jeremiah Clarke's Prince of Denmark's March, also known as Trumpet Voluntary.
I just wanted to write a rock 'n' roll song about the whole psychedelic thing of the time. Because you'd trip out, you see, on all this stuff, and then whoops! you'd just be back having your evening cup of tea! 'Your long blond hair and your eyes of blue' - that was all just this big ending we had, going out. And as it was in those days, we had the horn players just play a bit of trumpet voluntarily, and so that's how that Prince of Denmark bit was played. And Paul and John just came up with and sang that lyric of 'your eyes of blue'.
The version used on the film soundtrack was 6'28" long. An eight-minute mix, meanwhile, has appeared on Beatles bootlegs, and contains a verse which also featured in the Yellow Submarine film.
Nice to have the time
To take this opportunity
Time for me to look at you
And you to look at me.
In the studio
Recording began with the working title Too Much, at De Lane Lea Studios in London. On 25 May 1967 The Beatles recorded a number of rehearsal run-throughs before taping four takes of the rhythm track - Hammond organ, lead guitar, bass and drums.
On 31 May they returned to De Lane Lea, adding percussion, lead and backing vocals, and handclaps.
John and Paul's backing, meanwhile, started to waver a little, the chanted 'too much' eventually becoming 'tuba' and then 'Cuba'. It was that sort of a song.
It's All Too Much was completed on 2 June, with the addition of four trumpets and a bass clarinet. The session took place between 8.30pm and 2am. One of the trumpet players was David Mason, who also performed on Penny Lane, A Day In The Life, Magical Mystery Tour and All You Need Is Love.
Related articles:
- Mixing: It's All Too Much
- Recording: It's All Too Much
- Sea Of Time
- Recording, mixing: It's All Too Much
- Only A Northern Song
I've always felt this was one of The Beatles most underrated songs. I love it.
I completely agree.
This song is also found in the Mono Masters.
I think that guitar feedback at the start is awesome. I love this song.
I can never tell what the quick first line is before the music starts? It sounds like "To your mum" Does anybody know?
I was fixin' to ask that same question. Sounds like John.
The first line is: "To your mother." I've listened to this song hundreds of times and, to me, it's as plain as day. Of course, I also thought that Golden Earring's "Twilight Zone" was saying: "This place is a madhouse, feels like being HOME" for decades until I read the lyrics:"feels like being CLONED." I still can't believe that one. I always sing MY version (alone in the car.)
Where did you read these lyrics?
You can't fully trust the internet on lyrics. Mostly they're by normal people who can also make mistakes...
"To Jorma", as in Jorma Kakaunon (not sure of last name spelling) guitarist with Jeff Airplane whom George was visiting in San Francisco CA during the hippie heyday. Listen again carefully.
The first line is a dedication to George's buddy, Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane. So,
"To Jor-ma"
Sorry, Dan...That's not true. George is not saying "To Jorma." They were not buddies, and had not met yet when this song was recorded (May/June 1967).
I was just listening the new remastered stereo version, and I noticed that the voice continues speaking, behind the guitar intro. It goes on for almost four seconds. Can't make out a word, though.
It's my opinion that John was playing with the phrase "Too Much." As in "To-om-MUCH!" and in typical John vocalization extends the word "much" over the length of the feedback: "ma-ma-ma-uuch."
Honestly, one of my absolute favorite songs (Beatle or otherwise) of all time! What an underated gem, worhty of a far more prominent position on, say MMT or the White Album. Trippy tune with hypnotic organ note reverberating throughout, accompanied by George's excellent vocals, guitar and fine rhythym work by Paul and Ringo!
Wow! I thought I was one of the only people that thought this song was under rated. I LOVE Ringo's drums in this. That fill at the beginning is priceless.
First the original mono long version of I'll Cry Instead with extra verse, then the original mono long version of I Am The Walrus with extra bar and now this song.
I've often thought that the Edge's distinct guitar sound owes a lot to this track of George's.
Glad I found this. Usually whenever I mention to a fellow fan that It's All Too Much is one of my favorite songs, they either don't even know the song, or they say something like "Ugh, really, you like that song? 'All the world is birthday cake'? Really?" I was starting to think I was only one who loved it.
I believe the spoken intro is "To your Mother!"
Yeah, that sounds like the best guess. John did do it, must be more of his nonsense like the "monsieur" bit in "I'm So Tired"...
Oh, crap. I always thought that was George.
That IS George!
I can't believe George plays the guitar on this. He was good but not that good. I always thought it was Eric Clapton.
George was a great guitarist!!! I don't understand why he is SO underrated by some. YES...HE WAS THAT GOOD!!!
Not that good? Really??? He was the lead guitarist in The Beatles for goodness sake! Underrated for sure! Just check out the tasty licks he played on the Ed Sullivan shows and that was early stuff, of course they had already been playing together for about 7 yrs by then and George probably was playing for 10 yrs or so by 1964. I too love IATM it's always been a fave. Steve Hillage does a good cover of it on the album "L" from 1976 produced by Todd Rundgren. It can be found on itunes or amazon, it also has a fanastic version of Hurdy Gurdy Man.
George's guitar is believable, its Ringo's drumming that sounds like Keith Moon that amazes me. Its just not Ringo's style in this song.
This is certainly a good song, the more nonsensical the better with the Beatles, but Hey Bulldog is probably my favorite song on this album
i'm from Liverpool and understand the accent, the voice at the start of this song is John Lennon and he says "To Your Mum" then says "Aagh, Aagh" a couple of times as though in pain, great song!
1 of my least faves. decent lyrics, but weak & monotonous, otherwise...maybe hearing the orig. mono mix will change my mind,somewhat...ditto 4 blue j. way.
i have a version of this song that has isolated tracks and lennon clearly says "to your muff" and then breaks off.
In Billboard June 1999, in an interview with Timothy White, George Harrison says that Paul McCartney played the feedback, when he was asked question about the feedback on that song, so I think Paul probably needs a guitar credit up there as well. If anyone is playing the second lead it is probably Paul, given he's playing the feedback.
Paul does not play guitar on this track. He may be responsible for the feedback but it was Lennon who realized its use. The bit was clipped on to the intro and you cannot infer a full guitar performance by Paul.
What do you mean by "He may be responsible for the feedback but it was Lennon who realized its use"?
What are the rest of the words after ""With your long blonde hair and your eyes of blue"? It goes "You're too much-ah" and then . . . ? Someone once suggested the next bit is "we are dead" but there's still some syllables after that.
The line is "We are dead - God bless us."
Do you know what I wish? I wish the mono mix of It's All Too Much was released.
The mono mix along with the three other Yellow Submarine numbers are available on the Mono Box Set. Wish fullfilled!
I think he meant the uncut, unreleased 8-minute version, with the extra verse that was never mixed for stereo. I wish that was released too!
I could never embrace this song. I always felt as though George was trying to create his own Strawberry Fields with this one. The percussion has too much high end as do most of the instruments. His ideas seem incomplete and he loses his way after about three minutes. Sorry, can't dig this one.
Superb song!!! I can't think why this is a very underrated song, you will never find it in a Beatles' collection disgracefully (would it be because of its length? and what about Hey Jude?) and as far as I can see it has, as many Beatles songs, several hidden facts. I was always sure they sang "we are dead" at the end, but never understood the rest. Outstanding play by Ringo!!! (an also very underrated drummer, but I think he's one of the best, little excelled but most effective!!!). Somebody told me there's a bootleg version almost 20 minutes long, have you heard it?
found the 8-minute version on an alternate release of sgt pepper's ... not on any mono boxed set ... wonder why... . . . would love to hear a 20-minute version . . . love the guitar and feedback . . . and the lyrics . . . come on .... this is a classic . . .
One of my favourite Beatles songs. Joyful, exciting and noisy (in a good way). The guitar and drums are amazing. And to think it was made in 1967...!
Probably my fave of the Beatles catalog. I was hooked on this album as a tween in the late 70's/early 80's. Side 2 with the George Martin soundtrack stuff was great as well.
This song is interesting because it is so heavy but silly at the same time. It's a very mystical song from a (music) writer's perspective, but there's this lovely, enthusiastic (dare I say drunken) sloppiness to it that makes it wonderful.
I wonder if John was egging Paul on to goof off because he thought the lyrics were infantile.
I'd so love it if there were a 24-track master to do a remaster from, but I bet it's 8 track at best.
Wow, never imagined there were so many fans of this song. I tend to measure George's compositions against one another.His classics such as "Within you Without you"," While My Guitar Gently Weeps ", "Something", etc. verses those I consider less classic "Only a Northern Song"," Blue Jay Way,"All Too Much". Perhaps I give George less leeway as I do John and Paul. Still don't like this one though.
I've always thought that you could only play one song for someone who wasn't around during the Sixties to explain what they were like, this would be the song...a beautiful mess.
One thing that's always bothered me about this song is the George Harrison lead guitar credit. Yes, it's a George song and yes he was their lead guitarist but this doesn't automatically mean he played lead. I read an article with George in Guitar Word for the Yellow Submarine re-release on DVD and remixed Song Track where he talked about this song specifically. He mentioned that he wrote it on his Hammond organ at home and played that instrument on the recording. The part that annoys me to no end about these credits is that no one seems to bother to look at the session details. The basic track was cut live with four tracks (Hammond Organ, Lead Guitar, Bass, & Drums.) The only overdubs were vocals, additional percussion & handclaps and the horns. There were no guitar overdubs done to this song, so George could not have possibly played guitar as he was on the organ for the basic backing track. I don't know why anyone would think for a second the opening shout is anyone but John. Lennon was fairly notorious for counting off songs with his unusual comments (like his Sugar Plum Fairy remark on the 1st take of a Day In The Life). If George was asked about the feedback and he said Paul did it, I think you need to take the man at his word. But I'm not sure this means Paul necessarily played the lead guitar as many assume. Since Paul is credited as playing bass on this track is it possible that the bass produced the feedback? The feedback on this track has a high pitched wailing. The question is, is bass feedback capable of making this sound or is only a guitar capable of this kind of feedback? I certainly don't hear a traditional bass-line on this song. (But the production is admittedly dense and muddled, although I must say brilliantly so!) Paul is known for his distinctive bass part and there isn't one of those to be found on this track that I can hear. Perhaps this is indicative of the bass doing the feedback. The lead guitar part on this song sounds separate than the feedback section.
So the possibilities of the recording personnel on the basic track (besides George on Hammond Organ and Ringo on Drums) are:
1.) John on Lead Guitar. Paul on Bass (doing the feedback)
2.) John & Paul sharing the Lead Guitar duties (with Paul on feedback) The lack of bass being covered by George's Hammond holding the bottom end. (If there is a standard bass-line on this song someone please point it out to me!)
3.)John on Feedback Guitar and Paul on Lead Guitar. (If George was wrong in his recollection) To be fair to Lennon he was quite capable of pulling off the feedback himself (not to mention being quite fond of it-especially in his work with Yoko)
4.)Paul on Lead Guitar/Feedback (assuming they are one part) John on Bass (which by all accounts he hated with a passion) Perhaps his lack of enthusiasm (and skill on bass)accounts for the bass being mixed low or indeed out of the track.
On second thought. After carefully listen to this on headphones, it's so clearly a guitar playing the feedback part with a whammy bar bending the notes. (John & George both had Sonic Blue Strats they payed in this period). From looking on youtube it doesn't seem all that difficult a part to play. So all the it couldn't be John it had to be Paul because he wasn't as accomplished a guitarist is moot. I know George said the feedback was Paul but the Beatles themselves aren't always the best at remembering who did what so many years ago and many cups of tea later. The spirit was very much as Ringo has said "whoever had the best idea, that's what we did." I also listened on head phones and boosted the bass and EUREKA!!! The bassline! It is there and it's really good. A very simple but effective part. If its John then it proves he could play bass if he applied himself. But overall I just think it's more likely that he'd play guitar here given his love of distortion and feedback and his established loathing of bass. Plus he may have been given free reign as it was a George song that was going on a soundtrack album. Interestingly, this was almost dusted off and put on the White Album at the last minute. I'd love to hear what others think.
In regard, to those who still may think Paul played the guitar (see my comments above why their can only be one guitar on this track) John would have been the bass player on this track. (I'm 100% with everyone who defended the guitar chops of Lennon & Harrison. They may have not been virtuosos but they were both more than capable of kicking out the MF'ing Jams!) While it is true that John was no maestro on guitar, he was even less capable a bassist. This alone, really makes him an unlikely bassist for this song. I think there's a real logic to the idea that if you have Paul McCartney in the studio and you need bass on track, you go with Macca. Especially as the backing was cut live with no overdubs. It also makes a certain amount of sense that John would make his opening proclamation as he dug in for the feedback.(After all he handled the Beatles first foray into feedback on I Feel Fine.) A John (Guitar) Paul (Bass) configuration was more practical as it was their default setting. The guitar does "fucking howl & move" which is how Lennon characterized his sound. The times Lennon was pressed into service on bass are almost exclusively when Paul was on the keys and George was needed to provide his normal classy lead chops.
On Youtube no less a personage than Earl Slick comments that in his humble opinion John Lennon was a fine guitarist.
I think we've spent far more time analysing this song then the Beatles could have possibly spent recording it.
You got that right!
One of my very favorite songs of the Beatles...I love the melody, the lyrics & just the overall 'up' mood of the song..I do not fund the lyrics trite or silly, I see them as quite profound as I truly view the world & the true nature of what we are & where we belong (& never left by the way)in this way. We are loved perfectly & never left paradise...we left only in our minds
On 21 Dec 2010, B Cooper said:
"would love to hear a 20-minute version"
Maybe not exactly what you had in mind, but 9 years ago I spontaneously performed a live experimental remix of this song on the radio that happened to clock in at 20 minutes:
Stream/download: http://lastever.org/ken/extrav/audio/020728.shtml
Flash player: http://wfmu.org/playlists/le/020728
(You have to skip ahead about 65 minutes for the It's All Too Much mix, which then closes out the final 20 minutes of the show.)
This could easily be my favorite Beatles song ever. I believe I used the 8-minute version (from "Studio Mystery Tracks" bootleg) as source for this mix.
Steve Hillage did an excellent cover of this song on his 1976 album L. Check it: http://youtu.be/sM9oNigAIrI
The intro sounds like "To your mum" to me.
I thought the ambience implied at the beginning of this came across as more raucous than 'Helter Skelter'. Fantastic and frankly very scary feedback. A monster trying to leap off of the track. And then that organ overloaded to the stratosphere... the rest of the song, unfortunately, sucked the life out of this introduction, but it is still fascinating psychedlia.
The first time I listened to this song I got extremely impressed. It's totally ahead of their time. You just keep thinking: Is this really from the 60's ?
Has anyone mentioned the bass 'line'? It's crazy - almost a single note throughout - and not the root note. But it's cool nonetheless! Further, during the break he deviates from the drone and plays a bass SOLO of sorts! Very wild idea - and very un-McCartney. Anyone have any insight into this bass part? Given how simplistic it is, perhaps it wasn't Paul.