Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 6, 8, 20, 21 December 1966
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
Released: 1 June 1967 (UK), 2 June 1967 (US)
Paul McCartney: vocals, piano, bass
John Lennon: backing vocals, guitar
George Harrison: backing vocals
Ringo Starr: drums, chimes
Robert Burns, Henry MacKenzie, Frank Reidy: clarinets
Available on:
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Yellow Submarine Songtrack
The first of the Sgt Pepper songs to be recorded, When I'm Sixty-Four was originally intended to be the b-side to Strawberry Fields Forever.
The song dates back to The Beatles' earliest days. Paul McCartney had composed it on the family piano at 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool "when I was about 15".
Back then I wasn't necessarily looking to be a rock 'n' roller. When I wrote When I'm Sixty-Four I thought I was writing a song for Sinatra. There were records other than rock 'n' roll that were important to me.
McCartney used to perform a variation of the song in their Cavern Club era, on piano, when the group's equipment used to stop working.
When I'm Sixty-Four was something Paul wrote in the Cavern days. We just stuck a few more words on it like 'grandchildren on your knee' and 'Vera, Chuck and Dave'. It was just one of those ones that he'd had, that we've all got, really; half a song. And this was just one that was quite a hit with us. We used to do them when the amps broke down, just sing it on the piano.
Anthology
The song was dusted down in 1966, the year McCartney's father Jim turned 64. When I'm Sixty-Four focuses on a young man anxiously looking towards old age; the vocals were sped up in the studio to make them sound more sprightly.
The music is suitably old-fashioned, with a music hall melody and an arrangement prominently featuring George Martin's clarinet score.
I thought it was a good little tune but it was too vaudevillian, so I had to get some cod lines to take the sting out of it, and put the tongue very firmly in cheek.It's pretty much my song. I did it in a rooty-tooty variety style... George helped me on a clarinet arrangement. I would specify the sound and I love clarinets so 'Could we have a clarinet quartet?' 'Absolutely.' I'd give him a fairly good idea of what I wanted and George would score it because I couldn't do that. He was very helpful to us. Of course, when George Martin was 64 I had to send him a bottle of wine.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
George Martin later regretted not releasing When I'm Sixty-Four as a b-side. Speaking about the Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever single, he said:
The idea of a double a-side came from me and Brian, really... He came to me and said, 'I must have a really great single. What have you got?' I said, 'Well, I've got three tracks - and two of them are the best tracks they've ever made. We could put them together and make a smashing single.' We did, and it was a smashing single - but it was also a dreadful mistake. We would have sold far more and got higher in the charts if we had issued one of those with, say, When I'm Sixty-Four on the back.
Anthology
In the studio
On 6 December 1966 The Beatles recorded Christmas messages for the pirate stations Radio London and Radio Caroline. Afterwards they spent some time rehearsing When I'm Sixty-Four, before two takes of the rhythm track were recorded.
Two days later, without the other Beatles being present, McCartney added his lead vocals to take two. The song was then left until 20 December, when McCartney, Lennon and Harrison taped backing vocals and Starr played chimes.
When I'm Sixty-Four was completed the next day, with the overdub of the three clarinets. During the mixing stage, meanwhile, McCartney decided that the song needed speeding up. On 30 December they scrapped all previous mixes and created a new mono one, which raised the key from C to D flat major.
Related articles:
- Recording, mixing: When I'm Sixty-Four, Strawberry Fields Forever
- Recording: When I'm Sixty-Four
- Recording: Hey Jude
- Recording, mixing, editing: When I'm Sixty-Four, Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane
- Recording: Christmas radio messages, When I'm Sixty-Four
The key was raised from C major to D-flat major.
Most composers prefer to use the enharmonic equivalent D-flat major because it has just five flats as opposed to the seven sharps of C-sharp major.
I hope that made any sense.
Yes, but C# is a brighter key than Db. I understand they're tone for tone the same, but C# sounds brighter. It just does. (And so I agree that "When I'm 64 is in C#)
For the layman, it might be easier to understand if you refer to the key change as going from C major, to C-sharp. (in other words, it's a half-step up, or for you guitarists, Capo on the first fret.)
It would be interesting to hear this track slowed down, so that we could hear how the Beatles actually sounded when they recorded it.
Paul's vocals are entirely in the right speaker and the music is all on the left. You can kind of "do your own karaoke" with this song if you turn the right speaker off and sing along with the printed lyrics included with Sgt. Pepper!
The only complete dud on Sgt. Pepper. John called it "Paul's granny shit", and I agree with him.
i have to disagree with you Chris, it's a good song and well worth it's place on Pepper, as for John calling it "Granny Shit" i think you have to take that remark with a pinch of salt.
I have to agree that it's a good song, but I think it would be better placed as a B side or on a less psychadelic album...Let It Be for instance
I'm not a big hindsight person, but maybe it could"ve made it as a B-side. On another note, how about "Hey Bulldog" as a single, with "Across the Universe" (wildlife version) on back !?...could have been a follow-up record to Lady Madonna.