Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 20 August 1968
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Ken Scott
Released: 22 November 1968 (UK), 25 November 1968 (US)
Paul McCartney: vocals, acoustic guitar, drums
Available on:
The Beatles (White Album)
A solo recording by Paul McCartney, Wild Honey Pie was a singalong written in Rishikesh, India, and recorded at the end of the session for Mother Nature's Son.
We were in an experimental mode, and so I said, 'Can I just make something up?' I started off with the guitar and did a multitracking experiment in the control room or maybe in the little room next door. It was very home-made; it wasn't a big production at all. I just made up this short piece and I multitracked a harmony to that, and a harmony to that, and a harmony to that, and built it up sculpturally with a lot of vibrato on the strings, really pulling the strings madly. Hence, 'Wild Honey Pie', which was a reference to the other song I had written called Honey Pie. It was a little experimental piece.
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
Wild Honey Pie was recorded on 20 August 1968, during the second and final session for Mother Nature's Son. McCartney also recorded another demo, Etcetera, during the same session, but the song remains unreleased.
[Wild Honey Pie] was just a fragment of an instrumental which we were not sure about, but Pattie Harrison liked it very much, so we decided to leave it on the album.
Paul McCartney
I know Lennon sings on this, you can distinctly hear him singing on the album.
No, I'm pretty sure it's just Paul. Actually, Paul could imitate John pretty well. He sings on top of John's vocal on "Real Love", and it sounds like John's double tracked but he's not.
I could be wrong about that. The "Real Love" video does show Paul singing along with John's voice in the studio, but that might not have been on the final cut.
I love how George Harrison is usually alloted no more than two songs per record but paul gets to crap like this. Don't get me wrong I like it but I am sure george had one better. Just think how cool (and improbable) it would have been if the beatles had decided to a Beatles album of songs composed only by George. All Things Must Pass by the Beatles with George Martin producing would have been awesome.
Too much ego involved, never woulda happened.
Paul likes to use 'we' to indicate a group process that really didn't exist on this track. It is jarring and ultimately more of an amateurish noise than anything else. But Patty Harrison liked it so somehow her vote ruled the day!? I guess John says he was okay with it, too, but I can't help but wonder about the combined forces of Martin-McCartney trying to keep 'Revolution 9' off but allowing this. Hmm.
Well, "Wild Honey Pie" had a tune (of sorts) and was less than a minute long, making it much more "acceptable" or "commercial" or whatever than "Revolution 9". So I'd say Martin/McCartney's objections were more justified. (Of course, both tracks made the album, and I'm glad they did, so the whole thing is moot anyways.)
The only Beatles track I can't stand to listen to. I'll even sit through Rev 9 some times. In a word, horrible.
I smiled when I read Paul's quote that "WE decided to leave (Wild Honey Pie) on the album." George Martin is on record as having said he wanted ONE single album with the BEST songs on it, so HE'S not part of the "we." And I am picturing John and George silently fuming and glaring at that quote. Ringo (who wasn't asked to play on the song) probably looked up from his game of solitaire, and mumbled "whatever..." so Ringo might be part of the "we." That being said, I'm glad "Wild Honey Pie" made the cut. It was jarring when I first heard it, but now I like it as the oddity it is. And the way it ends, and segues into the Spanish guitar intro of "Bungalow Bill"... seems perfect to me.