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Read the original blog post9.09am
31 March 2008
Online
The intro for Hold On by John Lennon is oddly edited. I suspect it was a rough edit that was left in on purpose. Lennon liked doing that sometimes.
It’s 13 eighth-notes long; the first note lands on “one-and-two-AND” in the bar (you can hear him do the full guitar part later in the song, about a minute in, before the “Cookie!” bit).
That edit can be heard on most releases (ie it’s the standard version of the song). However, from what I can tell, in 2003 Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (MoFi or MFSL) put out a version containing Yoko-sanctioned remixes of the songs (I think the mixes were done for a Capitol release in 2000).
A lot of people seem to hate the remixes for changes in reverb, compression etc. Whatever. The MoFi version (not sure about the Capitol one) contained the full intro to Hold On :
I thought people here might not know about this. I heard about it a couple of months ago but forgot to share it until now.
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9.14am
31 March 2008
Online There’s also a second ‘Cookie!’ at about 1.09 in the above clip. I’d honestly never heard it before today, but I just checked and it’s in the original mix too! Well I never. I love the fact that a song I’ve known for 25 years can still contain surprises.
I realise I’m probably the last to know this. I, I found out.
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10.34am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline The second “cookie” isn’t on the basic track tho which is interesting.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.23am
31 March 2008
Online Do you mean it’s not on the 1970 release? Because it is – it’s at 1.12, in the left channel (slightly quieter than on the MoFi version). Easy to miss though.
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5.32am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline No the basic track pre second vocal overdub (take 32) so it means John went to the bother of overdubbing the second “cookie” which is something i find interesting.
Beatles.ru has an article on each of the takes. You yourself have an article on the track which mentions it.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
1.31pm
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline
Video for the Elements Mix which went up today. It plays with the sun shining through the trees on the album cover…
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5.35pm
2 May 2013
Offline Is it just me, or does this song bear a remarkable similarity to Sun King ?
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vonbontee, Beatlebug, Rube6.06pm
1 December 2009
Offline I do! Right from my first listening of the intro, that combination of 2-note chords played through the amp tremolo effect did remind me of “Sun King “. (Ironic that John will confess to fearing the sun a few songs later)
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Beatlebug, RubeGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
11.12am
26 January 2017
Offline vonbontee said
(Ironic that John will confess to fearing the sun a few songs later)
“Everybody’s laughing, everybody’s happy”
*Except for me and my monkey
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6.16pm
7 November 2022
Offline I like it when he says “Cookie!” Out Of The Blue , yet it fits perfectly.
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11.54am
14 June 2016
Offline I interpret that as even through our deepest levels of pain, silliness and hope remains to hopefully break the mood.
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10.02pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline Whistling in the dark, perhaps
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12.16pm
14 June 2016
Offline Truth is simple. That’s why the lyrics are simple. If you can’t explain a situation in a short and sharp way you’re not feeling the issue strongly enough, in my opinion. Hold on, it’s going be be alright are some of the simplest and most reassuring statements a person could hear. And John gives that advice to individuals and the whole world.
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4.53pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline I disagree, I think nuanced explanations are valid too, and often more accurate. But that’s not what this song is about; it’s about reassurance, as you say, and simplicity works here.
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7.12pm
7 November 2022
Offline There’s a hint of paradox, in that “hold on” implies a problem, an uncomfortable or unsafe situation — a “bumpy ride” as it were — that requires reassurance.
According to Wikipedia, John’s “Cookie!” was imitating the Cookie Monster (but I take Wikipedia with a grain of chocolate chips…)
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11.33am
14 June 2016
Offline Beatlebug said
I disagree, I think nuanced explanations are valid too, and often more accurate. But that’s not what this song is about; it’s about reassurance, as you say, and simplicity works here.
My comment is more in line with this: “When you’re drowning, you don’t say ‘I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,’ you just scream.”
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3.07pm
14 December 2009
Offline Sea Belt said
According to Wikipedia, John’s “Cookie!” was imitating the Cookie Monster (but I take Wikipedia with a grain of chocolate chips…)
I’ve seen several citations of John’s “Sesame Street” fandom – he even namedrops the program in “I’m Steppin’ Out”, a full decade after the “COOKIE!” bit.
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