Wild Honey Pie and The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill: Anniversary Edition Notes

Wild Honey Pie

Was recorded during the Mother Nature's Son sessions and titled 'Ad Lib' Take One on the track listing.

The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill

A post-Rishikesh lyric manuscript is titled (the continuing story of) BUNGALOW BILL has the following vocal performance direction above the title

“Band (Water Melon). Children!”

possibly a (faintly racist?) reference to the band singing backing vocals?

On the Esher demo the tuning is down a semitone (again), the intro chord progression is (possibly accidentally) C Fm C instead of C G C and timing is slightly different. At the end of each chorus chord sequence we get one extra beat instead of two. And the “All the children sing...” rhythm is different.

On the outtakes on unused take 2 Lennon sang “Was it a thrill, Bungalow Bill?” and Ringo is playing with brushes and still making his mind up about the feel.

Paul used up two precious tracks for two bass parts but John replaced the second with a vocal overdub; John, Paul and George can all be hear whistling at 2:45 and Ringo the backing vocalist gets a rare outing.

I've long held to the view that John's cry of 'Ay Up!' belongs at the end of this track NOT at the beginning of While My Guitar... that's confirmed here by Giles' remix which restores it to it's rightful place (as it is on the mono version).

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10:11 I'm So Tired (pt.3)

12 Bar Snooze

One of the great mysteries to me about the Beatles evolution is how a band that cut their teeth playing 12 bar blues covers in Hamburg nightclubs could go on to pen so few 12 bar blues songs themselves. To be sure the influence survived in the bluesy vocal lines and inflections in melodies like From Me To You and She Loves You. But the 12 bars structure seems to be something they outgrew. Or did they? Because a surprising number of tracks that don't appear bluesy from Don't Bother Me to The Fool On The Hill are built on 12 bar sequences (ticket 35).

In I'm So Tired the chorus chord progression clearly owes a debt to the American south

A A A A
D D D D
E E A A

just switch the D's in bars 7 and 8 to A's and you have the most basic 12 bar you can have. But the AABBC rhyme scheme does a great job of disguise the origins.

On the verse

A G#7 D E
A F#m D E
A E+ F#m Dm Dm

we have 13 bars, but the Dm is really nothing more than the Lennon extension (ticket 52). John drags out the sequence merely to add “no no no” in precisely the way that John Lee Hooker or Robert Johnson might stretch a pattern to squeeze in one more fill or phrase.

In the verse, though the chords are a 106 miles from Chicago, the lyrical structure again reflects the blues.

Consider the stock lyrics scheme

“When you got the blues, you repeat the the opening line
I said, when you got the blues, you repeat the the opening line
Then sing something else, just make sure it rhymes”

essentially a three section structure with two parts the same (or similar) followed by one contrasting part. In I'm So Tired we have and 2 lines that start “I'm so tired...” sung over almost the same chord progression twice

A G#7  D E
A F#m D E

followed by a line that contrasts musically and lyrically -

  A                         E+            F#m           Dm
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink...

All in all a stellar example for ticket 35 - a non blues 12 bar structure.

Chords and Contrasts


While we're looking at that last line check out the chords. The song has only (!) three out of key chords (ticket 28) but each is an absolute gem. First the Dm in last two bar of the verse is the classic Beatles doo wop chord the minor 4 (iv) a trick so ubiquitous it's earned it's own ticket (ticket 8). Here instead of the doo wop approved progression IV iv I (D to Dm to A) we slam into it from a minor 6 (F#m to Dm to A) which is a progression we ran into last time in Bungalow Bill

He’s the E all-American G bullet-headed Am Saxon mother’s Fm son

Note: the final verse chord in both songs is a iv, both are Lennon songs recorded on the same day. Who says you can't recycle ideas?

You can hear this on She Loves You, You Won't See Me and I Will amongst others.

The other two chords, E augmented (E+) and G#7, both contain C natural which is the only out of key note that appears in the melody. The G#7 is the VII7 chord and is of interest because it's same striking chord Lennon used in Sexy Sadie

I'm So Tired - A G#7 D   E   -  I  VII7  IV  V
Sexy Sadie   -  G  F#7 Bm      -  I  VII7  vi

McCartney did something similar (using the minor version – vii7) on his most famous song

Yesterday - F Em7 A7 Dm - I vii7 III7 vi

Stuart Kidd and I used exactly the same G – F#7 Bm move on our song Sadie's Sister (hey, if you're gonna steal be shameless!) but this time the key is D major renedering the progression

Sadie's Sister - G F#7 Bm - IV III7 vi

which is similar to what Radiohead do in Karma Police

Lastly we have a lot of cool contrasts between sections (ticket 5). The verse has one chord per bar but the chorus spends a long time on each chords. Lyrically the verse states “I'm tired” but the chorus talks about why he's tired. And reflecting that distinction the rhythm of the verse melody is very dragged out with lots of melisma but the chorus is more rhythmic and bursting with nervous mental energy.

10:9 I'm So Tired

It's not surprise that a song called I'm So Tired was written by John Lennon, the Beatle dubbed “probably the laziest person in England” and the composer I'm Only Sleeping and Good Night (Paul's Golden Slumbers being the only non-Lennon sleepy Beatles song).

What is more surprising is that it is such a well crafted, compact (ticket 2) song, worthy of Lennon's '64-'66 golden period, but with grungy production and real sense of humour. A perfectly written song with a woozy melody that is surprisingly 'vertical' for Lennon. John himself held it in high regard -

One of my favourite tracks. I just like the sound of it, and I sing it well

Lennon accompanies his own excellent vocals with some great organ playing, along with electric and acoustic guitar, McCartney doubles on electric piano, and Ringo overdubs a second kit (panned centrally on the choruses with the original kit panned left). Ringo, like the rest of the band, is on form, a subtle swing almost undetectable on the chorus (where everyone is banging out ¼ notes) but coming through on the verse.

More surprises? Though there's a massive contrast with the ragged Bungalow Bill, in terms of writing and performance, both songs were recorded and completed in the same session, the day before Lennon's 28th birthday.

Does the song consist of early period 'verse and bridge' structure (ticket 26) or more modern pop style verse and chorus? On balance the “You say I'm putting you on” feels more like a chorus but if so, it's one of the rare occasions that the title appears in the verse, rather than the chorus.

The spoken outro is gibberish, rather than anything meaningful in french, and certainly not any backwards masked message about Paul being dead.

The most fascinating elements to this song are the way it's built on a 12 bar structure though it isn't a blues, the use of madrigalism to unify the mood of the lyrics and music and as always a judicious helping of crazy out key chords. We'll cover some of those next time!

10:8 The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill

(For more on the intro go here)

The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill is a strong contender for sloppiest performance by the Beatles, giving Maggie Mae a run for her money. Deliberately going for a campfire singalong style, (a hangover from Rishikesh where this song was conceived) even Lennon's lead vocals are ropey.

Having contrast between sections (Ticket 5) is a good songwriting technique but here it's too much of a good thing. There's a 'semi key change' from the verse (Am) to the chorus (C major - the relative major) followed by real key change to A Major - the parallel major (Ticket 45) and a tempo change between verse and chorus which is achieved in the same primitive way as the time change in Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - by a few clomping hits on the drums. The combination of these changes make the verse to chorus seem like a real crunch of gears. The fact that the 4th bar of the chorus is a 2/4 bar, missing two beats (another Lennon edit – ticket 37) completes the 'lunatics have taken over the asylum' feel.

Update: on the original demo version the Lennon edit is a 1/4 bar and the transitions between tempos are much smoother  - you can listen to it here. (Thanks to Lost Originals for the link).

The chorus, though original is both childish and unpleasantly jarring, though to be fair that seems to be the effect John was aiming for. The verse could be said to be employing madrigalism (ticket 49) in the way the 'creeping feel' mirrors someone stealthily tracking tigers in the jungle.

The music is more repetitive than most Lennon tracks with the first two lines of the verse having the same tune and chord progression and obviously the chorus being repeated (albeit in different keys). The melody follows the chord root note movement pretty slavishly throughout but the monotony of that approach is balanced somewhat by the weird chorus chord movement, which is arguably the most interesting songwriting trick on display here. The use of the minor 4 (ticket 8) is something I've written about extensively but here we get a double dose - an Fm in the key of C and Dm in the key of A.

C  G  C  Fm  C  Fm  G
A  E  A  Dm  A  Dm  E

The lyrics, having their basis in true life events, belong in the company of thinly-veiled personal swipes like She Said She Said (Peter Fonda) Sexy Sadie (The Maharishi) and How Do You Sleep (Paul McCartney).

Before we get to I'm So Tired we'll take a little detour and look at something this song has in common with only 11 other Beatles songs but whole lots of Nirvana and My Chemical Romance songs, as well as Queen and Black Sabbath's best selling singles.

Can you guess what it is?

The Continuing Story Of The Mystery Spanish Guitarist

Blogging through the Beatles catalogue sometimes requires research to really get inside the songs and answer the weird questions that come up. What is that phasing effect on the drums in From Me To You? How many different versions of Get Back are there? What is that horrible ukelele sound on For You Blue? And so on.

Who was the real Bungalow Bill?

Answered nicely by the excellent Beatles Bible site.

Who played 'spanish' guitar on the intro of Bungalow Bill?

More tricky.

• It is a separate piece of tape spliced into the track (just like Lennon's yorkshire “aye-up!” which segues into the next track)
• It's obviously a good player (very fast and technical, though with a slight fluff in the middle). Probably too technical even for Harrison. 
• It's also clearly played with a pick, which would mean it's unlikely to be a classical or flamenco record taken either from the Abbey Road archives (Blackbird/Being For The Benefit...) or a live radio broadcast (I Am The Walrus). 

Beatles Bible (again) states it's a preset on the Mellotron keyboard which sounds far fetched, as it's hard to imagine what use such a sample would be to any working musician. The mellotron (played by Chris Thomas) appears twice on Bungalow Bill (on mandolin and trombone settings) so it would be an easy assumption to make.

But having done some research I can confidently say it is a mellotron! Here's a video with the same 'sample' in action (the mellotron was not a really synthesizer but a tape loop trigger)...

and Paul McCartney does an excellent (if schmaltzy) demonstration of how such ultra specific samples may have been used in a live context. And of course he plays the intro to Strawberry Fields Forever. But then you'd expect him to.

Moral of the story? Always trust Beatles Bible. And never underestimate the weirdness of a keyboard manufacturer.

If you build it, they will strum.

Next time we'll look at the actual song.

She Said She Said (10 Beatles Songs Featuring Female Vocalists)

(this post has been updated Nov 15, 2011)

I would never have female voices on a Beatles record 

– Paul McCartney (Many Years From Now p.575)

...apart from Marianne Faithful, all our wives, 2 fans, 1 girlfriend, 2 choirs and an orchestra...

More than any other song The Long And Winding Road epitomises the whole clash of vision, and lack of reality that killed the Let It Be album. Before we take a closer look, let's dispel one of the arguments Paul had for why he hated the recording. He claimed that female vocals were somehow anathema to the Beatles sound. However there are nine other songs where he was quite happy to include the ladies...

1) 14 voice female choir - The Long And Winding Road

This is the one that provoked Paul's odd comment, glacial operatic oohs and ahhs. lady style mushiness to the power of 14.

2) Linda McCartney - Let It Be

The lovely Linda join Paul and George for overdubbed oohs on a song inspired by a dream about Paul's mother.

3) 14 voice female choir (Spector version) Lizzie Bravo & Gayleen Pease (Wildlife version)  - Across The Universe 

The same set up as The Long And Winding Road didn't annoy Paul as much, presumably because Across The Universe was an old Lennon 'b side' rather than a new McCartney ballad. On the original version Lizzie & Gayleen became probably the most famous Beatles fans (after Charles Manson) after they were plucked from their vigil at the Abbey Road gates to contribute some childishly squeaky vocals to the chorus (which Spector wisely deleted). 

4) Yoko Ono & Maureen Starkey - The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill

Not only do a wife and future wife contribute BVs, but Yoko sings one line of lead vocals “Not when he looks so fierce”. Lennon follows this with “...his Mummy butted in”. Feel free to discuss any irony in the statement “his Mummy butted in” in the comments section.

5) Pattie Harrison & Yoko Ono - Birthday

Another wife duet on McCartney's written in the studio rocker.

6) Members of Session Orchestra - Hey Jude

The 36 classical musicians booked for this session famously became the knights who sing “Na” after the Beatles doubled their rates in exchange for backing vocals on the longest fade out in history.

7) The Mike Sammes Singers – Goodnight

The middle of the road vocal group add some gooey love mush to Lennon's song for Julian. This time Phil Spector has an alibi, being 3000 miles away from Abbey Road at the time. I accuse George Martin in the studio with the lead piping.

8) The Mike Sammes Singers - I Am The Walrus

George Martin employs one of the UK top vocal groups. Lennon gets them to sing “Everybody's got one” and “Umpah Umpah, stick it up your jumper”

9) Marianne Faithful, Pattie Harrison & Jane Asher - All You Need Is Love

Joining everyone and his brother in the studio for the live TV broadcast before 400 million viewers. Keith Moon played hi hat.

10) Marianne Faithful & Pattie Harrison - Yellow Submarine

The first sighting of women in the Beatles Boys club. This means that the most recorded woman on the Beatles songs is – Pattie Harrison!

Next time I'll try to unpack why everyone hates The Long And Winding Road.

The Minor 4 Chord (pt.4)

From the m2 to the m4

(Read part one here)

This a very Lennon change – he used the exact same progression three times to great effect, most famously in

Nowhere Man

Em Making all his Gm Nowhere plans for D nobody
(and all the other lines that end the verses)

(ii, iv, I)

It also crops up in the verses of

Across The Universe

Po- Em -ssessing and ca- Gm -ressing me. D Jai…
In- Em -citing and in- Gm -viting me. D Limitless…

(ii, iv, I)

and With The Beatles track

All I’ve Got to Do

F#m Call you on the phone
& you’ll come running home
Yeah Am that’s all I E gotta do.

(ii, iv, I)


Other songs

The progression dates back to the first album where it made an appearance on Do You Want To Know A Secret, in the verse just after “Do you promise not to tell”

G#m Gm Woh F#m oh Am oh E Closer…

(iii, biii, ii, iv/bVI, I)

McCartney plays a C under the Am making it sound even more complex than it already is.

He covers his tracks in a similar way (on piano this time) on the intro to Honey Pie. Instead of playing Am - Cm - G (which would be Nowhere Man transposed) he plays Am/D - Cm – G.

Em She A6 was a Am/D working girl Cm north of England G way

(vi, II, ii/V, iv, I)

As well as appearing in the verse of You Won’t See Me the bridge has the following progression


Bm Time after Dm time you re- D dim fuse to even A listen

ii, iv, iv dim, I (key of A)

A final alteration comes from the chorus of She Loves You (also in the key of G) where, instead of approaching the iv (Cm) from the ‘in key’ Am he uses a major (A7).

She Em loves you yeah, yeah, yeah
She A7 loves you yeah, yeah, yeah
With a Cm love like that
You D7 know you should be G glad

(vi, II, iv, V, I)

Try using this chord pattern in your songwriting. here's the progression in some common keys (the last chord is the root). Keep 'em in your songwriting tool box...

Em - Gm - D

Bm - Dm - A

F#m - Am - E

Dm - Fm - C

Am - Cm - G

1: Introduction
2: Major 4 to minor 4
3: Minor 6 to minor 4
4: Minor 2 to minor 4
5: 1 to minor 4 

The Minor 4 Chord (pt3)

The Beatles were masters of slipping chords that didn’t fit the key into their songs. Chord like the minor 4 (iv). Last time we were looking at progressions where they went from the major 4 (IV) to the minor 4 (iv) like this change from In My Life (the iv is Dm)

There are A places E I remember all my D life Dm though A some have changed

25 or 6 to 4

Now lets look at the second most common change – from the minor 6 to the minor 4 (vi to iv)

Ask Me Why (Verse) -  vi, iv, II7, V, I (Key of E)

That C#m I, I, I, I, I should Am never, never, never be F#7 blue B

She Loves You (verse) - I vi iv, V (in G)

She G loves you and you know that can’t be Em bad,

She Cm loves you & you know you should be D glad

Any Time At All (verse) -  I, iii/VII, vi, iv/bVI (in D)

D If you need some F#m/C# body to love,

Bm Just look into my Gm/Bb eyes

I Will (verse tag, as a weird passing chord) - I7, IV, V, vi, iv, I (in F)

F7 Sing it Bb loud so C7 I can Dm hear you Bbm F

The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill (verse) - III, V, vi, iv (in C)

He’s the E all-American G bullet-headed Am Saxon mother’s Fm son

The Night Before (verse) - vi, iv, vi, iv, I (in D)

Bm Now today I Gm find,

Bm You have changed your Gm mind D treat me…

The iv resolves to the I chord in every song except Ask Me Why & You Won't See Me..

For a modern example check out If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz. The Chorus progression (in D) is I, iii, vi, iv

D Well all I really want to do is

F#m love you, a kind much closer than

Bm friends use, but I still can't say it after

Gm all we've been through

Once again your homework is simple. Try to get this chord progression into one of your songs!

Related Posts:

1: Introduction
2: Major 4 to minor 4
3: Minor 6 to minor 4
4: Minor 2 to minor 4
5: 1 to minor 4 

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