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[Hello Goodbye]

Don't Bother Me





The first song that I wrote - as an exercise to see if I could write a song.  I wrote it at a hotel in Bournemouth, England, where we were playing a summer session in 1963.  I was sick in bed - maybe that's why it turned out to be "Dont Bother Me."

I don't think it's a particularly good song, it mightn't even be a song at all, but at least it showed me that all I needed to do was keep on writing and then maybe eventually I would write something good.

     George Harrison   I Me Mine



Bill Harry, then editor of Mersey Beat, disagrees with harrison's story.  He said he pestered Harrison to write a song other than the instrumental, Cry For A Shadow, and that finally Harrison did just to stop Harry from bothering him.

     Road and Record



Between 19 and 24 August 1963, George Harrison made several home recordings of Don't Bother Me...


http://youtu.be/cwqRaQTB6WM



On 11 September 1963, The Beatles entered EMI Studio 2 at 7:00 PM to begin their third recording session for their second British album With The Beatles.  Not A Second Time was started and finished and at 9:00 PM, The Beatles began recoding Don't Bother Me.  Four full band performances were recorded durin that session.  John Lennon, being in an experimental mood, tried out a new gadget that they had purchased a few months earlier at Selmer’s music store in London, this being a Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone.  He was eager to get some use out of it on this day and tried it out on these early attempts of the rhythm track.  George Martin wasn't happy with the overly distorted result.

The next day, 12 September 1963, the Beatles resumed work on the song, once again during the evening session.  This longer-than-usual session, from 7:00 to 11:30 PM, started out with a brand new attempt at the song.  Starting from scratch at a round number of "Take 10," this attempt included all of the basic elements of the song, including lead vocals and guitar solo.  While it’s somewhat slower than the finished product, it was a near perfect rendition.  The only flaws were George’s occasional off key vocal and Ringo’s accent flub at the very end, which prompted George to sarcastically sing "oh yeah, rock and roll now," an indication that this take couldn’t be used...


http://youtu.be/F1Y03Wk4CSQ




The group then decided to incorporate a "Beatles break" just before George begins singing the first verse.  Take 11 broke down just into the first verse.  Take 12 got a little further, although Ringo kept putting the "breaks" in the wrong places, resulting in George stopping the song saying "no, no, no." 


http://youtu.be/iNqkyHVmloc

[Hello Goodbye]

Take 13, which omitted that first "break," was deemed best.  Notice, though, that Ringo does mistakenly perform a "break" just before the first bridge during the words 'I know I’ll...."


http://youtu.be/8EKQj1xTJeE



Six overdub takes followed and by 8:30 PM The Beatles had the finished product of George's first attempt at songwriting for a Beatles album...


http://youtu.be/yuSLdwGNEFU




George Harrison – Lead Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitar (1962 Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman)
John Lennon – Rhythm Guitar (1958 Rickenbacker 325), Tambourine
Paul McCartney - Bass Guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1), Claves
Ringo Starr – Drums (1963 Ludwig Downbeat Black Oyster Pearl), Arabian Bongo

[nimrod]

Nice post Baz..

Not the best song in the world but has a 'feel' that Ive always liked, very off its time, its kinda dark and quite rocky, some great 'real' guitar tones and a very nice solo, one thing Ive just heard as if for the first time is the Bassline, very nice (not just playing root notes like most bands were at the time)

Its a hit for me, I like it more that some of Georges later ones like Northern Song, Its All Too Much & Old Brown Shoe.

Id say very good for a first attempt. I suppose the pressure was on George having those 2 knocking out songs for fun.

[Hello Goodbye]

Thanks Kev, mate.  It's that minor key that George made magnificent use of in many of his songs.  It's a hit for me too; one of my favorite songs on With The Beatles.

Yes, Paul obviously enjoyed the song too and played an intricate bassline...


http://youtu.be/R9hQCnIlxAQ

[Moogmodule]

While never a fav of mine it's a pretty good first effort from George. It's funny the title almost sums him up for the rest of his life.

In its favour it's lyrics are far removed from the early Beatle love songs. It's got a minor-ish feel to the music which again was in contrast to the bright major mode of most Beatle songs of the era.

It's not anywhere near as good as the better songs of John and Paul of that era. But it's a credible and distinctive effort that showed he wasn't going to copy his more illustrious companions.

 

[nimrod]

Wow quite a few mistakes on that Bass video Baz 

[Hello Goodbye]

Not as many as I make, Kev. 

[Klang]

Nice tune. As good as any other on the album, in my view. Never understood why George dissed it. I'd be very proud if I was him. Maybe he was, secretly.

 

[tkitna]

I've always liked the song.  Its a toe tapper and fun jam.

[Mr Mustard]

It's got a dour, prickly, pugnacious quality which sets it apart from the effervescent John-Paul joy-pop by then fast becoming their trademark... provides a nice sardonic contrast coming straight behind Paul's buoyant and bubbly "All My Loving" - sort of cleans the palate like the sorbet following a rich, well structured main course. Of all The Beatles, George was surely the least gushing and sentimental and many of us love that rather saturnine edge he brought into the equation. It's no classic but it is a very good, solid, underrated track and a perfectly respectable songwriting debut.

[Dcazz]

Reminds me of Think For Yourself a bit. "Do what you want to do. Go where your going to. Think for yourself and Don't bother me-e!

[Bingo Bongo]

Love that "Beatles Break" idea.  Didn't even notice it in the take 10, until I read the next paragraph!

Nice find Hello Goodbye!