"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist, as an exercise in randomness inspired by the Chinese I Ching. The song conveys his dismay at the world's unrealised potential for universal love, which he refers to as "the love there that's sleeping".
On 6 September, during a ride from Surrey into London, Harrison asked Clapton to play guitar on the track. Clapton, who recognised Harrison's talent as a songwriter,[62] and considered that his abilities had long been held back by Lennon and McCartney,[63] was nevertheless reluctant to participate; he later recalled that his initial response was: "I can't do that. Nobody ever plays on Beatles records."[64] Harrison convinced him, and Clapton's lead guitar part, played on Harrison's Gibson Les Paul electric guitar "Lucy" (a recent gift from Clapton), was overdubbed that evening.[5][65] Recalling the session in his 2007 autobiography, Clapton says that, while Lennon and McCartney were "fairly non-committal", he thought the track "sounded fantastic", adding: "I knew George was happy, because he listened to it over and over in the control room."[66]
Harrison recalled that Clapton's presence also ensured that his bandmates "tr[ied] a bit harder" and "were all on their best behaviour".[5] The Beatles carried out the remaining overdubs, which included an ascending piano motif, played by McCartney, over the introduction,[67] Hammond organ by Harrison, and further percussion by Starr.[65] McCartney also added a second bass part, played on his Fender Jazz Bass rather than on either of his usual Höfner or Rickenbacker models.
Gear The Beatles used on the Track:
Paul used his Fender Jazz Bass plugged into his Fender Bassman
John used His Guild Starfire 12 plugged into a Fender Twin Reverb?
George used his Gibson J-200
Eric used His Gibson Les Paul (later became georges) Plugged into a Marshall Amp which I saw in and article
Gear I used:
Paul: Hofner Ignition Bass
John: Vintage VSA 500P (used chorus for 12 string fx)
George: Epiphone J45 (modded with pickup)
Eric: Chibson Les Paul
Bass amp: VOX Pathfinder 10 Bass amp
Guitar Amp: VOX Valvetronix VT20X