George has said that Paul went a little over the top with the bass on this song, but Paul took a great song and created an equally great and very creative bass line for it. Paul’s vocal harmony adds a lot as well. That’s the difference between a Beatles song and a George Harrison solo song: if you’re going to put it out as a Beatles song you get Beatles-level input from the band. I’m glad George didn’t save it for All Things Must Pass.
This song needed a melodic counter play bass line because otherwise all it would have been were chords. That's how the Beatles wrote a lot of their stuff. Guitar chords and melodic bass lines. It's part of what makes them so cool.
I think George had some issues with Paul at the time till mid 70’s. He used to criticize Paul a lot. I remember he said I think in 74 that he’d choose Willie Weeks over Paul’s Bass playing anytime! I don’t think such remarks are nice. Paul never criticized George out in the open like George used to do. Score 1 for Paul.
Most people wouldn't try to add this sort of busy bassline to an otherwise straight up love song. But Paul did, they did, and that's one of the reasons why they are forever magic.
Though, he would't do that much if song was his own. But he knew it should be new classics, and jumped over to make his footprint on that Moon. Same way as him recorded bass for Pepper after all other work was done, to rethink and to make it deeper. It's not magic, it's sort of competitive spirit, at good meaning of this.
I feel the sane way about Ringo's drumming on this song. Most bands wouldn't have a drum track like Ringo played on a song like this. But Ringo's drums made the song more than Paul's base imho.
@@sirAvdul It's hard to top this song in any way, honestly This has always been my favorite Beatle song. George would have secured his legacy with Something if he'd never written anything else.
@@secondcomingofbast9908 I'm about 50% ignorant of who wrote what. But finding out George wrote my favourite songs happens so often when I check. Frigging 'Think For Yourself' man...
Totally brilliant bass line. His secret was his fabulous melodic playing. To me he is the best. I know there are other fabulous players out there but none with the melodic content of McCartney.
@@sallybrown4947 The Beach Boys don’t even play instruments on their own albums 😂😂😂😂 don’t ever try to compare anything about the Beatles to the fag boys
This was all George. He quite famously, forced Paul to play this as he wrote it. Remember the row in the filming of "Let It Be"? Well, "Something" was George's payback.
@@Kermit_T_Frog im not sure about that. Instead i heard paul did all the bass lines in the end, when everything was ready, alone, without the input of the others
@@Kermit_T_Frog Kermit, can you provide a source for that? This bass and the line written for it, is exactly like a Paul McCartney bass line. It is a unique style not played like anyone else. It is unmistakably a Paul McCartney bass line.
As far as I've heard, Harrison got a bit upset about It in this song, didnt he? He felt It was too much showing off from Macca. In the end, he understood, of course. It was f......ing PAUL McCARTNEY !!!
@@luisadolfoforo19761 I read that somewhere, too! George's original intentions were for his song to be simpler, but who could argue with how it turned out?
@@Soapandwater6 McCartney had the same issue with Yesterday. His vision was simply the lyric and a single guitar. George Martin added the strings without consulting Paul, and that's the version everyone fell in love with.
“Something” is the first memory I have of music, the first song I can recall ever hearing. The second song is “Down on the corner” by CCR. Just wanted to share that.
Thomas Coleman, me too. Something, Down on the Corner, also remember Games People Play, Who’ll Stop the Rain, Everybody’s Talking, Sweet Caroline, tons of others. I was all of about 5 or 6.
Ha ha - mine was Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Di at a Kindergarden party. It was a game called "Reise nach Jerusalem" which is the German version for "Musical Chairs". I always remembered the song and many years later (after buying the White Album) I found out that it was "The Beatles" - best band ever!
Now every other bass player would have just done the same thing when the verse comes back for the final time - but not Paul, who does an elaboration on the original line. He is a genius. That's all.
The last verse, specifically the lick after George's first line at 2:23, made it imperative that I learn bass so I could play that. So simple, but so great.
@@mcride9714except he didn’t do it in the coda….he did it in the final verse after the bridge. I do know what a coda is as I’ve been teaching music (and currently Director of Music earning 160 thousand a year).
Paul's got an even touch and it's crazy how he can play that much without being too busy for the vocals, But you would want the vocals too to make it interesting.
@@blurenthusiast6568 I mean as a listener you need to hear the vocals to understand what the bass is doing. You want to hear the baselines together with either the lead vocal or the chords. Unless you're not a super musician.
Incredibly creative, melodic, and the bass line complements the song to the extent that it remains completely unobtrusive. Plus he could sing, play a mean guitar, and write songs. It all adds up to genius.
It’s interesting as George did NOT want Paul improvising or a fancy bass line, And was a little upset about it. But I believe it works perfectly as most of their tunes did✌️
Just Ben wasn’t just he didn’t want the fancy bass line but he had already vetoed one before this take was done. Only a fancy few will ever know what it was Paul played that George said no too
Every time I think I'm getting closer to duplicating Paul's bass line on this classic song, there's another sweet spot or dynamic inflection I feel - especially listening to him here. I mean, we all know this song's a treasure, but the ride Paul gives you is more than magic, it's the fragrance of yet more flowers blooming in a beautiful garden.
Am a big Beatle and Something is arguably the band's most beautiful song. But Paul's creative bass in this tune convinced me once and for all, that he was, without a doubt, the Beatles greatest talent
If he were the Beatles greatest talent, then his solo work would have surpassed everything done by the Beatles. But his best is the popular but not the legendary Wings. That’s the secret! The Beatles are a combination of equal talents.
It’s really tough to make a call on what basses he plays on Abbey Road since his Hofner, Rick and Jazz were all strung with Rotosound Tru Bass 88 strings (Tapewound strings)
@@robotman5105 my vote is on the Ric - not only are there songs where it sounds very close to the Hofner, but the Hofner had not had its intonation fixed at that time which would have made it severely out of tune on higher notes
He could have easily have not chosen the difficult path because it wasn't his song, but wound up writing one of the most intricate beautiful bass lines ever to compliment a beautiful song. He never overplayed on the song, just filled some of the empty spots as if it were an alternate string section, Amazing!!!
Paul is as good as they come when it comes to understanding and how to use melodic and rhythmic space to the best possible effect. There are some as good but no one was ever better.
Paule ist für mich schon immer einer der weltbesten Bassisten. Was er hier an "wichtigen Noten" so spielt, dass ist schon sehr beeindruckend, diese Bassläufe mit seinem berühmten Höfner Bass, unglaublich diese Perormance!!! Beste Grüße, Horst Lemke, Musikproduzent, Germany Ps. Das ist reif für jedes MasterClass Bassisten Lehrbuch!
There is so much nuance, even or slightly swung 8ths exactly when you asked "what makes this song perfect?" Then you start following the bass melody figuring out the chords and you realise that you could go on for years analysing the inversions, the chromatism and all that theory to explain the inexplicable... and going back wondering at the sense of melody, the naive sensitivity that is part of Paul's musical ear... and eventually you end up speechless.
Here Paul demonstrates what harmony is. He makes a song inside another... and by the way, also shows George in his own song (or face) that the good melodic lines are those that "he" writes ... Talent and Ego to infinity.... ... in that order
I don't think ego or trying to take over had anything to do with paul's intentions, it's just that music and creativity flow inside him, he can't help it, he was born to do this. Any idea he came up to, anything he could do to help make a song better, he would do it, why wouldn't he?
@@dyanapomp Nah, it's partly ego. The fact that Paul is very competitive is not exactly news. You'll notice that Paul's best bass lines - "Taxman", "Come Together", "Hey Bulldog" and the monstrous "Don't Let Me Down" are in songs written by the other Beatles. He's wants listeners to be aware of his presence.
@@zakmartin Hmm, did you misunderstand what I meant by "monstrous"? I was referring to Paul's incredible bass line on Don't Let Me Down. But it's a great song, too.
It was an already great song assisted by a fantastic bass line that in my opinion only helped to elevated this song to the amazing song that it is. I have always loved how the bass line at 2:23 elevated at verse of the song. Its great to hear it isolated. What I took from Get Back was that the Beatles were a great team and they all contributed to the songs, regardless of who's name ended up getting credit from it.
This bass line reminds me of what Brian Wilson asked Carol Kaye to play on “Good Vibrations.” Unexpected, yet fully additive. Masterpiece within a masterpiece.
@@difarahman2898 th-cam.com/video/5ggH6KryhYc/w-d-xo.html dont forget that paul was the second drummer in the band, he played the solo and rythme guitar during the beatles too
@@josea.4331 th-cam.com/video/5ggH6KryhYc/w-d-xo.html dont forget that paul was the second drummer in the band, he played the solo and rythme guitar during the beatles too
If you mean the Chorus the part that goes "You're asking me where my lo....... I don't know" Then that bass part actually a bare simple copy of the string arrangement that George Martin did.
I am the bassist for my band even though I still have to get one😅. I love bass and John and Paul are such an inspiration for me. They are the reasons I have a band, play bass, play harmonica, play piano, do vocals and pretty much everything
@@thefonzkiss true! Actually not the bassist for my band now! I was just listing all the things that he inspired me to do. Don’t be so jealous 😮💨 have a good day
Ever since I've heard this isolated bass line I've been trying to get a similar muted sound. It's so fabulous and sounds so fantastic in the mix instead of the more open and resonant bass sound I used to like.
You could invest in tapewound strings and roll the tone almost all the way back, play with a pick and palm mute the notes to achieve this tone. Flat wounds work too and really dead round wounds with a foam mute under the strings at the bridge.
Whoa, he's good! I wished they had turned it up in the final mix. I think turning up the bass and making it a lead instrument is the groundbreaking contribution of Joy Division.
It's been rather high in the mix ever since Paperback Writer, I think. And there definitely were some bands before JD that used bass as a lead. Mostly prog ones, I think. Money by Pink Floyd or Roundabout by Yes, for example
@@jackjdolan Just goes to show how much George resented Paul during that time period. The first two songs of Abby Road are Come Together (Lennon) and Something (Harrison) - two songs that were essentially sealed into all-time status by McCartney's bassline. Without the basslines, those two songs are mediocre
@@MrTCHOSS I agree. I also read that when George wasn't getting the solo on Taxman he left and when he came back Paul had laid down that great solo and it pissed George off.
@@jackjdolan I heard that too, but I will say the only video I've ever heard from George on the Taxman solo, he praised it and said he was particularly tickled that Paul threw in a little Indian bit to George as a tribute. I had never thought of that before, but it makes sense. That solo is so wild, almost out of control wild, and that bit in the middle of it does sound just like a sitar.
The bass part is the male voice in a duet with the electrical guitar. The song is about a man thinking about leaving the woman he loves for fear of commitment. That’s why the bass line seems flow in another direction until the musical motif where both bass and guitar play the same notes in unison. The guitar solo is pretty much the female in the story pleading to the male character not to leave.
The Hofner wasn’t properly intimated at that time, so it would have sounded out of tune on the higher notes. My vote is on the Ric, Paul has made it sound very close to the Hofner on some songs
This is what makes bands so interesting. So many fan-favourite moments were dismissed by the band members themselves. They didnt have the unbiased vantage point we have had. George didn’t like this bass line, but for me it’s part of what makes the song so special. Lennon didn’t like the abbey road medley, but it’s an integral moment in the catalogue.
I THINK THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH E BEING THE LOWEST NOTE ON THE FIRST STRING; AND SINCE THIS BASS LINE IS RATHER A PRODUCT OF INSTINCT THAN OF DELIBERATION, F E C SEEMS FAR MORE NATURAL. I GUESS THAT IF MCCA WAS RECODING THIS BASS LINE ON A PIANO E D C WAS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN.
@@LavrencicUrban Hey man, I watched your videos and I really love your voice, you're a great musician. but I'm just really curious... why do you write in all caps?
@@zhangpurnama6897 THANKS MAN :) I AM A BIG FAN OF ROMANS AND THEIR LANGUAGE - LATIN. IN ORDER TO CODE THEIR LANGUAGE ROMANS DEVELOPED ALPHABET TODAY KNOWN AS LATIN ALPHABET THAT BOTH YOU AND I ARE USING TO WRITE. IN ITS ORIGINAL IT ONLY EXISTED IN CAPS FORM AND WHEN FIRST ROMANS STARTED TO USE INFORMALLY LOWER CASE, IT WAS CONSIDERED BY MANY AS AESTHETICALLY INFERIOR TO THE ORIGINAL. THAT IS ACTULALLY THE MAIN REASON I USE CAPS, AS I ALSO FIND IT VISUALLY WAY MORE PLEASING. I HAVE NOT BEING USING LOWER CASE LETTERS FOR NEARLY 15 YEARS NOW.
I cant think of a song of George's that Paul didnt contribute some great bass playing, cept the indian stuff that none of the other beatles played on. John on the other hand rarely added anything to Georges songs and often found an excuse not to play at all on them. I think the last thing that was ever recorded by the beatles was I Me Mine for the film release and album release which occured after Abbey Road, it was just George, Paul and Ringo that added the extra segment if i am remembering this right. That was the last time they recorded together till the Anthology.
This bass line is simply wonderful, it uses 4 different scales, as well as having a perfect execution by Paul. But without a doubt what intrigues me most about this bass line, is how it achieved that rock tone, low but without distortion and with the strings totally muted. The notes are held for barely microseconds in the air, and it has a very little metallic sound, almost looking like a double bass.
He's using flat wound strings. They were the standard on basses before the disco era. The only two people I can think of who used round wound strings in the '60s were John Entwistle of The Who and Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone, but of course there were a few others as well. My 1976 MusicMan Stingray had flat wound strings when I bought it. Once the disco era started round wound strings became the standard because they all wanted to sound like Larry Graham's "thumping and plucking" technique.
@@TuberOnTheLoose The saddest part of the history it´s that in these days the flatwounds are a lot more expensive and harder to get than the roundowund. I miss the 60s bass sound.
Each one was a very accomplished artist in their own right however I think we were spoiled having them all together❤ the song wouldn't be the same without the Baseline
I always see this remark. How is he underrated? He's been complimented on his bass skills by anyone and everyone in the music biz for the last 50+ years...lol
@@gigisdad I wouldn’t say that everyone in music business has done so and I was referring more to the common music fan, most people would be unaware of what an exceptional player he is.
@@alastairmackay4861 If the average music fan is unaware, then it doesn't matter any. These are the same people who think Neal Peart was the best drummer of all time.
I agree paul makes George's best song even better both vocals and george said himself in the get back movie he wanted a counter melody from paul when you ask paul he will give you what you asked for but the way he played it is up to him.
You can hear him speed up in the bridge section (the "You're asking me.." part"), it's way clearer when it's just one instrument. That, which would be considered a mistake by the rhythm section, actually contributes to the flow of the song and helps it move along organically. And I'd risk saying it could have been intentional, you can hear them come back to the original tempo once the section is over.
@TubularBow HD Yes! Which is a detail that not many people nowadays notice or do in the studio, which is kind of a shame because it's doable even with a click track.
McCartney rarely played the same passage the same way twice. But the intricacies and subtle touches are sometimes lost in the mix. Hearing his isolated tracks is like hearing the song all over again. I Want You is another one I love...of a hundred examples I could use 😂
THE secret here is that indeed, Paul did not play these lines as an underpinning rhythm track but as a melody! Where a lead guitar might be overdubbed onto a track, he overdubbed the entire bass line. And while Entwistle was a genius on bass, there’s a reason Paul used to win the “best bassist” polls - it’s because of stuff like this, which not only supported the rest of the song but added its own coherent melody.
Ringo is perfect on this also, a percussion genius, complimenting Mozart's bass playing as no other drummer could. The bass line, well where do you start analyzing that? Essentially McCartney is determining what the chords of the song are with the bass for starters. Beatles magic again.
+ "yo, what are you listening to?"
- "The Beatle."
Anta baka
That joke is literally just copied from every other isolated bass beatle video
Copy
a Beatle
Goooood!
George has said that Paul went a little over the top with the bass on this song, but Paul took a great song and created an equally great and very creative bass line for it. Paul’s vocal harmony adds a lot as well. That’s the difference between a Beatles song and a George Harrison solo song: if you’re going to put it out as a Beatles song you get Beatles-level input from the band. I’m glad George didn’t save it for All Things Must Pass.
He asked Joe Cooker to record it, but Cooker told him to save it to The Beatles.
One of the best comment I've read about them!
This song needed a melodic counter play bass line because otherwise all it would have been were chords. That's how the Beatles wrote a lot of their stuff. Guitar chords and melodic bass lines. It's part of what makes them so cool.
Totally agree, even Ringo's drums are amazing in the middle, the "you're asking me..." part
I think George had some issues with Paul at the time till mid 70’s. He used to criticize Paul a lot. I remember he said I think in 74 that he’d choose Willie Weeks over Paul’s Bass playing anytime! I don’t think such remarks are nice. Paul never criticized George out in the open like George used to do. Score 1 for Paul.
Honestly, one of the most impressive bass tracks I've ever heard. It's not the same song without it.
Absolutely
Your cat pfp looks exactly like one of my cats
Most people wouldn't try to add this sort of busy bassline to an otherwise straight up love song. But Paul did, they did, and that's one of the reasons why they are forever magic.
Though, he would't do that much if song was his own. But he knew it should be new classics, and jumped over to make his footprint on that Moon. Same way as him recorded bass for Pepper after all other work was done, to rethink and to make it deeper. It's not magic, it's sort of competitive spirit, at good meaning of this.
I feel the sane way about Ringo's drumming on this song. Most bands wouldn't have a drum track like Ringo played on a song like this. But Ringo's drums made the song more than Paul's base imho.
@@secondcomingofbast9908 Both Paul's bassline & Ringo's drumming is the best among the instrument part, in my opinion.
@@sirAvdul It's hard to top this song in any way, honestly This has always been my favorite Beatle song. George would have secured his legacy with Something if he'd never written anything else.
@@secondcomingofbast9908 I'm about 50% ignorant of who wrote what. But finding out George wrote my favourite songs happens so often when I check.
Frigging 'Think For Yourself' man...
Totally brilliant bass line. His secret was his fabulous melodic playing. To me he is the best. I know there are other fabulous players out there but none with the melodic content of McCartney.
👍👍👍👌👌👏👏👏
This and the chorus for While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
Listen to James Jamerson
I wouldn’t expect anything less from one of the greatest Pop composers of all time.
Agree
The amount of effort Paul put into composing the bass lines for Something shows how much he admired this song by George.
This
this bassline has a life of its own underneath the whole mood of the song, its actually wild how well it works.
pauls a mad genius
I have trouble remembering a few chords in order, this is is magic and mad as well.
Best bassist ever and it’s not close. He invented the way bass is played in rock music.
I have to agree. And I just recently started getting into the Beatles , it quickly becomes evident that he is indeed the best bass player of all time
No he didn't invent them. Paul started playing melodic bass lines after hearing the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds"-1966.
@@sallybrown4947 The Beach Boys don’t even play instruments on their own albums 😂😂😂😂 don’t ever try to compare anything about the Beatles to the fag boys
@@sallybrown4947well, he didn't always rely on Pet Sounds. He was influenced by them in '67 sure, but after that, that was all them.
He didnt invent it, james jamerson and carol kaye are the ones who did it but, paul is amazing and probably the in that conversation
It is just as if he composed another song with his bass
Yes! When I listen to Something, I hum the bassline!
This was all George. He quite famously, forced Paul to play this as he wrote it. Remember the row in the filming of "Let It Be"? Well, "Something" was George's payback.
@@Kermit_T_Frog im not sure about that. Instead i heard paul did all the bass lines in the end, when everything was ready, alone, without the input of the others
@@JulienCohenMusic You heard wrong.
@@Kermit_T_Frog Kermit, can you provide a source for that? This bass and the line written for it, is exactly like a Paul McCartney bass line. It is a unique style not played like anyone else. It is unmistakably a Paul McCartney bass line.
2:24 that’s the bit you’re looking for
FINLAY G Ha! Someone else who loves that riff and I thought it was just me.
kigtod dude sane! So fun to play too
I love 1:23
That part always stood out to me. A great little counter melody.
My favourite part as well, love how he just finds that pocket of space in the verse and makes the most of it
such a wonderful accompaniment adding all those rhythmic and melodic elements.
As far as I've heard, Harrison got a bit upset about It in this song, didnt he? He felt It was too much showing off from Macca. In the end, he understood, of course. It was f......ing PAUL McCARTNEY !!!
@@luisadolfoforo19761 I read that somewhere, too! George's original intentions were for his song to be simpler, but who could argue with how it turned out?
@@Soapandwater6 McCartney had the same issue with Yesterday. His vision was simply the lyric and a single guitar. George Martin added the strings without consulting Paul, and that's the version everyone fell in love with.
Man there's such a baroque style in Paul's bass playing, you can really hear the influences in there
“Something” is the first memory I have of music, the first song I can recall ever hearing. The second song is “Down on the corner” by CCR. Just wanted to share that.
My first was "It's My Life" of Dr.Alban. I was born in 1990.
Thomas Coleman, me too. Something, Down on the Corner, also remember Games People Play, Who’ll Stop the Rain, Everybody’s Talking, Sweet Caroline, tons of others. I was all of about 5 or 6.
Ha ha - mine was Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Di at a Kindergarden party. It was a game called "Reise nach Jerusalem" which is the German version for "Musical Chairs". I always remembered the song and many years later (after buying the White Album) I found out that it was "The Beatles" - best band ever!
I have no idea what song or band I heard first. I just love the depth the beatles have in their songs.
@@Romchikthelemon My first one was In The Summertime by Mungo Jerry.
Now every other bass player would have just done the same thing when the verse comes back for the final time - but not Paul, who does an elaboration on the original line. He is a genius. That's all.
TRUE!
The last verse, specifically the lick after George's first line at 2:23, made it imperative that I learn bass so I could play that. So simple, but so great.
I'm pretty sure many bass players know what a coda is..
@@mcride9714except he didn’t do it in the coda….he did it in the final verse after the bridge. I do know what a coda is as I’ve been teaching music (and currently Director of Music earning 160 thousand a year).
@donna25871 was the salary necessary?
Paul's got an even touch and it's crazy how he can play that much without being too busy for the vocals, But you would want the vocals too to make it interesting.
The vocals were overdubbed. But yes, this is such an amazing bass line!
He's not singing the vocals, it's George, unless your talking about backing vocals
@@blurenthusiast6568 I mean as a listener you need to hear the vocals to understand what the bass is doing. You want to hear the baselines together with either the lead vocal or the chords. Unless you're not a super musician.
@@1maggan ok that makes sense i read ur comment wrong i thought you said he sang the song, ok that makes more sense
Paul is careful to play around the vocals.
Paul wrote a great bass line here, one of his best!
**George, John and Ringo left the chat**
AHAHHAA
Incredibly creative, melodic, and the bass line complements the song to the extent that it remains completely unobtrusive.
Plus he could sing, play a mean guitar, and write songs.
It all adds up to genius.
He’s the closest thing to god as a musician
You forgot keyboards and drums.
1:15 - 1:50 legendary playing
0:00 - 3:06 more like
Bizarre how different 1:21 and 1:33 are - always thought it was just a repeat
That's the best-looking Paul in my opinion. The hair, the beard and the suit are still relevan until today.
That bass is phenomenal. If I wrote a song that Paul did bass to, I would not complain. He takes a good song and makes it better.
Pun intended on the last sentence? :)
This song would be much different without the bass. It adds so much
It’s interesting as George did NOT want Paul improvising or a fancy bass line, And was a little upset about it. But I believe it works perfectly as most of their tunes did✌️
Just Ben I agree
I think the same thing about "A Day in the Life" as well.
Just Ben wasn’t just he didn’t want the fancy bass line but he had already vetoed one before this take was done. Only a fancy few will ever know what it was Paul played that George said no too
Same with come together
Every time I think I'm getting closer to duplicating Paul's bass line on this classic song, there's another sweet spot or dynamic inflection I feel - especially listening to him here. I mean, we all know this song's a treasure, but the ride Paul gives you is more than magic, it's the fragrance of yet more flowers blooming in a beautiful garden.
Loved it when Paul did his bass as a harmony to the song. I could listen to this all day long.
Agree he approached bass similar to cello counterpoint in classical music
How did he ever come up with this base notes?! It still amazes me...
Because Paul is a musical genius!
It’s the melody of the song! That’s why George said not to overdo it because it doesn’t have to be played that way.
@@DavidVRubioit’s not the melody of the song
Melodies within the melody, wheels within the wheel
I am so in love with this bassline, honestly.
What a genius! I love this and also his bass on Come Together.
njriley55 For Paul and/or Ringo’s detractors, I recommend their listening to Come Together.
@@peetyw8851 If I hear anyone badmouth Ringo's playing or style I will forever know they don't know anything about music.
@@YorwerthHiraeth Right on, my friend!
One of the greatest bass tracks ever
Am a big Beatle and Something is arguably the band's most beautiful song. But Paul's creative bass in this tune convinced me once and for all, that he was, without a doubt, the Beatles greatest talent
If he were the Beatles greatest talent, then his solo work would have surpassed everything done by the Beatles. But his best is the popular but not the legendary Wings. That’s the secret! The Beatles are a combination of equal talents.
You nailed it. The lads balanced themselves
As it's been said this is what makes it Beatles song and not a solo effort.
Isn't it beautfiul? He's used Höfner to create the most beautiful bassline in The Beatles while in Rickenbacker age. What a tribute
No it was a rick
It’s up for debate what he’s playing here
Qué sonido más hermoso el del Höfner...
It’s really tough to make a call on what basses he plays on Abbey Road since his Hofner, Rick and Jazz were all strung with Rotosound Tru Bass 88 strings (Tapewound strings)
@@robotman5105 my vote is on the Ric - not only are there songs where it sounds very close to the Hofner, but the Hofner had not had its intonation fixed at that time which would have made it severely out of tune on higher notes
How does something so complex remain so hidden yet still so key in such a simple song? It's quite remarkable.
That's the bass guitar in a nutshell... 🤷♂️
@@gkniffen Depends who's writing and playing the parts and who's mixing the song.
I was listening to this song just yesterday and thinking how the bass seemed to make the song even more beautiful than it already was.
There's so many layers this one gets overlooked. Good catch
F ...... !!! Pure magic!!! Just loved It !!! Many greetings from Mexico city.
2nd greeting from San Cristobal De Las Casas.
He could have easily have not chosen the difficult path because it wasn't his song, but wound up writing one of the most intricate beautiful bass lines ever to compliment a beautiful song. He never overplayed on the song, just filled some of the empty spots as if it were an alternate string section, Amazing!!!
The Beatles have given us so much to appreciate and enjoy, Just grateful for being able to listen and take it all in. Thanks.
Its a great track & Paul's bassline makes it genius!
Paul is as good as they come when it comes to understanding and how to use melodic and rhythmic space to the best possible effect. There are some as good but no one was ever better.
Paul's bass playing here is magnificent and the lines he played are serving as some sort of background vocals.
I love isolated tracks
For Beatle-obsessives musicians, such as myself, it is the Holy Grail...
Paule ist für mich schon immer einer der weltbesten Bassisten. Was er hier an "wichtigen Noten" so spielt, dass ist schon sehr beeindruckend, diese Bassläufe mit seinem berühmten Höfner Bass, unglaublich diese Perormance!!! Beste Grüße, Horst Lemke, Musikproduzent, Germany Ps. Das ist reif für jedes MasterClass Bassisten Lehrbuch!
This is a awesomely melodic bass that makes this song 🎵 so beautiful and again Paul's amazing vocals
I never get tired of this.
Paul went a little over the top with the bass on this song and made it one of the best basslines of all time
There is so much nuance, even or slightly swung 8ths exactly when you asked "what makes this song perfect?" Then you start following the bass melody figuring out the chords and you realise that you could go on for years analysing the inversions, the chromatism and all that theory to explain the inexplicable... and going back wondering at the sense of melody, the naive sensitivity that is part of Paul's musical ear... and eventually you end up speechless.
SPOT ON!
@@LavrencicUrban This is the most profound compliment I have ever read.
So pure and gentle, we can see how Paul respected George's songs, beautiful! 🙌😍🤩
Here Paul demonstrates what harmony is.
He makes a song inside another... and by the way, also shows George in his own song (or face)
that the good melodic lines are those that "he" writes ...
Talent and Ego to infinity.... ... in that order
I don't think ego or trying to take over had anything to do with paul's intentions, it's just that music and creativity flow inside him, he can't help it, he was born to do this. Any idea he came up to, anything he could do to help make a song better, he would do it, why wouldn't he?
@@dyanapomp thank you!!!! not ego, just pure genius
@@dyanapomp Nah, it's partly ego. The fact that Paul is very competitive is not exactly news. You'll notice that Paul's best bass lines - "Taxman", "Come Together", "Hey Bulldog" and the monstrous "Don't Let Me Down" are in songs written by the other Beatles. He's wants listeners to be aware of his presence.
@@aquamarine99911 "Don't Let Me Down" is one of the Beatles' best songs.
@@zakmartin Hmm, did you misunderstand what I meant by "monstrous"? I was referring to Paul's incredible bass line on Don't Let Me Down. But it's a great song, too.
Decades later.... STÏLL blows me away 🥇 HOW....WHAT prompted him to come up with this is Mind-Numbing. Literally, playing guitar with 4-strangs 🎸
What a creative, musical genius!
I find myself coming here at least once a week
in this loop currently rn
It was an already great song assisted by a fantastic bass line that in my opinion only helped to elevated this song to the amazing song that it is.
I have always loved how the bass line at 2:23 elevated at verse of the song. Its great to hear it isolated.
What I took from Get Back was that the Beatles were a great team and they all contributed to the songs, regardless of who's name ended up getting credit from it.
So beautiful bassline!
Paul’s bass playing and backing vocals make this song so much better.
This bass line reminds me of what Brian Wilson asked Carol Kaye to play on “Good Vibrations.” Unexpected, yet fully additive. Masterpiece within a masterpiece.
I loved and respected this man as it already was but lately it just went to a whole other level.
I can listen to this all day and every day. 2:20-2:27 my favorite part.
Sounds really good actually
Probably played by some guy who practised a lot.
@@zakmartin probably the original?
Rick Rubin pointed out that 'Something' is folk song without this bass line, which I never really thought about, but it's totally true
Love Paul’s contribution to this amazing song
That's why I get upset when people say that "Something" was soley a Harrison song. Wrong, it was a Beatles song.
paul wasnt even a bass player in the beginning. he used to play the guitar
nope, he use trumpet
probably because he used the guitar his basslines are more melodic
@@difarahman2898 th-cam.com/video/5ggH6KryhYc/w-d-xo.html dont forget that paul was the second drummer in the band, he played the solo and rythme guitar during the beatles too
@@josea.4331 th-cam.com/video/5ggH6KryhYc/w-d-xo.html dont forget that paul was the second drummer in the band, he played the solo and rythme guitar during the beatles too
Same as Flea RHCP
Time stamps for practice:
Verse 1 - 0:07
Chorus 1 - 0:33
Verse 2 - 0:41
Chorus 2 - 1:06
Bridge - 1:17
Guitar Solo - 1:47
Verse 3 - 2:16
Chorus 3 - 2:42
(Saw a comment like this before but can’t find it)
His bass is undeniable during the chorus
If you mean the Chorus the part that goes "You're asking me where my lo....... I don't know"
Then that bass part actually a bare simple copy of the string arrangement that George Martin did.
@@josemanuelgil9618thats not the chorus you twat. that part of the song happens literally once.
@@josemanuelgil9618not what they meant
I am the bassist for my band even though I still have to get one😅. I love bass and John and Paul are such an inspiration for me. They are the reasons I have a band, play bass, play harmonica, play piano, do vocals and pretty much everything
No one cares.
@@thefonzkiss true! Actually not the bassist for my band now! I was just listing all the things that he inspired me to do. Don’t be so jealous 😮💨 have a good day
Ever since I've heard this isolated bass line I've been trying to get a similar muted sound. It's so fabulous and sounds so fantastic in the mix instead of the more open and resonant bass sound I used to like.
You could invest in tapewound strings and roll the tone almost all the way back, play with a pick and palm mute the notes to achieve this tone. Flat wounds work too and really dead round wounds with a foam mute under the strings at the bridge.
Whoa, he's good! I wished they had turned it up in the final mix. I think turning up the bass and making it a lead instrument is the groundbreaking contribution of Joy Division.
It's been rather high in the mix ever since Paperback Writer, I think. And there definitely were some bands before JD that used bass as a lead. Mostly prog ones, I think. Money by Pink Floyd or Roundabout by Yes, for example
@@UnitedFeodor bleh, I hate Pink Floyd.
@@user-yz9kz6vt9y If you like strange, have you heard Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict?
@@g1rhines Yes, I have. I can't say I was impressed. I do appreciate Syd Barrett's Floyd, though.
@@user-yz9kz6vt9y You like more experimental punk then? What about Lou Reed's strange stuff or Public Image Limited?
Brilliant performance. How could George not appreciate it? That's a mystery to me:)
George never liked the bass in this?
@@ClassicKrusty I'd read that George thought Paul was stealing the spotlight and distracting from his song. I think the bass line adds so much.
@@jackjdolan Just goes to show how much George resented Paul during that time period. The first two songs of Abby Road are Come Together (Lennon) and Something (Harrison) - two songs that were essentially sealed into all-time status by McCartney's bassline. Without the basslines, those two songs are mediocre
@@MrTCHOSS I agree. I also read that when George wasn't getting the solo on Taxman he left and when he came back Paul had laid down that great solo and it pissed George off.
@@jackjdolan I heard that too, but I will say the only video I've ever heard from George on the Taxman solo, he praised it and said he was particularly tickled that Paul threw in a little Indian bit to George as a tribute. I had never thought of that before, but it makes sense. That solo is so wild, almost out of control wild, and that bit in the middle of it does sound just like a sitar.
The bass part is the male voice in a duet with the electrical guitar. The song is about a man thinking about leaving the woman he loves for fear of commitment. That’s why the bass line seems flow in another direction until the musical motif where both bass and guitar play the same notes in unison. The guitar solo is pretty much the female in the story pleading to the male character not to leave.
Except that that's not what the song is about.
Interesting comparison, it’s also called a counter melody 🎵
Genius.
Wow, I always thought it was his Rickenbacker bass on Something but it certainly sounds like his Hofner on this.
It is a rick, the hofner was used on I Want You
Rickenbacher obviously.
@@juhasalo6738 it is spelled Rickenbacker. I have two Rickenbackers and a 1965 Hofner. Thank you.
Yes, it's the Hofner.
The Hofner wasn’t properly intimated at that time, so it would have sounded out of tune on the higher notes. My vote is on the Ric, Paul has made it sound very close to the Hofner on some songs
This is what makes bands so interesting. So many fan-favourite moments were dismissed by the band members themselves. They didnt have the unbiased vantage point we have had. George didn’t like this bass line, but for me it’s part of what makes the song so special. Lennon didn’t like the abbey road medley, but it’s an integral moment in the catalogue.
Master piece
I like how he plays F E C instead of E D C 1:46
I THINK THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH E BEING THE LOWEST NOTE ON THE FIRST STRING; AND SINCE THIS BASS LINE IS RATHER A PRODUCT OF INSTINCT THAN OF DELIBERATION, F E C SEEMS FAR MORE NATURAL. I GUESS THAT IF MCCA WAS RECODING THIS BASS LINE ON A PIANO E D C WAS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN.
@@LavrencicUrban Hey man, I watched your videos and I really love your voice, you're a great musician. but I'm just really curious... why do you write in all caps?
@@zhangpurnama6897 THANKS MAN :) I AM A BIG FAN OF ROMANS AND THEIR LANGUAGE - LATIN. IN ORDER TO CODE THEIR LANGUAGE ROMANS DEVELOPED ALPHABET TODAY KNOWN AS LATIN ALPHABET THAT BOTH YOU AND I ARE USING TO WRITE. IN ITS ORIGINAL IT ONLY EXISTED IN CAPS FORM AND WHEN FIRST ROMANS STARTED TO USE INFORMALLY LOWER CASE, IT WAS CONSIDERED BY MANY AS AESTHETICALLY INFERIOR TO THE ORIGINAL. THAT IS ACTULALLY THE MAIN REASON I USE CAPS, AS I ALSO FIND IT VISUALLY WAY MORE PLEASING. I HAVE NOT BEING USING LOWER CASE LETTERS FOR NEARLY 15 YEARS NOW.
URBAN LAVRENCIC WANG FEIRAN thats really cool to know, although sometimes it does sound like you’re really mad at someone and shouting at them 😂😂
I cant think of a song of George's that Paul didnt contribute some great bass playing, cept the indian stuff that none of the other beatles played on. John on the other hand rarely added anything to Georges songs and often found an excuse not to play at all on them. I think the last thing that was ever recorded by the beatles was I Me Mine for the film release and album release which occured after Abbey Road, it was just George, Paul and Ringo that added the extra segment if i am remembering this right. That was the last time they recorded together till the Anthology.
This bass line is simply wonderful, it uses 4 different scales, as well as having a perfect execution by Paul.
But without a doubt what intrigues me most about this bass line, is how it achieved that rock tone, low but without distortion and with the strings totally muted. The notes are held for barely microseconds in the air, and it has a very little metallic sound, almost looking like a double bass.
He's using flat wound strings. They were the standard on basses before the disco era. The only two people I can think of who used round wound strings in the '60s were John Entwistle of The Who and Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone, but of course there were a few others as well.
My 1976 MusicMan Stingray had flat wound strings when I bought it.
Once the disco era started round wound strings became the standard because they all wanted to sound like Larry Graham's "thumping and plucking" technique.
@@TuberOnTheLoose The saddest part of the history it´s that in these days the flatwounds are a lot more expensive and harder to get than the roundowund. I miss the 60s bass sound.
@@TuberOnTheLoose he’s using tapewounds on this time period
Beatliful!!!!!!
Simplemente hermoso.
Each one was a very accomplished artist in their own right however I think we were spoiled having them all together❤ the song wouldn't be the same without the Baseline
Amazing!
Massively underrated as a bass player
I always see this remark. How is he underrated? He's been complimented on his bass skills by anyone and everyone in the music biz for the last 50+ years...lol
@@gigisdad I wouldn’t say that everyone in music business has done so and I was referring more to the common music fan, most people would be unaware of what an exceptional player he is.
@@alastairmackay4861 If the average music fan is unaware, then it doesn't matter any. These are the same people who think Neal Peart was the best drummer of all time.
@@gigisdad anyone can like music, i didnt say it matters or not, just stated a point.
@@gigisdad didn’t change my point that he is underrated, whether you rate their opinion or not it’s still a fact.
A little master piece
one is a bass player other is bass composer : ))
PERFECT BASS LINE
My favorite Beatle
wow !!!! amazing !!!
Brilliance
More awesome on "lovely rita". Paul is genius bassist 👍👍👌
I agree paul makes George's best song even better both vocals and george said himself in the get back movie he wanted a counter melody from paul when you ask paul he will give you what you asked for but the way he played it is up to him.
¡Divino!...
You can hear him speed up in the bridge section (the "You're asking me.." part"), it's way clearer when it's just one instrument.
That, which would be considered a mistake by the rhythm section, actually contributes to the flow of the song and helps it move along organically. And I'd risk saying it could have been intentional, you can hear them come back to the original tempo once the section is over.
@TubularBow HD Yes! Which is a detail that not many people nowadays notice or do in the studio, which is kind of a shame because it's doable even with a click track.
@TubularBow HD yup. People don't praise Ringo's drumming enough.
My memories save in this bass if i want remember my memories i only hear it
McCartney rarely played the same passage the same way twice. But the intricacies and subtle touches are sometimes lost in the mix. Hearing his isolated tracks is like hearing the song all over again. I Want You is another one I love...of a hundred examples I could use 😂
So so great! Thx.
¡¡Excelente...!!
¡¡Precioso...!!
¡The BASSMAN number one!
👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷
THE secret here is that indeed, Paul did not play these lines as an underpinning rhythm track but as a melody! Where a lead guitar might be overdubbed onto a track, he overdubbed the entire bass line. And while Entwistle was a genius on bass, there’s a reason Paul used to win the “best bassist” polls - it’s because of stuff like this, which not only supported the rest of the song but added its own coherent melody.
Ringo is perfect on this also, a percussion genius, complimenting Mozart's bass playing as no other drummer could. The bass line, well where do you start analyzing that? Essentially McCartney is determining what the chords of the song are with the bass for starters. Beatles magic again.
This some "quiet storm" soul typa bassline. Paul's always been a fan of black soul music and you can hear the similarity
How do you isolate this bass or any other instrument.. I am so impressed with whoever is creating this.. Well done..
These fully isolated clean tracks come from The Beatles Rock Band file stems