#124: Fixing A Hole

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: June 1, 1967
Appears on: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Lead vocal: Paul 


If Paul has one strength (among at least thousands) it is writing songs about people who are insane - or at least being driven to insanity. "Fixing A Hole" is one of those. The track is pretty simple and straightforward - the singer really can't stand all the people going to his home and annoying him, just like any rock star in the most famous band in the world should be. I love the bridge section: "And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong/I'm right/Where I belong, I'm right/Where I belong!" It just seems kind of perfect.  
One of the hidden gems of the song - in fact, probably of all of Sgt. Pepper, are the backing vocals by John and George. It took me a long time to notice them and the pop out pretty clearly on the remastered CD. Aside from George Martin's harpsichord and the fact that John plays no instruments on the track, it is very straightforward, compared even to "Getting Better". 
"Fixing A Hole" certainly is not one of the major pieces of Sgt. Pepper but it just would not feel right if it wasn't included. One has to admit that it makes a nice little link from "Getting Better" to the next, more serious track.
The release history for "Fixing A Hole" is slim. You can only find the track on Sgt. Pepper, although Paul continues to bring the song out on his shows.     

#123: Getting Better

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: June 1, 1967
Appears on: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Lead vocal: Paul 

When you start looking at the Sgt. Pepper's songs separately, you realize how great a rock - rather than psychedelic - LP it really is.
"Getting Better" is probably the only song that could have fit on an earlier Beatles record, aside from George's use of the Indian tambura. It is obviously the first truly Lennon/McCartney song on the album. John's major contribution to the song is the backing vocals. It's getting better all the time - Can't get no worse... That's John all the way. John also may have contributed to I used to be cruel to my woman. I beat her and kept her away from the things that she loved. It seems highly unlikely that cutesy Paul could have written such a line, although you never know. Maybe Paul thought of it as another way to hide his own persona, keeping in mind that these songs are performed by The Lonely Hearts Club Band, not the Beatles. 
On Sgt. Pepper's, "Getting Better" is surrounded by so many more important songs that it's easy for it to get lost in the shuffle, but it remains a favorite of mine that I'm happy Paul got around to doing live. It's a great way to lift your spirits when you're feeling down, but has never been issued anywhere else.         

#120: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: June 1, 1967
Appears on: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Lead vocal: Paul


"It was twenty years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play. They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile. So let me introduce to you, the act you've known for all these years! SERGEANT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND!!!!!!!"

After you drop the needle on side one, the first thing you hear is crowd noise before Paul's lead guitar comes screaming onto the stereo. Then, Paul's screaming vocal comes on, inviting all the listeners to relax, sit down and listen to some fantastic music. 
The title track for the album that ended up defining a decade is easily the simplest song on the record. There is no technical wizardry beyond George Martin's use of the crowd noise. Paul plays bass and lead guitar. John's on rhythm and George adds a third guitar part. Ringo plays drums. So, beyond the standard, there is a group of session musicians adding French horns. 
"Sgt. Pepper's..." does exactly what it sets out to do, acting as an introduction to the world's most famous fake band. I've always loved Paul's idea to 'tour the album' rather than the band, making the album as a show within itself. However, the idea that this is a 'concept album' is wrong. There is no overall concept within the songs. Rather, the concept is that we are listening to a show, so the album is sequenced as if it was one. Most of the songs don't end in a fade and those that do are followed by less than half-a-second of silence before the next song starts.
If it is possible to call a song on one of the best selling albums in the world underrated, the fact is that this song is. Everyone knows how great a pop record Sgt. Pepper's is, but songs like the title tack prove that the Beatles never forgot what they really were: a great rock band. 
Strangely enough, "Sgt. Pepper's..." has made appearances outside of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band...always attached to the next song, of course. The two appeared on 1967-1970, then remixed on the Yellow Submarine Songtrack. In 1978, EMI issued a "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends" b/w "A Day In The Life" to cash-in on Robert Stigwood's Sgt. Pepper's film. The 45 hit #63 in the UK and #71 in the US.

#118: Penny Lane

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: February 17, 1967
Appears on: Magical Mystery Tour
Lead vocal: Paul

It had been two months since a new Beatles release and six months since the last 100% new album. Then, out of the blue, not only did a new, double A-Sided single appear on store shelves, but a new single in a full-color sleeve. 
That single was easily their greatest and probably the greatest ever released by any group. 
"Penny Lane" b/w "Strawberry Fields Forever" (or is it "Strawberry Fields Forever" b/w "Penny Lane"?) blew the top of the lid to the other side of the solar system. Paul's "Penny Lane", an ode to the days of old in Liverpool, is, admittedly, more commercial than John's, so it appeared as the A-Side in Billboard. It hit #1 in the US for just a week before The Turtles' "Happy Together" hit the scene. In the UK, remarkably, did not hit #1 and was stuck at #2 thanks to Engelburt Humperdink! 
The song itself is unbelievable. It kicks off without an intro...In Penny Lane, there is a barber sharing photographs...and goes on to describe real places along Penny Lane. You feel as if you could step into this romanticized world thanks to Paul's intensely detailed lyrics. 
Instrumentation features John on piano and congas, Paul on piano and bass, George on just handclaps and handbells and Ringo on drums and tambourine. There is no guitar part, yet it is one of the Beatles' most heavily orchestrated songs, including piccolos, flutes, flugelhorns, oboes, cor anglais and double-bass. 
This is just a preview of Paul's pop music that would appear on Sgt. Pepper's and considering that the song was once imagined to be on that album, it makes sense. George Martin gave EMI these two songs because they were the closest to being finished and then dropped them from the LP line-up. Thus, the song's first LP appearance was as the third track on the Capitol-manufactured side two of Magical Mystery Tour in November 1967. (This is a topic we'll get to much later when I get to the original songs on that LP.)  
It did not make an LP appearance in the UK until 1973's 1967-1970. It has also appeared on the US 20 Greatest Hits and 1. You can view the wonderful promo film here.    
While "Penny Lane" is a brilliant song, I think I would keep it just outside of my top-10 Beatles tracks. It is such a poppy pop song that includes no great George Harrison guitar solo and a rather basic drum pattern from Ringo. Again, I believe the Beatles were at their absolute best when they worked as a full unit, with all four making significant contribution to the song's sound. "Penny Lane" has Paul's name all over it, making it as much a Paul McCartney song as a Beatles song. 

#115: Got To Get You Into My Life

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: Paul

As we barrel through to the light at the end of the tunnel, the Beatles have a few more surprises for us. After the wild fade-out of "I Want To Tell You", horns and guitars come blazing on the stereo. I was alone, I took a ride, I didn't know what I would find THERE!!!!! 
"Got To Get You Into My Life" is one of my favorite Beatles songs and it is easily one of their most popular. When Capitol issued it on a single ten years after it was first released, it reached #7 on Billboard. That not only speaks for how popular the song is, but it was solid gold proof (literally; the RIAA certified it Gold) that the Beatles are timeless, even in the midst of changing musical tastes. 
The song itself is an ode to the great Motown records that the Beatles loved and even covered. Its built-in R&B style gave way to Earth, Wind & Fire covering the song, which became one of the most popular Beatles covers. Paul plays bass, John on rhythm and George on lead guitars with Ringo on drums. Then, George Martin is on organ, plus the horn section. Surprisingly, the horn players are not credited on the sleeve, despite Alan Civil's credit for "For No One" and Anil Bagwat for "Love You To". Anyway, here are the players: Eddie Thorton, Ian Hamer & Les Cordon on trumpet and Alan Brascombe & Peter Coe on tenor sax. (from Wikipedia, which copied it from Ian MacDonald)         
I don't know how often I've called the Beatles versatile on this blog, but "Got To Get You Into My Life" is definitely another piece of proof that confirms it. Just think of this: on just Side Two of Revolver, we've had a classical number ("For No One"), rock ("And Your Bird Can Sing"), pop ("Good Day Sunshine") and R&B ("Got To Get You Into My Life"). Plus, we still got one more to go. 
This song has appeared in only one other spot besides Revolver. In 1976, as previously noted, Capitol issued it as a single (backed with "Helter Skelter") to promote Rock 'N' Roll Music. Still, the song's popularity continues to this day, from its daily appearances on classic rock stations to Paul's repeated performances of the song.     

#112: For No One

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: Paul

Despite being one of the quieter tracks on Revolver, "For No One" is one of the most unique sounding. It's a three-man job: Ringo on drums and tambourine, Paul on bass, piano and clavichord and Alan Civil on French Horn. As mentioned in the "Love You To" entry, Civil and Anhil Bagwat are the first outside musicians credited on a Beatles record. The French Horn, combined with the clavichord, make the song sound classical, which is obviously Paul's point. It adds an amount of affluent air to the song, almost as if the song itself is saying that it is better than the ones it is surrounded by...and the truth is that it practically is. 
"For No One" is devastating - the singer is talking to a boy who is breaking up with his girl. The boy is so in love with this girl that you don't believe her when she says her love is dead, you think she need you. The bridge is most hurtful: And in her eyes, you see nothing/No sign of love behind the tears, cried for no one. A love that should have lasted years. Paul is like a great film director, here, knowing exactly where to touch your emotions so you can feel for this boy. "For No One" is very hard to criticize because it's perfect and another reason why Revolver is my favorite album.
"For No One" has surprisingly made a few appearances outside of Revolver. For some reason, Capitol thought it was a love song, so they included it on Love Songs. Personally, I wouldn't call it a love song. Only one side of the relationship is in love - the other is on her way out. There is no real love in this situation, only sadness. It is a ballad, though, so its inclusion on The Beatles' Ballads is not without merit.      

#110: Good Day Sunshine

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: Paul

The way the Beatles and George Martin sequenced albums even before Sgt. Pepper's was in such an ingenious way that it always keeps listeners on their toes. Of course, the reason why the Beatles cared so much about album sequencing was the fact that they were popular back in the days before you could skip a song so they worked their butts off to try to make every song as engaging as the next. Martin always tuck to the rule that both sides of an album should start and end with a strong song, which made each side to a Beatles record almost feel like mini-albums themselves. Revolver is certainly no exception. 
Like the fade-in intro to "Eight Days A Week", which served as the opener to side two of Beatles For Sale, "Good Day Sunshine"'s fade-in opens side two of Revolver, powered by Paul's blazing piano. The other instruments on the song include just Paul's bass, John's guitar and Ringo's drums. George and John contribute the backing vocals and handclaps. Martin also contributes a piano part.
"Good Day Sunshine" is just good, clean, pop fun from the master of that type of music. It encapsulates summer...those days when every morning you just want to scream "HELLO WORLD!" because that beautiful sunrise just woke you up. The lyrics are filled with great imagery, but the song's lightheartedness cannot be escaped when you consider the heavy material that John deals with in his songs that surround it. That doesn't dampen the song's strengths though. It's just a really, really happy song and the fact that it adds to the variety of Revolver only strengthens it and the album. 
The release history for "Good Day Sunshine" is surprisingly slim. Despite being one of the group's most popular songs (it's always on the radio), it was never issued as a single and never appeared on a compilation. (Paul did release a live recording as a single in 1990 to promote Tripping The Live Fantastic.)     

#107: Here, There And Everywhere

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: Paul

"Here, There And Everywhere" is a top-tier Beatles song. A top 10 list of Beatles tracks without it is one not to take seriously. This is a song only Paul could write, with an immortal opening couplet (To lead a better life/I need my love to be here...) and while Wikipedia tells me that the song is "noted for its simplicity", I have to disagree. Paul's lyrical structure is ingenious if it is anything. The title phrase does not come in until the very last line because each verse leads up to it, as if they are pieces in a puzzle. The first line in every verse mentions another word in the title (Here, making each day of the year...There, running my hands through her hair...I want her everywhere...) and it's just so brilliant. I would think that any girl would instantly fall in love with a man who would present these words to her. 
The instrumentation for the song is the only part that is simple. The song's acoustic sound (the only electric instrument is George's lead guitar) and heavy, Beach Boys-esque* harmonies are rarities on an album that is dominated by technical wizardry. This makes it stand out even more than it would have if it was on any earlier Beatles record. Still, its lyrics set it so far apart from things like "And I Love Her" and "I'll Follow The Sun". It's much more sophisticated and all the more lovelier. 
The song appeared only on Love Songs and The Beatles Ballads outside of Revolver. "Here, There And Everywhere" is just another example of how the Beatles didn't have to release a song as a single for it to become immensely popular.  


*The Beach Boys influence on the song should hardly be surprising. Bruce Johnston, who was still not a full-fledged Beach Boy at the time, but had been working with the group since 1965, had brought an early master of Pet Sounds over to England to play at parties, one of which the Beatles attended. The album wowed them and Paul quickly wrote "Here, There And Everywhere", inspired by "God Only Knows". It's just another example of how musicians really played off each other in the 1960s. I think even then, everyone realized they were all creating special stuff.   
   

#104: Eleanor Rigby

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: August 5, 1966
Appears on: Revolver
Lead vocal: Paul


"Eleanor Rigby" is...something else. If there ever was a time when you wanted Eric Idle to walk in and say "And now for something completely different" between two Beatles songs, it is right here - right during that second of silence between "Taxman" and "Eleanor Rigby". 
I can't possibly remember the first time I heard "Eleanor Rigby", but even today, after giving Revolver more spins than any other record, it still feels jarring, even more so than "Yesterday" being sandwiched between a folk song and a show-stopping cover. 
The song details the life of a lonely woman who, as seen in the first verse, looks for love despite never being an outgoing person. She waits at the window, wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door, but no one is going to come. The second verse uses a rather ingenious film technique. It throws us into the situation of another, entirely different character...or so we believe. In reality, Father McKenzie (Paul apparently did want to say McCartney, but cooler heads prevailed, thankfully) is just like Eleanor - another lonely person, who writes a sermon no one will hear and fixes (that's what darning is) his socks in the night when there's nobody there. For the final verse, the two characters come together, like in so many films where two characters are introduced separately (Pulp Fiction being an obvious example). Eleanor has died and was buried along with her name. Nobody came. McKenzie finishes burying Eleanor, seemingly with his own hands (wiping the dirt from his hands). No one was saved, meaning that McKenzie has failed, as a priest, to do his job. Paul's chorus is equally as bizarre as his verses. All the lonely people, where do they all belong? You mean to tell me that there are more people who have lives as dreary as Eleanor and McKenzie? It certainly puts it into perspective. Paul means to tell us that these two are just caricatures - there are lonely people who live and die everyday and these are just two. We cannot know who they all are and most of the time they die and go on with their lives without notice. 
George Martin wrote the orchestral backing for an octet that backs up Paul (and John & George's harmonies), providing the song with an air of classicism - almost as if the song could have been recorded at any point from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. None of the Beatles play any instruments on the song. This just proves that the Beatles continued expanding out of the box. "Yesterday" included just a string quartet, but now Paul was open to doubling that and "Eleanor Rigby" was a perfect fit for that.        
"Eleanor Rigby" was chosen as the single for Revolver, sharing the double-A sided distinction with another song that seemed completely against the Beatles' image as rock stars. The single reached #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and in the UK, it was released on the same day as Revolver. Since then, it has appeared on practically every compilation (save for Rock 'n' Roll Music and Reel Music obviously). 
Like "Yesterday", this is a brilliant song - one that you can get stuck in your head forever - but, to me, it doesn't represent the best of the Beatles. There are many more brilliant songs on Revolver that more properly do so.    

#101: Paperback Writer

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: June 10, 1966
Appears on: Past Masters, Vol. 2
Lead vocal: Paul 


"Paaapaaah Back Writerrrr....writer...writer"


When I said in the last entry that, from now on, the world would never be the same, this is not an over-exaggeration. "Paperback Writer" b/w "Rain" was the first 45 issued in the UK by the Beatles that was not a love song. Still, the British public seemed to like it, as did Americans. 
The song's subject is about as far from what one would expect a rock song to be about. It's basically a pitch for a writer's paperback book. Of course, the singer realized right away that he wasn't going to get a hardcover deal, especially when we're talking about a dirty story of a dirty man, who's clinging wife doesn't understand. 
Technically, this song is amazing. The main highlight, of course, is Paul's bass playing. Anytime you want to prove how incredible he is at the instrument, just play them "Paperback Writer" at the loudest possible setting on your player. No need to put the bass boost up, because Geoff Emmerick already did that for you in 1966. 
When you talk about the song's vocals, I don't really think Paul does any better than he normally does, but the backing vocals are definitely worthy of note. Especially the "Frere Jacques" joke, which is brilliant. 
The track made its first LP appearance later that year on A Collection of Beatles Oldies in the UK, but didn't appear on a US LP until 1970's Hey Jude. Since then, it has appeared on 1962-1966, 20 Greatest Hits and 1. Despite being one of their heaviest songs, Capitol glossed over it on Rock 'N' Roll Music.
The Beatles also made the very first promo films for this 45. The studio performances that were distributed to TV for songs like "We Can Work It Out" and "Ticket To Ride" were just that - mimed performances. However, Michael Lindsay-Hogg's brilliant videos for the two songs hardly ever show The Beatles miming the song. They are both in the Anthology. 
I really think this was a brilliant single release. Neither side of the 45 could possibly fit on their next album...but at the same time, it was definitely a preview. Also, had the 45 not had the misfortune of being released the same year as "Good Vibrations", this would have to have been the single of 1966 (and remember how many other great 45s came out that year!).       

#98: Wait

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: John & Paul


"Wait" was included on Rubber Soul just because the original line-up was just 13 songs. While 13 songs was alright a year ago for A Hard Day's Night, it wasn't for Rubber Soul. It was recorded and completed during the HELP! sessions, but, as you can see, it didn't land on that album. Instead it was held back. When it was decided that the track would be on Rubber Soul, they overdubbed extra guitar and percussion to the recording to 'update' the song. This is another point that proves just how fast the Beatles were evolving. If a song recorded less than five months prior had to be updated, just how fast were the Beatles evolving?
The song, which features a paranoid singer who hopes that his love will wait for his return, is definitely a light-weight counterpoint to the last song, "In My Life". However, taken by itself, the song is hardly noteworthy beyond the really cool vocal arrangement and amazing percussion by Ringo. (Listen to it on headphones and you'll hear just how fast Ringo is playing that tambourine.)
"Wait" has never appeared anywhere else and was included on the American Rubber Soul. I would definitely say it's an underrated, fun little song sandwiched between two serious tracks.     

#96: I'm Looking Through You

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: Paul


"I'm Looking Through You" has a pretty straight-forward subject and is another song about Paul's dissatisfaction with Jane Asher. It's really amazing how Paul got so much traction out of that relationship and yet, so many of these songs are all drastically different. "I'm Looking Through You" is nothing like "You Won't See Me", both of which are nothing like his songs on HELP!. 
The song's strengths lie in the recording of it, not exactly in the lyrics. (That's not a knock on them, though. I mean, that middle-eight couplet is brilliant - "Why, tell me, why do you not treat me right? Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.") The song is an interesting balance between electric and acoustic. John plays acoustic rhythm, while Paul plays his traditional bass as well as lead guitar. George sneaks in with a small guitar part, while Ringo gets a couple of overdubbed Hammond organ notes (which officially means that all the Beatles were multi-instrument players). I also love that energetic fade-out which feels like a precursor to the fade-outs on Revolver. 
An interesting note is that buyers of the American stereo Rubber Soul got an extra little prize. For some reason, the American stereo mix of "I'm Looking Through You" included a false start before Paul moves into the familiar opening chords. Considering how perfect the Beatles were, I can't imagine how Capitol got a hold of this, but it's a weird, almost funny obscure occurrence in Beatle-dom. The American mono mix did not include this bit. In fact, the only way to get a mono version of this false start is if you bought the Capitol Albums, Vol. 2 set the day it came out because instead of using the original mono mixes, Apple made new mixes by simply mixing down the American 1965 stereo mixes. Of course, this isn't right because Capitol couldn't have made things that easy. In 1965, the American mono mixes were the same mixes that appeared in Britain, I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Apple also did the same thing for Beatles VI. If you get the box set now, though, you will get the correct mono mixes, which means a mono "I'm Looking Through You" without the false start.      
This is another Rubber Soul song that unfairly gets lost in the shuffle, as it has never appeared anywhere else, but seeing as it's still a Beatles song on one of their most beloved records, it could hardly be called obscure.  

#93: Michelle

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: Paul

"Michelle" has probably one of the most interesting back stories for any Beatles song. The story goes that Paul used to do this 'little French thing' at parties to get attention and while recording Rubber Soul, John suggested to Paul that he turn this little guitar piece into a full song. You can find plenty of more information on the song's origins here.  
This is just a brilliant song. It's one of those where as soon as you hear the opening chords, you get chills. For every album from now on seems to have a song by Paul that just has an other-worldly feel. There's "Yesterday" on HELP!, "Things We Said Today" on A Hard Day's Night and "I'll Follow The Sun" on Beatles For Sale. I love the understated backing vocals, too. John and George just go 'ooo' the whole time, which is all that's needed. Then there's that brilliant solo, which is probably one of the finest the Beatles recorded. Paul's vocal is also really amazing because he's just singing it straight-on. It almost feels like he's bored with the song..."Michelle ma belle...these are words that go together well...my Michelle." It's just an understated vocal that's perfect.
See, that's the thing with the Beatles. They (along with George Martin, the One True Fifth Beatle) knew exactly what a song needed. "Michelle" only needs acoustic guitar, drums, bass, simple backing vocals and a simple lead. Some groups throw things together or try to make their own songs fit in their own mold. If a metal band writes an acoustic song, they might try to fit it to their reputation, but if the Beatles wrote a folk song...it was recorded as a folk song. The Beatles released square pegs until they fit through round holes without cutting corners - it's as simple as that. 
"Michelle" was easily the first album track to become as immensely popular as it did in 1965. Capitol used the song's status as an album track as a way to sell more copies of Rubber Soul. Once the song's popularity skyrocketed, the album came with a sticker that said "includes 'Michelle'!". It was almost like a declaration - "See, this time, we're not releasing the best song as a single!" (Instead, the lackluster "What Goes On" was.) 
By 1965, it was also a common practice, especially by British groups, to comb Beatles albums for album-exclusive songs that they could turn into their first hit. A folk group called the Overlanders had a hit with "Michelle"...I wonder whatever happened to them? 


The release history for the song is pretty simple. If it's a Beatles compilation, it has "Michelle" on it. It's easier for me to say that it's not on Rock 'n' Roll Music (because it's not a rock song) and Reel Music (because it wasn't in a movie). It was even included on the first hits collection, A Collection of Beatles Oldies...But Goldies, despite not being a single. Also, it isn't on the single-focused compilations (like 20 Greatest Hits and 1). 

#89: You Won't See Me

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 3, 1965
Appears on: Rubber Soul
Lead vocal: Paul

By late-1965, Paul's rocky relationship with actress Jane Asher was just about over, although they were able to hold it together until early 1968. "You Won't See Me" is another addition to Paul's ever-growing cannon of troubled relationship songs that resulted from that. It's probably one of Paul's nastiest Beatles songs, but it's definitely a favorite of mine. In the universe of this song the singer is in such dismay that this girl won't see him again that he is moved to tears. 
Mal Evans, one of the Beatles' two roadies (the other being Neil Aspinall), finally makes an appearance on record. He plays the simple, basic parts on the Hammond Organ, credited as Mal "Organ" Evans on the sleeve. While his organ playing maybe what's unique about the song, the best part is Ringo's fantastic drumming. His hi-hats literally explode on the stereo and the rest of his drumming on the song is brilliant. 
"You Won't See Me" also runs for an amazing 3:20, the longest song the Beatles had recorded by a long shot. It's interesting to think about that even though their contemporaries continued to push the boundaries of how long a song could go that the Beatles continued recording songs under three minutes. 


Unfortunately, despite its brilliance, the song is probably one of the most obscure on Rubber Soul. The song was never issued on a 45 and never included on any compilation.