Personnel:
Joe Rebrovic: Vocals
Cliff Wilson: Guitar
Maeli Goren: Flute
Why this song is on the album:
Son-in-law Joe made an excellent choice for his featured number. It shows off his voice beautifully.
Performance notes:
We brought the key down a whole step to suit Joe’s baritone range. This put it in the key of C, which was the lowest it could be if we wanted to use the same finger-picking pattern on the guitar without tuning it down. I’m glad we didn’t have to go lower; I probably would have switched to the baritone guitar with a capo, as I don’t generally like the sound of a guitar tuned lower than standard tuning, whereas I’m always looking for an excuse to play the baritone guitar, an instrument tuned a fourth lower than a standard guitar.
John Lennon originally wrote the song in C and decided to capo it up to D in the studio.
Joe, by the way, is a very accomplished guitarist. That he does not play on this album is simply a matter of availability and logistics. After I recorded the guitar part, he recorded his vocals at his home in Nashville, then Plinky and I mixed it in New Jersey.
How it’s different from the Beatles’ version:
There are no vocal harmonies in the Beatles’ recording of this song; instead, Lennon simply doubles his melody in various places. The Beatles frequently doubled their own vocals, but this is the only case I can think of in which they did it intermittently as a way to add interest – essentially taking the place of vocal harmonies.
We doubled Joe’s vocals in the same places Lennon doubled his. Then we went one step further, adding a flute in various places, also doubling the melody. So we have multiple levels of doubling – solo voice, doubled voice, solo voice and flute, doubled voice and flute. Then I couldn’t resist adding a little bit of flute harmony near the end.
Maeli is a very accomplished flautist; this song does not come close to showing off her ability. Maybe next time!
Fun Fact:
This is the only song in the entire Beatles catalog that is performed by Lennon alone, as a solo piece.
CCW