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"I Want to Tell You" is a song by the English rock band
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
from their 1966 album ''
Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating firearm, repeating handgun that has at least one gun barrel, barrel and uses a revolving cylinder (firearms), cylinder containing multiple chamber (firearms), chambers (each holding a single ...
''. It was written and sung by
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
, the band's lead guitarist. After " Taxman" and " Love You To", it was the third Harrison composition recorded for ''Revolver''. Its inclusion on the LP marked the first time that he was allocated more than two songs on a Beatles album, a reflection of his continued growth as a songwriter beside
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
. When writing "I Want to Tell You", Harrison drew inspiration from his experimentation with the hallucinogenic drug
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
. The lyrics address what he later termed "the avalanche of thoughts that are so hard to write down or say or transmit". In combination with the song's philosophical message, Harrison's stuttering guitar
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
and the dissonance he employs in the melody reflect the difficulties of achieving meaningful communication. The recording marked the first time that McCartney played his bass guitar part after the band had completed the rhythm track for a song, a technique that became commonplace on the Beatles' subsequent recordings. Among music critics and Beatles biographers, many writers have admired the group's performance on the track, particularly McCartney's use of
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
-style vocal
melisma Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...
. Harrison performed "I Want to Tell You" as the opening song throughout his 1991 Japanese tour with
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
. A version recorded during that tour appears on his ''
Live in Japan ''Live in Japan'' can refer to one of the following albums or videos: Albums * ''Live in Japan'' (21st Century Schizoid Band album) * ''Live in Japan'' (22-20s album) * ''Live in Japan'' (B.B. King album) * ''Live in Japan'' (Beck, Bogert & Appice ...
'' album. At the
Concert for George The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and his son, Dhani, and arrang ...
tribute in November 2002, a year after Harrison's death, the song was used to open the Western portion of the event, when it was performed by
Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, he has cont ...
.
Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock ...
,
the Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio (vocals & guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar & vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar & vocals), and Dennis Diken (drum ...
,
Thea Gilmore Thea Eve Gilmore (born 25 November 1979), also known as Afterlight, is an English singer-songwriter. She has released more than twenty albums since her 1998 debut '' Burning Dorothy''. She has had three Top 40 entries on the UK Albums Chart and ...
and the
Melvins Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appe ...
are among the other artists who have covered the track.


Background and inspiration

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
wrote "I Want to Tell You" in the early part of 1966, the year in which his songwriting matured in terms of subject matter and productivity. As a secondary composer to
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
in
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, Harrison began to establish his own musical identity through his absorption in Indian culture, as well as the perspective he gained through his experiences with the hallucinogenic drug
lysergic acid diethylamide Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
(LSD). According to author
Gary Tillery Gary Tillery is an American writer and artist known for his biographies focusing on the spiritual lives of famous figures, and for his public sculptures. His 2009 book, ''The Cynical Idealist'', was named the official book of the 2010 John Lennon ...
, the song resulted from a "creative surge" that Harrison experienced at the start of 1966. During the same period, the Beatles had been afforded an unusually long time free of professional commitments due to their decision to turn down ''
A Talent for Loving ''A Talent for Loving; or The Great Cowboy Race'' was the fourth novel by Richard Condon Richard Thomas Condon (March 18, 1915 – April 9, 1996) was an American political novelist. Though his works were satire, they were generally transform ...
'' as their third film for
United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...
. Harrison used this time to study the Indian
sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form ...
and, like Lennon, to explore philosophical issues in his songwriting while preparing to record the band's next album, ''
Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating firearm, repeating handgun that has at least one gun barrel, barrel and uses a revolving cylinder (firearms), cylinder containing multiple chamber (firearms), chambers (each holding a single ...
''. In his autobiography, ''
I, Me, Mine ''I, Me, Mine'' is an autobiographic memoir by the English musician George Harrison, formerly of The Beatles. It was published in 1980 as a hand-bound, limited edition book by Genesis Publications, with a mixture of printed text and multi-colour ...
'', Harrison says that "I Want to Tell You" addresses "the avalanche of thoughts that are so hard to write down or say or transmit". Authors Russell Reising and Jim LeBlanc cite the song, along with "
Rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
" and "
Within You Without You "Within You Without You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Written by lead guitarist George Harrison, it was his second composition in the Indian classical style, aft ...
", as an early example of the Beatles abandoning "coy" statements in their lyrics and instead "adopt ngan urgent tone, intent on channeling some essential knowledge, the psychological and/or philosophical epiphanies of LSD experience" to their listeners. Writing in ''
The Beatles Anthology ''The Beatles Anthology'' is a multimedia retrospective project consisting of a television documentary, a three-volume set of double albums, and a book describing the history of the Beatles. Beatles members Paul McCartney, George Harrison ...
'', Harrison likened the outlook inspired by his taking the drug to that of "an astronaut on the moon, or in his spaceship, looking back at the Earth. I was looking back to the Earth from my awareness." Author Robert Rodriguez views the song as reflecting the effects of Harrison's search for increased awareness, in that "the faster and more wide-reaching his thoughts came, the greater the struggle to find the words to express them". As reproduced in ''I, Me, Mine'', Harrison's original lyrics were more direct and personal, compared with the philosophical focus of the completed song. The latter has nevertheless invited interpretation as a standard
love song A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...
, in which the singer is cautiously entering into a romance. Another interpretation is that the theme of miscommunication was a statement on the Beatles' divergence from their audience, during a time when the group had tired of performing concerts before screaming fans.


Composition


Music

"I Want to Tell You" is in the key of A major and in a standard
time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
of 4/4. It contains a low-register, descending guitar
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
that music journalist
Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born January 19, 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' ...
describes as "circular, full" and "typical of 1966 British mod rock". The riff opens and closes the song and recurs between the verses. Particularly over the introduction, the rests between the riff's syncopated notes create a stammering effect. The
metric Metric or metrical may refer to: * Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement * An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement Mathematics In mathe ...
anomalies suggested by this effect are borne out further in the uneven, eleven-
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar ( ...
length of the verse. The main portion of the song consists of two verses, a bridge (or middle eight), followed by a verse, a second bridge and the final verse. According to Rodriguez, "I Want to Tell You" is an early example of Harrison "matching the music to the message", as aspects of the song's rhythm, harmony and structure combine to convey the difficulties in achieving meaningful communication. As in his 1965 composition "
Think for Yourself "Think for Yourself" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album ''Rubber Soul''. It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist, and, together with "If I Needed Someone", marked the start of his emergenc ...
", Harrison's choice of chords reflects his interest in harmonic expressivity. The verse opens with a harmonious E-A-B-C#-E melody-note progression over an A major chord, after which the melody begins a harsh ascent with a move to the II7 (B7) chord. Further to the off-kilter quality of the opening riff, musicologist
Alan Pollack Alan Pollack (born 1964 in New Jersey) is an American artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Works Alan Pollack produced interior illustrations for many ''Dungeons & Dragons'' books and ''Dragon'' magazine since 1994, and did th ...
identifies this chord change as part of the disorientating characteristics of the verses, due to the change occurring midway through the fourth bar, rather than at the start of the measure. The musical and emotional dissonance is then heightened by the use of E79, a chord that Harrison said he happened upon while striving for a sound that adequately conveyed a sense of frustration. With the return to the I chord for the guitar riff, the harmonic progression through the verse suggests what author
Ian MacDonald Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from ...
terms "an Oriental variant of the A major scale" that is "more Arabic than Indian". The middle eight sections present a softer harmonic content relative to the strident progression over the verses. The melody encompasses B minor, diminished and major 7 chords, together with A major. The inner
voicings ''Voicings'' was the last recording by the Minneapolis jazz vocal group Rio Nido. The album was one of the early recordings to feature live "direct to digital" recording techniques. Track listing # "Northern Lights" (D. Karr, L. Ball) # "I'm ...
within this chord pattern produce a
chromatic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a p ...
descent of notes through each
semitone A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between two adjacent no ...
from F to C. Musicologist Walter Everett comments on the aptness of the conciliatory lyric "Maybe you'd understand", which closes the second of these sections, as the melody concludes on a
perfect authentic cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (199 ...
, representing in musical terms "a natural emblem for any coming together". Pollack views the song's outro as partly a reprise of the introduction and partly a departure in the form of "a one-two-three-''go!'' style of fade-out ending". On the Beatles' recording, the group vocals over this section include Indian-style gamaks (performed by McCartney) on the word "time", creating a
melisma Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...
effect that is also present on Harrison's ''Revolver'' track " Love You To" and on Lennon's "Rain". Further to Harrison's drawn-out phrasing over the first line of the verses, this detail demonstrates the composition's subtle Indian influence.


Lyrics

The lyrics to "I Want to Tell You" address problems in communication and the inadequacy of words in conveying genuine emotion. Writing in 1969, author
Dave Laing David William Laing (9 January 1947 – 7 January 2019) was an English writer, editor, and broadcaster, specialising in the history and development of pop and rock music. He was a research fellow at the universities of Westminster and Liverpool ...
identified "serene desperation" in the song's "attempt at real total contact in any interpersonal context". Author Ian Inglis notes that lines such as "My head is filled with things to say" and "The games begin to drag me down" present in modern-day terms the same concepts regarding interpersonal barriers with which philosophers have struggled since the pre-Socratic period. MacDonald cites the lyrics to the first bridge – "But if I seem to act unkind / It's only me, it's not my mind / That is confusing things" – as an example of Harrison applying an Eastern philosophical approach to difficulties in communication, by presenting them as "contradictions between different levels of being". In Laing's interpretation, the entities "me" and "my mind" represent, respectively, "individualistic, selfish ego" and "the Buddhist not-self, freed from the anxieties of historical Time". In ''I, Me, Mine'', however, Harrison states that, with hindsight, the order of "me" and "my mind" should be reversed, since: "The mind is the thing that hops about telling us to do this and do that – when what we need is to lose (forget) the mind." Further to Laing's reading of the song's message, author and critic Tim Riley deems the barriers in communication to be the boundaries imposed by the anxious, Western concept of time, as Harrison instead "seeks healthy exchange and the enlightened possibilities" offered outside such limitations. According to Riley, "the transcendental key" is therefore the song's concluding lines – "I don't mind / I could wait forever, I've got time" – signifying the singer's release from vexation and temporal restrictions.


Recording

Untitled at the time, "I Want to Tell You" was the third Harrison composition that the Beatles recorded for ''Revolver'', although his initial submission for a third contribution was "
Isn't It a Pity "Isn't It a Pity" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 solo album ''All Things Must Pass''. It appears in two variations there: one the well-known, seven-minute version; the other a reprise, titled "Isn't It a Pity ...
". It was the first time he had been permitted more than two songs on one of the group's albums. The opportunity came about due to Lennon's inability to write any new material over the previous weeks. Exasperated by Harrison's habit of not titling his compositions, Lennon jokingly named it "Granny Smith Part Friggin' Two" – referring to the working title, derived from the
Granny Smith The Granny Smith, also known as a green apple or sour apple, is an apple cultivar which originated in Australia in 1868. It is named after Maria Ann Smith, who propagated the cultivar from a chance seedling. The tree is thought to be a hybrid ...
apple, for "Love You To". Following Lennon's remark,
Geoff Emerick Geoffrey Ernest Emerick (5 December 1945 – 2 October 2018) was an English sound engineer and record producer who worked with the Beatles on their albums ''Revolver'' (1966), ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (1967) and ''Abbey Road'' ...
, the Beatles' recording engineer, named the new song "Laxton's Superb" after another variety of apple. The Beatles taped the main track, consisting of guitars, piano and drums, at EMI Studios (now
Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music ...
) in London. The session took place on 2 June 1966, the day after Harrison met
Indian classical Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...
musician
Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...
for the first time and secured Shankar's agreement to help him master the sitar. The band recorded five takes of the song before Harrison selected the third of these for further work. After reduction to a single track on the four-track master tape, their performance consisted of Harrison on lead guitar, treated with a Leslie effect, McCartney on piano and
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
on drums, with Lennon adding tambourine. The group then
overdubbed Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more av ...
vocals, with McCartney and Lennon singing
parallel harmony In music, parallel harmony, also known as harmonic parallelism, harmonic planing or parallel voice leading, is the parallel movement of two or more melodies (see voice leading). Illustrative example Lines with parallel harmony can be viewed as ...
parts beside Harrison's lead vocal. Further overdubs included
maraca A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were ...
s, the sound of which Pollack likens to a rattlesnake; additional piano, at the end of the bridge sections and over the E79 chord in the verses; and handclaps. Created during a period when the Beatles had fully embraced the recording studio as a means of artistic expression, the recording added further to the message behind the song. Like "
Eight Days a Week "Eight Days a Week" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon based on McCartney's original idea. The song was released in the United Kingdom in December 1964 on the album '' Beatles for Sal ...
", the completed track begins with a fade-in, a device that in combination with the fadeout, according to Rodriguez, "provided a circular effect, perfectly matching the song's lack of resolution". Everett similarly recognises McCartney's "clumsy finger-tapping impatience" on the piano over the E79 chord as an apt expression of the struggle to articulate. The final overdub was McCartney's bass guitar part, which he added on 3 June. The process of recording the bass separately from a rhythm track provided greater flexibility when mixing a song, and allowed McCartney to control the harmonic structure of the music by defining chords. As confirmed by the band's recording historian,
Mark Lewisohn Mark Lewisohn (born 16 June 1958) is an English historian and biographer. Since the 1980s, he has written many reference books about the Beatles and has worked for EMI, MPL Communications and Apple Corps.
, "I Want to Tell You" was the first Beatles song to have the bass superimposed onto a dedicated track on the recording. This technique became commonplace in the Beatles' subsequent work. During the 3 June session, the song was temporarily renamed "I Don't Know", which had been Harrison's reply to a question from producer
George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the ...
as to what he wanted to call the track. The eventual title was decided on by 6 June, during a remixing and tape-copying session for the album.


Release and reception

EMI's
Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
label released ''Revolver'' on 5 August 1966, one week before the Beatles began their final North American tour. "I Want to Tell You" was sequenced on side two of the LP between Lennon's song about a New York doctor who administered
amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from alpha- methylphenethylamine) is a strong central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. It is also commonly used ...
doses to his wealthy patients, "
Doctor Robert "Doctor Robert" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released in 1966 on their album ''Revolver'', apart from in North America, where it instead appeared on their '' Yesterday and Today'' album. The song was written by John Le ...
", and "
Got to Get You into My Life "Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album ''Revolver''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, wit ...
", which McCartney said he wrote as "an ode to
pot Pot may refer to: Containers * Flowerpot, a container in which plants are cultivated * Pottery, ceramic ware made by potters * A type of cookware Places * Ken Jones Aerodrome, IATA airport code POT * Palestinian Occupied Territories, the W ...
". For the North American version of ''Revolver'', however,
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...
omitted "Doctor Robert", together with two other Lennon-written tracks; as a result, the eleven-song US release reinforced the level of contribution from McCartney and from Harrison. According to Beatles biographer
Nicholas Schaffner Nicholas Schaffner (January 28, 1953 – August 28, 1991) was an American non-fiction author, journalist, and singer-songwriter. Biography Schaffner was born in Manhattan to John V. Schaffner (1913–1983), a literary agent whose clients include ...
, Harrison's ''Revolver'' compositions – " Taxman", which opened the album, the
Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk (Bollywood), rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed ove ...
-styled "Love You To", and "I Want to Tell You" – established him as a songwriter within the band. Recalling the release in the 2004 edition of ''
The Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...
'',
Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Ble ...
said that ''Revolver'' displayed a diversity of emotions and styles ranging from the Beatles' "prettiest music" to "their scariest", among which "I Want to Tell You" represented the band at "their friendliest". Commenting on the unprecedented inclusion of three of his songs on a Beatles album, Harrison told ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' in 1966 that he felt disadvantaged in not having a collaborator, as Lennon and McCartney were to one another. He added: "when you're competing against John and Paul, you have to be very good to even get in the same league." ''Melody Maker''s album reviewer wrote that "The Beatles' individual personalities are now showing through loud and clear" and he admired the song's combination of guitar and piano motifs and vocal harmonies. In their joint review in ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
'', Richard Green found the track "Well-written, produced and sung" and praised the harmony singing, while Peter Jones commented on the effectiveness of the introduction and concluded: "The deliberately off-key sounds in the backing are again very distinctive. Adds something to a toughly romantic number."
Maureen Cleave Maureen Diana Cleave (20 October 1934 – 6 November 2021) was a British journalist. She worked for the London ''Evening Standard'' from 1958 conducting interviews with many prominent musicians of the era, including Bob Dylan and John Lennon. O ...
of ''
The Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after bei ...
'' expressed surprise that Harrison had written two of the album's best tracks, in "Taxman" and "I Want to Tell You", and described the latter as a "fine love song". In America, due to the controversy there surrounding Lennon's remark that the Beatles had become more popular than Christianity, the initial reviews of ''Revolver'' were relatively lukewarm. While commenting on this phenomenon in September 1966, '' KRLA Beat''s reviewer described "I Want to Tell You" as "unusual, newly-melodic, and interesting" and lamented that, as with songs such as "
She Said She Said "She Said She Said" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was written by John Lennon with assistance from George Harrison. Lennon described it as "an 'acidy' song" ...
" and " Yellow Submarine", it was being denied the recognition it deserved.


Retrospective assessment and legacy

Writing in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''s Harrison commemorative issue, in January 2002,
Mikal Gilmore Mikal Gilmore (born February 9, 1951 in Portland, Oregon) is an American writer and music journalist. Writing career In the 1970s Gilmore began writing music articles and criticism for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. In 1999, his ''Night Beat: A Shado ...
recognised his incorporation of dissonance on "I Want to Tell You" as having been "revolutionary in popular music" in 1966. Gilmore considered this innovation to be "perhaps more originally creative" than the
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretica ...
styling that Lennon and McCartney took from
Karlheinz Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groundb ...
,
Luciano Berio Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled ''Sequenza''), and for his pioneering work ...
,
Edgar Varese Edgar is a commonly used English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Eadgar'' (composed of '' ead'' "rich, prosperous" and '' gar'' "spear"). Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the later medieval period; it was, however, r ...
and
Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...
and incorporated into the Beatles' work over the same period. According to musicologist Dominic Pedler, the E79 chord that Harrison introduced in the song became "one of the most legendary in the entire Beatles catalogue". Speaking in 2001, Harrison said: "I'm really proud of that as I literally invented that chord … John later borrowed it on
I Want You (She's So Heavy) "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney). The song closes side one of their 1969 album '' Abbey Road'' and features Billy Preston playing the organ. It ...
: ver the line'It's driving me mad.'" In his overview of "I Want to Tell You", Alan Pollack highlights Harrison's descending guitar riff as "one of those all-time great ostinato patterns that sets the tone of the whole song right from the start". Producer and musician Chip Douglas has stated that he based the guitar riff for
the Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...
' 1967 hit "
Pleasant Valley Sunday "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, most famous for the version recorded by the Monkees in 1967. Inspired by a street named Pleasant Valley Way and their move to suburban West Orange, New Jersey, Goffin ...
" on that of the Beatles' song.
Neil Innes Neil James Innes (; 9 December 1944 – 29 December 2019) was an English writer, comedian and musician. He first came to prominence in the pioneering comedy rock group Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later became a frequent collaborator with the M ...
of the
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as The Bonzo Dog Band or The Bonzos) was created by a group of British art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelia with surreal humour and avant-garde a ...
(and later
the Rutles The Rutles () were a rock band that performed visual and aural pastiches and parodies of the Beatles. This originally fictional band, created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes for a sketch in Idle's mid-1970s BBC television comedy series ''Rutland We ...
) recalls being at Abbey Road Studios while the Beatles were recording "I Want to Tell You" and his band were working on a 1920s
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
song titled "My Brother Makes the Noises for the Talkies". Innes said he heard the Beatles playing back "I Want to Tell You" at full volume and appreciated then, in the words of music journalist Robert Fontenot, "just how far out of their league he was, creatively". Innes has since included his recollection of this episode in his stage show. Among Beatles biographers, Ian MacDonald cites the song as an example of Harrison's standing as " fnot the most talented then certainly the most thoughtful of the songwriting Beatles". He comments that, in keeping with the lyrics' subtle Hindu-aligned perspective, Harrison's embrace of Indian philosophy "was dominating the social life of the group" a year after its release. Jonathan Gould considers that the track would have been a highlight of any Beatles album before ''Revolver'' but, such was the standard of songwriting on their 1966 album, it "gets lost in the shuffle of Lennon and McCartney tunes on side two". Simon Leng writes that, aided by the "fertile harmonic imagination" evident in "I Want to Tell You", ''Revolver'' "changed George Harrison's musical identity for good", presenting him in a multitude of roles: "a guitarist, a singer, a world music innovator … nda songwriter". In his review of the song for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
, Richie Unterberger admires its "interesting, idiosyncratic qualities" and the group vocals on the recording, adding that McCartney's singing merits him recognition as "one of the great upper-register male harmony singers in rock". Similarly impressed with McCartney's contribution, Joe Bosso of
MusicRadar MusicRadar is a music website that offers information pertaining to artists and their music. The site features music gear news and reviews, artist interviews and online music and production tutorials. It is owned by British media company Future ...
describes the incorporation of vocal melisma as "an affectionate nod to Harrison's Indian influences" and includes the track among his choice of Harrison's ten best songs from the Beatles era. In a 2009 review of ''Revolver'', Chris Coplan of
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
said that Harrison's presence as a third vocalist "fits perfectly in contrast with some of the bigger aspects of the lbum'spsychedelic sounds", and added: "In a song like 'I Want To Tell You', the sinister piano and the steady, near-tribal drum line combine effortlessly with his voice to make for a song that is as beautiful as it is emotionally impacting and disturbing."


Other versions

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock ...
covered "I Want to Tell You" on his 1979 album '' State of Shock'', a version that ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
''s reviewer said was "probably enough to sell the album". Nugent's recording was also released as a single that year, and later appeared on his 1998 compilation ''Super Hits''.
The Lambrettas The Lambrettas are an English mod revival band, first active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Named after the iconic Italian Lambretta scooter brand popular among Mods, the band was formed in Brighton, England. Their original line-up cons ...
and Mike Melvoin are among the other artists who have recorded the song.
The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...
included "I Want to Tell You" in their live performances in 1994, before which
Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...
had occasionally performed it live with his long-running solo project, the
Jerry Garcia Band The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side projects until his death in 1995. The band regularly tour ...
. Although "I Want to Tell You" had been the least well-known of Harrison's three tracks on ''Revolver'', it gained greater renown after he began performing it live in the early 1990s. A live version from his 1991 Japanese tour with
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
opens Harrison's ''
Live in Japan ''Live in Japan'' can refer to one of the following albums or videos: Albums * ''Live in Japan'' (21st Century Schizoid Band album) * ''Live in Japan'' (22-20s album) * ''Live in Japan'' (B.B. King album) * ''Live in Japan'' (Beck, Bogert & Appice ...
'' album, released in 1992. Harrison said that, even before rehearsals, he had chosen "I Want to Tell You" as the opening song for the tour, which marked his first series of concerts since 1974, and his first visit to Japan since the Beatles had played there during their 1966 world tour. On this live version, he and Clapton extend the song by each playing a guitar solo. "I Want to Tell You" was also Harrison's opener at the
Natural Law Party The Natural Law Party (NLP) is a transnational party founded in 1992 on "the principles of Transcendental Meditation", the laws of nature, and their application to all levels of government. At its peak, it was active in up to 74 countries; it co ...
Concert, held at London's
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in April 1992, which was his only full-length concert as a solo artist in Britain. In November 2002, a year after Harrison's death,
Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, he has cont ...
performed "I Want to Tell You" at the
Concert for George The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and his son, Dhani, and arrang ...
tribute, where it served as the first song of the main, Western-music portion of the event. Lynne was backed by a large band, including Clapton and other musicians who had supported Harrison on the 1991 tour and at the Natural Law Party Concert. Blue Cartoon covered the song in the
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, an ...
style for the Harrison tribute album ''He Was Fab'', released in 2002. The following year,
the Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio (vocals & guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar & vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar & vocals), and Dennis Diken (drum ...
contributed a recording to another Harrison tribute album, '' Songs from the Material World''. The band also included the track on the 2005 deluxe edition of ''
God Save the Smithereens ''God Save The Smithereens'' is the sixth studio album by The Smithereens, released on 19 October 1999 on Velvel/Koch Records. Produced by Don Fleming (musician), Don Fleming, it was originally intended to be a concept album based on the idea of th ...
''.
Thea Gilmore Thea Eve Gilmore (born 25 November 1979), also known as Afterlight, is an English singer-songwriter. She has released more than twenty albums since her 1998 debut '' Burning Dorothy''. She has had three Top 40 entries on the UK Albums Chart and ...
recorded the song during the sessions for her 2006 album '' Harpo's Ghost'', a version that appeared on ''Mojo'' magazine's ''Revolver Reloaded'' CD celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the Beatles' album. The
Melvins Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appe ...
covered "I Want to Tell You" on their 2016 album ''
Basses Loaded ''Basses Loaded'' is the 21st album by American rock band Melvins, released on June 3, 2016, through Ipecac Recordings. It features every member that has been a part of the Melvins over the previous decade, centered around the many bass guita ...
''. While
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
's reviewer dismisses the Melvins' performance as a throwaway version of a "Beatles classic", Jared Skinner of
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television ...
describes it as "solid proof of their ability to make loud, gleeful rock 'n' roll".


Personnel

According to
Ian MacDonald Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was a British music critic and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed techniques from ...
: *
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
double-tracked Double tracking or doubling is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or bigger sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. ...
vocal, lead guitar, handclaps *
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
harmony vocal In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However, ...
, tambourine, handclaps *
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
– harmony vocal, piano, bass, handclaps *
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
– drums,
maracas A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were ...
, handclaps


Notes


References


Sources

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External links


Full lyrics for the song at the Beatles' official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:I Want To Tell You 1966 songs The Beatles songs Songs written by George Harrison Song recordings produced by George Martin Songs published by Northern Songs