Why Helter Skelter is Still The Most Controversial Beatles Song

Рет қаралды 417,989

3 ай бұрын

Helter Skelter is one of the most controversial and polarizing Beatles songs. But whether you love it or hate it, you might not realize it contains a whole assortment of wild and unexpected anomalies.
In this episode, we'll breakdown the fascinating recording history of Paul McCartney's wildest contribution to 1968's White Album. We'll also explore a mystery that fans have debated for years: who is really playing bass, John Lennon or Paul McCartney?
As a fair warning: you can't unhear this.
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Questions / Comments / Ideas:
youcantunhearthis@ gmail.com
Sources:
- Dave Rybaczewski www.beatlesebooks.com
- The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions by Mark Lewisohn
- The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 4: The Beatles through Yellow Submarine (1968 - early 1969) by Jerry Hammack and Gillian G Gaar
- www.beatlesbible.com
- Recording the Beatles by Kevin Ryan & Brian Kehew
- Living The Beatles Legend by Kenneth Womack: amzn.to/3G0fnmx
"Whole Lotta Helter Skelter" - DJ Soundhog: / the_beatles_ft_led_zep...
Image Credits: Linda McCartney
Special thanks to @DLD2Music for providing isolated tracks, and to Ken Womack and Eli Rosen for historical insights.
Join my supporters on Patreon (patreon.com/youcantunhearthis):
Eli Rosen
Jeremy Ribakove
Kheng Lai Tan
Danny van Leeuwen
YouStainedMe
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#TheBeatles #YCUT #Music

Пікірлер: 1 700

@YouCantUnhearThis 3 ай бұрын

*New episode!* 🎧 It's the longest YCUT yet - there's just so much to discuss about Helter Skelter. What do you think about the bass debate? Let me know what you think in the comments! 🎸😎 Check out the entire 'Whole Lotta Helter Skelter' mashup: www.reddit.com/r/ledzeppelin/comments/vse1fu/the_beatles_ft_led_zeppelin_whole_lotta_helter/

@josephdandrea8915 3 ай бұрын

I think you make very convincing points! Yes, Paul is more precise and clean with his bass playing, but if he wanted to go outside the box, and especially if it was his idea as it was on Helter Skelter, he's typically willing to jump into another style.

@gutgolf74 3 ай бұрын

I think it's a bass guitar, not a bass gitorrrrrr.

@gutgolf74 3 ай бұрын

So, had to go through all this at least once - and just as I thought: There are no "wild mysteries", you just made that up to bait clicks. There's only ONE "mystery" and that's not even a real one. Because it is VERY obvious that John might have played some basic bass part, but Paul definitely plays the dominant final part. At least THIS time you referred to the new liner notes - in contrast to "Revolver" where you put out your "mystery clip" two days before the book came out and solved your "mystery" about who was doing the count-in on "Taxman".

@mike0o0animates11 3 ай бұрын

Wait I can't find the helter skelter x whole lotta love dj sound hog remix any idea where it is ?

@YouCantUnhearThis 3 ай бұрын

@mike0o0animates11 Here's the link to 'Whole Lotta Helter Skelter': www.reddit.com/r/ledzeppelin/comments/vse1fu/the_beatles_ft_led_zeppelin_whole_lotta_helter/

@daBEAGLE1017 3 ай бұрын

I always found it chilling how they switched from the heavy Helter Skelter into the quiet Long Long Long on the album.

@mikesaunders4775 3 ай бұрын

A bit like merging Revolution#9 into Goodnight at the end of side two.

@joepermenter7228 3 ай бұрын

@@mikesaunders4775 Not really, it just is the album wrap up like they always did only with two shitty songs.

@elirosen1391 3 ай бұрын

I know. The whole White Album is one big roller coaster ride.

@perfumegoose 3 ай бұрын

@@joepermenter7228 Shitty songs as fillers, or Beethoven passing gas in spite of time???

@daBEAGLE1017 3 ай бұрын

@@joepermenter7228 Rev 9 turned me into a B-Hole Surfers fan while Ringo's Goodnight put me to bed many nights in the 70s. Every song on THE BEATLES album was perfectly placed and will never be a "throw away" song imfao. One of the greatest albums ever (once again imfao).

@scalzmoney 3 ай бұрын

5:25 those harmonies. OMG. Greatness.

@dj71162 3 ай бұрын

Dave Seville would be proud.

@ezekielbrockmann114 3 ай бұрын

Sounds like Paperback Writer.

@jefferyr650 3 ай бұрын

Goosebumps, literally

@BambiDextrous 2 ай бұрын

Unbelievable! Majestic!

@deejannemeiurffnicht1791 2 ай бұрын

little richard on acid

@tdunph4250 3 ай бұрын

Before the age of 13, whenever I heard this song i was scared shitless. This song, as with Rev#9, gave me the willies as a kid.

@Johnny_Guitar 3 ай бұрын

Yupp, Billy Shears really opened up and shown his colours as _'Faul'_ since it was never the kind of music that Paul McCartney would have done!

@filteredwaters9171 2 ай бұрын

Me also!

@wrongfootmcgee 2 ай бұрын

it almost as if life itself is musical in nature...

@steveroberts9453 2 ай бұрын

The interlinking Train at the end of I am a Walrus on the Blue Album is more terrifying.

@ronofthesea5953 2 ай бұрын

My thoughts exactly.@@Johnny_Guitar

@MarsHottentot 3 ай бұрын

Favorite Beatles song; as a kid in the early 70s, my mother played the White Album frequently and "Helter Skelter" always got my little brother and I bouncing off the walls!!

@NadaliMiNumer2256 Ай бұрын

Great female. Present girls not listen psychedelic rock .

@cesarmadero05 3 ай бұрын

I'm proud to sing the watered hidden lyrics "It's the Helter Skelter" right since I listened to it in the 2009 remastered versions.

@TruSuperGamerFriends 3 ай бұрын

Same

@timeking1 3 ай бұрын

No one: John randomly: Baaaaaaaa

@Dwightpower88 3 ай бұрын

Yokos influence

@kusfhizjingjiongia4564 3 ай бұрын

okay

@beastybacon199 3 ай бұрын

Sheep influence

@justintroyka8855 3 ай бұрын

It sounds like his Revolution 9 "aAaAaAaAaaallright" !!!

@emilelesaffre 3 ай бұрын

*FANNY CRADEOCK*

@Alcatrazer000 3 ай бұрын

Couldn't someone just ask Paul McCartney himself whether he or John was the one playing bass on the final Helter Skelter track?

@hellowerewolf 2 ай бұрын

I thought it was confirmed to be Lennon on a bass 6

@ianbartle456 2 ай бұрын

I think it may have been confirmed that at least some of John's original playing remained on the cut and Paul overdubbed an extra part on the JB and so we're hearing bits of both. Perhaps I have the wrong track, but I'm sure I remember reading about this in the liner notes to the 50th anniversary CD of TWA.

@aisle_of_view Ай бұрын

Paul had to sign off on the Giles Martin 2018 remixes, he would have spoken up if he saw in the liner notes that the bass was erroneously credited to John.

@iconicshrubbery Ай бұрын

Paul playing the bass deliberately sloppily? It sounds a far-fetched theory. Paul was the Polished Perfectionist. I'd give John his due, he might well have continued on the bass he d begun in July.

@ianbartle456 Ай бұрын

@@aisle_of_view Hard to disagree with your logic there.

@aprofondir 3 ай бұрын

I thought the most controversial song was "It's Okay To Leave a Dog In A Hot Car"

@bargainbassist 3 ай бұрын

Have you ever heard of the band, Dogs Die In Hot Cars? Check 'em out.

@billyatkinson8920 3 ай бұрын

Oh, I thought it was a baby, not a dog.

@keithklassen5320 2 ай бұрын

Nothing bad could possibly happen.

@carvoloco4229 2 ай бұрын

That's ok as long as you also leave a baby to take care of the dog 😌

@AshRecordReview 2 ай бұрын

I love the beatmywifles 🤷

@TonyBurke100 3 ай бұрын

I'm 70 and it's such a buzz to hear the music that got me through my teens is still being played. I love the Beatles and will continue to do so until they nail the lid onto my coffin. Even nowadays in 2024 they are still revered and respected.

@HiltonDriver-rf8zd Ай бұрын

Yeah nail my coffin I d be hunting to hear this white album

@HiltonDriver-rf8zd Ай бұрын

I'm 68 I was a 12 years old I crayon a birthday card for paul in response he and John put together the song bungalow bill and I'd sear at the end of the bungalow bill as it turns into george harrison guitar gently weeps he says hey hilt which is my name as a small gift from paul

@allison5104 Ай бұрын

I’m 35, and the Beatles got me through my teens as well. True genius is timeless!

@coolstil Ай бұрын

Just outstanding, diamonds just won't melt away

@vicfeazell Ай бұрын

@@HiltonDriver-rf8zd Say Whaaat?! This is the most intriguing comment I've seen! I hope you see this and fill in your story a bit more for us. In 1969 my friend and I sent the Beatles a telegram from Lubbock, Texas USA. I think we invited them to come visit and do something like save the world. I would ask my friend if he remembers more detail, but he's been dead for a while. I'll be 76 next week and I've hardly spent any time out of Texas, USA. The Beatles organization/_____ guided my little life for so long. Still does, along with a few others. AND I TRULY HOPE YOU SEE THIS AND FILL US IN MORE ABOUT THE CRAYON BIRTHDAY CARD. Do you suppose it still exists somewhere? Perhaps you should do a re-make of it.

@ChainReactionsProductions 3 ай бұрын

This is one of my favorite songs ever not to mention one of my favorite Beatles songs ever. I was so amazed when I found out some of those weird noises were actually from a saxophone mouthpiece. I hope they release the 27 minute first take some day!

@Humblemumble7 3 ай бұрын

Let alone Beatles song? What does that mean?

@ChainReactionsProductions 3 ай бұрын

@@Humblemumble7it’s one of my favorite songs, let alone one of my favorite Beatles songs lol probably should’ve clarified that

@ChainReactionsProductions 3 ай бұрын

@@C.I... fair enough, “not to mention” should suffice then lol

@user-gx2yy1df6f 3 ай бұрын

i got it right away, @@ChainReactionsProductions

@Roof_Gang 3 ай бұрын

@@Humblemumble7yeah it should be flipped, “one of my favorite beatles songs, let alone favorite songs”

@howardmaryon 3 ай бұрын

“Fanny Cradock”. Was a very popular TV chef on British TV in the ‘60’s. Teamed with her husband Johnny, they were the ones who pioneered cooking as entertainment. Fanny was very dramatic and let Johnny just recommend the wine to go with the dish of the day. They suddenly disappeared from TV after a fire on their yacht left Johnny badly burned.

@marcchrys 2 ай бұрын

I remember her well! I'd read that she disappeared from TV in the 70s after her bullying mauling of an amateur chef on a show in which the aim was to create a menu for Edward Heath?

@josephcooter5763 3 ай бұрын

I can remember listening to this song on a tape recorder in my room back when I was in High School and my mother freaking out when she walked into my room and heard the song.

@ricklocke1187 3 ай бұрын

Yes it was guaranteed to raise the hackles of the older folks you mean that noise is the moptops what happened to them

@VolodyaVolodenka1981 3 ай бұрын

21:22 Bass VI, with its three pickups, is capable of both those tones and more

@MilesTippett 3 ай бұрын

As a VI player, I can attest that it is a VERY versatile instrument, based on which pickup you are using, and what rig you are running into.... So the tone alone isnt enough to make me think that its the Jazz.... BUTTTTT The fact that paul is guiding the band with the bass lines before the take.... that is VERY compelling.

@VolodyaVolodenka1981 3 ай бұрын

@@MilesTippettit is! my only point is to make clear on the VI's capabilities for anyone considering getting one, for instance

@tuppot 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for pointing it out! I didn't expect that argument from YCUT, I'm sure he knows it has knobs and such hehe I'm down with the conclusion but that was a weird observation.

@paniccleo 2 ай бұрын

Was about to say this myself. Very silly observation.

@ianbartle456 2 ай бұрын

To my less studio-trained ear it's less about the pure sound from the pickups ad more about all that dirty slap from the frets that is affecting the overall sound of the bass. You don't get that on other Beatles' tunes whether it's a Hofner or the RIC.

@fladification 3 ай бұрын

The Fender Bass VI has three pickups with a switch for each one this gives huge tonal palette, to say it's not a VI just because the tone is different from one song to the next doesn't really convince me. Play with just neck up (honey pie) vs. play with just the bridge pickup (Helter Skelter)....that's what I'm hearing

@YouCantUnhearThis 3 ай бұрын

Thanks - I completely agree with you about the wide range of the tonal palette, and I definitely wouldn't rely on the tone comparison as the sole piece of evidence. In this case, it's just one corroborating piece of the argument. To me, the sound on Glass Onion - recorded the next day - is uncannily close, and whatever was being used on Helter Skelter is almost certainly the same setup (and I'd argue, player).

@ilovemusic7748 3 ай бұрын

Fun fact apparently there is a theory that Glass Onion might have a Fender VI playing with the jazz bass

@keithklassen5320 2 ай бұрын

@@ilovemusic7748 The classic "tic-tac" bass technique. A lot of songs in the '60s used this type of bass tracking, contrasting a lower, thicker bass part (often a Fender Precision bass) against a thinner part (often an Electric VI), often with the two parts dancing around each other, sometimes playing the same thing, sometimes playing harmony or counterpoint.

@elirosen1391 2 ай бұрын

@@keithklassen5320 On Patsy Cline's later material, there was often an upright bass doubled by a tick-tacky sounding electric bass, either a Precision or a Bass VI model (they were first sold in 1961).

@marcusphelan57 2 ай бұрын

@@ilovemusic7748 That may have come from Ken Scott, and I think from memory he said the two basses were always recorded together. The problem with that is that now we have access to outtakes and isolated tracks and it's clear that the bass was recorded along with John's acoustic, George's electric and Ringo's drums. Glass onion has only the one bass track and it's Paul on his Jazz bass.

@areareare9953 2 ай бұрын

This guy would have a field day with "You know my name".

@Adyman182 3 ай бұрын

Honey wake up, You Can't Unhear This just uploaded

@denkithedhmislover 3 ай бұрын

IM UP 👁️👁️

@The2010golakers 3 ай бұрын

I’m up 😎

@cbennett196631 3 ай бұрын

Everybody is off to the races to repeat that same, tired line….for what….”Likes”…. Enjoy your kiddie games

@mariuspoppFM 3 ай бұрын

@@cbennett196631indeed, they are just embarassing

@Adyman182 3 ай бұрын

@cbennett196631 @@mariuspoppFM You're speaking absolute truth, props for staying sane

@rootbeer5356 3 ай бұрын

Please please please do an episode on either Tomorrow Never Knows or Revolution 9. Your in depth video essay style would be fascinating about those tracks

@YouCantUnhearThis 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the suggestions! One of those might be in the works already, so who Knows what Tomorrow might bring… 😉

@BigSky1 3 ай бұрын

@@YouCantUnhearThisAs Traffic said.

@ricklocke1187 3 ай бұрын

Yes please revolution 9

@RayleneSteves 2 ай бұрын

Another youtuber did a pretty good video about Revolution 9

@rootbeer5356 2 ай бұрын

@@RayleneSteves Could you link it please?

@Daytripper51 3 ай бұрын

Incredible research.....Incredible video editing......Incredible analogy....Your time into this piece is so well appreciated. I'm the guy who helped you research your "The Drum Mystery in The Beatles' Most Beautiful Song"......BP....from the large book "Recording The Beatles" from Curvebender publishing. The authors of this book note that John played bass....at least on the earlier take of the song.

@o.b.v.i.u.s 2 ай бұрын

great forensic work... as a lifelong professional bassist and beatles nut (who is old enough to have bought all the albums when they were first released), i concur with your assessment... thanks for this! really impressive!

@elirosen1391 3 ай бұрын

Congratulations on getting this cranked out! It was a pleasure assisting in this process of researching for this video! Like many of these Beatles mysteries, it's uncertain that we may ever solve this one definitively. But the one positive I do take away from Helter Skelter is that it's the one track off the White Album where it's evident they put their differences aside, and let themselves have fun together as a group again.

@patriot1151 3 ай бұрын

Glad you’re back, another brilliant video as always.

@carrerlluna66 3 ай бұрын

Ned from Spain here. Helter Skelter is such a monster, it blew me away when my folks bought it for me about 50 odd years ago. The White Album totally changed my perception of them and how hard, raw and wild they could play. I wish you could have talked about the trash guitar noise ( John I assume ) and high twiddling ( George ) that fade in and out at 3:00 and 3:06 respectively. John's guitar is so nasty and white noise it sounds like an amplified toilet flushing. Properly tuned though...Great work and thanks for the video.

@Kermit_T_Frog 3 ай бұрын

I don't think that "Helter Skelter" is even the hardest rock on the album, though it is close. That distinction would go to "Yer Blues." As for raw energy and sheer joy, that would go to "Me and my Monkey." Don't think ANY of the Beatles songs would EVER have been that raw without the influence of John. ALWAYS the straw that stirred the drink. Still, from some of the early Beatles covers, it is clear that McCartney could be a surprisingly hard rocker... when under the influence of JOHN.

@carrerlluna66 3 ай бұрын

I totally agree. The whole album has a dark disturbing quality to it. A lot of the songs sound warped and raw. Like they were trying to exorcise the old lovable mop top-ness from their souls. John was Dr Piss n Vinegar but McCartney could rage when called upon to do so.@@Kermit_T_Frog

@carrerlluna66 13 күн бұрын

@@Kermit_T_Frog Me and My Monkey is nuts too. Isn't that another one of their songs that they changed the speed on ? They slowed " Rain" down but Monkey was sped up or am I wrong ?

@Kermit_T_Frog 13 күн бұрын

@@carrerlluna66 Not sure. I'm sure that most all of them were toyed with, many times over, before they arrived at a final version. The story probably differs depending on who is telling it. And there probably is a bit of truth in all of them.

@carrerlluna66 13 күн бұрын

@@Kermit_T_FrogYeah, I know what you mean. There is the original take of Rain that is faster on the insanely complete Revolver box. It makes the final cut that much more interesting. The art of production from the pre digi age fascinates me. Take care.

@antoniopp7169 3 ай бұрын

Yes! Finally! I've been saying this since 2018. Paul is on bass. No doubt about it. Thanks for the historical and sonical accuracy and reconstruction. This is undisputable, really. Yay!

@ValueNetwork 3 ай бұрын

Oh HELL YEAH I was waiting for you to make a video on my favourite Beatles song. This is the band at their most experimental and they want you to know it. The song is Paul challenging himself to craft a new take on rock music by harnessing the bands iconic bedlam, and he succeeded. A helter skelter is a fairground ride, and this is the Beatles showing you the playground.

@bargainbassist 3 ай бұрын

Actually, Revolution #9, Tomorrow Never Knows, I Am the Walrus, and Strawberry Fields Forever would be tied for most experimental. The three latter tracks had George Martin's involvement, and he was heavily involved in tape manipulation, something that Helter Skelter did not. And Revolution #9, even without Martin's presence, is almost entirely tape manipulation.

@almostbeatlessongs 3 ай бұрын

You’ve done it again! Our Beatles channel aspires to this level of excellence. Thank you.

@slaphead8835 3 ай бұрын

EXTREMELY well done! Absolutely top notch. You covered this superbly creative and innovative Beatles song thoroughly and accurately. Beautiful achievement.

@buzzawuzza3743 3 ай бұрын

Paul played the bass, it sounds like him. Glad you talked mostly about the song itself and not that crazy Manson murder stuff. The people into that kind of thing are a drag. Anyway, rock on!

@CTE2028 3 ай бұрын

The comeback we’ve all been waiting for!

@dang.5387 3 ай бұрын

Always a pleasure to watch these videos. They must take a lot of time to prep and make. Great job!

@edwardcowardin4014 3 ай бұрын

I am 64 years old. One of my two older brothers has passed away but I grew up listening to my brothers Beatles albums. Was 4 years old when we watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. I have never heard anything about this. Very interesting. Love learning about things I didn't know about the Beatles. Thank you!!! Enjoyed this video!!!!!!

@Chrisamic 2 ай бұрын

I have a similar experience. I'm 60 this year, and my much older brother was right into the Beatles so my musical tastes were locked into the 60's at a very early age. I'm so glad I have those memories.

@gregoryallen0001 Ай бұрын

yooooo when you're sixty-four..

@alonsonatividad9620 21 күн бұрын

Has anyone asked Paul?

@timothybradley7414 2 ай бұрын

McCartney's Helter skelter is a great song that gets the blood flowing. I love listening to this song while driving. Paul's genius at work again. The Beatles songs by far were the most innovative and different from one another throughout the band's life. Remember these songs were taped without digital and software tricks over 50 years ago and still sound better than the best new rock/pop of today.

@Jerome_101 3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for this fun and informative video!! Helter Skelter has been a huge favorite song since hearing it on the original album our dad got for my elder sister.

@engelsjn 3 ай бұрын

Absolutely love your channel, the amount of work that goes into these must be exhausting. Thank you!

@rolandweers4617 2 ай бұрын

Nice forensics...🙂 I 'v been listening to this song for decades(stereo version only) and it's amazing to learn so much new stuff about it after all these years - thank you!

@Ekkie101 2 ай бұрын

When we saw Paul McCartney at Dodger Stadium in 2919 Ringo came on and played 'Helter Skelter' with the band.

@aisle_of_view 2 ай бұрын

Time traveler!

@gregoryallen0001 Ай бұрын

hologramz

@DougSalad 3 ай бұрын

The biggest mystery about this song for me is how anyone has ever misinterpreted Ringo as saying "I got blisters on ME fingers" when it's so clearly "my" or even "MAH" Edit: idgaf who y'all think it is, it's Ringo. Second, idgaf about your slang, "me" has a long eeeeeeee Sound in it that isn't there. Period. He does not say me.

@thedude4594 3 ай бұрын

It sounds more like John. Was Ringo mocking John? Yes!

@elirosen1391 3 ай бұрын

@@thedude4594 No man, that's definitely Ringo. No mystery there.

@elirosen1391 3 ай бұрын

Strangely, on the 2018 remix, they made that scream less audible. I guess they had enough fun at Ringo's expense after 50 years.

@MashPotatoJohns 3 ай бұрын

It's probaby because stewie said that in Family Guy

@whenifeellow 3 ай бұрын

exactly man! I knew it was Ringo first time I heard it, and then later read online people saying it was John, and I'm like... NO

@jarrettgardner0628 2 ай бұрын

Great investigative work and thank you for the highly engaging & entertaining analysis while also being highly detailed & informative! Subbed!!

@vincentkatz 2 ай бұрын

Great episode! Really appreciate the deep dive into this song.

@wilberforce95 3 ай бұрын

Differences in bass tone can also be attributed to amp/mic setup (in addition to playing style and mix).

@iamdamosuzuki_ 3 ай бұрын

Considering Paul usually plays with his thumb, if he was playing the bass on the track he was probably playing very close to the bridge which can definitely create a very harsh trebly sound like that.

@bungobaggins01 3 ай бұрын

⁠@@iamdamosuzuki_Paul usually plays with a pick, not his thumb

@filteredwaters9171 2 ай бұрын

That's what I thought, also

@NickGodwin 2 ай бұрын

The tone is a lot in the hands

@ianbartle456 2 ай бұрын

I think it's playing style that is perhaps the most significant here. Paul was after something very specific and non-conventional. My guess is he's doing whatever he felt helped to play the living shit out of that bass part - and you hear him taking the same approach to his vocals during that long jam. He was often to be found improvising and stretching out his voice in between takes and this whole track was meant to just push the boat out big time. I doubt history records Paul's reaction upon reading that misguided critic attributing Helter Skelter it to Lennon - but I reckon we can all guess! And can't says as I'd blame him really. Having some of your most courageous and non-typical works attributed to another artist, even if they are your best friend, would frankly grate on anyone who cared about their work.

@jaykaufman9782 3 ай бұрын

It was mind-blowing hearing that snippet of McCartney doing "HS" on acoustic guitar! What a strange direction that might have been. I've always thought the lyrics were inspired in part by Lewis Carroll: " 'What matters it how far we go?' his scaly friend replied./'There is another shore, you know, upon the other side./The further off from England, the nearer is to France --/Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance./Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?/Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?' " Lennon was a massive Lewis Carroll fan, and I wonder if he contributed the lyric, or if Paul was familiar with the "The Lobster Quadrille" (Chap. 10) from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1866).

@BillPeschel 3 ай бұрын

I love this!

@YouCantUnhearThis 3 ай бұрын

Indeed! Paul actually mentions the Lewis Carroll inspiration in his Lyrics book. Which is a great read, by the way.

@thefonzkiss 3 ай бұрын

Have you never heard Anthology 3?

@jaykaufman9782 3 ай бұрын

@@thefonzkissThere's so much Beatles-related merch out there, one gets selective. Now I know I need Anthology 3.

@raymota4515 2 ай бұрын

Having experimented at the time, I was always under the influence that it was an acid freakout.

@rocnred 3 ай бұрын

Absolutely LOVE IT!!! Thank you. Great stuff, as always.

@burbear47 3 ай бұрын

Gives me a new appreciation for a song that has baffled me for so many years. I love this analysis. Whether I agree or not, I always come away pleased to hear things I never beard or knew.

@1946Ash 3 ай бұрын

20:08 The Helter Skelter photo is from Clacton on Sea pier.

@tdtm82 3 ай бұрын

Listen to Lemmy play bass in Motorhead and it's very similar as a rumbling bass style. It sounds like a rythym guitar as a bass. It's so great to listen to.

@Saint_nobody 3 ай бұрын

Fuck. Now I wanna hear a Motorhead version of this iconic rock song.

@tdtm82 3 ай бұрын

@@Saint_nobody I don't think they did it.

@mrbaker7443 3 ай бұрын

@@tdtm82i bet there’s an AI version

@ianbartle456 2 ай бұрын

Mm... now there's an idea....@@mrbaker7443

@bumblethebeadle3504 2 ай бұрын

The first five words in your original comment make up great advice.

@cydd.4609 3 ай бұрын

This was very well put together....alot went into this

@nepesilva2284 3 ай бұрын

The best video on this song I’ve ever watched. Excellent work.

@disneyscott98 3 ай бұрын

You know it's a good day when YCUT posts a new video!

@MrMjp58 2 ай бұрын

I always thought this track was something of a throwaway. I recently attempted to teach the guitar part to a student- for grade exam purposes. It was then, that I found out how brilliantly constructed it was, and how hard to play! I have had a change of heart.

@prestonpeet1 2 ай бұрын

After being turned on to the idea when smoking spliffs with a dj friend at a club in Paris back in the mid-80s, I would often dj a mashup of Whole Lotta Love and Van Halen's Eruption. I never even thought of mashing up Whole Lotta Love with Helter-Skelter. Great video on your part You Can't Unhear This. I greatly enjoyed this video about Helter Skelter. Thank you for creating it. I've subscribed to your channel after watching and listening to this.

@DrSpaceman69 3 ай бұрын

Worth the wait every time!❤

@zombiedude6543 3 ай бұрын

The bass sound was from the amp they used. You can get a lot of different bass guitars to sound similar if you run them through the same amp and change the settings around

@RHR-221b 3 ай бұрын

In the late 1970s/early 1980s, I was working as a guitar et al. technician, under Geoff Johnson's guidance. (Calder Music, Midcalder, Scotland, when Geoff came out of retirement.) Geoff worked in RADAR during WW2, amongst other clandestine life-savers. He later went on to design the VOC AC 100, as well as many other amplifier attributes. My dearly-missed mentor taught me so much. If you have the inclination, please search for Geoff Johnson. Vox and Triumph Electronics. Thank you. *Rest In Peace, Geoff.* And also to his Dear Wife, Freda Olive Johnson (whom Geoff called *Flying Officer Johnson*). Thank you for reading this, my remembrances of one of Nature's True Perfect Gentlemen (and Ladies!). Stay free. Rab 🔊🕊🔊 PS. One entry in Geoff's autograph book read/reads: *Thanks for everything, Geoff. Stay cool. Jimi.*

@frankjamesbonarrigo7162 3 ай бұрын

Or the compressors, Fairchild, altec

@keithklassen5320 2 ай бұрын

Amp settings, pickup choices, tone knob settings, etc. I'm pretty sure we're hearing an Electric VI here.

@jorriffhdhtrsegg 2 ай бұрын

@@keithklassen5320when i used a VI, with all pickups on and tone rolled half down i really couldn't tell the difference much between a jazz bass and that VI. It also depends how you play it, since VI forces a certain picking and it sounds like that type of picking, although that picking is of course possible on a jazz bass, you can do a wider range of 'bass' techniques on a 4 string long scale bass.

@johnkenney5380 3 ай бұрын

This is pure gold man - one of my favorite episodes yet. Fab!

@fantastic45s 2 ай бұрын

Outstanding work. Thank you !!

@BobbiRakus 3 ай бұрын

You don’t upload a lot, but I always look forward to it when you do! 🙂

@cesarmadero05 3 ай бұрын

It's amazing how the discussions about who did what are only based on asumption of what people thought was the personality of the interchanging Beatle we are talking about.

@jpollackauthor 3 ай бұрын

It's because 99% of the people arguing this stuff aren't musicians, and even if they are, they don't have experience with the same kind of vintage instruments that were played on the White Album - for example, modern Fender and Squier reissues of the Jazz Bass and the Bass VI do not come with foam mutes, which were utilized on both basses on the White Album. Anyone who has played a Jazz Bass with foam mutes and treble cranked all the way up knows that's how you get the Helter Skelter/Glass Onion/While My Guitar Gently Weeps bass sound. You can even replicate an almost identical sound with a Rickenbacker 4001 - which came with foam mutes and was also owned by Paul.

@dreammachine2013 3 ай бұрын

Right!

@perfumegoose 3 ай бұрын

@@jpollackauthor I doubt Al Hirt or Doc Severeson would know the difference

@ianbartle456 2 ай бұрын

@@jpollackauthor Top post. It goes without saying that Paul would have experimented with those mutes. Apart from which George Martin's broader studio experience would have had him learning about their applications. Although he may have had little use for them on most of his rock'n'roll tracks the oom-pah music hall stuff may have cried out for the short, punchy root fifth approach, giving a sound more like a string bass. The hollow-bodied Hofner may have emphasised that effect still more. Since the heady days of 1968 Linda has bought old Bill Black's original upright bass so no doubt he's experimented on a real one now. I have a photo of him posing with one in my sheet music book for Back to the Egg but I'm not sure of he ever played an upright during either the Beatles or Wings era. I could be wrong though ;-)

@jaelge 2 ай бұрын

Just to remind you folks, that the sound of the Fender-6 (or any bass or guitar) can vary widely by adjustments on the pickups and amplifier settings. There´s no reason that the bass used by George in Honey Pie couldn't be the same bass used in Helter Skelter. I´ll add, that they could very well had just decided to overdub different instruments on different parts of the song. Maybe Paul was satisfied with the bass on certain parts and fixed other parts.

@sampoernaquatrain1710 2 ай бұрын

Awesome episode! Not only did you convince me that it's Paul playing bass, but the isolated parts showed me that what I heard for decades as John singing "...is my baby sleeping" is actually Paul singing "Oh the Helter Skelter!" Mind blown.

@ericksuarez3248 3 ай бұрын

Omg I love so much this channel, it makes my day ❤❤❤

@michaelgriffith7033 3 ай бұрын

One of my favorite Beatles tracks. Great examination of the song.

@ImnotgoingSideways 2 ай бұрын

Probably one the most played albums in my dad's collection. When I eventually picked up guitar, I found it to be a great song to break strings to.

@RS-nf4vz 5 күн бұрын

This is the best primer on Helter Skelter I've ever seen. Well done!

@bea78tles Ай бұрын

This video was fascinating. Great job.

@theneonchimpchannel9095 3 ай бұрын

It was probably John on bass on the first session but Paul on bass on the final recording.

@jpollackauthor 3 ай бұрын

100%

@jzsuperstar9948 2 ай бұрын

"Fanny Craddock"! "Fanny Craddock"! I'm still wiping the tears from my eyes, LMAO!

@scottyf7512 3 ай бұрын

That was a very well done video- enjoyed that thanks!

@KingoftheWelsh Ай бұрын

Great video, great research. Im convinced by the evidence that Paul did it, in the recording studio, with the Jazz Bass

@giovanni5063 3 ай бұрын

Something I had not thought about for years. I first heard the White Album while lounging about at FM station WABX in Detroit. Someone came into the studio with The White Album. This was as fresh as can be, never having been heard yet on the Motor City airwaves. I listened as the DJ's rummaged through the cuts and then there was Helter Skelter. KaPow WTF! High over Detroit in the David Stott building in the studios of WABX I thought that it were magical moments.

@bill3213 2 ай бұрын

Abx I remember !

@user-mo6tz6oh9i 28 күн бұрын

I lived in Detroit then. I remember.

@kingdicelille 3 ай бұрын

It's one of those songs I'm obsessed with.

@rpg5452 3 ай бұрын

beautiful song, one of my Beatles fav... got the chance on my second Paul concert to hear it live... fantastic. good vid bud cheers

@cosmojonesmusic 3 ай бұрын

Oh, thank goodness. I always look forward to your videos. Yaayy!! 😁

@marcchrys 2 ай бұрын

Paul's voice at 18.23. Wow!

@HeyBullfrog 3 ай бұрын

LETS GOOOO ITS BEEN A WHILE❤❤❤

@marcyfan-tz4wj 3 ай бұрын

great video! i don't need any of these mysteries to be solved. i like hearing things i've never heard.

@westfield90 2 ай бұрын

Fantastic video. So well researched. I’m convinced it’s Paul now. The bass also sounds identical to the bass sound on While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

@SteveJC 2 ай бұрын

I understand that when it was released on CD, Charles Manson said "Ok. I guess they weren't talking to me".

@Bushranger1865 2 ай бұрын

The only voices in Charles Manson's head were Charles Manson's! He was just doing what almost everybody does now... blame someone else for their warped, destructive and delusional ideas!

@ddrreeaamm_brother 2 ай бұрын

@Bushranger1865 the irony of your comment is stellar. Maybe, just maybe... "almost everybody" doesn't actually do that, you've just become grumpy and judgey?

@Bushranger1865 2 ай бұрын

@@ddrreeaamm_brother The real irony is in your response!

@JohnnyCameo 3 ай бұрын

“The Inveterate Creative Sponges” may replace “The Mop Tops” and “The Fab Four” as the most popular nickname for the lads

@treynino5 3 ай бұрын

i need more uploads man, please keep making more videos they are great!!

@WasabiBunny 3 ай бұрын

So interesting! And I love that you mentioned Soundhog, that’s an amazing piece.

@user-gw7rr8ko6q 3 ай бұрын

one of the amazing things about the beatles music is how its weathered time...oddly some of the songs i didnt care for years ago i love now...kinda like im growing with the music...Helter Skelter was never a favorite of mine but...give it time. love learning the history of their music

@ianbartle456 2 ай бұрын

That's a very valid point. A good example is how Here Comes The Sun has risen to receive the recognition is deserves. George would have been proud of that.

@rome8180 3 ай бұрын

The isolated bass certainly sounds like a Fender Jazz Bass to me. I say that as someone who has owned and played many Jazz Basses over the years. They have a distinctive sound. It definitely doesn't sound like a Fender VI.

@biancachristie 3 ай бұрын

Agreed

@iwashackedlol 3 ай бұрын

I was looking for an upload earlier haha!

@johndavidtice 3 ай бұрын

Take 2 was the first version I ever heard. I loved it. So you can imagine my surprise when I bought a copy of TWA. Loved that too.

@gusb6415 2 ай бұрын

It's Ringo on bass

@jacksons1010 2 ай бұрын

Couldn’t be more obvious! That’s why he had blisters on his fingers. Paul on drums. 😁

@Amquacktador 3 ай бұрын

I'm not saying you're wrong: but Helter Skelter being more controversial than Revolution 9? Damn, even almost 60 years later that song is haunting and way ahead of what we, the fans, can comprehend in an artistic way - nevermind the average listener.

@YouCantUnhearThis 3 ай бұрын

Revolution 9 is definitely a ground-breaking (and challenging) achievement. And a great candidate for a future episode someday. Thanks for the comment!

@Amquacktador 3 ай бұрын

@@YouCantUnhearThis Totally agree! Thanks for the answer, looking forward for that episode when it goes out.

@vaporman442 3 ай бұрын

I think the controversy is all about Charles Manson. No one ever wrote Revolution 9 on a wall with a murdered person’s blood. Both songs pushed the boundaries of music on a pop album. Halter Skelter was a little closer to the traditional pop formula with instrumentation, vocals and verse chorus structure. But Revolution 9 wasn’t completely unprecedented. Musique Concrete and Avant Garde musicians had been using similar techniques for decades.

@ricklocke1187 3 ай бұрын

My favourite mental image about the white album is the EMI executives hearing rev 9 for the first time and being told it takes up about a quarter of the album only the Beatles could have got away with that

@bobtaylor170 3 ай бұрын

I agree. Haunting is the perfect word for it. I have never understood the hatred people have for it. The inadvertent "almost melodies" are fascinating.

@Createme99 3 ай бұрын

I used to run to this song every day, such an energy booster

@robertfrench80 Ай бұрын

Thanks for your dissection of this unforgettable song! While not my favorite song of the Beatles, it is certainly an integral part of the White Album.

@johnwatson3948 3 ай бұрын

A great analysis of one of my favorite songs of all time - when I was a kid used a cassette recorder to repeat the verses into a 20 minute version. Was surprised to see that other early rehearsal tape on Anthology 3 with Paul throwing out odd lyrics like “Helter Skelter… Hell for leather!”

@shipsahoy1793 2 ай бұрын

I think the versatility and diversity of the Beatles catalog are on the list of ingredients that makes the Beatles such a damn legendary band of brothers. Edit: To all the people liking this post .. "You know it !!"

@irishguyalt5495 3 ай бұрын

Subscribed about 2 weeks ago expect u to not upload, and turns out i was completely wrong. Nice video

@netmusicdotcom 3 ай бұрын

Loved this! Each of your videos are so well done, well thought out, and perfectly executed. This was no exception. And who played the bass? I believe the audio is generally the best proof, so most likely Paul :-)

@bulkvanderhuge9006 Ай бұрын

The article about John Playing Bass on Helter Skelter are all talking about the Helter Skelter SLOW JAM version.

@davidwinokur2131 3 ай бұрын

Helter Skelter was a refreshing divergence from the typically organized and well produced Beatles song.

@aisle_of_view Ай бұрын

Paul's amazing. Honey Pie to Helter Skelter

@ajconstantine3593 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the BOOK MENTION! I just paused & bought it on Audible! 👍🤟

@zendermeister 2 ай бұрын

Sir, you are a meticulous, probably genius video creator. I can't think of one aspect of video creation where you lack. This one must have taken DAYS to create. I'm glad you recommend the Helter Skelter/Whole Lotta Love mash-up I've probably listened to that fifty times.

@brenthooton3412 3 ай бұрын

If there's anything that ever suggested to me that it might not be Paul, it's the sloppiness in the rhythm. But take a listen to the isolated bass part in other songs like I Want You (She's So Heavy) - it's a little wobbly in the rhythm (and the tuning!!) too. The mid-session Elvis cover is absolutely conclusive evidence to me.

@jpollackauthor 3 ай бұрын

It only sounds sloppy isolated - listen to the bass track blended with the drums and it's dead on. Anything recorded without a click track or metronome is going to sound sloppy in the rhythm if you play it isolated.

@balkandancer 3 ай бұрын

I don't bother trying to diagnose what or why an artist does what they do, I just enjoy, or not, the end results. The Beatles made some of the best music and influenced even more. May we continue to enjoy what they created and even more what the last two are still making.