I Me Mine
Encyclopedia
"I Me Mine" is a song by The Beatles
, written and sung by George Harrison
. I Me Mine is also the title of Harrison's autobiography. The song traces its origins to the January 1969 Get Back/Let It Be sessions, when it was rehearsed by the band at Twickenham Film Studios
.
2:71-72 can be translated as "They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage of "I", "me" and "mine" to be united with the Lord. This is the supreme state. Attain to this, and pass from death to immortality." Perhaps subconsciously, the song also reflects Harrison's reaction to the clashes of egos in the Beatles' painful closing days as a group.
After receiving his "eternal problem" inspiration, Harrison played some chords to the 6/8 time signature, and added a bluesy bridge. The song was inspired by the incidental music for a BBC
television program, Europa—The Titled and the Untitled, which aired on 7 January 1969; Harrison wrote the song that night and performed the song for the other Beatles the following morning.
film features a segment in which Harrison plays the song for Ringo Starr
, describing it as "a heavy waltz"; the band is then seen performing the tune while John Lennon
dances with Yoko Ono
.
The song was released on the Let It Be
album; however, the Beatles had not done a proper studio recording of the song during the January 1969 sessions. When director Michael Lindsay-Hogg
chose to include the "I Me Mine" segment in the Let It Be
film, the Beatles decided to record the song for inclusion on the accompanying album. Paul McCartney
, Harrison and Starr met in the studio on 3 January 1970, to record the group version of the song. John Lennon
was not available; he was on holiday in Denmark. Lennon had privately quit the group in September 1969 so it is not known if he would have attended anyway.
The group recorded 16 takes of the song, the last of which was chosen for the album. Before take 15, Harrison delivered a mock press statement in a joking reference to Lennon's absence and the British pop group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
: "You all will have read that Dave Dee is no longer with us. But Mickey and Tich and I would just like to carry on the good work that's always gone down in number two [EMI Studio 2]." The statement followed by take 16 was included on Anthology 3
. Although final rendition only lasted 1:34, Phil Spector
extended the length by copying and repeating a section. Spector also overdubbed a string and brass accompaniment. The final version, as "re-produced" by Spector, was featured on the re-titled Get Back album, Let It Be
. A similar edit, without Spector's overdubs, is available on Let It Be... Naked.
Although the sessions for "I Want You (She's So Heavy)
" and "The End
" in August 1969 were the last where all four Beatles were present in the recording studio, "I Me Mine" was the last new song recorded by the Beatles, albeit without Lennon, until the Free as a Bird
/Real Love reunion sessions in 1994. However, it was not their last recording session. The three returned the next day, 4 January 1970, to record overdubs on "Let It Be
", Harrison returned on 8 January to record vocal overdubs on "For You Blue
" and Starr returned on 1 April 1970, to record overdubs for "Across the Universe
", "The Long and Winding Road
" and an additional drum track for "I Me Mine".
The song is playable in the video game The Beatles: Rock Band
. Spector's work was removed for the game's version.
. Limited to 2000 signed copies, with a foreword by Derek Taylor
. The Genesis limited edition sold out soon after publication, and was subsequently published in hardback and paperback in black ink by W H Allen in London and by Simon and Schuster in New York. The book was released a few weeks before the assassination of John Lennon which also happened in New York. Lennon took offence to the book, telling interviewer David Sheff
that "I was hurt by it ... By glaring omission in the book, my influence on his life is absolutely zilch and nil ... I'm not in the book." In fact, Harrison does mention Lennon several times. I Me Mine was re-published, with a new foreword from Olivia Harrison, in 2002.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, written and sung by George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
. I Me Mine is also the title of Harrison's autobiography. The song traces its origins to the January 1969 Get Back/Let It Be sessions, when it was rehearsed by the band at Twickenham Film Studios
Twickenham Film Studios
Twickenham Film Studios is a film studio located in St Margarets, London, England used by many motion picture and television companies. It was established in 1913 by Dr. Ralph Jupp on the site of a former ice-rink. At the time of its original construction, it was the largest film studio in the...
.
Origin
The set of pronouns which forms the song's title is a conventional way of referring to the ego in a Hindu context. For example, the Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
2:71-72 can be translated as "They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage of "I", "me" and "mine" to be united with the Lord. This is the supreme state. Attain to this, and pass from death to immortality." Perhaps subconsciously, the song also reflects Harrison's reaction to the clashes of egos in the Beatles' painful closing days as a group.
After receiving his "eternal problem" inspiration, Harrison played some chords to the 6/8 time signature, and added a bluesy bridge. The song was inspired by the incidental music for a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television program, Europa—The Titled and the Untitled, which aired on 7 January 1969; Harrison wrote the song that night and performed the song for the other Beatles the following morning.
Recording and release
The Let It BeLet It Be (film)
Let It Be is a 1970 documentary film about The Beatles rehearsing and recording songs for the album Let It Be in January 1969. The film features an unannounced rooftop concert by the group, their last performance in public...
film features a segment in which Harrison plays the song for Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, describing it as "a heavy waltz"; the band is then seen performing the tune while John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
dances with Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
.
The song was released on the Let It Be
Let It Be (album)
Let It Be is the 12th and final studio album released by the English rock band The Beatles. It was released on 8 May 1970 by the band's Apple Records label shortly after the group announced their break-up....
album; however, the Beatles had not done a proper studio recording of the song during the January 1969 sessions. When director Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Sir Michael Edward Lindsay-Hogg, 5th Baronet is a British television and stage director and an occasional writer and actor.-Background and early work:...
chose to include the "I Me Mine" segment in the Let It Be
Let It Be (film)
Let It Be is a 1970 documentary film about The Beatles rehearsing and recording songs for the album Let It Be in January 1969. The film features an unannounced rooftop concert by the group, their last performance in public...
film, the Beatles decided to record the song for inclusion on the accompanying album. Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Harrison and Starr met in the studio on 3 January 1970, to record the group version of the song. John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
was not available; he was on holiday in Denmark. Lennon had privately quit the group in September 1969 so it is not known if he would have attended anyway.
The group recorded 16 takes of the song, the last of which was chosen for the album. Before take 15, Harrison delivered a mock press statement in a joking reference to Lennon's absence and the British pop group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich , were a British pop/rock group of the 1960s. Two of their single releases sold in excess of one million copies each, and they reached Number One in the UK with the second of them, "The Legend of Xanadu".-Biography:Five friends from Wiltshire, David John Harman,...
: "You all will have read that Dave Dee is no longer with us. But Mickey and Tich and I would just like to carry on the good work that's always gone down in number two [EMI Studio 2]." The statement followed by take 16 was included on Anthology 3
Anthology 3
Anthology 3 is a compilation album by The Beatles released in October 1996 by Apple Records as part of The Beatles Anthology series. The album includes rarities and alternative tracks from the final two years of the band's career, ranging from the initial sessions for The Beatles to the last...
. Although final rendition only lasted 1:34, Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
extended the length by copying and repeating a section. Spector also overdubbed a string and brass accompaniment. The final version, as "re-produced" by Spector, was featured on the re-titled Get Back album, Let It Be
Let It Be (album)
Let It Be is the 12th and final studio album released by the English rock band The Beatles. It was released on 8 May 1970 by the band's Apple Records label shortly after the group announced their break-up....
. A similar edit, without Spector's overdubs, is available on Let It Be... Naked.
Although the sessions for "I Want You (She's So Heavy)
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
"I Want You " is a song by The Beatles, from their album Abbey Road. It was written by John Lennon, although credited to Lennon–McCartney....
" and "The End
The End (The Beatles song)
"The End" is a song by The Beatles composed by Paul McCartney for the album Abbey Road. It was the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles, and is the final song of the medley that dominates side two of the LP version of the album.-Composition and recording:McCartney said, "I wanted...
" in August 1969 were the last where all four Beatles were present in the recording studio, "I Me Mine" was the last new song recorded by the Beatles, albeit without Lennon, until the Free as a Bird
Free as a Bird
"Free as a Bird" is a song originally composed and recorded in 1977 as a home demo by John Lennon. In 1995 a studio version of the recording incorporating contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr was released as a single by The Beatles.The single was released as part of...
/Real Love reunion sessions in 1994. However, it was not their last recording session. The three returned the next day, 4 January 1970, to record overdubs on "Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
", Harrison returned on 8 January to record vocal overdubs on "For You Blue
For You Blue
"For You Blue" is a Beatles song written by George Harrison. It was the B-side to "The Long and Winding Road" and the eleventh track on the Beatles' final LP release, Let It Be...
" and Starr returned on 1 April 1970, to record overdubs for "Across the Universe
Across the Universe
"Across the Universe" is a song by the English group The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the various artists charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969, and later, in different form, on Let It Be,...
", "The Long and Winding Road
The Long and Winding Road
"The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...
" and an additional drum track for "I Me Mine".
The song is playable in the video game The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band is a 2009 music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the third major console release in the Rock Band music video game series, in which players can simulate the playing of rock music by using...
. Spector's work was removed for the game's version.
Cover versions
- Marc FordMarc FordMarc Ford , is an American blues-rock guitarist. He's a former lead guitarist of the rock and roll jam band The Black Crowes and the leader of his own bands .-Burning Tree:Ford began his career with the blues-rock outfit Burning...
recorded a version of the song for Songs from the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison album in 2003. - Elliott SmithElliott SmithSteven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
performed the song several times live in concert. - Beth OrtonBeth OrtonBeth Orton is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter, known for her 'folktronica' sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s. However, these were not Orton's first...
recorded a version for the October 2010 Mojo magazine's CD/vinyl Let It Be Revisited. - Brazilian rock band Tinta Preta, with WanderléaWanderléaWanderléa Charlup Boere Salim is a Brazilian singer, and former co-host of the historic TV show Jovem Guarda alongside Roberto Carlos and Erasmo Carlos. The show aired on TV Record between 1965 and 1969...
, recorded a version for the CD BEATLES'69 - VOL.1 - GET BACK DE VOLTA AOS BEATLES.
Personnel
- George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
– leadLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and harmony vocalBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
– harmony vocal, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented... - Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - George MartinGeorge MartinSir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Phil SpectorPhil SpectorPhillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
– producer - Phil MacDonald – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Peter Bown – engineer
- Uncredited – 18 violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, four violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s, four celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
s, harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, three trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, three tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s
- Personnel per Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonaldIan MacCormick was a British music critic and author, best known for Revolution in the Head, his forensic history of The Beatles which borrowed techniques from art historians, and The New Shostakovich, a controversial study of the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich...
I Me Mine book
Harrison's autobiography I Me Mine was published in 1980 as a hand-bound, limited edition book by Genesis PublicationsGenesis Publications
Genesis Publications Limited is a British publishing company founded in 1974 by Brian Roylance, a former student of the London College of Printing. His aim was to create a company in the traditions of the private press, true to the arts of printing and book binding...
. Limited to 2000 signed copies, with a foreword by Derek Taylor
Derek Taylor
Derek Taylor was an English journalist, writer and publicist, best known for his work as press officer for The Beatles...
. The Genesis limited edition sold out soon after publication, and was subsequently published in hardback and paperback in black ink by W H Allen in London and by Simon and Schuster in New York. The book was released a few weeks before the assassination of John Lennon which also happened in New York. Lennon took offence to the book, telling interviewer David Sheff
David Sheff
David Sheff is an American author of the New York Times best-selling memoir Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction. In 2009, Sheff was included in the Time Magazine Time 100, The World's Most Influential People, and Beautiful Boy was named the best nonfiction book of the year...
that "I was hurt by it ... By glaring omission in the book, my influence on his life is absolutely zilch and nil ... I'm not in the book." In fact, Harrison does mention Lennon several times. I Me Mine was re-published, with a new foreword from Olivia Harrison, in 2002.