Tell Me What You See
Encyclopedia
"Tell Me What You See" is a Beatles
song that first appeared on their United Kingdom album
Help!
and the United States album Beatles VI
. As with all Beatles compositions by either of the two, the song is credited to Lennon–McCartney, and according to Paul McCartney
it was written 60% by him, 40% by Lennon
. In a 1994 interview however, McCartney claimed it entirely as his.
, and foreshadows their further exploration on Rubber Soul
and Revolver
. Following each repetition of the title phrase, there is a brief instrumental break featuring a Hohner Pianet
. The instrument is featured on two other tracks on Help!
: "You Like Me Too Much
" and "The Night Before", both recorded the day before "Tell Me What You See." Starr's drumming on the track is augmented with a trio of percussion instruments; a güiro
, a tambourine
, and a pair of claves
. Although the Beatles had been using additional percussion instruments to flesh out their sound as early as "Don't Bother Me
" in 1963, they had rarely been featured this prominently in the mix.
Evident in the song's structure and instrumentation is the group's then growing folk
influence, with lyrics more mature and reflective than was standard in their earlier output. Nevertheless, the line "trying to get to you" (the title of an early Elvis Presley song recorded for Sun Records
which served as inspiration for McCartney & Harrison's first composition, "In Spite of All the Danger
") is a clear reminder of both songwriters' love for early rock and roll. Other songs on Help!, such as Lennon's "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
" and the title track
, also exhibit compositional growth.
and Jacob's Trouble
.
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...
song that first appeared on their United Kingdom album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Help!
Help! (album)
Help! is the title of the fifth British and ninth American album by The Beatles, and the soundtrack from their film of the same name. Produced by George Martin for EMI's Parlophone Records, it contains fourteen songs in its original British form, of which seven appeared in the film...
and the United States album Beatles VI
Beatles VI
Beatles VI is The Beatles' seventh Capitol Records release in the United States . It was the ninth album released into that market in less than one and a half years...
. As with all Beatles compositions by either of the two, the song is credited to Lennon–McCartney, and according to 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...
it was written 60% by him, 40% by 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...
. In a 1994 interview however, McCartney claimed it entirely as his.
Composition
Despite McCartney's later comments—"I seem to remember it as mine... Not awfully memorable"—"Tell Me What You See" shows the musical growth of the Beatles since Please Please MePlease Please Me
Please Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney...
, and foreshadows their further exploration on Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul
Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in December 1965. Produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul had been recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market...
and Revolver
Revolver (album)
Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released on 5 August 1966 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous LP, the folk rock inspired Rubber...
. Following each repetition of the title phrase, there is a brief instrumental break featuring a Hohner Pianet
Pianet
thumb|Hohner Pianet TThe Pianet was a series of electric pianos built by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany from the 1960s to the 1970s. The designer of the early Pianet models was Ernst Zacharias, basing the mechanism closely on a 1920s design by Lloyd Loar...
. The instrument is featured on two other tracks on Help!
Help! (album)
Help! is the title of the fifth British and ninth American album by The Beatles, and the soundtrack from their film of the same name. Produced by George Martin for EMI's Parlophone Records, it contains fourteen songs in its original British form, of which seven appeared in the film...
: "You Like Me Too Much
You Like Me Too Much
"You Like Me Too Much" is a song by The Beatles written by George Harrison, that was recorded on 17 February 1965. It was first released on the Help! album in the United Kingdom and on Beatles VI in the United States, both in 1965....
" and "The Night Before", both recorded the day before "Tell Me What You See." Starr's drumming on the track is augmented with a trio of percussion instruments; a güiro
Güiro
The güiro is a Latin-American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role...
, a tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, and a pair of claves
Claves
Claves are a percussion instrument , consisting of a pair of short Claves (Anglicized pronunciation: clah-vays, IPA:[ˈklαves]) are a percussion instrument (idiophone), consisting of a pair of short Claves (Anglicized pronunciation: clah-vays, IPA:[ˈklαves]) are a percussion instrument (idiophone),...
. Although the Beatles had been using additional percussion instruments to flesh out their sound as early as "Don't Bother Me
Don't Bother Me
"Don't Bother Me" is the first song written by George Harrison to appear on an album by The Beatles. It originally appeared on the group's With The Beatles album in the United Kingdom, released in 1963, and on their Meet The Beatles! album in the United States, released in 1964.-History:Harrison...
" in 1963, they had rarely been featured this prominently in the mix.
Evident in the song's structure and instrumentation is the group's then growing folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
influence, with lyrics more mature and reflective than was standard in their earlier output. Nevertheless, the line "trying to get to you" (the title of an early Elvis Presley song recorded for Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
which served as inspiration for McCartney & Harrison's first composition, "In Spite of All the Danger
In Spite of All the Danger
"In Spite of All the Danger" is one of the first songs recorded by The Quarrymen, then composed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, pianist John Lowe and drummer Colin Hanton....
") is a clear reminder of both songwriters' love for early rock and roll. Other songs on Help!, such as Lennon's "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is a song by The Beatles. It was written and sung by John Lennon and released on the album Help! in August 1965.-Composition and recording:...
" and the title track
Help! (song)
"Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the United States and the United Kingdom....
, also exhibit compositional growth.
Personnel
- 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...
– lead vocal, bass, electric piano, güiroGüiroThe güiro is a Latin-American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role... - John LennonJohn LennonJohn 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...
– lead vocal, rhythm guitar - 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...
– lead guitar - 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...
– drums, tambourine, clavesClavesClaves are a percussion instrument , consisting of a pair of short Claves (Anglicized pronunciation: clah-vays, IPA:[ˈklαves]) are a percussion instrument (idiophone), consisting of a pair of short Claves (Anglicized pronunciation: clah-vays, IPA:[ˈklαves]) are a percussion instrument (idiophone),...
- 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...
except where noted.
Cover versions
The song has been covered by other artists, including Teenage FanclubTeenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...
and Jacob's Trouble
Jacob's Trouble
Jacob's Trouble was an American, Christian, rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia area in the 1980s. The group originally consisted of members Jerry Davison , Mark Blackburn , and Steve Atwell , with Davison and Blackburn handling the lead vocals.-Biography:In 1989, Jacob's Trouble released their...
.