Watching Rainbows
Encyclopedia
"Watching Rainbows" is an unreleased song by The Beatles
recorded on 14 January 1969 during the massive Get Back sessions at Twickenham Studios. It features John Lennon
on lead vocal and electric piano, Paul McCartney
on lead guitar, and Ringo Starr
on drums; bass guitar is absent from the song because Paul McCartney is playing the absent George Harrison's usual role as lead electric guitar. George Harrison
had temporarily left the group at this stage of the sessions.
" and the unreleased song "Madman
", which the Beatles ultimately abandoned after a few run-throughs. The song is very often associated with three other songs by the Beatles. The first song associated with it is the structurally similar McCartney tune "I've Got A Feeling
", which the Beatles eventually released. One of the most intelligible pieces of lyric in the whole song is the oft-repeated line "Standing in the garden, waiting for the sun to shine," which is reminiscent of a line from an earlier Beatles tune, "I Am the Walrus
", which contains the line "Sitting in an English garden, waiting for the sun." Because of this slight similarity, the song is often interpreted as being derived or loosely inspired by "I Am the Walrus". The third song connected to it, because it was being played right before they went off into "Watching Rainbows", is "Mean Mr. Mustard".
"Watching Rainbows" became one of the three songs that made "I've Got a Feeling
". The other two songs were "I've Got a Feeling
", and Lennon's "Everyone Had a Hard Year", which is another unreleased song from the Get Back sessions.
"Watching Rainbows" was also the name of a bootleg, released in 1978.
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...
recorded on 14 January 1969 during the massive Get Back sessions at Twickenham Studios. It features 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...
on lead vocal and electric piano, 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...
on lead guitar, and 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...
on drums; bass guitar is absent from the song because Paul McCartney is playing the absent George Harrison's usual role as lead electric guitar. 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...
had temporarily left the group at this stage of the sessions.
Origins
It was improvised by Lennon while he, Starr and McCartney were running through two other songs of his, the future Abbey Roads "Mean Mr. MustardMean Mr. Mustard
"Mean Mr. Mustard" is a song written by John Lennon, and performed by The Beatles on their album Abbey Road...
" and the unreleased song "Madman
Madman (song)
"Madman" is an unfinished song by John Lennon and was recorded by The Beatles in January 1969 during studio sessions later identified as the "Let It Be" sessions.-Recording:...
", which the Beatles ultimately abandoned after a few run-throughs. The song is very often associated with three other songs by the Beatles. The first song associated with it is the structurally similar McCartney tune "I've Got A Feeling
I've Got a Feeling
"I've Got a Feeling" is a song by The Beatles, from the 1970 album Let It Be. It is one of the songs on the album from the Rooftop Concert...
", which the Beatles eventually released. One of the most intelligible pieces of lyric in the whole song is the oft-repeated line "Standing in the garden, waiting for the sun to shine," which is reminiscent of a line from an earlier Beatles tune, "I Am the Walrus
I Am the Walrus
"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Lennon claimed he wrote the first two lines on separate acid trips. The song was in the Beatles' 1967 television film and album Magical Mystery Tour, and was the B-side to the #1 hit "Hello,...
", which contains the line "Sitting in an English garden, waiting for the sun." Because of this slight similarity, the song is often interpreted as being derived or loosely inspired by "I Am the Walrus". The third song connected to it, because it was being played right before they went off into "Watching Rainbows", is "Mean Mr. Mustard".
"Watching Rainbows" became one of the three songs that made "I've Got a Feeling
I've Got a Feeling
"I've Got a Feeling" is a song by The Beatles, from the 1970 album Let It Be. It is one of the songs on the album from the Rooftop Concert...
". The other two songs were "I've Got a Feeling
I've Got a Feeling
"I've Got a Feeling" is a song by The Beatles, from the 1970 album Let It Be. It is one of the songs on the album from the Rooftop Concert...
", and Lennon's "Everyone Had a Hard Year", which is another unreleased song from the Get Back sessions.
"Watching Rainbows" was also the name of a bootleg, released in 1978.
Personnel
- John Lennon - Lead VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, 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... - Paul McCartney - 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...
- Ringo Starr - 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 ....