Information about When I'm Sixty Four
| "When I'm Sixty-Four" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by The Beatles | ||
| from the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | ||
| Released | 1 June 1967 | |
| Recorded | Abbey Road Studios December 1966 | |
| Genre | Baroque pop | |
| Length | 2:37 | |
| Label | Parlophone, Capitol, EMI | |
| Writer(s) | Lennon-McCartney | |
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |
| Music sample | ||
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| Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band track listing | ||
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| Yellow Submarine Songtrack track listing | ||
| "All You Need Is Love" (12) | "When I'm Sixty-Four" (13) | "Nowhere Man" (14) |
"When I'm Sixty-Four" is a love song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney[1][2] (but co-credited to John Lennon) and released in 1967 on their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It is sung by a young man to his lover, and is about his plans of growing old together with her. Although the theme is about aging, it was one of the first songs McCartney wrote, when he was sixteen.[1] The Beatles used it in the early days as a song they could play when the amplifiers broke down or the electricity went off.[3][4] Both George Martin and Mark Lewisohn speculated that McCartney may have thought of the song when recording began for Sgt. Pepper in December 1966 because his father turned 64 earlier that year.[3][4]
Lennon said of the song, "Paul wrote it in the Cavern days. We just stuck a few more words on it like 'grandchildren on your knee' and 'Vera, Chuck and Dave' ... this was just one that was quite a hit with us."[5] In his 1980 interview for Playboy he said, "I would never even dream of writing a song like that."[2] Many People don't realise that the song was probably a satirical view at Jim McCartney's days in the northern English bands that he used to play in."[6]
The song was nearly released on a single as the B-side with either "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "Penny Lane" as the A-side. Instead, Martin decided on a double-A-sided-disc, and now calls that decision, "the biggest mistake of my life." As a result of the double-A designation, sales for the single were split, and even though more discs were sold than the competition ("Release Me" by Engelbert Humperdinck), each of the two songs got credit for only half. The single did not make #1 in the UK, breaking a string of #1 singles going back to 1963.[7] If "When I'm Sixty-Four" had been issued as a B-side, it would not have appeared on Sgt. Pepper.
According to Ian MacDonald, the song was "aimed chiefly at parents, and as a result got a cool reception from the [Beatles'] own generation."[8]
Instrumentation
A clarinet trio (two B-flat soprano clarinets and a bass clarinet), are featured prominently in the song, unusual in most music genres, but particularly in the context of rock and roll. Scored by Martin, he said they were added at McCartney's request to "get around the lurking schmaltz factor" by using the clarinets "in a classical way."[4] In the song's final verse, the bass clarinet is played in harmony with McCartney's vocal: an unusual method of harmonization, especially in 1967. Supporting instruments include the piano, (plucked) cello, chimes, and electric guitar.Recording
The song was recorded on 6 December 1966, during one of the first sessions for the as-yet-unnamed next album that became Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There were multiple overdub sessions, including the lead vocal by McCartney on 8 December and backing vocals by McCartney, Lennon, and George Harrison on 20 December. The clarinets were recorded on 21 December.[9]The song is in the key of C sharp major. The Beatles recorded the song in C major but the master take was sped up in order to raise the key by one semitone at the insistence of McCartney. Martin remembers that McCartney suggested this change in order to make his voice sound younger.[10] McCartney says, "I wanted to appear younger, but that was just to make it more rooty-tooty; just lift the key because it was starting to sound turgid."[1]
Credits
- John Lennon – lead guitar, background vocal
- Paul McCartney – lead vocal, bass guitar, piano
- George Harrison – background vocal
- Ringo Starr – drums
- Robert Burns, Henry MacKenzie, and Frank Reidy – two clarinets, bass clarinet[11]
Cover versions
- In 1976, Keith Moon recorded a version for the evanescent musical documentary All This and World War II.
- In the 1978 film, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Frankie Howard and Sandy Farina sing the song.
- It was featured in an Allstate Insurance commercial with Julian Lennon singing.
- It was used as the theme song for the movie version of John Irving's novel The World According to Garp
- During the 1980s, an instrumental version opened each episode of the BBC feedback programme Points of View.
- For the 40th anniversary version for BBC Radio 2, Russell Brand did a version with Oscar-winning composer, David Arnold. The version was mocked on air by Brand's co-host Matt Morgan and by Noel Gallagher of Oasis.
- Cherie Blair sang a vocal rendition of it in the far-east whilst being broadcast on TV, as husband and Prime Minister Tony Blair smiled awkwardly and sang along.
- In 1995, the song was covered by Arjen Anthony Lucassen on the Ayreon single "Come Back To Me."
- In 2004 classical guitarist and composer Branimir Krstic http://www.branimir.net covered the song on the first full classical rendition of Sgt. Pepper.
- A version of the song appears in the movie Troop Beverly Hills
Cultural references
- The song accompanies the "Sea of Time" sequence in the film Yellow Submarine.
- The song was parodied by The Rutles as "Back in '64" on the album Archaeology.
- When I'm 64 (using the numerals instead of spelling out the numbers) is also the name of a BBC television series starring Paul Freeman and Alun Armstrong as two older men who surprise themselves by falling in love with each other.
- The song's beat was sampled in the Beastie Boys track "The Sounds of Science" on their 1989 album Paul's Boutique.
- A special website tribute involving indie French pop bands was launched as McCartney turned 64 on June 18, 2006. Called When I'm 64, it features many different renditions of this famous song.
- McCartney's children recorded a special version of "When I'm Sixty-Four" at Abbey Road Studios as a surprise present for McCartney's 64th birthday, and played it for him at his birthday party. They changed the lyrics to fit the occasion with the help of Giles Martin.[12][13]
- The song was often humorously referenced in 2006, when McCartney divorced Heather Mills, ironically, at the age of 64. The answer to the question posed by the song, in this case, was apparently, "NO".
Notes
1. ^ Barry Miles (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 319. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
2. ^ David Sheff (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press, 183. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
3. ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books, 89. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
4. ^ George Martin with William Pearson (1994). With a Little Help from My Friends: The Making of Sgt. Pepper. Boston: Little, Brown, 34. ISBN 0-316-54783-2.
5. ^ The Beatles (2000). The Beatles Anthology. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 247. ISBN 0-8118-2684-8.
6. ^ George Martin (1995). Summer Of Love (in English). Pan Books, 176. ISBN 033034210X.
7. ^ George Martin (1994). With a Little Help from My Friends, 26.
8. ^ Ian MacDonald (1994). Revolution in the Head: the Beatles' Records and the Sixties. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 176. ISBN 0-8050-2780-7.
9. ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions, 89-91.
10. ^ George Martin (1994). With a Little Help from My Friends, 35.
11. ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions, 90.
12. ^ Lampert, Nicole (2006-06-19). Sir Paul's children rework his classic to serenade him at 64. Daily Mail. Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
13. ^ Todd, Ben (2006-06-18). EXCLUSIVE: ABBEY BIRTHDAY MACCA. Sunday Mirror. Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
2. ^ David Sheff (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press, 183. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
3. ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books, 89. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
4. ^ George Martin with William Pearson (1994). With a Little Help from My Friends: The Making of Sgt. Pepper. Boston: Little, Brown, 34. ISBN 0-316-54783-2.
5. ^ The Beatles (2000). The Beatles Anthology. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 247. ISBN 0-8118-2684-8.
6. ^ George Martin (1995). Summer Of Love (in English). Pan Books, 176. ISBN 033034210X.
7. ^ George Martin (1994). With a Little Help from My Friends, 26.
8. ^ Ian MacDonald (1994). Revolution in the Head: the Beatles' Records and the Sixties. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 176. ISBN 0-8050-2780-7.
9. ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions, 89-91.
10. ^ George Martin (1994). With a Little Help from My Friends, 35.
11. ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions, 90.
12. ^ Lampert, Nicole (2006-06-19). Sir Paul's children rework his classic to serenade him at 64. Daily Mail. Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
13. ^ Todd, Ben (2006-06-18). EXCLUSIVE: ABBEY BIRTHDAY MACCA. Sunday Mirror. Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
External links
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The Beatles were an English musical group from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music.
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1967) The Beatles
(1968)
The Beatles U.S. chronology
Revolver
(1966) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1967) Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Back cover
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(1967) The Beatles
(1968)
The Beatles U.S. chronology
Revolver
(1966) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1967) Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Back cover
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June 1 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.
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1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s
1964 1965 1966 - 1967 - 1968 1969 1970
Year 1967 (MCMLXVII
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Abbey Road Studios, created in November of 1931 by EMI in London, England is best known as the recording studio used by musicians such as The Beatles, Cliff Richard, Al Stewart, Pink Floyd, Oasis, The Shadows and Elliott Smith.
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A music genre is a term that describes the process of dividing popular music into categories. Some treat the terms genre and style as the same, and state that genre should be defined as pieces of music that share a certain style or "basic musical language.
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Baroque pop as a style originated in the mid 1960s as the flipside of sunshine pop. It used similar orchestrations but was infused with a melodramatic edge which differed.
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Archetypal and seminal Baroque pop performers
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EMI Group PLC
Public (LSE: EMI )
Founded 1931
Headquarters London, England, UK
Key people Eric Nicoli, CEO
Martin Stewart, CFO
Industry Music
Revenue £2.07 billion (2006)
Net income £724.
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Public (LSE: EMI )
Founded 1931
Headquarters London, England, UK
Key people Eric Nicoli, CEO
Martin Stewart, CFO
Industry Music
Revenue £2.07 billion (2006)
Net income £724.
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A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. That is to say, a songwriter is a lyricist, a composer, or both.
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In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering
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Sir George Henry Martin CBE (born 3 January 1926 in Highbury, London, England) is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"—a title that he owes to his work as producer of almost all of The Beatles' records.
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1967) The Beatles
(1968)
The Beatles U.S. chronology
Revolver
(1966) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1967) Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Back cover
..... Click the link for more information.
(1967) The Beatles
(1968)
The Beatles U.S. chronology
Revolver
(1966) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
(1967) Magical Mystery Tour
(1967)
Back cover
..... Click the link for more information.
Released 30 September 1978
Format 7"
Digital download
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
1 February 1967
Genre Rock and Roll
Length 2:02
1:18 (Reprise)
Label Parlophone R6022
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
..... Click the link for more information.
Format 7"
Digital download
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
1 February 1967
Genre Rock and Roll
Length 2:02
1:18 (Reprise)
Label Parlophone R6022
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
..... Click the link for more information.
Released 30 September 1978
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
29 March 1967
Genre Rock
Length 2:44
Label Parlophone R6022
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Peak chart positions
..... Click the link for more information.
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
29 March 1967
Genre Rock
Length 2:44
Label Parlophone R6022
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Peak chart positions
..... Click the link for more information.
Released June 1, 1967
Recorded 9 March 1967
Genre Rock and Roll
Length 2:47
Label Parlophone, Capitol, EMI
Writer(s) Lennon-McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Recorded 9 March 1967
Genre Rock and Roll
Length 2:47
Label Parlophone, Capitol, EMI
Writer(s) Lennon-McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
..... Click the link for more information.
Released 1 June 1967
Recorded February 9 and February 21 1967
Genre Psychedelic rock
Length 2:36
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
..... Click the link for more information.
Recorded February 9 and February 21 1967
Genre Psychedelic rock
Length 2:36
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Released 1 June 1967
Recorded 17 March 1967
Genre Pop, Ballad
Length 3:35
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Recorded 17 March 1967
Genre Pop, Ballad
Length 3:35
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Released 1 June 1967
Recorded February and March, 1967
Genre Psychedelic rock
Length 2:37
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Recorded February and March, 1967
Genre Psychedelic rock
Length 2:37
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Released 1 June 1967
Recorded 22 March 1967
Genre Psychedelic, Indian
Length 5:05
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) George Harrison
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Recorded 22 March 1967
Genre Psychedelic, Indian
Length 5:05
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) George Harrison
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Released 1 June 1967
Recorded 23 February, 21 March 1967
Genre Pop
Psychedelic pop
Length 2:36
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon-McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
..... Click the link for more information.
Recorded 23 February, 21 March 1967
Genre Pop
Psychedelic pop
Length 2:36
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon-McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Released June 1, 1967
Recorded February–March 1967
Genre Psychedelic Rock
Length 2:41
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon-McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Recorded February–March 1967
Genre Psychedelic Rock
Length 2:41
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Lennon-McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
Sgt.
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Released 30 September 1978
Format 7"
Digital download
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
1 February 1967
Genre Rock and Roll
Length 2:02
1:18 (Reprise)
Label Parlophone R6022
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
..... Click the link for more information.
Format 7"
Digital download
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
1 February 1967
Genre Rock and Roll
Length 2:02
1:18 (Reprise)
Label Parlophone R6022
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
..... Click the link for more information.
Released 1 June 1967 (album track)
1978 (single)
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
19 January and 10 February 1967
Genre Psychedelic rock
Art rock
Progressive rock
Length 5:33
Label Parlophone R6022
Writer(s)
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1978 (single)
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
19 January and 10 February 1967
Genre Psychedelic rock
Art rock
Progressive rock
Length 5:33
Label Parlophone R6022
Writer(s)
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Yellow Submarine Songtrack
(1999) 1
(2000)
Yellow Submarine Songtrack is a 1999 soundtrack album by The Beatles for the film of the same name.
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(1999) 1
(2000)
Yellow Submarine Songtrack is a 1999 soundtrack album by The Beatles for the film of the same name.
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B-side(s) "Baby You're a Rich Man"
Released 7 July 1967 (UK)
17 July 1967 (US)
Format 7"
Recorded Olympic Studios
14 June 1967
Genre Rock
Length 3:47
Label Parlophone R5620 (UK)
Capitol 5964 (US)
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Released 7 July 1967 (UK)
17 July 1967 (US)
Format 7"
Recorded Olympic Studios
14 June 1967
Genre Rock
Length 3:47
Label Parlophone R5620 (UK)
Capitol 5964 (US)
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B-side(s) "What Goes On"
Released 15 February 1966 (U.S.)
Format 7"
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
21 October 1965
Genre Rock and roll
Length 2:44
Label Parlophone (UK)
Capitol (U.S.
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Released 15 February 1966 (U.S.)
Format 7"
Recorded Abbey Road Studios
21 October 1965
Genre Rock and roll
Length 2:44
Label Parlophone (UK)
Capitol (U.S.
..... Click the link for more information.
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