All Together Now

From BeatlesWiki

All Together Now is a song off The Beatles' 1969 soundtrack album, Yellow Submarine. It was written mainly by Paul McCartney, with help from John Lennon.

Contents 1 Writing 2 Recording 3 In The Film Yellow Submarine 4 Personnel 4.1 The Beatles 4.2 Production 5 Available Versions 6 Available On 7 Cover Versions 8 Sources

[edit] Writing

The song was written in the studio specifically for the film Yellow Submarine. Paul had the idea for the song, as well as writing the verses and the chorus. John came up with the 'sail the ship, chop the tree' section. In Paul authorized biography, Many Years From Now, he recalls this, "It's really a children's song. I had a few young relatives and I would sing songs for them. I used to do a song for kids called Jumping Round The Room, very similar to All Together Now, and then it would be 'lying on your backs', all the kids would have to lie down, then it would be 'skipping round the room', 'jumping in the air'. It's a play away command song for children. It would be in G, very very simple chords, only a couple of chords, so that's what this is. There's a little subcurrent to it but it's just a singalong really. A bit of a throwaway." It became a chant at football matches shortly after it's 1969 release, which pleased McCartney. Paul Horn, a jazz musician who was staying with the Beatles in their early 1968 visit to India recalls them singing it there. He is said to have sung, "E, F, G, H, I, Jai Guru Dev," instead of "E, F, G, H, I, J, I love you," as a tribute to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's spiritual master.

[edit] Recording

The song was completed in six hours on May 12, 1967. Because their usual producer, George Martin was not there, Paul McCartney and engineer Geoff Emerick basically produced the track. Nine takes of the basic track were recorded, with Lennon overdubbing ukelele and harmonica onto the best take.

[edit] In The Film Yellow Submarine

The song is played twice in the Yellow Submarine film, once during an animated sequence when they are under the sea in the yellow submarine, and again at the end, when The Beatles themselves make a cameo appearance, lip-synching to the song.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] The Beatles

• Lead Vocals: Paul McCartney
• Rythm Guitar: Paul McCartney
• Bass: Paul McCartney
• Handclaps: Paul McCartney
• Backing Vocals: John Lennon
• Rythm Guitar: John Lennon
• Ukelele: John Lennon
• Harmonica: John Lennon
• Handclaps: John Lennon
• Backing Vocals: George Harrison
• Handclaps: George Harrison
• Drums: Ringo Starr
• Handclaps: Ringo Starr
• Finger Cymbals: Ringo Starr

[edit] Production

• Producer: Paul McCartney
• Producer: Geoff Emerick
• Engineer: Geoff Emerick

[edit] Available Versions

• Take 9 plus overdubs, May 12, 1967, (Yellow Submarine)
• Take 9 Acetate, May 12, 1967, (Bootlegs)
• Get Back Session, January 10, 1969, (Bootlegs)
• Get Back Session, January 31, 1969, (Bootlegs) (In a medley with Deed I Do and In The Middle Of An Island)

[edit] Available On

• Yellow Submarine, 1969
• Yellow Submarine Songtrack, 1999

[edit] Cover Versions

• The Muppets

[edit] Sources

• [1]
• [2]
• [3]