Discussion: The Beatles "Old Brown Shoe" - Paul or Ringo on drums?

There's only one. Where's the second one?

On basic track there's piano (two-handed part, Paul), electric guitar (Clapton), acoustic guitar (George), organ (John), drums (Ringo).

Where?

 

People are making the claim that because its triplets played simultaneously on the floor tom and snare, it’s not possible for Paul to have played it. That’s simply hogwash. I’m a drummer of McCartney’s experience and I can easily play those parts.

 

Can you please show me where you got the information that both John and Paul play bass on "Helter Skelter?" The outtake clearly shows Paul playing it.

 

No bass on the basic track takes.
George on acoustic and vocal, Ringo on drums, Eric on guitar, Paul on piano and backing vocal and John on organ.

 

For 50 years I thought Ringo was on drums, so, it'll leave it that way.

 

Yes I believe so, though most of my sessions knowledge about all this is from over 30 years of reading Lewisohn's Recording Sessions book which is now claimed to be inaccurate in parts,so who knows.

 

For many years I thought Martha My Dear was a Paul Solo job (from the Revolution in the Head book),but in the White Album book it lists Ringo on Drums and George on guitar.
I was quite pleased to read this, so it's another strange one like Old Brown Shoe.

 

Read the SDE book further. Version 3 ( the used version) has John on bass. Paul was alternating between piano and organ. George on acoustic. You can hear the picked clank of the Bass VI on the verses. ( I believe Paul overdubbed bass playing in unison with Johns part.

 

Excellent point, that jumped out at me when reading those notes as well. One wonders how mixing misinformation we've accepted over the years and gotten comfortable with?

People still think Paul drums on Why Dojt We Do it in the Road despite both Paul and Ringos comments to the contrary and the SDE book's liner notes.

 

Lennon interview, can’t remember source. Among other things, he said he was proud of his bass playing on White Album, Paul giving him pointers. The SDE book says he played bass on it too.

 

Not sure of your experience, but Old Brown Shoe is DEFINITELY RINGO on the drums. Case closed.

 

We have a few sources leaning towards Ringo as playing drums. This one does provide insight:

 

That's my point: the SDE book is wrong.

Have you heard the outtake on the set? It's Paul playing bass.

 

A question about Paul's drumming skills: can anyone show me a drum track by Paul where he even comes close to exhibiting this kind of skill on the drums?

 

Yep. Old Brown Shoe.

 

I knew someone would say that.

 

I know. Seriously though, I'm having trouble believing either the case for Paul or for Ringo! My ears are telling me one thing but it's hard to ignore Sam Okell's definitive answer to Kim's twitter question.

 

I'm really surprised to see so many people saying this was Paul; it's so obviously not. I'm sorry, Paul is nowhere near this level as a drummer. Once and a while Ringo really showed his chops and this song is a great example.

 

It's a two-handed piano part, and when organ comes in, piano is still going, so it couldn't be one person 'alternating' between those.

If it would have 2 bass parts in unison, besides the chorus-y sound, there certainly would be a moment or two when they are not exactly the same. That picked clank is from Fender Jazz which Paul also used on Helter Skelter, Yer Blues, Birthday, Glass Onion, I'm So Tired, Piggies, Don't Pass Me By, and perhaps another song or two.

Bass playing in Back in the USSR is a messy mush, Rocky Raccoon bass playing ain't exactly something to be proud of, nor is the first version of Helter Skelter where he plays one quarter note pulse for minutes. Unlike George, John never recorded even a decent bass part during The Beatles.

 

Are we talking Gently Weeps here? Then Paul is certainly not alternating between piano and organ. Unless he has more than two hands.

 

Dear Prudence

 

You’ve never seen someone alternate between piano and organ? You've never seen a keyboard player playing two keyboards?

 

Check these isolated parts from Beatles Rock Band, from 0:52 to the end of the bridge section. It's two-handed piano part playing simultaneously with organ.

 

More revisionist history

 

Plus the Let It Be Jam inbetween WMGGW takes clearly has two people on those instruments. Paul on Piano and John on organ.