Honey Hush

Paul McCartney recorded a version of Big Joe Turner’s ‘Honey Hush’ for his 1999 album Run Devil Run.

Turner’s recording was made in New Orleans in May 1953, and released three months later by Atlantic Records. It topped the US Billboard R&B chart for eight weeks, and reached number 23 on the pop chart.

John and Stuart used to have a flat in Gambier Terrace. I remember waking up, burning eyes job, and one of the guys put on ‘Come into this house, stop all that yakety yak.’ It’s still my favourite on the whole album to sing.

The Beatles played ‘Honey Hush’ during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions on 8 and 9 January 1969.

Paul McCartney occasionally performed it live as a solo artist, most commonly during soundchecks, but less commonly as part of his main set.

McCartney recorded ‘Honey Hush’ at Abbey Road Studios on 3 March 1999, along with ‘Lonesome Town’ and ‘Run Devil Run’.

‘Honey Hush’ is a song that really has very, very early memories for me. I remembered John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe had an art school flat, an apartment in a place called Gambier Terrace that looks out on to Liverpool Cathedral, amazing place. And it was just a bare flat with a mattress on the floor, you know. Art school kind of thing, you know, a little ashtray, that was it. And I, it was one of the first times, ’cause I was a bit younger than John and Stu, one of the first times I ever stayed over, stayed out all night, me and George. George was even younger than me. And he still is. He keeps telling me that. He writes that on all my birthday cards. ‘And you’re still nine months older than me.’

It was really great experience for us kids who were there to stay over in someone’s flat, man, you know, instead of sleeping home. I remember waking up in the morning, after having virtually no sleep, but it didn’t matter, it was so cool. And like in this cold little apartment in Liverpool. And there was just a record player on the floor, besides the mattress. And the first thing he put on was this Johnny Burnette record. And it was ‘Honey Hush’. And I loved it so much. ‘Come into this house, stop all that yakety yak.’ And his brother Dorsey Burnette does a great solo, you know.

Mick Green really knew this song and really was up for doing it. I think it was one morning when I was a little bit tired and confused. And he said, ‘What are we gonna do now then?’ I said, ‘Got to be ‘Honey Hush’.’ So we blew the cobwebs away with that one.

I hadn’t been able to get one of the lines, one of the lyrics. But I thought while I was writing it down, well, I just write it down phonetically and probably I’ll find the lyric sheet or something. Well, I never did… It’s completely different. But it was actually great fun. In the spirit of the album to just not even care what the lyric was. You can leave me this way, I ain’t coming back. Mumble baby.