‘Good Night’, the tender closing song on the White Album, was written by John Lennon as a lullaby for his son Julian, and sung by Ringo Starr.
After ending their previous two albums with the monumental ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ and ‘A Day In The Life’, the White Album too was brought to a close by another Lennon song. ‘Good Night’, however, couldn’t have been more different. With its almost-schmaltzy arrangement, it served as a necessary antidote to ‘Revolution 9’.
Everybody thinks Paul wrote ‘Good Night’ for me to sing, but it was John who wrote it for me. He’s got a lot of soul, John has.
No members of The Beatles other than Starr appear on the recording. Instead, a lavish orchestral arrangement was scored by George Martin, transporting listeners back to the golden age of Hollywood.
‘Good Night’ was written for Julian the way Beautiful Boy was written for Sean, but given to Ringo and possibly overlush.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
‘Good Night’ featured twice on the 2006 album Love, firstly as a transition between ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ and ‘Octopus’s Garden’. The song reappears at the end of the album, after ‘All You Need Is Love’, accompanied by a snippet of dialogue from The Beatles’ 1965 Christmas fan club recording.
In the studio
The Beatles began work on ‘Good Night’ on the night of 28 June 1968. Five takes were recorded, with Ringo Starr on vocals and John Lennon playing guitar.
I think John felt it might not be good for his image for him to sing it but it was fabulous to hear him do it, he sang it great. We heard him sing it in order to teach it to Ringo and he sang it very tenderly. John rarely showed his tender side, but my key memories of John are when he was tender, that’s what has remained with me; those moments where he showed himself to be a very generous, loving person. I always cite that song as an example of the John beneath the surface that we only saw occasionally… I don’t think John’s version was ever recorded.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
According to Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn, each of these early takes opened with a spontaneous spoken preamble from Starr, “along the lines of ‘Come on children! It’s time to toddle off to bed. We’ve had a lovely day at the park and now it’s time for sleep.’ Or, ‘Put all those toys away. Yes, Daddy will sing a song for you!’ Or, ‘Cover yourself up, Charlie. Pull those covers up and off you go to dreamland!'”
A rehearsal of ‘Good Night’ with Lennon on piano was also recorded during the 28 June session. It was later released on Anthology 3, augmented with part of George Martin’s orchestral score.
Starr re-recorded his vocals on 2 July, and harmony backing vocals were also added. Following this Martin made a copy of the tape and began work on the score.
All previous recordings for ‘Good Night’ were discarded on 22 July, and recording began afresh. First to be taped was the orchestra, which took 12 takes to perfect.
Following that, the choir – four men and four women from the Mike Sammes Singers – added their parts. The last element to be taped was Starr’s lead vocals, which were recorded between 11.50pm and 1.40am.
I sang John’s song ‘Good Night’. I’ve just heard it for the first time in years and it’s not bad at all, although I think I sound very nervous. It was something for me to do.
Anthology
I don’t think the Anthology version features John at the piano. The piano playing is quite good, in a way that even Paul couldn’t play. I bet it’s George Martin.
Hmmm…. if you could please cite the factual source for your comments, where it says John’s piano skills weren’t good enough so it had to be George Martin? In the same breath you also claim Paul couldn’t have played it well enough. (Hint: the only instrument George Martin played was CELESTA on the final version.)
Listen to the anthology version. Good piano but also quite simple and distinct. To my ear the style sounds similar to John’s piano on Imagine. Or would you claim John didn’t really play piano on Imagine, either? Then also listen to Martha My Dear or Lady Madonna. Complex piano work quite distinctive to Paul. So, regardless of style either John or Paul could easily have played Good Night. These guys were experienced, if self taught, musicians. Disrespecting them is uncalled for.
Calm down. He’s just offering an opinion, not disrespecting anyone.
I agree with you.
John and Paul both had their own keyboard styles and hey, John played the mellotron melody on “Flying”, so he was clearly a very good keyboardist as well as guitarist. During the rehearsals for “Good Night”, it would have made sense for him to play the piano, since he did write the song, and he obviously wanted to help Ringo get the idea.
I agree that it’s not John playing piano… it sounds very advanced. It would make sense if it was George Martin not only because he was the best pianist of the group, but his voice is loudest, meaning he is likely the closest to a microphone.
The 50th Anniversary Sessions discs also have a version with just Ringo and piano and it is indeed listed as George Martin. There’s also a spoken word intro attempt and a version with the Travis picking guitar accompaniment and vocal harmonies (not quite fully worked out, but some interesting ideas).
On the Anniversary edition Take 22, John can be heard talking to Paul, George and Ringo through the control room intercom, so he’s definitely not John playin the piano. Following Paul’s instructions, George counts in the take since it appears to be him on percussion (opening and closing the hi-hat it sounds like). So: who’s playing the piano? Since George Martin says right before they begin near a microphone “Right, off you go” it would appear it was Paul playing. But, if George Martin was in the recording room with them, it might be him playing it as well…
Jesus, Thomas, I’m sorry if I offended you!
Firstly, I’m a huge Beatles fan and I know all of their songs.
If you pay attention, you will see that Paul was a better pianist than John. Martha My Dear is really the best example. So, I guess he could play that part in Good Night.
Actually, playing that part is something that even George (Harrison) could do. Just not that well.
John’s style is more rude, he would hit all the notes, but it wouldn’t sound as delicate as this recording.
He was a great musician, no doubt about that, and he was also a great guitarrist, but his piano was really basic, just that right left right left pattern and simple chords (like Imagine).
In Good Night, the pianist plays a very simple accompaniment, but he adds some dissonances, does some octave leaps and has a beautifull sound.
If it really is John (wich is not impossible) it would be a happy surprise for me.
If it is Paul, he was really inspired.
But the most natural choice is still George Martin.
PS. I can’t cite a factual source for this. Actually I read somewhere that it was Ringo, who admittedly could play only three chords by then.
No need to swear, I can hear you 🙂 Of course what I heard implied was neither john nor paul could have played this (and so maybe I jumped to conclusions on why you thought this.)
While I now see the reasoning behind your doubt, maybe John just practiced and worked at Good Night? Certainly John was a better guitar player than on piano, but even Paul admitted Martha was difficult for him and that he really worked hard on it, but he nevertheless played it.
Anyway I’m not offended.
I’m not a piano player nor a musician, but piano in “Imagine” (by Lennon) and “Sexy Sadie” (by McCartney) are very amazingly magical to me. I’ve never heard any other musicians done that regardless how skillful or complicated the piano part they have.
The first two solo albums by Lennon was chock full of his piano playing. He was an adequate player and excellent writer on piano. For me playing piano is much easier than playing guitar. There are some beautiful pieces that he wrote on piano. Sometimes the leader of the band subs out some of the work because it’s his band and he can do that. That’s just the way it is.
I don’t understand this discussion. There is no doubt that John played the piano. It’s a very simple piano accompaniment. I’m really sure that John played it. He is the composer. It’s his song. There is no reason why Paul should have played it.
And: John was a good pianist. He composed most of his songs on the piano. Listen to “Jealous Guy”. Very complex piano introduction. I don’t believe Paul was a better pianist. He just played the piano so often because he wanted to.
It’s very possible that he played on this track. If it was him, this was his best piano playing as a Beatle. It’s not THAT complex, but from him, it’s certainly a bit more than what he usually played.
Anyway, Lennon didn’t play that piano part on “Jealous Guy”. That was Nicky Hopkins.
It’s not John. His voice is clearly heard in the control room on the tape, while George Martin’s is present in the studio. The piano player on that take is Martin.
I fully agree with you that John was a good pianist, so for Showbiz Cheat Sheet to say that he wasn’t terribly proficient on guitar or piano is very disrespectful and inaccurate.
Sid Vicious couldn’t play piano or guitar, let alone bass, to save his life.
I’m sure that on 28 June session Lennon played electric, rather than acoustic guitar. The photos from this day can clearly show John with his Epiphone Casino. Also on the Anthology DVD in the ,,White Album” medley of outtakes, when Ringo is saying his preamble, the guitar sound in the background is more electric.
If you listen the song “Oh My Love” from Imagine you can hear two pianos, one electric played by Nicky Hopkins and one acoustic played by John Lennon, The one played by John Lennon is very delicate and very similar to the Goodnight piano.
The piano from Jealous Guy is played by Nicky Hopkins.
Been listening to this version on the Anthology 3 CD. Know what I love about it? You can hear all the Fabs at work on this track…despite it only being John and Ringo on the final version. In the Anthology version you can hear John, Paul, Ringo commenting on the arrangement and George saying “The beginning’s different now,” and then doing the count-in to the intro. Lewinson said it best: “There were no passengers in this band.” Lovely to hear them working so closely, during this very problematic period in their relationship.
I am the biggest John Lennon fan, but it is most obvious that John did not play piano on the Anthology version. Paul is possible, George Martin most probable. Just like Rafael already said.
The piano playing is simple, but the style and technique is refined and sophisticated. The pianist most likely is classically trained (Martin). The style in Imagine or Oh My Love is nothing like this.
That is John playing. John also played piano on things like “Obladi- Oblada”, “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”, “Oh Darling”, and “Cry Baby Cry”. He was a competent piano player, and got better as he got older.
On “Maxwell” it was Paul on the piano. 🙂
John was completely absent at Maxwell Silver Hammer’s recording.
You are correct. Van Cliburn played the piano on the track. He’s the only one who could possibly have played that!
nice! Perhaps Liberace 🙂
A very nice, tender song, but I agree with John’s assessment–the White Album arrangement is overly lush. The orchestra and the Mike Sammes singers detract from the earnestness and intimacy if the song, IMHO.
Wow! So many piano detectives on here today. I am a musician who plays the piano and I have no idea who is playing the piano on this song! Ha ha. I just love the song. I used to play the White album every night while I was falling asleep and this was always the last song I would hear. Good night everybody, everybody everywhere.
This might top the list of Beatle songs I’d like to have heard in rehearsal, John on guitar singing “Goodnight.” I can only imagine (bad pun.) Seriously, I actually like the lush arrangement and Ringo singing it, but I bet if John alone did it with an acoustic, it would have been like “Julia” and maybe as beautiful – understated, less-is-more, simple, direct, hypnotizing, kiddie-go-to-sleep music. Come to think of it, they wrote a few songs about sleep….
In Lewisohn book (“Recording”) there´s a photo of the sessions, with John on piano. The part is not difficult at all. Around this time, other example that Lennon is a capable rock-pop pianist is “Hey Bulldog”. In his solo career John play piano very often (always simple) but quite good and effective.
IMHO this is a pretty bizarre song. I suppose it’s another example of the Beatles’ versatility, but I don’t listen to it much because it’s..well…odd, really. Yes, it’s lovely that John wrote it for Julian, but I just don’t find it very compelling or interesting at all. It’s very one-dimensional and doesn’t have any hidden depth.
It’s not meant to. Good night isn’t one of the famous Beatles songs with elaborate styles and meanings (and yes, they are absolute awesomeness), this is just a lullaby. Pure and simple. Its sweet in a raw sort of way, nothing hidden (at least we don’t think so), and that is what makes the song. If you can’t sleep one night, give it a go and then decide if it really needs to be more thought provoking.
The odd thing for me about this song is that John Lennon has been quoted as not liking musicals, and nevertheless wrote a song that could have been written by Irvin Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby in a fourties movie. There is also video footage were he dismisses George Harrison’s I Me Mine as not being fit for a rock band, as being “too waltzy” or something like that. And of course his infamed quote about Paul McCartney’s “granny” songs. As I rather agree with all that, i mean why would a modern day sixties rock band loose it’s time and waste vinyl album space with adding and making predictable pastische retro stuff if they have the talent of writing really original up with the times versatile rock and pop music? Because of more “versatility”? Pretty silly. It’s as praysing a band like Rammstein for being more versatile if they would have added self composed brass band tunes in tyroler humpapapa style. Ramstein fans who like tyroler brass band will surely appreciate, but don’t think any of them would like an original album track to be replaced by it, just for the sake of claiming their band to be more versatile. Same feeling i have with this track (and some others on the Beatles albums).
So my guess is that Lennon gave in quite often to what he really liked ending up on Beatles albums ,as of course he made quite a lot of money with them and thus even cooperated occasionally, as with this song. Maybe he never really cared that much , as McCartney, very likely supported by production/managment (George Martin will have been o so happy with this track) really wanted to include old style popular music, making the Beatles a band that can be liked by the broadest audience possible. Good Night would rather fit much better on Ringo Starr’s first album, which actually includes a George Martin arranged track, then on the White one. Maybe Lennon also felt having pushed things too much with revoltion 9 that it had to be compensated with something as conventional old musical crooning style as this one?
One of my favourite of the songs Ringo sang.
Would love to hear John singing it, a bit less overlush. A shame the rehearsal was never recorded.
You can hear John sing it on John and Yoko’s “Wedding Album”. Side two, I think. Perhaps he was singing it to Yoko as they were both in bed at the time.
I’m with TheCelebratedMrK above. The song stands out for its soulful and elegant simplicity. I’ve often sang my sons to sleep with this tune.
I’m happy they didn’t say “Cover yourself up, Charlie. Pull those covers up and off you go to dreamland!” That would give Charles Manson even more ideas…
The transition from Lennon´s Revolution 9 to his Good Night in The White Album is wonderful; from darkness, chaos and not-music, to a light little melody in Good Night. McCartney didn´t like Revolution 9, even though he after Lennon´s death, wrongly boasted that he was the first with avant-garde music. With Revolution 9 before, Good Night sounds better. Often when I listen to Lennon, I think his music resembles that of Wagner, not exactly the music, but the temperament. In the end of Wagner´s Götterdämmerung there is a chaos in the orchestra-music, a chaos which is dissolved in a little light sweet melody. For me very similar with Lennon´s.
Good Night is seemingly a light song, but in reality melancholic. The greatness with Lennon is his broad span, from Julia to A´m The Walrus. McCartney has only one surface, but Lennon has several surfaces. Lennon has a kind of three dimensions. In the record The Beatles Love (from 2006) behind Ringo´s singing Octopus Garden the orchestra plays Good Night. Suddenly the surface kind of went from outside to inside, I was moved to tears. Marvellous. It´s difficult to explain. Lennon is one of the greatest composer ever, and the best wong writer in History.
Lennon wanted Revolution 1 and Revolution 9 to be one track. There’s a bootleg of that version on youtube. It’s ironic that Paul would complain about it when if it was up to Lennon it never would have been a separate track in the first place.
McCartney has only one surface? Eleanor Rigby, Helter Skelter, Fixing A Hole, among many other tunes, prove you wrong… Both guys are multidimensional… What you really implied is that McCartney chooses to be unidimensional, as he much prefers his easy pop style, because it is more commercial. This is true.
It’s very easy to put this “discussion” about Paul having only “one surface” to rest, listening to the White Album.
The sequenz with the hard rockin, screamin “Why don’t we do it on the road” and the gentle “I will” alone is enough to prove enough to anyone who has an open mind. And these are just two of his songs on this album, we haven’t even started talking about “Helter Skelter” or “Honey pie”.
Paul WAS the first who was into avantgarde, it was his idea with the tapeloops on “Tomorrow never knows” and it was his idea with the orchestra crescendo on “A day in the life”.
If you check out his solo albums, you can find proof on every single one of them that he was extremely versatile – and he didn’t take himself too seriously. There are always these little “fun numbers” where he’s just fooling around…
But still, hater’s gonna hate, so why even try to discuss with them.
Hey J.C.-Your comment in the second paragraph is one of the silliest things (and I am trying to be diplomatic) you have written on this site. You, sir, have but one surface and that is anti-Paul McCartney. Give it a rest, please.
Johan, that McCartney/one surface line is the ultimate in your continual silly trolling expedition. I won’t list the songs that squash, destroy, and bury your foolish comment (I see others have done that splendidly), but we do know one thing: YOU have only one surface. (witness these blogs).
Now, back to adult conversation, this is a gorgeous song from John during a time when too many of his songs lacked melody and real lyrics – this was during the beginning of his period of disconnected, pointless, repetitious word/phrase chanting. The over-the-top arrangement suits it and Ringo’s vocal keeps it from being , perhaps, cloying.
LOL, what? John’s songs on the White Album are among the strongest tracks. Happiness is a Warm Gun, Glass Onion, Dear Prudence, Julia etc. Plus later with Across the Universe and Because. You must be thinking of Some Time In New York City, because that’s his only work that fits your disparaging description.
The first two song you mention are hardly among the strongest tracks of the album. And “Across the Universe” was BEFORE they even went to India the previous late winter.
Paul and George both said that “Happiness” was their favorite song on the album. So, they hardly shared your opinion.
So? (I’ll also bet John’s opinion changed several times over the ensuing years).
I might add MOST of John’s output in this period is just as I described.
Your presumptous and snide reply nothwithstanding. Simply, you are once again wrong.
Someone asked on Reddit: what’s the high D note at the beginning? Alan Pollack thinks it’s a Theremin, which is what I’ve always thought as well, but it’s not listed amongst the instruments for this song.
It’s a violin.
Are we absolutely sure there is no recording of John singing Good Night? I know it woulda been out by now. But … who really knows? Maybe someday, a technology will exist to extract the palimpsests (ghost images on re-recorded tape.)
Speaking of piano, I have seen on Nicky Hopkins site that he claims to have played piano some Beatles albums startin with SPLHCB. Maybe he is just not creditedt to some of the more difficult parts.
I can’t hear any piano playing on Sgt. Pepper that sounds anything like Nicky Hopkins. His style is very distinctive on, among other things, the Kinks and Rolling Stones he was playing on around that time. Revolution is clearly him as credited, but no other Beatles keyboard sounds like him to me.
Beautiful John Lennon song, written for Julian and sung beautifully by Ringo. A great to end the wonderfully eclectic “White Album”. This song is a real tearjerker, especially it’s ending. Reminiscent of John Lennon’s ending to the beautiful,( sorry about using that word all the time),”Beautiful Boy” on “Double Fantasy” 12 years later.Another tearjerker, especially considering the tragedy that happened only weeks later.
@ the piano debate. The ‘proof’ is in the actual recording on Anthology: George Harrison, George Martin, Paul McCartney and of course Ringo Starr are all present and close to a mic, Lennon can only be heard faintly in the background (through the talkback?) in the beginning, having to repeat himself. Immediately after his comments, the piano starts. If it would have been Lennon playing that, the sound stage and form of communication would’ve been different. Not even to mention Lennon seems to be giving instructions. George Harrison appears to be playing percussion, which makes sense since he’s counting off. Martin, Harrison, Starr and McCartney are discussing together, with Lennon not being heard. That would be strange if he would be part of the performance.
In his book “Here, There and Everywhere” Geoff Emerick writes: ” At the very next session John surprised us all with the unveiling of his lush ballad “Good Night”. Like “Across The Universe”, the song showed his softer side, a stark contrast to the screamer he had belted out just the night before. It ably demonstrated the depth of his abilities as both a songwriter and a performer, which was really quite astonishing. John Lennon wasn´t just a rock´n´roller; he had a lot of facets to him. He truly was a monumental talent”.
Yes he was. And so is Paul no matter how frequently you bash him on this website. Don’t always be the kind of person you meet at certain dismal dull affairs.
Your obsession with “proving” John was greater than Paul borders on psychotic (not to mention flat-out silly and wrong).
Robert is assuming a lot thinking you’d be invited to dull affairs.
This comment is for yours and the previous one. Paul is revered – deservedly so. He is recognized as the greatest songwriter of all time. Give it a rest. The reason he can claim that distinction is because he came up as a songwriter with John Lennon. Paul was a tunesmith. John was the master. He set the bar. They made the Beatles what they were. George was always great. It just took him years to realize his worth, and they didn’t see it for a few years but he demanded their attention, whether they liked it or not. Ringo was the perfect drummer for the music they were crafting. Whether Paul was the avant garde one or not, he was exploring. If you’ve ever been alive, I will tell you, humans go through periods. John had his early. Paul was doing what John had already done. John found the sound. He founded the band. He became a legend, then died. Paul will always be great, but nobody would know his name if it weren’t for John Lennon.
Good Night is a sweet, sweet song and the perfect antidote to Revolution 9. Revulution 9 was really a shock to most Beatles fans like me in 1968. It was chaotic, disturbing, and anti-melodic. It was almost unlistenable. Then at the end of the White Album–Good Night soothes the soul– like “hey, its going to be OK– we didn’t mean to upset you.”
My first clear memory of listening to The Beatles was in 1973, but it took 25 years to consciously realize they had a song to wake us up and one to sing us to sleep. The realization came during the first time I listened to every digital song A to Z (well, Y). It amazed me that it had never hit me before that.
As great as they both could be, they were at their best together. I hope the vast majority agree.
That said, I prefer John! Honestly I think time and age has had me come around to appreciate the song “Good night” There are some extraordinary guest musician performances on the white album. The White album version supposedly has no Beatles performing outside Ringo. I think Ringo sings it fantastic.
Very well put together by George Martin. Too bad Let it be didn’t have the Martin polish! and now that I’ve acquired a taste for “Good night”, I too would love to hear John perform the vocals.
Although at my core I know this is a tender, loving song written by a father for his young son to go to sleep to, I cannot stand the execution on the album. In my personal opinion, the singing is horrible and the music is syrupy and sappy and overdone. I can appreciate the theme and the story, but I generally skip this one. I realize I am in the minority on this, and I make no leap to assume a greater point about either the writer or the singer other than, for me, it doesn’t work.
The Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt and Barbra Streisand all did better versions of this song. Not to say Ringo’s is bad, but these ones actually made me appreciate the song as a great composition regardless of musical style.
Not to say you are patently wrong, but…….yeah, I guess that IS what I’m saying.
The Carpenters was far too syrupy. Ronstadt’s voice doesn’t suit it well, and Streisand was her typical overwrought self. Ringo’s simple, everyman’s voice suits the song perfectly. John knew it and that’s why Ringo sang it.
You’re the expert on schmaltz. Not what I typically go for, but when I do, I like it piled high.
If that’s what your “opinions” and comment are reduced to then there’s quite obviously no point in anyone giving them the time of day.
You are the expert on sillyness and non-sensical ramblings – you DO pile it high.
I’ll move on to higher ground now
I remember reading that they made an acetate of Lennon singing this to give to Ringo to learn the song. So If that’s true Ringo might have the only copy of Lennon performing it.
Also, no one who loves the Beatles hates Paul. He was certainly an important part of the Beatles success. People dislike Paul’s claims he co-wrote most of what is considered a Lennon songs and downplays Lennon’s involvements in his songs. The irony is there is little evidence of Paul’s Beatle brilliance in his solo work save for a couple of moments. Same with Roger Waters who claimed to be everything in Pink Floyd but showed nothing close in his solo career. Paul is a genius but so was Lennon, Harrison and Ringo. Together their chemistry made the Beatles. Look at the Beatles with Jimmy Nichol. Something was clearly missing.
Wow. I think I have the answer to who’s playing the piano (at least on the anthology version), and it’s all on the anthology three tape.
Yes, it sounds as if Lennon is in the control room, different room than the piano. It sounds like he’s complimenting someone on “how it sounds quite nice like that now I mean anyway”
Piano starts and it sounds like Paul appears to sing the words “dream”
George H seems to question the count and as you can hear the celesta George H counts the beat and sings a bit. Finally George H proclaims : ” that’s it Paul! the beginnings different now ”
And counts them in.
That how I hear it. Four amazing musicians who somehow still worked together incredibly well even when they supposedly weren’t.
I love them all
IMHO, George Martin. Huge Beatles fan with 3 music degrees and studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris.
The piano chord voicings and inversions are the work of a trained composer and arranger with knowledge of counterpoint. My second guess would be John who was capable – judging from his playing on Imagine – was capable of such sophistication. The piano touch just sounds like Martin, though.
Here’s some trivia: Ken Barrie later sang the theme to “Postman Pat” and I loved watching the show on ABC TV during my childhood.
Ringo’s vocals aren’t great BUT they exactly suit the song, which is a lullaby sung by a parent to their child, not an emotional ballad to be belted out.
I think it is George Martin at the piano.
The style is very fluid and classically trained in nature. The voice leading is very classical. Not that John or Paul couldn’t play it. I think John would play more block chords with not as much left hand voice leading. Paul would do something similar with perhaps more mannered playing. I’m guessing Martin. It doesn’t sound like John or Paul.