Home · Songs · The Beatles · Good Night
From album
The Beatles
The Beatles · 1968 · Track 30
Details
TonalidadG
Compás4/4
Tempo136 BPM
Duración3:13
ÁlbumThe Beatles
Año1968
ISRCGBAYE0601673
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The story behind
When you dive into *Good Night*, you encounter a piece that closes the 1968 album by The Beatles, known as the *White Album*. What makes it distinct is that John Lennon wrote it with his son Julian in mind, imagining it as a lullaby. The vocal performance falls entirely to Ringo Starr, who becomes the sole voice present on the recording. The orchestral arrangement, handled by George Martin, is intentionally grand, almost overflowing, seeking that "cheesy" quality Lennon desired. The instrumentation is notable: twelve violins, three violas, three cellos, a harp, three flutes, a clarinet, a French horn, a vibraphone, and a double bass, accompanied by the voices of the "Mike Sammes Singers" group. The song concludes with Starr whispering a tender and universal goodbye.
The recording of *Good Night* was made with Ken Scott as engineer and George Martin in production. George Harrison and Lennon himself contributed guitar parts on early versions, and Paul McCartney added harmonies. A version with a guitar from take 5 and the lead vocal from take 10 was included in the 2018 anniversary box set of the *White Album*. During rehearsals on June 28th, the instrumentation was reduced to Lennon on piano and Harrison on percussion. Fragments of these rehearsals and take 22, along with the orchestra from the final version, appeared on the 1996 compilation *Anthology 3*. Lennon asked Martin for a lavish orchestral arrangement, in the style of old Hollywood films, admitting he was aiming for something "cheesy." The orchestra comprised 26 musicians, and eight members of the Mike Sammes Singers provided backing vocals. With this song, Starr became the third Beatle, after McCartney and Harrison, to record a track for the group without the participation of the other members.
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