TOP 100 SONGS OF THE BEATLES: 73

"Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey" (Lennon – November 25, 1968)

The BEATLES (a.k.a., The White Album) – Side 3, Track 4 (2:24)
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From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone, About.com and Google –


"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is a song written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and performed by the Beatles on their 1968 album Th

Origins –

In 1980, Lennon said: "That was just a sort of nice line that I made into a song. It was about me and Yoko. Everybody seemed to be paranoid except for us two, who were in the glow of love. Everything is clear and open when you're in love. Everybody was sort of tense around us: You know, 'What is she doing here at the session? Why is she with him?' All this sort of madness is going on around us because we just happened to want to be together all the time."

George Harrison said that the first part of song's title originated from a quote by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi; however, as for the "... except me and my monkey" part, he attested that he did not "know where that came from" though McCartney believes it was a reference to Lennon's heroin habit." John started talking about fixes and monkeys", he said. "It was a harder terminology, which the rest of us weren't into." Looking back, Lennon said, "We sniffed a little when we were in real pain. We took 'H' because of what the Beatles and their pals were doing to us.” 

Recording –

An unreleased demo of the song, recorded in George Harrison's Esher home in May 1968, features all-acoustic instrumentation, and a vocal sung an octave lower than the released version. The released version of the song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on 27 June 1968, and an overdub session on 1 July.

Personnel

John Lennon – Vocal, rhythm guitar, percussion, handclaps 

Paul McCartney – Backing vocal, bass guitar, bell, percussion, handclaps
George Harrison – Backing vocal, lead guitar, percussion, handclaps
Ringo Starr – Drums, percussion, handclaps 


Trivia –

The raucous nature of "Monkey," which seems fairly spontaneous and sounds a lot like a live jam, was actually the result of some clever studio trickery. First, the original take 6 was sped up, moving the song from its original key of D to E flat. Then, on the 23rd of July, the group added handclaps, while Paul and John added lots of shouts and multitracked chatter. Then the track was sped up again, now bringing it to its familiar key of E major.

This is the first cowbell played by Paul on a Beatles song; Ringo had always played the instrument before, most notably in John's "cowbell trilogy" of "You Can't Do That," "A Hard Day's Night," and "I Call Your Name."

The wordless shouts (mostly Paul's) are slightly different in mono than in the stereo mix.
John was on record as saying Fats Domino's cover of this song -- the end result of a mutual admiration that began when the band wrote "Lady Madonna" in tribute -- was one of his favorites.

Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) January 27 –

1967 – It is reported that the Who will star in a 30-minute pilot television project produced by Epstein Subafilms for NEMS Enterprises, 1st of a possible series of shows for worldwide television.

1969 – Apple Studios. Time unknown. Recording: 'Dig A Pony'; 'Get Back'; 'Love Me Do'; 'Get Back'; 'Don't Let Me Down'; 'I've Got A Feeling'; 'Don't Let Me Down'; 'The One After 909'; 'I've Got A Feeling'; 'The One After 909'; 'Billy's Song (1)'; 'Billy's Song (2)'; 'Teddy Boy'. Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Glyn Johns; 2nd Engineer: Alan Parsons. Versions of 'Get Back' and 'Don't Let Me Down' for the single. End of 'Get Back' not included on the single, but on the 'Get Back' LP and film end titles.
Evening: John and Yoko meet Allen Klein for the first time, at the Dorchester Hotel, London.

1970 – End of John's lithographies exhibition at the London Arts Gallery.