Something
Song by The Beatles • Harrison
Abbey Road (1969) — Mature, melodic, valedictory.
★ Marquee entry — extended editorial essay
Background
Harrison wrote it in summer 1968, the title and opening line drawn from James Taylor's song 'Something in the Way She Moves' — Taylor was then signed to Apple Records. George originally felt the song was 'too slushy' and considered offering it to Joe Cocker; only at McCartney's encouragement did it find its way onto Abbey Road.
What's distinctive
One of 28 UK songs led primarily by George. One of 22 solely Harrison-credited compositions in the canon. Recorded approximately 4 of 17 into the Abbey Road (1969) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'sinatra-praise' — no other UK song shares it.Opening line — "Something in the way she moves…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Recording
First take 16 April 1969; basic track 2 May 1969; lead vocal 5 May; orchestra (24-piece, arranged by George Martin) on 15 August. Harrison's guitar solo went through multiple takes over several months and is cited by Eric Clapton as among the finest guitar solos in pop.
| Studio | EMI Studios — Studio Two & Three (last Beatles LP recorded as a band) |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Studer J37 8-track (1969 upgrade), TG12345 console under construction |
| Console | EMI TG12345 transistor console (debuted on Abbey Road); some sessions on REDD.51 |
| Microphones | U47, U67, AKG C12, AKG D19/D20 (drums), STC 4038 |
| Outboard / effects | EMI RS124, EMT 140, Fairchild 660, ADT, compression on every channel (TG) |
| Guitars | Gibson Les Paul Standard 'Lucy' (Harrison), Fender Rosewood Telecaster (Harrison), Epiphone Casino, Moog Series III synthesizer |
| Amplifiers | Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Bassman, Vox UL730, Leslie |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer / 2nd | Geoff Emerick (returned), Phil McDonald, Glyn Johns • Alan Parsons, John Kurlander (2nd) |
Pattern analysis
Legacy & release history
First Harrison composition released as a Beatles single A-side (b/w Come Together, October 1969). UK number four; US number one — Harrison's first US chart-topper. Frank Sinatra called it 'the greatest love song of the past 50 years' (and at first credited it to Lennon and McCartney, before being corrected). Over 150 documented cover versions including Sinatra, Elvis, Smokey Robinson and Joe Cocker.
Mono & stereo
- Stereo only on UK release — the band's last three LPs were mixed for stereo; no UK mono LPs were issued.
Documented alternate versions
- Anthology 3 (1996) — alternate take or demo
- 2009 Stereo Remasters — Allan Rouse / Guy Massey remaster
- Abbey Road 50th Anniversary (2019) — Giles Martin stereo remix
Released on
- Abbey Road — LP, 26 September 1969
- Something / Come Together — Single, 31 October 1969
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (george-classic, sinatra-praise, first-george-a-side, much-covered, love)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
george-classicsinatra-praisefirst-george-a-sidemuch-coveredlove