Think for Yourself
Song by The Beatles • Harrison
Rubber Soul (late 1965) — Burnished tone, sitar curls, fish-eye perspective.
Background
Think for Yourself is a song by The Beatles, written by Harrison and led on vocal by George Harrison. Paul's fuzz bass — pioneering use of the effect on bass guitar. Within the catalogue, its george-original thread connects it to Don't Bother Me, I Need You, You Like Me Too Much.
What's distinctive
One of 28 UK songs led primarily by George. One of 22 solely Harrison-credited compositions in the canon. Recorded approximately 12 of 16 into the Rubber Soul Era (late 1965) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'fuzz-bass' — no other UK song shares it.Opening line — "I've got a word or two…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Recording
The session work falls within the band's Rubber Soul Era (late 1965) period, recorded 8 Nov 1965 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. George Martin produced; Norman Smith (his last LP) engineered. The track was committed to Studer J37 four-track via the REDD.51, with the era's standard signal chain — EMI RS124, EMT 140 plate, fuzzbox prototypes. Likely instrumental setup followed the era's working kit: Epiphone Casino, Rickenbacker 360-12, Gibson J-160E, sitar (Harrison — first Beatles sitar on 'Norwegian Wood'), amplified through Vox AC30, Vox AC50, Fender Showman. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.67 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below).
| Studio | EMI Studios, Abbey Road — Studio Two |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Studer J37 four-track |
| Console | REDD.51 |
| Microphones | Neumann U47, U48; AKG C12; STC 4038 (drums) |
| Outboard / effects | EMI RS124, EMT 140 plate, fuzzbox prototypes |
| Guitars | Epiphone Casino, Rickenbacker 360-12, Gibson J-160E, sitar (Harrison — first Beatles sitar on 'Norwegian Wood') |
| Amplifiers | Vox AC30, Vox AC50, Fender Showman |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer / 2nd | Norman Smith (his last LP) • Ken Scott (2nd) |
Pattern analysis
Legacy & release history
In the UK canonical discography it appears on the LP Rubber Soul. Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below.
Mono & stereo
- Mixed primarily in MONO at Abbey Road; the Beatles attended only the mono mixes through Sgt Pepper.
- Stereo mixes from this period were prepared (often without the band present) and are now considered secondary by purists.
Documented alternate versions
No documented alternate versions.
Released on
- Rubber Soul — LP, 3 December 1965
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (fuzz-bass, george-original, admonition)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
fuzz-bassgeorge-originaladmonition