With a Little Help from My Friends
June 1, 1967
With a Little Help from My Friends (German: With a little help from my friends ') is a song by British rock band The Beatles. The second track on the LP Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on 29 and 30 March 1967. The Lennon / McCartney composition was sung by Ringo Starr.
The song was mainly written in Lennon's villa, when Paul McCartney visited him there. They played the song on the piano and just sang only phrases. The song was initially the working title Bad Finger Boogie. Looking for a text, they attacked on proposals present their friends or leafing through magazines. In a four-hour process emerged as the lyrics and melody. Some lines of text have been changed later because Ringo Starr as she did not want to sing.
Ringo Starr's relatively low vocal range was born in this piece in a special way statement because the song consists of only five directly adjacent tones. The only exception is the sixth tone at the end of the song.
Cover versions
While the Beatles not published the title as a single, managed three cover versions in the first place the British hit parade:
- Joe Cocker had a 1968 number -one hit with it, is also famous for its live version from the Woodstock Festival in 1969. Unlike the Beatles version of the Cockers is a ternary waltz, accompanied by organ.
- For the Scottish band Wet Wet Wet in 1988 it was the first of three Charttoppern
- The finalists of the talent show " Pop Idol" Sam and Mark had in 2004 so that a common success
More hit parade versions come from Joe Brown ( UK # 32 ) and Young Idea ( UK # 10 ), both in 1967 as well as a classical version of Steve Lee, Bo Katzman and John Brack ( Switzerland # 18, 1999). Other interpretations there are, for example, by the Bee Gees, Ike & Tina Turner, Puddle of Mudd, the New Seekers, Jeff Lynne and Santana. Barbra Streisand had a version for their album What About Today? recorded. This album was released in 1969. The Fun German metal band Knorkator coverte the title in 1999 on their album harelip Breaker. A version in the arrangement for solo guitar by David Qualey can be found on his album unbeatable from the year 2004.