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- Album This song officially appears on the The Beatles (Mono) Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Recording "I Will", "Glass Onion"
Sep 16, 1968
Mixing "Helter Skelter", recording "I Will"
Sep 17, 1968
Jam session with George Harrison and Ringo Starr
Jun 23, 1994
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“I Will” is a song by the Beatles that was released on The Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon–McCartney) and features him on lead vocal, guitar, and “vocal bass”.
Background
“I Will” was one of the songs worked on by the Beatles and their associates while in Rishikesh, India. Although the music came together fairly easily, the words were worked on in India, and remained unfinished even as recording began back in London.
Recording
This quiet song required 67 takes, and George Harrison did not play (during The Beatles sessions, the Beatles often recorded in separate studios). However, the reason for Harrison’s absence from the session has never been clarified.
During take 19 of “I Will“, McCartney ad-libbed an untitled and uncopyrighted song (referred to as “Can you take me back?” by author Ian MacDonald), a 28-second segment of which ended up on side 4 of the album The Beatles as what MacDonald described as “a sinister introduction to “Revolution 9“”. Also ad-libbed by McCartney was “Los Paranoias“, released, together with take 1 of “I Will“, in 1996 on Anthology 3.
Anthology
In the televised documentary The Beatles Anthology, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr are shown relaxing on a blanket outside. Starr asks McCartney what he wrote in India and McCartney answers, “I Will.” Then Harrison begins playing this on his ukulele while he and McCartney harmonize with it.
Paul McCartney in "Many Years From Now", by Barry Miles:
I was doing a song, I Will, that I had as a melody for quite a long time but I didn’t have any lyrics to it. I remember sitting around with Donovan, and maybe a couple of other people. We were just sitting around one evening after our day of meditation and I played him this one and he liked it and we were trying to write some words. We kicked around a few lyrics, something about the moon, but they weren’t very satisfactory and I thought the melody was better than the words so I didn’t use them. I kept searching for better words and I wrote my own set in the end; very simple words, straight love-song words really. I think they’re quite effective. It’s still one of my favourite melodies that I’ve written. You just occasionally get lucky with a melody and it becomes rather complete and I think this is one of them; quite a complete tune.
From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:
- [a] mono 26 Sep 1968.
UK: Apple PMC 7067 white album 1968.- [b] stereo 14 Oct 1968.
UK: Apple PCS 7067 white album 1968.
US: Apple SWBO 101 white album 1968.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46443 2 white album 1987.This started as 4 track and was copied to 8 track, so it’s 2d generation. The “bass” (vocal) starts later in mono [a], after the first verse.
Last updated on August 20, 2016
Lyrics
Who knows how long I've loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime?
If you want me to, I will
And if I ever saw you
I didn't catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same
Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we're together
Love you when we're apart
And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
Oh, you know I will
Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we're together
Love you when we're apart
And when at last I found you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
All the things you do endear you to me
Oh, you know I will
Oh, you know I will
Oh, you know I will
Oh, you know I will
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1968
1:46 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Bongos, Cymbals, Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 17, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Sep 26, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1968
1:46 • Studio version • B • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Bongos, Cymbals, Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 17, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 14, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1996
1:55 • Outtake • C • Stereo • Take 1. From the same session as the Step Inside Love and Los Paranoias jams, this is Take 1 of I Will, in which Paul sang and played acoustic guitar while John and Ringo added a percussive accompaniment. Paul would have realised quite early on - if not beforehand, indeed - that this performance would not be the master (which turned out to be Take 67) but as a first run-through it captures all the essential ingredients.
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Percussion
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2018
1:46 • Studio version • R2018 • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Bongos, Cymbals, Maracas
- John Lennon :
- Percussion
- Chris Thomas :
- Producer
- Ken Scott :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Sep 16, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- Sep 17, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 14, 1968
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Bootlegs
On The Run - Bologna, Italy - November 27, 2011
Unofficial live
2:49 • Live
Concert From the concert in Milan, Italy on Nov 27, 2011
Unofficial album
0:29 • Demo
- Session Recording:
- Jun 23, 1994
- Studio :
- Friar Park Studio, Henley-on-Thames, UK
Live performances
“I Will” has been played in 42 concerts and 1 soundchecks.
Latest concerts where I Will has been played
Rotterdam • Ahoy Rotterdam • Netherlands
Mar 24, 2012 • Part of On The Run Tour
Liverpool • The Echo Arena • United Kingdom
Dec 20, 2011 • Part of On The Run Tour
Helsinki • The Hartwall Arena • Finland
Dec 12, 2011 • Part of On The Run Tour
London • O2 Arena • United Kingdom
Dec 05, 2011 • Part of On The Run Tour
Koln • Laxness Arena • Germany
Dec 01, 2011 • Part of On The Run Tour
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