Our multi-column salute to the White Album kicks off with the double LP’s end: the tender lullaby “Good Night,” sung memorably by Ringo Starr. While numerous tracks benefit from the 50th anniversary remastering, “Good Night” fares exceedingly well. The astounding outtakes, including a haunting rendition featuring George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney harmonizing in the background, reveal the song’s delicate melody and exquisite arrangement.
Lennon originally wrote “Good Night” as a lullaby for son Julian, although he does not appear on the final version. Producer George Martin scored the orchestral arrangement. McCartney recalled in Barry Miles’ Many Years from Now that he overheard Lennon teaching the track to Starr during an early session. “We heard him sing it in order to teach it to Ringo and he sang it very tenderly. John rarely showed his tender side, but my key memories of John are when he was tender, that’s what has remained with me; those moments where he showed himself to be a very generous, loving person,” McCartney said. “I always cite that song as an example of the John beneath the surface that we only saw occasionally. … I don’t think John’s version was ever recorded.”
In Revolution in the Head, Ian MacDonald suggests that John Lennon may have also been inspired by Cole Porter’s “True Love,” a standard the Beatles used to perform in their Hamburg sets. Indeed, the two title phrases resemble each other in delivery, tone, and melody. Incidentally, Harrison would later cover “True Love” on his 1976 album Thirty-Three & 1/3.
Work began on June 28, 1968 with Lennon on guitar and Starr on lead vocals. During these sessions, Starr also recorded a monologue, acting as a father tucking in his children. One take from this day was eventually released on Anthology 3: a rehearsal with Martin playing piano (with an overdub of a section of Martin’s score).
Not satisfied with these takes, the Beatles returned to “Good Night” on July 2; Ringo Starr rerecorded his lead vocals, and the other band members’ backing harmonies were added. Next, Martin started work on his orchestral score. July 22 proved to be a marathon session, as the orchestra (consisting of 12 violins, three violas, three cellos, three flutes, and clarinet, horn, vibraphone, double bass, and harp) recorded the producer’s composition in 12 takes.
In addition, a new backing choir laid down their vocals: the Mike Sammes Singers, a highly respected vocal ensemble who had previously appeared on “I Am the Walrus.” To end the day, Starr recorded his lead vocal one last time. During the making of Anthology, Starr expressed fondness for the track but critiqued his singing: “I’ve just heard it for the first time in years and it’s not bad at all, although I think I sound very nervous. It was something for me to do.”
The 2018 remix keeps Starr’s endearing vocals in the forefront, but further clarifies Martin’s soaring score. Violins swoop in as the Mike Sammes Singers cradle Starr’s voice in lilting harmonies. Interestingly, the instrumental suggests urgency, a kind of cinematic climax that never really arrives. The backing voices are more prominent in the mix, adding to the “old Hollywood” vibe of the track.
Hearing the brief “unnumbered rehearsal,” as the White Album box set lists it, demonstrates that the Beatles still maintained some camaraderie despite their increasing differences. Ringo Starr half-sings, half-speaks the words, at one point flubbing a line. “Daddy went a bit crazy!” he exclaims while laughing. More laughter can be heard in the background as John Lennon continues playing guitar.
Note that he uses the same “clawhammer” picking style he used on “Julia” — a technique he acquired from Donovan during their tutelage under the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Lennon continues this fingerpicking style in what has become a revelatory moment in the box set: take 10, where the Beatles provide backing vocals. While the harmonies clearly need polishing, with some refinement they could have further transformed the song. This heretofore-unheard version of “Good Night” presents a unified picture of the Beatles, the gentle group harmonies on the chorus exuding genuine warmth.
By take 22, the track is evolving in tone. Martin’s haunting piano, with George Harrison keeping time with a shaker, foreshadows the chord structure used in the full orchestral version. Starr works through his vocals, with Lennon providing encouragement from the booth: “It sounds quite nice,” he says. George Martin even plays an early rendition of the tension-filled instrumental section. While still unpolished, this rough draft demonstrates how “Good Night” slowly developed.
As Giles Martin told UDiscover Music, “There’s a beauty in both the piano and guitar versions of ‘Good Night’ which is less schmaltzy, and what’s nice about the backing vocals that go with it is that you get the sense that the band are supporting him, and that’s a thread through the White Album.” In one of his final interviews, John Lennon likened “Good Night” to Double Fantasy’s “Beautiful Boy” but described the former as “possibly overlush.”
Whether one agrees that the White Album’s final track is “schmaltzy,” it does provide an interesting counterpoint to the sonic chaos of “Revolution 9,” Lennon’s foray into musique concrète. Starr’s soothing voice returns listeners to the familiar, to comfort, to childlike innocence. It reflects the nostalgic tone pervading parts of the White Album; along with Paul McCartney’s music hall throwbacks “Martha My Dear” and “Honey Pie,” “Good Night” functions as a kind of escape from the tumultuousness of 1968.
Longing to return to simplicity (e.g. the pastoral “Mother Nature’s Son” or the outtake “Child of Nature”) or dwelling in memories of youth are common reactions to difficult times, and “Good Night” serves as a classic example of that tendency.
The Beatles may have been experiencing personal and professional differences during the White Album sessions, but the recording of “Good Night” illustrates that when it came to music, the band still functioned as a creative unit. Ringo Starr may have been the only member of the Beatles to appear on the final version, but “Good Night” was very much a group effort.
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