# Clapton's guitar solo in "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2018, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176 "2018-04-26T18:06:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/1 "2018-04-26T18:06:51Z")
It seems to be common knowledge these days that Clapton did the guitar solo on the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. But when the White Album was initially released, was it known at the time? Was Clapton credited on the album? If not, when did it start to become widely known? When I listen to the song it is not obvious to me that it’s not George playing, and I remember being somewhat surprised when I first heard about it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/2 "2018-04-26T18:10:52Z")
I’ve never heard that claim, and it certainly does sound like Harrison’s guitar style. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/3 "2018-04-26T18:15:00Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’ve never heard that claim, and it certainly does sound like Harrison’s guitar style. **Chefguy** - it’s Clapton. I was a little kid, so don’t recall personally. I want to say that any halfway-geeky music fan could’ve found out, but it wasn’t advertised, per se. Read the Wiki entry: Clapton discusses recording it, and in the section call “release and reception” they quote a write up by Jann Wenner in Rolling Stone “betting” that Clapton was the guitarist, no doubt based on inside info… > **[While My Guitar Gently Weeps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/While_My_Guitar_Gently_Weeps)** > > "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist, as an exercise in randomness inspired by the Chinese I Ching. The song conveys his dismay at the world's unrealised potential for universal love, which he refers to as "the love there that's sleeping". > The song also serves as a comment on the disharmony within the Beatles after th... ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/4 "2018-04-26T18:17:45Z")
I was a freshman in high school when it was released. I was a guitar player and a Beatles fanatic. I’m not sure if I was a Rolling Stone reader yet, but I read whatever music news I could get my hands on. I am pretty sure that the Clapton solo was common knowledge among my friends fairly soon after the album was released. ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/5 "2018-04-26T18:23:20Z")
As an aside, I’ve heard that one reason (besides the obvious one) George asked Eric to play on the song is that it would force the other Beatles to take the recording session seriously. I guess at that point George didn’t think his compositions were getting much respect. Whatever the reason(s), it worked out great. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/6 "2018-04-26T18:32:52Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’ve never heard that claim ♪♫ I don’t know why nobody told you ♬ ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/7 "2018-04-26T18:43:26Z")
> [@Rough\_Draft](#): > > As an aside, I’ve heard that one reason (besides the obvious one) George asked Eric to play on the song is that it would force the other Beatles to take the recording session seriously. I guess at that point George didn’t think his compositions were getting much respect. > > Whatever the reason(s), it worked out great. Except for the lyrics. They kinda clank. “I look at my floor and see it needs sweeping” - okay George. I really respect him and his songwriting - \*Something \*is so, so amazing, his Yesterday - but that line in \*Guitar \*just doesn’t work. Nor does the whole “perverted, diverted, alerted” bit. Too cute by half. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/8 "2018-04-26T18:43:38Z")
Clapton was not credited on the original release of the album. The Beatles did not credit outside musicians; the only two who received them were Billy Preston and (arguably) Tony Sheridan. It was certainly known by insiders, but at the time no one made any mention of it. The NY Times review certainly doesn’t mention him. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/9 "2018-04-26T19:07:20Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > ♪♫ I don’t know why nobody told you ♬ off topic, but I gotta learn: How do you type those musical notes? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/10 "2018-04-26T19:09:14Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > off topic, but I gotta learn: How do you type those musical notes? I just googled “musical note characters” and copied-and-pasted. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/11 "2018-04-26T19:42:55Z")
I _distinctly_ remember reading an interview with Eric Clapton in Guitar World magazine in 1997 or so where he says “people know I played guitar on that song, but what they don’t know is that I played _rhythm_, and the lead guitar was all George”. Nobody believes me, and I’m not sure I believe it myself anymore. If he did say that, it was probably a joke. I have no clue how to look up 20+ year old Guitar World articles to confirm it myself, either. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/12 "2018-04-26T19:50:16Z")
I, too heard that for years. I never believed it. I am now mostly convinced, you smart folks know better than me. Carry on. Interesting thread. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/13 "2018-04-26T19:54:52Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > I _distinctly_ remember reading an interview with Eric Clapton in Guitar World magazine in 1997 or so where he says “people know I played guitar on that song, but what they don’t know is that I played _rhythm_, and the lead guitar was all George”. Nobody believes me, and I’m not sure I believe it myself anymore. If he did say that, it was probably a joke. I have no clue how to look up 20+ year old Guitar World articles to confirm it myself, either. Hmm, no clue. I have never heard that. I really don’t hear George in the lead playing, but I am open to learning otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/14 "2018-04-26T19:57:59Z")
> [@George Harrison](#): > > I was driving into London with Eric Clapton, and I said, ‘What are you doing today? Why don’t you come to the studio and play on this song for me?’ He said, ‘Oh, no – I can’t do that. Nobody’s ever played on a Beatles record and the others woulnd’t like it.’ I said, ‘Look, it’s my song and I’d like you to play on it.’ > > So he came in. I said, ‘Eric’s going to play on this one,’ and it was good because that then made everyone act better. Paul got on the piano and played a nice intro and they all took it more seriously. From the Beatles Bible:\* While My Guitar Gently Weeps was completed on 6 September. Eric Clapton, playing a Les Paul guitar, performed his guitar solo, which went uncredited on the album. During the mixing stage the solo was varispeeded to give it more of a ‘Beatles sound’.\* ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/15 "2018-04-26T20:01:20Z")
I remember reading, God knows where, that after the release of the _White Album_ and _While My Guitar Gently Weeps_, well-meaning fans kept coming up to George and complimenting him on his improved guitar playing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/16 "2018-04-26T20:07:06Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Hmm, no clue. I have never heard that. I really don’t hear George in the lead playing, but I am open to learning otherwise. Right. It sounds very much like Clapton. But guitar styles can be imitated. So it was one of those counterintuitive “surprising facts” I used to share until people argued with me enough that I started to doubt it myself. There were enough Eric Clapton articles in guitar magazines in the 90s (it might not have been Guitar World, as I bought quite a few other titles off the racks, but that’s the one I had a subscription to in high school) that I imagine I’d have a real hard time finding the particular interview I’m remembering, even if I had access to a searchable database of back issues. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/17 "2018-04-26T20:40:38Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **Chefguy** - it’s Clapton. > > I was a little kid, so don’t recall personally. I want to say that any halfway-geeky music fan could’ve found out, but it wasn’t advertised, per se. > > Read the Wiki entry: Clapton discusses recording it, and in the section call “release and reception” they quote a write up by Jann Wenner in Rolling Stone “betting” that Clapton was the guitarist, no doubt based on inside info… > > [While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/While_My_Guitar_Gently_Weeps) It’s interesting, in that Wikipedia article just after the Wenner quote, it mentions another reviewer calling the solo “lifeless”, and yet another misattributing the song to Paul. So it doesn’t sound like the reviewers of the day had much of a clue. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/18 "2018-04-26T21:15:27Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > From the Beatles Bible:\* While My Guitar Gently Weeps was completed on 6 September. Eric Clapton, playing a Les Paul guitar, performed his guitar solo, which went uncredited on the album. During the mixing stage the solo was varispeeded to give it more of a ‘Beatles sound’.\* Yeah, pretty sure he played Lucy on that one - a refinished Les Paul that is red with an obvious line where the topwoods changes so the red lacquer was absorbed differently: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy\_(guitar)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(guitar)) [https://www.google.com/search?q=harrison+lucy+les+paul&rlz=1C1OKWM\_enUS787US787&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjv\_rW77djaAhXOslkKHeMwB-4Q\_AUICygC&biw=1011&bih=573](https://www.google.com/search?q=harrison+lucy+les+paul&rlz=1C1OKWM_enUS787US787&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjv_rW77djaAhXOslkKHeMwB-4Q_AUICygC&biw=1011&bih=573) Pretty sure he named it after Lucille Ball, but obviously it would be tied to BB King’s legendary Lucille, and Albert King’s Flying V, also named Lucy: > **[Lucille (guitar)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_(guitar))** > > Lucille is the name American blues musician B.B. King (1925–2015) gave to his guitars. They were usually black Gibson guitars similar to the ES-330 or ES-355, and Gibson introduced a B.B. King custom model in 1980, based upon the latter. > In the winter of 1949, King played at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas. The hall was heated by a barrel half-filled with burning kerosene set in the middle of the dance floor, a fairly common practice at the time. During a performance, two men began to fight, k... > **[Lucy (Albert King guitar)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(Albert_King_guitar))** > > Lucy is the name given to the Gibson Flying V and a series of copies owned by blues guitarist Albert King. King apparently picked the Flying V (at a time when few other guitarists did) because of its style, and in return helped make it famous. > The "original" Lucy, named for Lucille Ball, was a right-handed 1959 Gibson Flying V made of korina, and it is the guitar King used on almost all of the important recordings he made for Stax Records. The guitar was stolen but later recovered. King bought i... **DrCube** - I hear you about articles. Again, I am open to hearing Clapton said it, but even then, I am inclined to assume that what George is quoted as saying is true. Clapton is also known for saying XYZ guitarist is “the best” out there - but he has said it about freakin’ everybody, so it is more of a general compliment vs. an assertion. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/19 "2018-04-26T23:09:48Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I am pretty sure that the Clapton solo was common knowledge among my friends fairly soon after the album was released. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/20 "2018-04-27T00:31:33Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Clapton was not credited on the original release of the album. The Beatles did not credit outside musicians; the only two who received them were Billy Preston and (arguably) Tony Sheridan. > > It was certainly known by insiders, but at the time no one made any mention of it. The NY Times review certainly doesn’t mention him. Alan Civil was credited on Revolver for playing the horn solo on “For No One”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176.md?page=2)