# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/21 "2018-04-27T00:37:18Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > Alan Civil was credited on Revolver for playing the horn solo on “For No One”. East Indian Musicians were credited on Revolver as well. ---
**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, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/22 "2018-04-27T00:58:42Z")
> [@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. I think I partially misinterpreted your statement, which I’m pretty sure is true re: credit on the record label. “The Beatles with Billy Preston” is different than being credited in the liner notes. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/23 "2018-04-27T01:55:19Z")
> [@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) My friends and I were just ordinary American kids in middle school. Which means we were Beatles fans, and Cream fans, and had heard a lot of Clapton. We all knew it was him. Fast forward 30 years (three decades that I’d spent thinking Paul and John were jerks). But when I first heard George’s demo versions of the song, I understood the “this ain’t much of a song” reaction. It wasn’t until the Fab Four And A Half had their moment in the studio, that it became the classic it is now. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/24 "2018-04-27T03:54:06Z")
This is the best message board on the entire fucking internet. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/25 "2018-04-27T03:58:30Z")
A derail of the thread, not sure if any of you have read this [back story](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/arts/music/prince-guitar-rock-hall-of-fame.html) on the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame version with Prince, Tom Petty, et al. At the rehearsal the night before the performance: “When we get to the middle solo, where Prince is supposed to do it, Jeff Lynne’s guitar player just starts playing the solo. Note for note, like Clapton. And Prince just stops and lets him do it and plays the rhythm, strums along. And we get to the big end solo, and Prince again steps forward to go into the solo, and this guy starts playing that solo too! Prince doesn’t say anything, just starts strumming, plays a few leads here and there, but for the most part, nothing memorable.” Click on the link above if you want more of the story ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/26 "2018-04-27T09:52:29Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > This is the best message board on the entire fucking internet. Cool to say. But this is kinda normal for a topic, yes? We aren’t going Dope deep here - _civilians_ could have this discussion. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/27 "2018-04-27T20:42:49Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > off topic, but I gotta learn: How do you type those musical notes? [HIJACK] [Here’s a kind of cheat sheet for some basic characters](http://www.notengoenie.com/) (including music notes); it uses Java to let you simply click and paste. [/HIJACK] ---
**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 27, 2018, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/28 "2018-04-27T21:12:36Z")
[Eric’s guitar part isolated](https://youtu.be/dN6RcepwnVM?t=16s) [Eric and George sharing the lead, 1987](https://youtu.be/oDs2Bkq6UU4?t=3m31s) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/29 "2018-04-27T22:25:51Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > A derail of the thread, not sure if any of you have read this [back story](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/arts/music/prince-guitar-rock-hall-of-fame.html) on the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame version with Prince, Tom Petty, et al. > > At the rehearsal the night before the performance: “When we get to the middle solo, where Prince is supposed to do it, Jeff Lynne’s guitar player just starts playing the solo. Note for note, like Clapton. And Prince just stops and lets him do it and plays the rhythm, strums along. And we get to the big end solo, and Prince again steps forward to go into the solo, and this guy starts playing that solo too! Prince doesn’t say anything, just starts strumming, plays a few leads here and there, but for the most part, nothing memorable.” > > Click on the link above if you want more of the story By the way CG - I did read that some time ago so didn’t comment. Great story. I think I pasted in some thread that I found out later that Prince’s tech caught the tossed guitar and gave it to Oprah, at the Purple One’s request. Such a pimp move\* \*how Prince’s guitarist Mike Scott describes Prince’s habit of tossing off guitars and expecting them to be caught. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/30 "2018-04-28T00:36:47Z")
I just enjoyed the whole 1971 Concert for Bangladesh on Vimeo. It was great that Eric made it to the show; he almost didn’t — he was in the lists of his heroin period. His variation on his WMGGW solo and other licks from three years prior weren’t bad (rather timid-sounding, though), but it seems the sound engineers purposely turned down the volume on his guitar, probably fearing he’d mess up badly. Also — did I mention that my seven-year-old son really got into this song, thanks to the Regina Spektor/Japanese folk instrument version in the eerie animated film _Kubo_? He had just started piano lessons a few months before, but was motivated to to transcribe the piano part that starts the song (this actually _was_ a Paul contribution). I’m not showing off (much) — mainly just wanted to let y’all know that this tune still has the power to move a 21st-century child! ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/31 "2018-04-28T00:44:18Z")
MIDDLE of his heroin period. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/32 "2018-04-28T01:11:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Even without all the flanging and bent notes, this would still be one gem of a guitar solo. I’ll resist the temptation to supply a complete transcription of it for now but will at least sketch it out. > > ``` > Above all, it is an extraordinarily melodic, even vocal sounding solo in which the 16 measures are treated not as a couplet, but rather are broken up into two slow, deep and contrasting phrases of eight measures each. The solo achieves some unity with the rest of the song by virtue of Clapton's starting off with a retracing of the melodic outline of George's sung melody, as well as the fact the style of guitar figuration used in the solo had already been consistently presented in obbligato licks starting as early as the introduction. > > While the vocal melody of the verse presented a full arch shape in the space of only eight measures, Clapton spreads the arch of his solo out over most of the full sixteen measures of the section. He works his way up a full octave in measures 1 - 8, suspensefully sustains the high note in measures 9 and 10, ambles slowly back down the octave in measures 10 - 14, and then, with breathtaking surprise in the final two measures, passes delicately below the low end of the octave and very quickly finishes up with a flourish that takes him all the way back up the octave to end on his earlier high note as the second bridge begins. > > The high A of this guitar solo is not only the single highest melodic note of the entire song, but on some subliminal level it provides ultimate resolution of the high g# left hanging in the bridge section. Even more significantly, the ending of this solo is very much the climax of the song because it is the single moment in the song where a positive, upward gesture has the last word and appears to stick; at least for a moment. Whatever follows this section more or less provides ballast and an emotional unwinding from this high point. > > ``` —-[Alan Pollack](http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/wmggw.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/33 "2018-04-28T01:26:43Z")
I knew it by the mid 70s, when I boughtthe album. I’m pretty sure I would have learned it from a local FM DJ late at night. I do like the solo, but I’m not really sure it’s _all that_. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/34 "2018-04-28T07:13:40Z")
I think people sometimes overanalyze music, and Pollack is a classic example. Clapton played a good solo, but imputing all of this English-Lit class stuff to it is over the top. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/35 "2018-04-28T10:01:11Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > 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. 😃 I believe this happened most with Taxman, the lead track off Revolver. It was George’s song, it was the first track, a huge statement about George’s emergence as a songwriter, and the Indian-ish lead kicked ass. It was an easy mistake to assume George played the lead, not Paul on his infamous ‘62 Epiphone Casino. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/36 "2018-04-28T16:55:21Z")
> [@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) BTW, [here’s the link](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/beatles-19681221) to the Rolling Stone review of the White Album where he says this. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/37 "2018-04-28T18:33:37Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > BTW, [here’s the link](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/beatles-19681221) to the Rolling Stone review of the White Album where he says this. Terrific — thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/38 "2018-04-29T22:21:59Z")
If I might slightly hijack this thread, another long-time rumor I’ve heard about this song is that there’s a “Paul is dead clue” in it. Towards the end of the song, Harrison is singing/chanting something through the fadeout that almost sounds like “Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! (etc.)” And the song itself was supposedly an ode to the “late” Paul McCartney – Harrison was supposedly “weeping” for his dead friend. When did this rumor start up? Was THIS something people were discussing when the “white album” came out? Or was it something that people thought of years later? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/39 "2018-04-29T22:44:15Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > If I might slightly hijack this thread, another long-time rumor I’ve heard about this song is that there’s a “Paul is dead clue” in it. Towards the end of the song, Harrison is singing/chanting something through the fadeout that almost sounds like “Paul! Paul! Paul! Paul! (etc.)” And the song itself was supposedly an ode to the “late” Paul McCartney – Harrison was supposedly “weeping” for his dead friend. > > When did this rumor start up? Was THIS something people were discussing when the “white album” came out? Or was it something that people thought of years later? I have no clue, but I’m always up for cool Beatles trivia if anyone knows. ---
**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 29, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176/40 "2018-04-29T23:12:56Z")
[The ‘Paul is dead’ myth](https://www.beatlesbible.com/features/paul-is-dead/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/claptons-guitar-solo-in-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/813176.md?page=3)