# Who wrote & arranged the orchestral parts for Beatles songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410 "2009-05-05T13:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/1 "2009-05-05T13:14:48Z")
The song that got me wondering about this was The Long And Winding Road. Apparently Phil Spector had the orchestral parts added after the fact and it wasn’t part of the original composition. But besides that particular turning point which was done without Paul’s consent, there were a lot of other horns and whatnot, such as the trumpet solo (or is it cornet? fluglehorn?) on Penny Lane, the rising symphonic swirl in A Day In The Life, the strings in Eleanor Rigby and Yesterday, etc., etc. Paul is famously musically illiterate, though that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have composed those parts and had someone transcribe them. But do write these kids of parts you have to have some knowledge of orhestration/arranging. ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/2 "2009-05-05T13:23:36Z")
George Martin wrote most of those bits, I believe. In most if not all cases, he was working from direction that the Beatles gave him as to the melody or the instrument they wanted. The Penny Lane horn is a good example - Paul had heard the instrument on a TV show and specifically requested that for the solo. The Let it Be album is different in that George Martin wasn’t involved in the final mix, so far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/3 "2009-05-05T14:17:36Z")
That’ll be _Sir_ [George Martin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Martin). Early on John and Paul couldn’t/didn’t play keyboards so he also played those parts on their first albums. Funnily enough (as it says in wiki) he made his name recording comedy records with people like Spike Milligan. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/4 "2009-05-05T14:21:09Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > That’ll be _Sir_ [George Martin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Martin). Early on John and Paul couldn’t/didn’t play keyboards so he also played those parts on their first albums. Funnily enough (as it says in wiki) he made his name recording comedy records with people like Spike Milligan. Martin’s comedy background was a big plus- he signed the Beatles at LEAST as much because they were funny as because they were good musicians and songwriters. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/5 "2009-05-05T16:08:04Z")
Martins background was in classical music, and he recorded it while at Parlophone, but he gravitated to comedy because they were cheap to record (evidently, he just recorded the live show).\* Parlophone was the bargain basement record company – something of a joke in the industry – but Martin kept it alive while looking for an act to break into the rock music market. Martin definitely appreciated the Beatles’ sense of humor. One reason he signed them was the incident when, after the audition, he told them all that he thought was wrong about the act. Then he asked if they had anything to say, and George said, “I don’t like your tie.” Martin’s assistants were scandalized – Martin was a very respected name in the field and rarely got treated like that – but Martin took it for what it was – a joke. He thought that sense of humor would work well for the group. Martin wrote a series of orchestral suites as incidental music for the movie **Yellow Submarine** which were included on the album to fill it out. \*Flanders and Swann’s “At the Drop of a Hat” is a terrible recording – the audience laughter (especially one guy) overwhelms the singing. But Martin probably didn’t have the budget to record it over, and the technology to fix it was years away. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/6 "2009-05-05T17:49:45Z")
Other than the “Let It Be” tracks, I think the only Beatles track with orchestration arranged by someone other than George Martin was “She’s Leaving Home”. Martin wasn’t available, so McCartney asked Mike Leander to do the score instead. (By the way, that’s one of the few Beatles tracks on which none of the instruments were played by a Beatle.) One other factoid… the instrumental swells on “A Day in the Life” weren’t arranged. The musicians were simply told to go from the lowest note on their instrument to the highest within a certain number of measures. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/7 "2009-05-05T18:01:19Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > …such as the trumpet solo (or is it cornet? fluglehorn?) on Penny Lane… Just for information’s sake, that solo is played by a piccolo trumpet. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/8 "2009-05-07T04:49:45Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Paul is famously musically illiterate, though that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have composed those parts and had someone transcribe them. But do write these kids of parts you have to have some knowledge of orhestration/arranging. Paul did compose (but not actually notate) the solos for Penny Lane and For No One. The solo he came up with for the latter song includes a note that is technically higher than the horn can play, but George Martin mentioned that a good player would be able to manage it and so it stayed in. I think it’s interesting in that, had the musically literate Martin composed the solo, he probably would have automatically shied away from using anything outside the instrument’s range. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/9 "2009-05-07T07:15:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > \*Flanders and Swann’s “At the Drop of a Hat” is a terrible recording – the audience laughter (especially one guy) overwhelms the singing. But Martin probably didn’t have the budget to record it over, and the technology to fix it was years away. hijack: I thought the obnoxious laugher was actually Swann. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/10 "2009-05-07T08:43:49Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Paul did compose (but not actually notate) the solos for Penny Lane and For No One. The solo he came up with for the latter song includes a note that is technically higher than the horn can play, but George Martin mentioned that a good player would be able to manage it and so it stayed in. I think it’s interesting in that, had the musically literate Martin composed the solo, he probably would have automatically shied away from using anything outside the instrument’s range. Huh. I can’t see how a horn would have a theoretical top note. Is there a limit to how fast one’s lips can buzz? I wouldn’t think so from hearing jazz trumpetists always comparing themselves by the highest note they can acheive.. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/11 "2009-05-07T11:16:37Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > One other factoid… the instrumental swells on “A Day in the Life” weren’t arranged. The musicians were simply told to go from the lowest note on their instrument to the highest within a certain number of measures. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think that’s true. I believe I had read once that that was what Martin TOLD the orchestra to do, but they were so well trained they just naturally fell into sync with each other. Martin ended up having to score the swells so it would sound as discordant as it did. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/12 "2009-05-08T05:03:48Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Huh. I can’t see how a horn would have a theoretical top note. Is there a limit to how fast one’s lips can buzz? I wouldn’t think so from hearing jazz trumpetists always comparing themselves by the highest note they can acheive.. The Wiki entry on the French horn notes: > [@](#): > > The standard range starting from a low F-sharp is based on the characteristics of the single horn in F. However, there is a great deal of music written beyond this range on the assumption that players are using a double horn in F/B-flat. This is the standard orchestral instrument and its valve combinations allow for the production of every chromatic tone from two octaves on either side of the horn’s written middle-C (sounding F two octaves below the bass clef to F at the top of the treble clef). Although the upper range of the horn repertoire rarely exceeds high C (two octaves above the horn’s middle C, sounding F at the top of the treble clef), skilled players can achieve yet higher pitches. A [quote] ([http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/for-no-one/](http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/for-no-one/)) from McCartney: > [@](#): > > We came to the session and Alan looked up from his bit of paper: 'Eh, George? I think there’s a mistake here - you’ve got a high F written down. Then George and I said, ‘Yeah,’ and smiled back at him, and he knew what we were up to and played it. These great players will do it. Even though it’s officially off the end of their instrument, they can do it, and they’re quite into it occasionally. It’s a nice little solo. Not sure if Paul is remembering the note correctly there, but George Martin has recollected the moment in basically the same way. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/13 "2009-05-08T14:58:47Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Not sure if Paul is remembering the note correctly there, but George Martin has recollected the moment in basically the same way. He’s not, it actually goes up to a G-sharp. But, it should be said that the four highest notes in the solo (F#-G#-F#-D#) are staccato eighth notes, meaning they’re quick and they’re not held for very long. It would be very difficult (although not impossible, I suppose) to sustain notes that high for very long. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/14 "2009-05-08T15:39:38Z")
> [@lawoot](#): > > hijack: I thought the obnoxious laugher was actually Swann. I don’t think so. It doesn’t sound like him and, on the headset, it seems to come from a different direction. The videos (and the time I saw them on TV) don’t show him laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/15 "2009-05-08T17:24:03Z")
> [@Eutychus](#): > > Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think that’s true. I believe I had read once that that was what Martin TOLD the orchestra to do, but they were so well trained they just naturally fell into sync with each other. Martin ended up having to score the swells so it would sound as discordant as it did. Well, I heard that it was merely a recording of an orchestra warming up. Of course it was then looped, etc. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/16 "2009-05-10T02:17:54Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Well, I heard that it was merely a recording of an orchestra warming up. Of course it was then looped, etc. I am not an orchestral musician, but I am an amateur musician with a modicum of training, and I have heard orchestras warming up. This is not an orchestra warming up. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-wrote-arranged-the-orchestral-parts-for-beatles-songs/495410/17 "2009-05-10T02:21:00Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Huh. I can’t see how a horn would have a theoretical top note. Is there a limit to how fast one’s lips can buzz? I wouldn’t think so from hearing jazz trumpetists always comparing themselves by the highest note they can acheive.. There is a limit as to how fast lips can “buzz” with regard to a specific instrument. Jazz trumpet players who specialize in high-note playing (“screech” players, notably Maynard Ferguson) use special mouthpieces designed for that style that allows faster buzzing. It does take more skill but the mouthpiece makes it feasible.