Dear Prudence

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Dear Prudence
The Beatles
publication November 22, 1968
length 3 min 56 s
Genre (s) Rock , psychedelic rock
Author (s) Lennon / McCartney
album The Beatles

Dear Prudence ( English love Prudence ) is a song by the British rock band The Beatles . It was released on November 22, 1968 on the album The Beatles .

Emergence

John Lennon wrote the song in Rishikesh ( India ), where the Beatles from February to April 1968 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Transcendental Meditation could instruct (TM). Although the composition is by Lennon, it was published as usual under the copyright Lennon / McCartney .

Mike Love (singer of the Beach Boys ), the folk musician Donovan , the film actress Mia Farrow and her sister Prudence also took part in the meditations in Rishikesh . The latter was noticed because she apparently suffered from depression and meditated for a particularly long time. Lennon wrote the song with the opening line “Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play” to cheer her up.

While making music together, John Lennon had admired Donovan's fingerpicking (a touch technique on the guitar ) and asked if he could teach him. Donovan relates:

“I explained it would take three days at least to get the basics. He was a good student. It's a difficult style that requires perseverance. When John had it down, he was so pleased to find a whole new way of songwriting emerge. That's what happens to a natural songwriter when you get a new set of performing skills. "

“I explained it would take at least three days to learn the basics. He was a good student. It's a difficult technique that requires a lot of perseverance. When John got the hang of it, he was very impressed that it opened up a whole new way of composing. That happens to a born songwriter when he learns a new playing technique. "

Lennon used the new technique not only on Dear Prudence , but also on Julia , another song on the White Album.

admission

During the recording of the White Album, tensions emerged in the band, which indicated the breakup of the group in the following year. On August 22, 1968, drummer Ringo Starr temporarily left the studios to vacation in the Mediterranean on the yacht of his friend Peter Sellers . During his absence, the Beatles continued to record songs, with multi-instrumentalist Paul McCartney taking the place on drums. This also happened on August 28th when the Beatles recorded Dear Prudence . John Lennon's lead vocals were doubled, and he and George Harrison also played guitar. McCartney added by the overdub -Verfahrens later bass , piano and flugelhorn added.

Cover versions

In the 1980s, the song hit the charts in a version of Siouxsie and the Banshees . The Jerry Garcia Band had the piece in their live repertoire and it appeared on several of their live albums.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ David Sheff: The Ballad of John and Yoko. The last big interview , p. 204.
  2. ↑ Barry Miles : Paul McCartney. Many years from now , p. 511.
  3. ↑ Barry Miles : Paul McCartney. Many years from now , p. 518.
  4. ^ Mark Lewisohn: The Complete Beatles Chronicle , pp. 295f.