Podcast Summary: Something About the Beatles – Ep. 312: “Contentious Credits 2 - This Time It's Personal”
Host: Robert Rodriguez
Guests: Marcus Phelan & Andrew Shakespeare
Date: October 18, 2025
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode is a deep-dive follow-up to the previous “Contentious Credits” installment, where host Robert Rodriguez teams up with Australian musician and Beatle scholars Marcus Phelan and Andrew Shakespeare. Together, they scrutinize recording credits and musician assignments on several Beatles tracks, often correcting popular or even “official” sources using audio evidence, logic, and musicianship. The goal: to explore who played what on Beatles recordings, why misattributions persist, and whether greater accuracy is possible in Beatles scholarship.
The Value and Challenge of Accurate Credits
Topic: Why does it matter who played what?
- Understanding creative genius: Unlike painting or writing, music—especially Beatles music—is highly collaborative, yet myth and muddled credits often persist.
- “If you accept that they produced some masterpieces, then the question is, well, how did this happen? ... I am interested in their body of work in total, and that means the work that's maybe not quite so revered ... I would like to see this stuff being as correct as possible. And I think at the moment it isn't. And that's part of my driver for this.”
—Andrew Shakespeare, [09:51]
Topic: The pitfalls of "official" sources
- Even those with archival access (like Kevin Howlett, Giles Martin, or Mark Lewisohn) sometimes mistake, conflate, or misstate who played on what, creating new myths.
Memorable moment:
- “Sometimes the people that were there are the worst witnesses... Paul describes I Don't Wanna Spoil the Party as a Ringo song. Not that we think any fan is walking around believing that, but you don't know what facts are gonna stick and which ones aren't.”
—Robert Rodriguez, [11:06]
Methodology – What Do We Really Hear?
- Close listening to isolated tracks and outtakes, alongside technical research on session equipment and procedures.
- Comparison across sources—books, box set notes, fan forums, and their own musician’s logic.
- Use of live footage and session photography to correlate instruments and players.
Segment-by-Segment Breakdown with Highlights and Quotes
1. “Long Tall Sally” – The Stereo Anomaly
[23:17–45:26]
- Debate: Did George play both guitar solos? Some sources claim so, but live and studio evidence shows John plays the first solo, George the second.
- Marcus explains that stereo mix anomalies were a result of panning decisions on the mixing desk—not due to a single guitarist overdubbing both solos.
- “If you're Simple Mind. I mean really, it's just beyond a joke... It's so easy to see when it's swapped. Basically, they created a problem...”
—Marcus Phelan, [23:54] - Andrew details how his own "muddied" belief came from early books and lack of firsthand listening but, after close review, agrees with Marcus’s view.
Key takeaways:
- Two guitars, two players—unique stereo mixing (possibly an accidental swap) caused later confusion.
2. “I Don't Want to Spoil the Party” – Who Sings What?
[45:26–52:49]
- Conflicting reports about the vocal arrangement; is it John's “double,” with himself, or a John-Paul duet?
- Andrew concludes: “It's a John and Paul duet and Paul just sounds pretty like John.” [48:36]
- Marcus's evidence: Paul’s mimicry, timing, and isolated vocal traits on difficult lines.
Key moment:
- “I've always thought sounded like [John] doing [him]self... but this is like when you actually go to analyze these things ... you find that maybe there's more to it than what we're told or what we thought.” —Marcus Phelan, [52:29]
3. “Michelle” – Who Plays What?
[52:50–70:16]
- Disputes over whether Paul played all guitars and bass, or if George and John contributed.
- Marcus: John and George are definitely present, per session photos and musical analysis (capo placements, distinctive playing style).
- Marcus: “I don't go with this Paul as a sort of [one-man band] thing ... it's a band thing. They are all involved. That's my theory and I'm sticking with it.” [68:32]
- Both challenge Ian MacDonald’s influential (but speculative) claims that Paul played everything.
4. “We Can Work It Out” – Bass Player Mystery
[70:16–81:21]
- Is it George on bass (with Paul on guitar) or standard lineup?
- Marcus lays out logic from video evidence (Paul not taking bass seriously in promo footage), “functional” bassline, and session context.
- “Paul, you just look at him, he's just like ... not playing the right octaves or that sort of thing ... every live show ... it’s acoustic guitar.” —Marcus Phelan, [73:55]
- Consensus: George plays bass; Paul guided the band from acoustic guitar.
5. “Paperback Writer” & “Rain” – Guitar Assignments & Studio Techniques
Paperback Writer [84:14–88:02]:
- Paul and John are core guitarists on the track, George overdubs “tidying up” the end of verses.
- Studio photos and sound analysis (SG “clean” vs. Paul's “dirty” Casino) support their claim.
Rain [88:02–98:42]:
- Most sources split over whether it's John and George or John and Paul on guitars; Phelan and Shakespeare argue Paul’s heavy involvement (tuning, playing, “ownership”).
- Challenge to official claim of “Rain” backing track being in B♭; Paul’s bass, probable tuning details discussed.
- Backing vocals: Three-part, with John taking high line—a reversal from “Spoil the Party.”
- “If you just want to move to the logic thing, is since when did Paul McCartney ever skip out on contributing to a basic track?” —Andrew Shakespeare, [91:11]
- On the origin of reverse vocals: George Martin may have suggested it, not John.
6. “Sgt. Pepper (Reprise)” – Ringo on Vocals?
[99:22–106:17]
- Nearly all published sources credit all four Beatles with vocals, but close listening and the mix suggest it's just John, Paul, and George.
- “I certainly can't hear Ringo's homely bray in the background there at all.” —Andrew Shakespeare, [101:24]
- Discussion of percussion assignments (Ringo on tambourine, George possibly on maracas).
7. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – The “Second Bass” Myth
[107:04–121:06]
- Clarifies persistent myths: no “second bass” on final version; overdubs and parts detailed via tape box evidence.
- Praises Paul’s bass line genius and laments continued confusion from even official sources (Giles Martin, Kevin Howlett).
8. “Piggies,” “Don’t Pass Me By” & “Not Guilty” – More White Album Deep-Cuts
[121:10–134:39]
Piggies:
- Explains that the “pig” grunts are compiled tape loops, not John’s vocals (contrary to internet myth).
Don’t Pass Me By:
- Argues for Ringo on piano and Paul on drums, with overdubs for both; challenges primary sources and describes the recording as “the sloppiest [the Beatles] ever made.”
- “That is not a Ringo drum track. It's two guys goofing around making what, to my mind, is the sloppiest recording the Beatles ever made.” —Andrew Shakespeare, [126:55]
Not Guilty:
- Count-ins on outtakes misattributed to Beatles; John did play harpsichord, Paul played a simple bass on the basic track.
Overarching Themes & Quotes
- The difficulties in trusting “official” accounts—even “primary sources” are often wrong, incomplete, or speculative.
- Importance of applying musician’s experience, audio sleuthing, and common sense.
- “When the primary source is wrong ... that's where you got all the myths coming from. And when those myths have been demolished as we get more information ... a lot of things are up for grabs.”
—Marcus Phelan, [65:06] - “The default position is that always Paul plays a bass and if he doesn't play a bass, there has to be a reason for certain, which is why we got into like Helter Skelter, that sort of thing.”
—Marcus Phelan, [78:47]
Notable Quotes & Moments
On Why This Matters:
- “With recorded sound it can be very difficult. So for me, I think that's what the driver is in trying to understand who did what. ...Also... I suppose is when I see supposition, conclusions drawn incorrectly, and people putting things out there that are just plain incorrect, then that really is kind of a bit dangerous.”
—Andrew Shakespeare, [09:51]
The Beatles as Collaborative Creators:
- “It's a team effort to take that concept and bring it to life as it is with Beatle recordings, everybody's got their part to play in the finished product ... it's all the more impressive because these guys, whatever function needed to be served ... they fulfilled the necessities... and weren't bound by any rules.”
—Robert Rodriguez, [07:59]
On Paul’s Approach to Bass:
- “He can be very sparse when a song requires being sparse. But he'll be busy when it's—you know, when it's got the room to do it.”
—Marcus Phelan, [83:16]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [06:26] – Methodological intro: why and how are credits checked
- [23:17] – “Long Tall Sally” and stereo weirdness
- [45:26] – “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” vocals dissected
- [52:50] – “Michelle” instrumentation – combating the “Paul did it all” myth
- [70:16] – “We Can Work It Out”: who actually played bass?
- [84:14] – “Paperback Writer” and “Rain” guitar and vocal arrangement breakdowns
- [99:22] – “Sgt. Pepper Reprise” — who’s singing?
- [107:04] – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” — the “John bass” myth
- [121:10] – “Piggies,” “Don’t Pass Me By” and “Not Guilty”—clarifying White Album song textures and performances
Final Thoughts
The episode provides rich, well-argued corrections and commentaries, urging Beatle fans and scholars to question received wisdom and dig deeper, while celebrating the collaborative, sometimes messy, always magical nature of Beatles’ recording sessions.
“We're just coming at it from a different perspective.” —Andrew Shakespeare, [77:42]
Highly recommended for:
- Beatles scholars, musicians, and close listeners
- Anyone interested in how myths take hold
- Fans fascinated by the intersection of history, technology, and artistry in pop music