Honey Pie

"Honey Pie" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their 1968 eponymous double album The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). The song was written entirely by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership.

Not to be confused with Wild Honey Pie.
"Honey Pie"
Cover of the song's sheet music
Song by the Beatles
from the album The Beatles
Released22 November 1968
Recorded1–2, 4 October 1968
StudioEMI, London
Genre
Length2:41
LabelApple
Songwriter(s)Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)George Martin

Interpretation

The song is a direct homage to the British music hall style. It concerns a famed actress, called only by the term of endearment "Honey Pie", who becomes famous in the United States, and her old lover, who wishes for her to rejoin him in England. The premise – a humble admirer yearning for the return of his lover – is not unlike a typical music hall plot. In order to establish an appropriate, old-timey sound, 'crackles' were added to the third line, "Now she's hit the big time!", from a 78 rpm record.[1]

Recording

Recording began on 1 October 1968, at Trident Studios in London's Wardour Street. Only one take was recorded on the first day, although it is likely that a number of rehearsal attempts had previously been recorded and wiped. The next day, McCartney taped his lead vocals, and a lead guitar part was added. According to George Harrison, John Lennon played the guitar solo.[2] The song's woodwind arrangement by George Martin was recorded two days later on 4 October. McCartney added a final vocal overdub at the end of the session.[2]

Before recording sessions for the "White Album" began, the Beatles recorded a demo of "Honey Pie" at George Harrison's Esher home studios. This version contained slightly different lyrics and lacked the introduction of the final version.[2] The demo was later released in 1996 on Anthology 3[2] and the 2018 Super Deluxe edition of the "White Album".

Cover versions

The song has been covered by Alan Klein (1969), Barbra Streisand, the King's Singers, Don Partridge,[3] the Golden Gate Quartet, Tuck & Patti, and John Pizzarelli, among others. In the 1978 film Sextette, Dom DeLuise performed the song. Phish covered the song, with many other "White Album" songs, on the album Live Phish Volume 13.[4]

In 2016 Wesley Schultz sang it in Beat Bugs episode 12b.

Personnel

The Beatles

Additional musicians

  • George Martin – saxophone and clarinet arrangement
  • Harry Klein – saxophone
  • Dennis Walton – saxophone
  • Ronald Chamberlain – saxophone
  • Jim Chester – saxophone
  • Rex Morris – saxophone
  • Raymond Newman – clarinet
  • David Smith – clarinet

Notes
  1. E. Whitley (2000). "The Postmodern White Album". In Ian Inglis (ed.). The Beatles, popular music and society: a thousand voices.
  2. "Honey Pie". The Beatles Bible. 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
  3. Album: Don Partridge & Friends, Sonogram Records EFG 7344 (1973)
  4. "Live Phish, Vol. 13: 10/31/94, Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY - Phish". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
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