The Beatles: 12 Bar Original (1965)

On November 4 1965 when the Beatles were rushing to finish the Rubber Soul album they polished up a piece Lennon-McCartney had written more than two years previous and handed it to Ringo.

It was What Goes On and Ringo was even given a co-credit for whatever contribution he made.

That same day however they recorded this lengthy piece, their first instrumental during their EMI years and credited to the whole band.

It was obviously never seriously considered for inclusion on the album because it wasn't mixed until after the album was in production but it is interesting for a few reasons.

It's not a particularly original jam but we hear George Harrison again using the tone pedal he'd been exploring on the Help! album and again in these sessions, but also John Lennon on the other more raw guitar solo, two very different approaches.

Producer George Martin is on harmonium. 

An edited version of this appeared on the Beatles' Anthology volume two but here is the full six-minute plus recording.

And who'd been listening to Booker T and the MG's 1962 hit Green Onion, huh? 

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For more oddities, one-offs or songs with an interesting backstory check the massive back-catalogue at From the Vaults.