The End (The Beatles song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "The End" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Song by The Beatles | ||
| from the album Abbey Road | ||
| Released | September 26, 1969 | |
| Recorded | July 9-July 11, August 6, 1969 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 2:19 | |
| Label | Apple Records | |
| Writer(s) | Lennon-McCartney | |
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |
| Abbey Road track listing | ||
| "Carry That Weight" (15) |
"The End" (16) |
"Her Majesty" (17) |
"The End" is the penultimate song to appear on the album Abbey Road by The Beatles. Composed primarily by Paul McCartney (although all four Beatles deserve a credit for their respective solos) it was one of the last songs recorded collectively by all four Beatles, completed on August 18, 1969, and appearing as the final song of the climactic medley. The last time the four Beatles would be together in the same studio would be two days later. Ringo Starr quit the band during its recording for four days before returning to finish the album. It is seen by many as a fittingly grandiose finish to their career.
While "The End" was initially intended to be the final track on Abbey Road, it is followed by "Her Majesty". The latter was added to the end of the master tape by the tape operator John Kurlander instead of deleting it as Paul McCartney requested. Kurlander was under strict instruction from EMI not to delete anything the Beatles recorded. When McCartney heard "Her Majesty" in its new position he liked it and decided that it should remain in this place on the final album.
"The End" is unique in that it features Ringo Starr's only drum solo in the Beatles' catalogue. Starr hated solos and had to be persuaded to do it. According to Mark Lewisohn’s book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, the take in which Ringo performed this "solo" originally had bass and guitar accompanying him live in the studio. It was only in post production that the other instruments were muted giving the effect of a drum solo.
Additionally, there are three extended guitar solos performed in turn by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon. You can hear the distinctive sounds of each soloist: McCartney’s freeform style (à la "Taxman"), Harrison's structured melodic motifs, and Lennon (the least technically proficient guitarist of the three) providing more chordal based ideas.
The final line, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make", in the view of many fans, captures the essence of the Beatles' philosophical message. An alternate version of the song (with George Martin's orchestration pushed up in the mix) appears on the Beatles Anthology 3 CD.
[edit] Sample
- "The End" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- A short sample of Ringo Starr's drum solo from The Beatles' "The End".
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