What Goes on ( Beatles song ) - wikipedia What Goes on ( Beatles song ) This article is about the Beatles song. For the Velvet Underground song, see What Goes On ( Velvet Underground song ). `` What Goes On '' Song by the Beatles from the album Rubber Soul Released 3 December 1965 Recorded 4 November 1965, EMI Studios, London Genre Country rock Length 2 : 50 Label Parlophone Songwriter ( s ) Lennon -- McCartney / Starkey Producer ( s ) George Martin `` What Goes On '' Single by the Beatles A-side `` Nowhere Man '' Released 15 February 1966 Format 7 '' Recorded 4 November 1965, EMI Studios, London Genre Country rock Length 2 : 50 Label Capitol Songwriter ( s ) Lennon -- McCartney / Starkey Producer ( s ) George Martin The Beatles US singles chronology `` We Can Work It Out '' / `` Day Tripper '' ( 1965 ) `` What Goes On '' ( 1966 ) `` Paperback Writer '' ( 1966 ) `` We Can Work It Out '' / `` Day Tripper '' ( 1965 ) `` Nowhere Man '' ( 1966 ) `` Paperback Writer '' ( 1966 ) `` What Goes On '' is a song by the Beatles, featured as the eighth track on their sixth British album Rubber Soul. The song was later released as the B - side of the US single `` Nowhere Man '', and then as the tenth track on the North America - only album Yesterday and Today. It is the only song by the band credited to Lennon -- McCartney - Starkey. Contents 1 Composition 2 Recording 3 Personnel 4 Reception and reviews 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links Composition The original version of the song was written by John Lennon in the Quarrymen days and considered as a follow - up to `` Please Please Me '' in early 1963. A demo of this version featuring Lennon and Paul McCartney was recorded in 1963, but the song was not used until 1965 as Ringo Starr 's vocal piece for Rubber Soul. According to Lennon, `` it was resurrected with a middle eight thrown in, probably with Paul 's help '' for Rubber Soul. Barry Miles also claimed that McCartney and Starr combined for the middle eight. There is no formal middle eight in the song, though one chorus and one verse are extended ; Ian MacDonald believes those longer sections were written by McCartney. Starr contributed to the lyrics, his first - ever composing credit on a Beatles song. However, when asked what his contribution was to the song, Starr jokingly stated, `` About five words, and I have n't done a thing since. '' To his chagrin, the first pressing of the single accidentally omitted `` Starkey '' in the song - writing credit. Recording An early version was considered as a follow - up to `` Please Please Me '', and the Beatles hoped to record it on 5 March 1963, but there was only time for the other songs recorded that night : `` From Me to You '', `` Thank You Girl '', and an early version of `` One After 909 ''. The Rubber Soul version was recorded in one take, with overdubs, on 4 November 1965. In the verse before the lead break after Starr sings `` tell me why, '' Lennon can be heard saying `` We already told you why ! '' in reference to the Beatles ' `` Tell Me Why '' from the previous year. During this session the Beatles recorded a long ( 6 : 36 ) instrumental tune called `` 12 - Bar Original '' for lack of a better name. `` 12 - Bar Original '' was not included on Rubber Soul, and was not commercially available until 1996 when an edited version of take 2 of this song was included on the Anthology 2 album. Personnel Ringo Starr -- lead vocal, drums John Lennon -- harmony vocal, rhythm guitar Paul McCartney -- harmony vocal, bass guitar George Harrison -- lead guitar Personnel per Ian MacDonald Reception and reviews Richie Unterberger, in AllMusic, says the song is an enjoyable, but lightweight, country & western - flavoured entry in The Beatles catalogue. Unterberger praises George Harrison 's guitar work, which `` again marks him as the finest disciple of Carl Perkins, '' and the guitar work is indeed similar to `` Everybody 's Trying to Be My Baby '', a Perkins cover version released on Beatles for Sale. Notes ^ Jump up to : Sheff 2000, p. 178. ^ Jump up to : Lewisohn 1988, p. 28. Jump up ^ `` Unreleased 1963 Beatles Demo Up for Sale on eBay : Listen to a Snippet '' ( 1 ). Steve Marinucci. billboard.com. September 21, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Miles 1997, p. 275. Jump up ^ MacDonald 1994, p. 142. Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 67. Jump up ^ MacDonald 1994, p. 176. Jump up ^ Unterberger 2007. References Lewisohn, Mark ( 1988 ). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York : Harmony Books. ISBN 0 - 517 - 57066 - 1. MacDonald, Ian ( 1994 ). Revolution in the Head : The Beatles ' Records and the Sixties. New York : Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0 - 8050 - 2780 - 7. Miles, Barry ( 1997 ). Paul McCartney : Many Years From Now. New York : Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 0 - 8050 - 5249 - 6. `` Review of `` This Bird Has Flown : A Tribute to the Beatles ' Rubber Soul '' ``. Pitchfork. 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2009. Sheff, David ( 2000 ). All We Are Saying : The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York : St. Martin 's Press. ISBN 0 - 312 - 25464 - 4. Unterberger, Richie ( 2007 ). `` Review of What Goes On ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 26 February 2007. `` What Goes On ''. The Beatles Bible. 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2008. External links Alan W. Pollack 's Notes on `` What Goes On ( Beatles song ) '' hide Rubber Soul Songs Side one `` Drive My Car '' `` Norwegian Wood ( This Bird Has Flown ) '' `` You Wo n't See Me '' `` Nowhere Man '' `` Think for Yourself '' `` The Word '' `` Michelle '' Side two `` What Goes On '' `` Girl '' `` I 'm Looking Through You '' `` In My Life '' `` Wait '' `` If I Needed Someone '' `` Run for Your Life '' Non-album single `` We Can Work It Out '' `` Day Tripper '' Outtake `` 12 - Bar Original '' Related articles The Beatles discography The Beatles ' 1965 UK tour Yesterday and Today This Bird Has Flown -- A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles ' Rubber Soul Please Please Me With the Beatles A Hard Day 's Night Beatles for Sale Help ! Rubber Soul Revolver Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band Magical Mystery Tour The Beatles ( White Album ) Yellow Submarine Abbey Road Let It Be Past Masters hide The Beatles singles discography UK and US ( all labels ) 1963 `` Please Please Me '' / `` Ask Me Why '' `` From Me to You '' / `` Thank You Girl '' `` She Loves You '' / `` I 'll Get You '' 1964 `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '' / `` You Ca n't Do That '' `` I Feel Fine '' / `` She 's a Woman '' 1965 `` Ticket to Ride '' / `` Yes It Is '' `` Help ! '' / `` I 'm Down '' `` We Can Work It Out '' / `` Day Tripper '' 1966 `` Paperback Writer '' / `` Rain '' `` Yellow Submarine '' / `` Eleanor Rigby '' 1967 `` Penny Lane '' / `` Strawberry Fields Forever '' `` All You Need Is Love '' / `` Baby, You 're a Rich Man '' `` Hello, Goodbye '' / `` I Am the Walrus '' 1968 `` Lady Madonna '' / `` The Inner Light '' `` Hey Jude '' / `` Revolution '' 1969 `` Get Back '' / `` Do n't Let Me Down '' `` The Ballad of John and Yoko '' / `` Old Brown Shoe '' `` Something '' / `` Come Together '' 1970 `` Let It Be '' / `` You Know My Name ( Look Up the Number ) '' 1978 `` Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends '' / `` A Day in the Life '' 1982 `` The Beatles Movie Medley '' / `` I 'm Happy Just to Dance with You '' 1995 `` Free as a Bird '' / `` Christmas Time ( Is Here Again ) '' `` Real Love '' / `` Baby 's in Black '' UK only ( Parlophone, Apple ) 1962 `` My Bonnie '' / `` The Saints '' `` Love Me Do '' / `` P.S. I Love You '' 1963 `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' / `` This Boy '' 1964 `` Ai n't She Sweet '' / `` If You Love Me, Baby '' `` A Hard Day 's Night '' / `` Things We Said Today '' 1976 `` Yesterday '' / `` I Should Have Known Better '' `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' / `` Twist and Shout '' US only ( Vee - Jay, Swan, Tollie, Capitol, Apple ) 1963 `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' / `` I Saw Her Standing There '' 1964 `` Twist and Shout '' / `` There 's a Place '' `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' / `` Thank You Girl '' `` Love Me Do '' / `` P.S. I Love You '' `` Sie liebt dich '' / `` I 'll Get You '' `` I 'll Cry Instead '' / `` I 'm Happy Just to Dance with You '' `` And I Love Her '' / `` If I Fell '' `` A Hard Day 's Night '' / `` I Should Have Known Better '' `` Matchbox '' / `` Slow Down '' 1965 `` Eight Days a Week '' / `` I Do n't Want to Spoil the Party '' `` Yesterday '' / `` Act Naturally '' 1966 `` Nowhere Man '' / `` What Goes On '' 1970 `` The Long and Winding Road '' / `` For You Blue '' 1976 `` Got to Get You into My Life '' / `` Helter Skelter '' `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` Julia '' Other countries ( Odeon, Parlophone, Apple ) 1963 `` All My Loving '' / `` This Boy '' ( Canada ) 1964 `` Komm, gib mir deine Hand / Sie liebt dich '' ( Germany ) 1966 `` Norwegian Wood ( This Bird Has Flown ) '' / `` Nowhere Man '' ( Australia ) 1968 `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` While My Guitar Gently Weeps '' ( Europe, Japan, Australia ) `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` I Will '' ( Philippines ) `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' / `` Do n't Pass Me By '' ( Sweden ) 1969 `` You 're Going to Lose That Girl '' / `` Tell Me What You See '' ( Japan ) 1970 `` Oh ! Darling '' / `` Here Comes the Sun '' ( Japan ) 1972 `` All Together Now '' / `` Hey Bulldog '' ( Europe ) 1978 `` Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends '' / `` Within You Without You '' ( Germany ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=What_Goes_On_(Beatles_song)&oldid=810838311 '' Categories : 1966 singles The Beatles songs Song recordings produced by George Martin Songs written by Lennon -- McCartney Songs written by Ringo Starr Capitol Records singles Songs published by Northern Songs 1965 songs Hidden categories : Use British English from June 2011 Use dmy dates from June 2011 Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Italiano ქართული Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Português Русский Svenska Українська 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 17 November 2017, at 19 : 42. About Wikipedia

Question: who sings what goes on by the beatles
Answer: Ringo Starr – lead vocal