# Talk:The Night Before (song)

OK, it states in the article that George Harrison played lead guitar in the song. But in the credits, it says George Harrison and Paul McCartney both played lead guitar. Which is it, one or both? Democraticmacguitarist (talk) 11:54, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
There are two guitars on the solo. One is doing a high part, one is low. Ive read McCartney played both. But when live it would have to be George.....  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.147.153.204 (talk) 13:20, 4 June 2011 (UTC) 

OK, now it states in the article that George Harrison played lead and in the credits it says Paul McCartney played lead. Which is it? Democraticmacguitarist (talk) 16:08, 25 August 2009 (UTC)
I think one, if not both guitars, is George. The article cites a book that has often dubious claims of who played what, even though it is written by an "expert". Anyone with a good ear can tell that the credits in this book are often way off.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.106.203.142 (talk) 04:27, 9 October 2012 (UTC)
A suggestion with these line-ups is avoid over-relying on Ian MacDonald's book, because he was a music critic, not an authorized Beatles biographer like Mark Lewisohn, John C. Winn or Walter Everett.61.69.217.3 (talk) 05:04, 21 December 2017 (UTC)

Agreed, and a lot of MacDonald's comments regarding Beatles history have similarly been shown to be off-the-mark by later biographers. Although, Winn and Everett can't be described as "authorized Beatles biographers" at all, but their books do highlight errors or misconceptions on MacDonald's part and also Lewisohn's in fact.
On "The Night Before", it's definitely Harrison and McCartney playing the solo together – what MacDonald seems unaware of is that the Beatles just didn't yet have the luxury of available tracks for, say, McCartney to play something twice. As with percussion on the band's mid-'60s recordings, there usually had to be two (or more) players recording at the same time. What no writer seems to notice with this song, as far as I know, is Harrison's choppy rhythm guitar part. It's played and mixed so tight with Lennon's electric piano that the overall sound is more like a clavinet. If anyone comes across a source that can put that particular issue right, I'd be over the moon(!). JG66 (talk) 05:25, 21 December 2017 (UTC)

There's no tambourine on this song.  There are maracas though.  The fact that it is sourced as being a tambourine makes me think that the writer of the book cited was mistaken, which happens.  I am changing it to credit Ringo as playing maracas and I am removing reference to the tambourine. 76.100.57.219 (talk) 06:31, 24 December 2009 (UTC)

It sounds like maracas to me, but it could be something else, and MacDonald was unsure. He listed it as "tambourine (?)" in his credits list, and then wrote that "The percussion instrument with which Starr shakes up the middle eight is unidentified." (He had access to the EMI docs for the track.) The credits should be sourced, and we should avoid WP:OR, so how about this compromise: I'll change that instrument to "percussion". — John Cardinal (talk) 13:46, 24 December 2009 (UTC)

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Last edited at 15:18, 29 October 2011 (UTC).
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"The whole being alternated with a second melody" - what does that mean? If it refers to the background singing,then it's not a "second melody" - it's background singing. I don't hear a "second melody". Please explain. Thanks.--Daveler16 (talk) 04:58, 10 July 2019 (UTC)