Come Together

"Come Together" is a famous song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and officially credited to Lennon–McCartney. This lively track was the opening song on the Beatles' 1969 album called Abbey Road.

The song became very popular. In the United Kingdom, it was released as a double A-side with another Beatles song called "Something". Together, they reached the fourth spot on the UK charts. In the United States, "Come Together" even reached the top position on the Billboard Hot 100.

Many other artists have recorded their own versions of "Come Together" over the years. Some of these artists include Ike & Tina Turner, Aerosmith, Eurythmics, Michael Jackson, Joe Cocker, Arctic Monkeys, Marcus Miller, Soundgarden, and Gary Clark Jr.. The song remains one of the most well-known and enjoyed tracks from the Beatles' long and influential career.

Background and inspiration

In 1969, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, held peaceful protests against the Vietnam War called the Bed-ins for Peace. During one of these protests in Montreal, a man named Timothy Leary visited. He wanted to be Governor of California and asked Lennon to write a song for his campaign using the words "Come Together – Join the Party!" Lennon agreed and started working on a song with that phrase.

Later, while making the Beatles' album Abbey Road, Lennon turned those words into a full song. He used ideas from an old song by Chuck Berry and added some of his own lines. Even George Harrison helped by writing a couple of the song's lines.

Production

The Beatles recorded "Come Together" at EMI Studios, now known as Abbey Road Studios, on July 21, 1969. This was during the making of their album Abbey Road. George Martin led the recording, with help from Geoff Emerick and Phil McDonald. It was John Lennon’s first new song for the band in three months.

The band recorded eight versions of the song, choosing the sixth as their best. John Lennon sang the main vocals, Paul McCartney played the bass guitar, George Harrison played rhythm guitar, and Ringo Starr was on drums. Ringo Starr used tea towels on his tom drums to make the sound softer. John Lennon added handclaps and tambourine while singing.

More recording happened during the next week. On July 22, John Lennon re-recorded his vocals and added more handclaps. Paul McCartney played a Fender Rhodes electric piano. George Harrison added loud guitar sounds during the choruses, and Ringo Starr played maraca. More vocals were added on July 23, a harmony vocal by Paul McCartney on July 25, and a guitar part by John Lennon on July 29. George Harrison finished with a lead guitar solo on July 30.

Mixing was finished on August 7. Ten different mixes were made, and the first one was chosen as the best. The song was only mixed in stereo, not mono.

Commentary by band members and George Martin

John Lennon liked the song a lot. He said it was one of his favorite songs by the Beatles because it had a fun, bluesy style and he sang it well.

George Martin, who worked with the band, thought the song showed how each member of the Beatles added their own special touch. He said the song started with John’s voice, then Paul added a cool musical idea, Ringo created a matching drum beat, and George added guitar at the end. Together, they made something even better than any one of them could alone. In 2021, Ringo Starr said it was his favorite Beatles song in an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Release and legacy

Apple Records, the Beatles' record label, released the album Abbey Road on September 26, 1969, with "Come Together" as the first song. The song was also released as a single in America on October 6, 1969, together with another song called "Something" by George Harrison. It became very popular, staying on the US charts for 16 weeks and reaching the top position.

Early versions of the song were recorded on July 21, 1969, and some of these were released later on special collections. Over the years, "Come Together" has been listed among the best songs by the Beatles by many magazines and websites. It has appeared high on lists from Mojo, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and others.

Lawsuit

Further information: Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits

In 1969, the song "Come Together" had a claim about copyright by Big Seven Music, the publisher of Chuck Berry's song "You Can't Catch Me". The owner said the songs sounded alike and had similar words. To make the song more unique, John Lennon and Paul McCartney changed the speed and added a strong bass sound. The case ended without a court decision in 1973. As a result, Lennon agreed to include three songs from Big Seven Music on his next album. One of these songs, a short version of "Ya Ya", was released later with Lennon's son Julian on the album Walls and Bridges in 1974. The other two songs came out on Lennon's 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll, though one stayed unreleased until after Lennon passed away. Later, there was another legal issue, but it was settled.

Personnel

The song "Come Together" features performances by the Beatles members.

• John Lennon sang the main vocals and played guitar, along with adding handclaps and a tambourine.
• Paul McCartney provided background vocals and played the bass guitar and Rhodes piano.
• George Harrison played both lead and rhythm guitars.
• Ringo Starr played the drums and maraca.

Charts

Weekly charts

Certifications and sales

Cover versions

Ike & Tina Turner version

After the Beatles released "Come Together," Ike & Tina Turner started performing their own version of the song. They first played it at Madison Square Garden in November 1969. Because people loved their live shows, Minit Records quickly released a studio version as a single in December 1969. This version, also credited to the Ikettes, reached number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 21 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. The B-side of the single was another soul-rock cover of "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones.

"Come Together" was the lead single from Ike & Tina Turner's 1970 album of the same name. The song has appeared on many compilations, including Greatest Hits (1976), Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner (1991), and The Ike & Tina Turner Story: 1960–1975 (2007). A live version recorded at L'Olympia in Paris on January 30, 1971, was later released on their live album Live in Paris in 1971.

John Lennon solo version

John Lennon performed "Come Together" during his 1972 concerts at Madison Square Garden. This was his only full-length concert performance after leaving the Beatles, and he was backed by the band Elephant's Memory. This version of the song is featured on the concert album Live in New York City, recorded on August 30, 1972, and released in 1986.

Aerosmith version

The American hard rock band Aerosmith recorded a very popular cover of "Come Together" in 1978. They performed the song in the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and their recording was on the film's soundtrack album. Released as a single in July 1978, Aerosmith's version reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was their last Top 40 hit for almost ten years. Another version of the song appeared on their live album Live! Bootleg later that year. The song was also included on Aerosmith's Greatest Hits, their first singles compilation released in 1980. Aerosmith's live performance from the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards was released on a Grammy compilation CD. The song has appeared on many Aerosmith compilations and live albums since then, including the soundtrack for the film Armageddon.

Godsmack version

Godsmack released "Come Together" in 2012 on their Live & Inspired album. An official music video was made, and the single entered the Hard Rock Charts at number 11. In 2017, it reached number 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.

Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL version

Musician Gary Clark Jr. and composer Junkie XL covered "Come Together" as the first single from the soundtrack of the 2017 superhero film Justice League, released on September 8. A music video featuring Gary Clark Jr. on guitar and vocals, along with clips from the film, came out on October 27. The single reached number 27 on the Billboard Digital Songs Sales chart and number 7 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

Other versions

Paul McCartney recorded a new version of "Come Together" with Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller for the 1995 charity album Help, under the name the Smokin' Mojo Filters. Weller sang the lead vocals, while McCartney and Gallagher provided backing vocals, harmonies, bass, and guitar. Their version reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1995.

Michael Jackson covered the song in 1986. It was recorded for his 1987 album Bad but was not used. Instead, it appeared on HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I in 1995 and as a B-side on his "Remember the Time" CD single. The song was also in the 1988 film Moonwalker and had an official video. It was the only Beatles song Jackson ever covered officially, as he had purchased the publishing rights to the Beatles' catalogue in 1985.

Arctic Monkeys performed the song for the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. It was released on the album Isles of Wonder and reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart.

Foo Fighters, Liam Gallagher, and Aerosmith's Joe Perry covered "Come Together" at the CalJam Festival in San Bernardino, California in 2017. Gallagher forgot the lyrics during the performance and later said he thought they were playing "I Am the Walrus".