fbpx
Wikipedia

The Fool on the Hill

January 01, 1970

For other uses, see Fool on the Hill (disambiguation).

"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album Magical Mystery Tour. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The lyrics describe the titular "fool", a solitary figure who is not understood by others, but is actually wise. McCartney said the idea for the song was inspired by the Dutch design collective the Fool, who derived their name from the tarot card of the same name, and possibly by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

"The Fool on the Hill"
Northern Songs sheet music cover
Song by the Beatles
from the EP and album Magical Mystery Tour
Released
  • 27 November 1967 (1967-11-27) (US LP)
  • 8 December 1967 (UK EP)
Recorded25–27 September and 20 October 1967
StudioEMI, London
GenrePop, folk[1]
Length3:00
LabelParlophone (UK), Capitol (US)
Songwriter(s)Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)George Martin
Licensed audio
"The Fool On The Hill" on YouTube

The song's segment in the Magical Mystery Tour television film was shot separately from the rest of the film and without the other Beatles' knowledge. Accompanied by a professional cameraman, McCartney filmed the scene near Nice in France.

In 1968, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 recorded a cover version of the song that reached the top ten in the US. By the late 1970s, "The Fool on the Hill" was one of McCartney's most widely recorded ballads. A solo demo and an outtake of the song were included on the Beatles' 1996 compilation album Anthology 2.

Background and lyrics edit

The song's lyrics describe the titular "fool", a solitary figure who is not understood by others, but is actually wise.[2] In his authorised biography, Many Years from Now, Paul McCartney says he first got the idea for the premise from the Dutch design collective the Fool, who were the Beatles' favourite designers in 1967 and told him that they had derived their name from the Tarot card of the same name.[3] According to McCartney, the song possibly relates to a character such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Beatles' meditation teacher:[4]

"Fool on the Hill" was mine and I think I was writing about someone like Maharishi. His detractors called him a fool. Because of his giggle, he wasn't taken too seriously. It was this idea of a fool on the hill, a guru in a cave, I was attracted to ... I was sitting at the piano at my father's house in Liverpool hitting a D 6th chord, and I made up "Fool on the Hill".[5]

Alistair Taylor, in his book Yesterday, reports a mysterious incident involving a man who inexplicably appeared near him and McCartney during a walk on Primrose Hill and then disappeared again, soon after McCartney and Taylor had conversed about the existence of God. In Taylor's account, this incident prompted McCartney to write "The Fool on the Hill".[6]

McCartney played the song for John Lennon during a writing session for "With a Little Help from My Friends" in March 1967.[7] At this point, McCartney had the melody but the lyrics remained incomplete until September.[8] Lennon told him to write it down; McCartney said he did not need to, because he was sure he would not forget it.[9] In his 1980 interview with Playboy magazine, Lennon said, "Now that's Paul. Another good lyric. Shows he's capable of writing complete songs."[10]

Composition edit

The song involves alternations of D major and D minor in a similar manner to Cole Porter's alternations of C minor and C major in "Night and Day".[11] The verses are in the major key while the chorus changes to the parallel minor, indicating the confusion implied by the song title.[12] Ian MacDonald says the change to the parallel minor key effectively conveys "the simultaneously literal and metaphorical sense of the sun going behind a cloud".[13]

The D major tonality that begins with an Em7 chord on "Nobody wants to know him" moves through a ii7–V7–I6–vi7–ii7–V7 progression until the shift to the Dm tone and key on "but the fool". According to musicologist Dominic Pedler, other highlights are the use in the Dm section of a minor sixth (B♭) melody note on the word "sun" (with a Dm♯5 chord) and a major ninth (E melody note) on the word "world" (with a Dm chord).[14]

Recording edit

The Beatles recorded "The Fool on the Hill" for their Magical Mystery Tour film project.[15] It was the band's first project following the death of their manager, Brian Epstein; according to publicist Tony Barrow, McCartney envisaged the film establishing a "whole new phase of their career" with himself as "the film producer of the Beatles".[16] McCartney first taped a solo demo of the song on 6 September 1967.[17] This version was later released on the Anthology 2 compilation.[8] Recording began in earnest on 25 September, with significant overdubs by the Beatles on 26 September. Mark Lewisohn said that the 26 September version was "almost a re-make".[18] A take from 25 September – noticeably slower, somewhat heavier and with slightly different vocals[19] – is also included on Anthology 2.[20] After another session on 27 September, where McCartney added another vocal,[21] the song sat for a month before flutes were added on 20 October.[22] The recording includes a tape loop of bird-like sounds, heard towards the end of the song, that recalls the seagull effect heard in "Tomorrow Never Knows".[23]

Sequence in Magical Mystery Tour film edit

According to Alistair Taylor, McCartney "disappeared" in late October and it was only on his return that the others learned that he had been to France to film a sequence for "The Fool on the Hill".[24] McCartney flew to Nice with cameraman Aubrey Dewar and filmed the sequence at dawn on 31 October. The location was in the mountains inland from the city. McCartney mimed to the song as Dewar filmed the sunrise.[25] The clip was the only musical segment filmed at an exterior location and using professional photography,[26] and the shoot took place when the rest of the Magical Mystery Tour footage was well into the editing stage.[27][28] Peter Brown, who was coordinating the Beatles' business affairs following Epstein's death, recalled that McCartney phoned him from Nice asking for new camera lenses to be sent out for the shoot. According to Brown, the cost for the location filming was considerable, at £4000.[29] In Taylor's description, the footage was "terrific" and "really complemented the song".[24]

The clip shows McCartney in contemplation[30] and cavorting on the hillside.[31] He recalled that he "ad-libbed the whole thing" and that his directions to Dewar were: "Right get over there: Let me dance. Let me dance from this rock to this rock. Get a lot of the sun rising ..."[32] According to author Philip Norman, while the non-musical portions of Magical Mystery Tour were uninspired, the "serial pop video" aspect of the TV film succeeds as a "tour through three rapidly emerging solo talents" in Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. He says the sequence for McCartney's "almost 'Yesterday'-size future standard" shows the singer "on a Provençal mountainside, all big brown eyes and turned-up overcoat".[33] Author Jonathan Gould describes the sequence as "over-lush footage of Paul on a hill ... playing the Fool as if the Fool were a model in a fashion ad".[34]

Release edit

"The Fool on the Hill" and the five other songs from the television film were compiled for release on a double EP, except in the United States, where Capitol Records chose to augment the line-up with the Beatles' non-album single tracks from 1967 and create an LP record.[35][36] The Capitol release took place on 27 November 1967, while Parlophone issued the EP on 8 December.[37][38] "The Fool on the Hill" appeared as the opening track on side three in the EP package.[39] On the LP, it was sequenced as the second track on side one,[40] following "Magical Mystery Tour".[41]

The song's segment in the Magical Mystery Tour film proved the most problematic during the editing process since McCartney and Dewar had failed to use a clapperboard.[42] The film was broadcast in the UK on BBC1 on 26 December, but in black and white rather than colour.[43][44] It was the Beatles' first critical failure.[45] As a result of the unfavourable reviews, networks in the US declined to show the film there.[43][46] Brown blamed McCartney for its failure. Brown said that during a private screening for management staff, the reaction had been "unanimous ... it was awful", yet McCartney was convinced that the film would be warmly received, and ignored Brown's advice to scrap the project and save the band from embarrassment.[47] In Many Years from Now, McCartney cites the inclusion of Lennon's "I Am the Walrus" as justification for Magical Mystery Tour and highlights the sequence for "The Fool on the Hill" as another of the film's redeeming features.[48]

In 1973, three years after the Beatles' break-up, "The Fool on the Hill" was included on the band's compilation album 1967–1970.[49] The song plays over the opening titles of the 2010 Jay Roach film Dinner for Schmucks, marking a relatively rare example of a Beatles recording being licensed for use in a feature film. Reports at the time claimed that Paramount/DreamWorks paid $1.5 million for the song, although Paramount later said that the figure was under $1 million.[50] In 2011, a new mix of "The Fool on the Hill" was issued as an iTunes-exclusive bonus track with the download release of the Beatles' 2006 album Love.[51]

Critical reception edit

Unlike the film, the Magical Mystery Tour EP and album were well received by critics.[43][52] Bob Dawbarn of Melody Maker described the EP as "six tracks which no other pop group in the world could begin to approach for originality combined with the popular touch".[53] He found "The Fool on the Hill" likeable from the first listen as a "typical Beatle lyrical ballad", and said it would make an "excellent single A-side".[54] In Saturday Review magazine, Mike Jahn highlighted the song as an example of how the album successfully conveyed the Beatles' "acquired Hindu philosophy and its subsequent application to everyday life", in this instance by describing "a detached observer, a yogin, who meditates and watches the world spin".[55] Richard Goldstein of The New York Times rued that, more so than Sgt. Pepper, the soundtrack demonstrated the Beatles' departure from true rock values and an over-reliance on studio artifice and motif, such that when "the hero of 'The Fool On The Hill' sees the world spinning round, we whirl gently amid dizzy rhythms". He nevertheless found the song "so easy to adore", with a melody that he deemed "the most haunting thing on the album", and concluded: "The fool as visionary is a common theme ... But there are lovely ways of presenting cliché, and this is one of them."[56]

Rex Reed, in a highly unfavourable review of the LP for HiFi/Stereo Review, described "The Fool on the Hill" as "the only item on the disc that is not distorted so much that you can't understand the lyrics" and admired the flutes on the recording. Having dismissed the Beatles as "lousy entertainers and downright untalented, tone-deaf musicians", he added that the song "will probably be picked up by people who can sing, and then maybe I will like it even more".[57] Robert Christgau, writing for Esquire in May 1968, said the song "shows signs of becoming a favorite of the Simon & Garfunkel crowd and the transcendental meditators, who deserve it. A callow rendering of the outcast-visionary theme, it may be the worst song the Beatles have ever recorded." Christgau added that McCartney "should know better by now", but also conceded that the new material was meant to be heard in the context of the Magical Mystery Tour TV film.[58] In his article "Rock and Art" for Rolling Stone in July that year, Jon Landau rued that the basic values of rock 'n' roll music had been lost to an artistic aesthetic, a trend he found particularly evident in the Beatles' recent work. He said the song represented the "complete negation of their earlier selves" and contained "all the qualities that the early Beatles sought to deflate: it is pious, subtly self-righteous, humorless and totally unphysical."[59]

NME critics Roy Carr and Tony Tyler described the song as "exquisite" and paired it with "I Am the Walrus" as being "by far the most outstanding cuts" on the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack.[60] Writing in his book The Beatles Forever, Nicholas Schaffner identified the same tracks as "two of the most impressive Beatle songs ever". He said "The Fool on the Hill" was among McCartney's "most irresistible, universal" ballads, with a lyric that successfully transposed into pop music the literary theme established through fairy tales, through stories of monarchs prizing their court jester over more learned counsel, and in Dostoevsky's popular novel The Idiot.[61]

Bob Woffinden said the film project was undertaken too quickly after Epstein's death, at McCartney's insistence, and McCartney's misguided leadership was also reflected in the "particularly narcissistic" sequence he created for "The Fool on the Hill".[62] Tim Riley writes that unlike the sharp insights offered by fools in Shakespeare's works, the lyrics teach the listener "Little or nothing, except how to pull the heartstrings." Riley concludes: "Possibilities in this song outweigh its substance – it's the most unworthy Beatles standard since 'Michelle.'"[26] Ian MacDonald admires the melody as "poignantly expressive" and says the lyric "skirts sentiment by never committing itself, remaining open to several different interpretations".[63] He describes the song as "an airy creation, poised peacefully above the world in a place where time and haste are suspended" and says that its "timeless appeal ... lies in its paradoxical air of childlike wisdom and unworldliness".[64] Writing for Rough Guides, Chris Ingham includes "The Fool on the Hill" among the Beatles' "essential" songs.[65] He calls the melody "bewitching" and adds: "part of the joy of the piece is the finely judged lyrical ambiguity that, along with the beautiful spaciousness of the arrangement (all flutes, recorders, bass harmonica and whispery brushes on the drums), allows a myriad of implied meanings to float beguilingly into the imagination of the listener."[66]

In 2012, "The Fool on the Hill" was ranked the 420th-best classic rock song of all time by New York's Q104.3.[67] In 2006, Mojo ranked it 71st in the magazine's list of "The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs".[68] In 2018, the music staff of Time Out London ranked it at number 34 on their list of the best Beatles songs.[69]

McCartney live performances edit

The Beatles were no longer performing concerts when they released "The Fool on the Hill". McCartney considered including it in the set list for his and Wings' 1975–76 world tour[70] – the first time he conceded to playing Beatles songs with Wings – but decided against it.[71] Wings performed it throughout their 1979 tour of the UK.[72][73]

McCartney included "The Fool on the Hill" on his 1989–1990 world tour.[74] Keen to embrace his Beatles past, he played it on the same multi-coloured piano he had used for writing during the 1960s; he introduced the instrument as the "Magic Piano".[75] His performances of the song incorporated sound bites from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.[76] In his press conference on the final day of the world tour, McCartney commented that the song was about "someone who's got the right answer but people tend to ridicule him".[77] A live version from McCartney's concert at London's Wembley Arena on 13 January 1990[78] was included on the album Tripping the Live Fantastic.[79] The song surfaced again for McCartney's 2001–2002 tours, and another live version appeared on the Back in the U.S. album.[80]

Cover versions edit

Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 edit

"The Fool on the Hill"
Single by Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66
from the album Fool on the Hill
B-side"So Many Stars"
ReleasedJuly 1968 (1968-07)
Genre
Length3:15
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)Sérgio Mendes, Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss[84]
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 singles chronology
"The Look of Love"
(1968) 		"The Fool on the Hill"
(1968) 		"Scarborough Fair"
(1968)

Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 recorded "Fool on the Hill", using their approach of marrying a simple bossa nova rhythm with a string accompaniment.[85] The lead vocal was by Lani Hall. Released as a single in late July 1968,[84] the song reached number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100[85] and topped Billboard's Easy Listening chart for six weeks.[86] It was also the title track of Mendes' 1968 album Fool on the Hill.[85]

In 2018, Mendes recalled that he was introduced to the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour album over Christmas 1967 by Herb Alpert, his producer. Impressed with the melody of "The Fool on the Hill", he thought, "Wow, I think I can do a totally different arrangement." He said McCartney later wrote him a letter to thank him for his version of the song.[81]

Other artists edit

By the late 1970s, "The Fool on the Hill" was one of McCartney's most widely recorded ballads.[87] According to Ingham, it was especially popular among cabaret performers during the late 1960s.[65] In 1971, a recording by Shirley Bassey peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart.[88] Helen Reddy recorded the song for All This and World War II,[89] a 1976 film in which wartime newsreel was set to a soundtrack of Lennon–McCartney songs.[90] According to author Robert Rodriguez, it was one of the few "clever juxtapositions" in the film,[91] as the song plays over footage of Adolf Hitler at his mountain hideaway in Berchtesgaden.[92] The duo Eurythmics, nine years after disbanding, reunited in January 2014 to perform "The Fool on the Hill" for The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles.[93][94]

The following are among the many other artists who have covered the song:

the Four Tops, Björk, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, Petula Clark, John Williams, Santo & Johnny, Ray Stevens, Bobbie Gentry, Eddie Fisher, Lena Horne with Gábor Szabó, Micky Dolenz, Stone the Crows, Vera Lynn, Enoch Light, Andre Kostelanetz, the Boston Pops Orchestra, Corry Brokken, the King's Singers, Zé Ramalho, Bud Shank, Mulgrew Miller, the Chopsticks, Mark Mallman, Lana Cantrell, Barry Goldberg, Sharon Tandy, Libby Titus, the Singers Unlimited, Isabelle Aubret and Eddy Mitchell.[30]

Personnel edit

According to Ian MacDonald (except where noted), the following musicians played on the Beatles' recording:[7]

The Beatles

Additional musicians

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Halpin, Brooke (2017). Experiencing the Beatles – A Listener's Companion. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 100. ISBN 9781442271449. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  2. ^ Gould 2007, p. 455.
  3. ^ Miles 1997, p. 343.
  4. ^ Ingham 2006, p. 201.
  5. ^ Miles 1997, pp. 365–66.
  6. ^ Womack 2014, p. 280.
  7. ^ a b MacDonald 1998, p. 237.
  8. ^ a b Winn 2009, p. 121.
  9. ^ Miles 1997, p. 366.
  10. ^ Sheff 2000, p. 186.
  11. ^ Pedler 2003, pp. 183–84.
  12. ^ Riley 2002, p. 239.
  13. ^ MacDonald 1998, p. 339.
  14. ^ Pedler 2003, p. 184.
  15. ^ Sounes 2010, p. 178.
  16. ^ Greene 2016, p. 38.
  17. ^ Lewisohn 2005, p. 123.
  18. ^ Lewisohn 2005, p. 126.
  19. ^ Anthology 2 (booklet). The Beatles. Apple Records. 1996. pp. 41–42. 31796.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ Winn 2009, pp. 125–26.
  21. ^ Lewisohn 2005, p. 127.
  22. ^ Winn 2009, p. 132.
  23. ^ Womack 2014, p. 281.
  24. ^ a b Barrow, Tony (1999). The Making of The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-7575-2. No page numbers appear.
  25. ^ Miles 2001, p. 282.
  26. ^ a b Riley 2002, p. 240.
  27. ^ Ingham 2006, p. 161.
  28. ^ Sounes 2010, p. 198.
  29. ^ Brown & Gaines 2002, p. 254.
  30. ^ a b Fontenot, Robert. . oldies.about.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  31. ^ Everett 1999, p. 131.
  32. ^ Miles 1997, p. 365.
  33. ^ Norman 2008, p. 528.
  34. ^ Gould 2007, p. 456.
  35. ^ Lewisohn 2005, p. 131.
  36. ^ Greene 2016, pp. 41–42.
  37. ^ Miles 2001, pp. 284, 285.
  38. ^ Winn 2009, p. 80.
  39. ^ Miles 2001, p. 285.
  40. ^ Turner 2012, p. 251.
  41. ^ Ingham 2006, p. 47.
  42. ^ Miles 1997, p. 364.
  43. ^ a b c Everett 1999, p. 132.
  44. ^ Greene 2016, pp. 38–39.
  45. ^ MacDonald 1998, p. 224.
  46. ^ Greene 2016, p. 39.
  47. ^ Brown & Gaines 2002, pp. 254–55.
  48. ^ Miles 1997, p. 372.
  49. ^ Schaffner 1978, pp. 158, 207.
  50. ^ Goldstein, Patrick; Rainey, James (22 July 2010). "The Big Picture: How did Jay Roach get a Beatles song for 'Dinner for Schmucks'?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  51. ^ EMI Music/Apple Corps Ltd/Cirque du Soleil (1 February 2011). "The Beatles' Grammy-Winning 'LOVE' Album and 'All Together Now' Documentary Film to Make Digital Debuts Exclusively on iTunes Worldwide". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  52. ^ Schaffner 1978, p. 90.
  53. ^ Shaar Murray, Charles (2002). "Magical Mystery Tour: All Aboard the Magic Bus". Mojo Special Limited Edition: 1000 Days That Shook the World (The Psychedelic Beatles – April 1, 1965 to December 26, 1967). London: Emap. p. 128.
  54. ^ Dawbarn, Bob (25 November 1967). "Magical Beatles – in Stereo". Melody Maker. p. 17.
  55. ^ Jahn, Mike (December 1967). "The Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour". Saturday Review. Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  56. ^ Goldstein, Richard (31 December 1967). "Are the Beatles Waning?". The New York Times. p. 62.
  57. ^ Reed, Rex (March 1968). "Entertainment (The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour)" (PDF). HiFi/Stereo Review. p. 117. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  58. ^ Christgau, Robert (May 1968). "Columns: Dylan-Beatles-Stones-Donovan-Who, Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield, John Fred, California (May 1968, Esquire)". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  59. ^ Gendron 2002, pp. 210, 346.
  60. ^ Carr & Tyler 1978, p. 70.
  61. ^ Schaffner 1978, pp. 90, 91.
  62. ^ Woffinden 1981, pp. 1, 3.
  63. ^ MacDonald 1998, pp. 237, 238.
  64. ^ MacDonald 1998, p. 238.
  65. ^ a b Ingham 2006, p. 48.
  66. ^ Ingham 2006, pp. 200–01.
  67. ^ . Q1043.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  68. ^ Alexander, Phil; et al. (July 2006). "The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs". Mojo. p. 68.
  69. ^ Time Out London Music (24 May 2018). . Time Out London. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  70. ^ Riley 2002, pp. 359–60.
  71. ^ Schaffner 1978, p. 182.
  72. ^ Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 254.
  73. ^ Badman 2001, p. 238.
  74. ^ Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 317.
  75. ^ Sounes 2010, p. 421.
  76. ^ Pereles, Jon (13 December 1989). "More Nostalgia Than Rock in Paul McCartney's Return". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  77. ^ Everett 1999, p. 340.
  78. ^ Badman 2001, p. 439.
  79. ^ Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 334.
  80. ^ Ingham 2006, p. 122.
  81. ^ a b Shand, John (26 March 2018). "Sergio Mendes story: Making songs by the Beatles and Bacharach shine anew". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  82. ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Pop Gets Sophisticated: Soft Rock". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 250. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  83. ^ Margolis, Lynne (1 January 1998). "Sergio Mendes". In Knopper, Steve (ed.). MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 328–329.
  84. ^ a b Billboard Review Panel (3 August 1968). "Spotlight Singles". Billboard. p. 74.
  85. ^ a b c Ginell, Richard S. "Sergio Mendes/Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 Fool on the Hill". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  86. ^ Whitburn 1996.
  87. ^ Schaffner 1978, p. 91.
  88. ^ "Shirley Bassey". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  89. ^ Film Threat admin (1 October 2004). "The Bootleg Files: 'All This and World War II'". Film Threat. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  90. ^ Schaffner 1978, pp. 171–72.
  91. ^ Rodriguez 2010, p. 91.
  92. ^ Badman 2001, p. 196.
  93. ^ Appleford, Steve (28 January 2014). "McCartney and Starr Team Again as Eurythmics, Grohl Honor the Beatles". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  94. ^ Kaye, Ben (11 February 2014). "Watch: The Beatles tribute concert featuring Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Eurythmics, and more". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  95. ^ George Martin interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
  96. ^ Everett 1999, p. 138.

Sources edit

External links edit

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Magical Mystery Tour.

January 01, 1970
fool, hill, other, uses, fool, hill, disambiguation, song, english, rock, band, beatles, from, their, 1967, album, magical, mystery, tour, written, sung, paul, mccartney, credited, lennon, mccartney, partnership, lyrics, describe, titular, fool, solitary, figu. For other uses see Fool on the Hill disambiguation The Fool on the Hill is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 EP and album Magical Mystery Tour It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon McCartney partnership The lyrics describe the titular fool a solitary figure who is not understood by others but is actually wise McCartney said the idea for the song was inspired by the Dutch design collective the Fool who derived their name from the tarot card of the same name and possibly by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi The Fool on the Hill Northern Songs sheet music coverSong by the Beatlesfrom the EP and albumMagical Mystery TourReleased27 November 1967 1967 11 27 US LP 8 December 1967 UK EP Recorded25 27 September and 20 October 1967StudioEMI LondonGenrePop folk 1 Length3 00LabelParlophone UK Capitol US Songwriter s Lennon McCartneyProducer s George MartinLicensed audio The Fool On The Hill on YouTube The song s segment in the Magical Mystery Tour television film was shot separately from the rest of the film and without the other Beatles knowledge Accompanied by a professional cameraman McCartney filmed the scene near Nice in France In 1968 Sergio Mendes amp Brasil 66 recorded a cover version of the song that reached the top ten in the US By the late 1970s The Fool on the Hill was one of McCartney s most widely recorded ballads A solo demo and an outtake of the song were included on the Beatles 1996 compilation album Anthology 2 Contents 1 Background and lyrics 2 Composition 3 Recording 4 Sequence in Magical Mystery Tour film 5 Release 6 Critical reception 7 McCartney live performances 8 Cover versions 8 1 Sergio Mendes amp Brasil 66 8 2 Other artists 9 Personnel 10 See also 11 References 12 Sources 13 External linksBackground and lyrics editThe song s lyrics describe the titular fool a solitary figure who is not understood by others but is actually wise 2 In his authorised biography Many Years from Now Paul McCartney says he first got the idea for the premise from the Dutch design collective the Fool who were the Beatles favourite designers in 1967 and told him that they had derived their name from the Tarot card of the same name 3 According to McCartney the song possibly relates to a character such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi the Beatles meditation teacher 4 Fool on the Hill was mine and I think I was writing about someone like Maharishi His detractors called him a fool Because of his giggle he wasn t taken too seriously It was this idea of a fool on the hill a guru in a cave I was attracted to I was sitting at the piano at my father s house in Liverpool hitting a D 6th chord and I made up Fool on the Hill 5 Alistair Taylor in his book Yesterday reports a mysterious incident involving a man who inexplicably appeared near him and McCartney during a walk on Primrose Hill and then disappeared again soon after McCartney and Taylor had conversed about the existence of God In Taylor s account this incident prompted McCartney to write The Fool on the Hill 6 McCartney played the song for John Lennon during a writing session for With a Little Help from My Friends in March 1967 7 At this point McCartney had the melody but the lyrics remained incomplete until September 8 Lennon told him to write it down McCartney said he did not need to because he was sure he would not forget it 9 In his 1980 interview with Playboy magazine Lennon said Now that s Paul Another good lyric Shows he s capable of writing complete songs 10 Composition editThe song involves alternations of D major and D minor in a similar manner to Cole Porter s alternations of C minor and C major in Night and Day 11 The verses are in the major key while the chorus changes to the parallel minor indicating the confusion implied by the song title 12 Ian MacDonald says the change to the parallel minor key effectively conveys the simultaneously literal and metaphorical sense of the sun going behind a cloud 13 The D major tonality that begins with an Em7 chord on Nobody wants to know him moves through a ii7 V7 I6 vi7 ii7 V7 progression until the shift to the Dm tone and key on but the fool According to musicologist Dominic Pedler other highlights are the use in the Dm section of a minor sixth B melody note on the word sun with a Dm 5 chord and a major ninth E melody note on the word world with a Dm chord 14 Recording editThe Beatles recorded The Fool on the Hill for their Magical Mystery Tour film project 15 It was the band s first project following the death of their manager Brian Epstein according to publicist Tony Barrow McCartney envisaged the film establishing a whole new phase of their career with himself as the film producer of the Beatles 16 McCartney first taped a solo demo of the song on 6 September 1967 17 This version was later released on the Anthology 2 compilation 8 Recording began in earnest on 25 September with significant overdubs by the Beatles on 26 September Mark Lewisohn said that the 26 September version was almost a re make 18 A take from 25 September noticeably slower somewhat heavier and with slightly different vocals 19 is also included on Anthology 2 20 After another session on 27 September where McCartney added another vocal 21 the song sat for a month before flutes were added on 20 October 22 The recording includes a tape loop of bird like sounds heard towards the end of the song that recalls the seagull effect heard in Tomorrow Never Knows 23 Sequence in Magical Mystery Tour film editAccording to Alistair Taylor McCartney disappeared in late October and it was only on his return that the others learned that he had been to France to film a sequence for The Fool on the Hill 24 McCartney flew to Nice with cameraman Aubrey Dewar and filmed the sequence at dawn on 31 October The location was in the mountains inland from the city McCartney mimed to the song as Dewar filmed the sunrise 25 The clip was the only musical segment filmed at an exterior location and using professional photography 26 and the shoot took place when the rest of the Magical Mystery Tour footage was well into the editing stage 27 28 Peter Brown who was coordinating the Beatles business affairs following Epstein s death recalled that McCartney phoned him from Nice asking for new camera lenses to be sent out for the shoot According to Brown the cost for the location filming was considerable at 4000 29 In Taylor s description the footage was terrific and really complemented the song 24 The clip shows McCartney in contemplation 30 and cavorting on the hillside 31 He recalled that he ad libbed the whole thing and that his directions to Dewar were Right get over there Let me dance Let me dance from this rock to this rock Get a lot of the sun rising 32 According to author Philip Norman while the non musical portions of Magical Mystery Tour were uninspired the serial pop video aspect of the TV film succeeds as a tour through three rapidly emerging solo talents in Lennon McCartney and Harrison He says the sequence for McCartney s almost Yesterday size future standard shows the singer on a Provencal mountainside all big brown eyes and turned up overcoat 33 Author Jonathan Gould describes the sequence as over lush footage of Paul on a hill playing the Fool as if the Fool were a model in a fashion ad 34 Release edit The Fool on the Hill and the five other songs from the television film were compiled for release on a double EP except in the United States where Capitol Records chose to augment the line up with the Beatles non album single tracks from 1967 and create an LP record 35 36 The Capitol release took place on 27 November 1967 while Parlophone issued the EP on 8 December 37 38 The Fool on the Hill appeared as the opening track on side three in the EP package 39 On the LP it was sequenced as the second track on side one 40 following Magical Mystery Tour 41 The song s segment in the Magical Mystery Tour film proved the most problematic during the editing process since McCartney and Dewar had failed to use a clapperboard 42 The film was broadcast in the UK on BBC1 on 26 December but in black and white rather than colour 43 44 It was the Beatles first critical failure 45 As a result of the unfavourable reviews networks in the US declined to show the film there 43 46 Brown blamed McCartney for its failure Brown said that during a private screening for management staff the reaction had been unanimous it was awful yet McCartney was convinced that the film would be warmly received and ignored Brown s advice to scrap the project and save the band from embarrassment 47 In Many Years from Now McCartney cites the inclusion of Lennon s I Am the Walrus as justification for Magical Mystery Tour and highlights the sequence for The Fool on the Hill as another of the film s redeeming features 48 In 1973 three years after the Beatles break up The Fool on the Hill was included on the band s compilation album 1967 1970 49 The song plays over the opening titles of the 2010 Jay Roach film Dinner for Schmucks marking a relatively rare example of a Beatles recording being licensed for use in a feature film Reports at the time claimed that Paramount DreamWorks paid 1 5 million for the song although Paramount later said that the figure was under 1 million 50 In 2011 a new mix of The Fool on the Hill was issued as an iTunes exclusive bonus track with the download release of the Beatles 2006 album Love 51 Critical reception editUnlike the film the Magical Mystery Tour EP and album were well received by critics 43 52 Bob Dawbarn of Melody Maker described the EP as six tracks which no other pop group in the world could begin to approach for originality combined with the popular touch 53 He found The Fool on the Hill likeable from the first listen as a typical Beatle lyrical ballad and said it would make an excellent single A side 54 In Saturday Review magazine Mike Jahn highlighted the song as an example of how the album successfully conveyed the Beatles acquired Hindu philosophy and its subsequent application to everyday life in this instance by describing a detached observer a yogin who meditates and watches the world spin 55 Richard Goldstein of The New York Times rued that more so than Sgt Pepper the soundtrack demonstrated the Beatles departure from true rock values and an over reliance on studio artifice and motif such that when the hero of The Fool On The Hill sees the world spinning round we whirl gently amid dizzy rhythms He nevertheless found the song so easy to adore with a melody that he deemed the most haunting thing on the album and concluded The fool as visionary is a common theme But there are lovely ways of presenting cliche and this is one of them 56 Rex Reed in a highly unfavourable review of the LP for HiFi Stereo Review described The Fool on the Hill as the only item on the disc that is not distorted so much that you can t understand the lyrics and admired the flutes on the recording Having dismissed the Beatles as lousy entertainers and downright untalented tone deaf musicians he added that the song will probably be picked up by people who can sing and then maybe I will like it even more 57 Robert Christgau writing for Esquire in May 1968 said the song shows signs of becoming a favorite of the Simon amp Garfunkel crowd and the transcendental meditators who deserve it A callow rendering of the outcast visionary theme it may be the worst song the Beatles have ever recorded Christgau added that McCartney should know better by now but also conceded that the new material was meant to be heard in the context of the Magical Mystery Tour TV film 58 In his article Rock and Art for Rolling Stone in July that year Jon Landau rued that the basic values of rock n roll music had been lost to an artistic aesthetic a trend he found particularly evident in the Beatles recent work He said the song represented the complete negation of their earlier selves and contained all the qualities that the early Beatles sought to deflate it is pious subtly self righteous humorless and totally unphysical 59 NME critics Roy Carr and Tony Tyler described the song as exquisite and paired it with I Am the Walrus as being by far the most outstanding cuts on the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack 60 Writing in his book The Beatles Forever Nicholas Schaffner identified the same tracks as two of the most impressive Beatle songs ever He said The Fool on the Hill was among McCartney s most irresistible universal ballads with a lyric that successfully transposed into pop music the literary theme established through fairy tales through stories of monarchs prizing their court jester over more learned counsel and in Dostoevsky s popular novel The Idiot 61 Bob Woffinden said the film project was undertaken too quickly after Epstein s death at McCartney s insistence and McCartney s misguided leadership was also reflected in the particularly narcissistic sequence he created for The Fool on the Hill 62 Tim Riley writes that unlike the sharp insights offered by fools in Shakespeare s works the lyrics teach the listener Little or nothing except how to pull the heartstrings Riley concludes Possibilities in this song outweigh its substance it s the most unworthy Beatles standard since Michelle 26 Ian MacDonald admires the melody as poignantly expressive and says the lyric skirts sentiment by never committing itself remaining open to several different interpretations 63 He describes the song as an airy creation poised peacefully above the world in a place where time and haste are suspended and says that its timeless appeal lies in its paradoxical air of childlike wisdom and unworldliness 64 Writing for Rough Guides Chris Ingham includes The Fool on the Hill among the Beatles essential songs 65 He calls the melody bewitching and adds part of the joy of the piece is the finely judged lyrical ambiguity that along with the beautiful spaciousness of the arrangement all flutes recorders bass harmonica and whispery brushes on the drums allows a myriad of implied meanings to float beguilingly into the imagination of the listener 66 In 2012 The Fool on the Hill was ranked the 420th best classic rock song of all time by New York s Q104 3 67 In 2006 Mojo ranked it 71st in the magazine s list of The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs 68 In 2018 the music staff of Time Out London ranked it at number 34 on their list of the best Beatles songs 69 McCartney live performances editThe Beatles were no longer performing concerts when they released The Fool on the Hill McCartney considered including it in the set list for his and Wings 1975 76 world tour 70 the first time he conceded to playing Beatles songs with Wings but decided against it 71 Wings performed it throughout their 1979 tour of the UK 72 73 McCartney included The Fool on the Hill on his 1989 1990 world tour 74 Keen to embrace his Beatles past he played it on the same multi coloured piano he had used for writing during the 1960s he introduced the instrument as the Magic Piano 75 His performances of the song incorporated sound bites from Martin Luther King Jr s I Have a Dream speech 76 In his press conference on the final day of the world tour McCartney commented that the song was about someone who s got the right answer but people tend to ridicule him 77 A live version from McCartney s concert at London s Wembley Arena on 13 January 1990 78 was included on the album Tripping the Live Fantastic 79 The song surfaced again for McCartney s 2001 2002 tours and another live version appeared on the Back in the U S album 80 Cover versions editSergio Mendes amp Brasil 66 edit The Fool on the Hill Single by Sergio Mendes amp Brasil 66from the album Fool on the HillB side So Many Stars ReleasedJuly 1968 1968 07 GenreBossa nova 81 82 easy listening 83 Length3 15LabelA amp MSongwriter s Lennon McCartneyProducer s Sergio Mendes Herb Alpert Jerry Moss 84 Sergio Mendes amp Brasil 66 singles chronology The Look of Love 1968 The Fool on the Hill 1968 Scarborough Fair 1968 Sergio Mendes amp Brasil 66 recorded Fool on the Hill using their approach of marrying a simple bossa nova rhythm with a string accompaniment 85 The lead vocal was by Lani Hall Released as a single in late July 1968 84 the song reached number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 85 and topped Billboard s Easy Listening chart for six weeks 86 It was also the title track of Mendes 1968 album Fool on the Hill 85 In 2018 Mendes recalled that he was introduced to the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour album over Christmas 1967 by Herb Alpert his producer Impressed with the melody of The Fool on the Hill he thought Wow I think I can do a totally different arrangement He said McCartney later wrote him a letter to thank him for his version of the song 81 Other artists edit By the late 1970s The Fool on the Hill was one of McCartney s most widely recorded ballads 87 According to Ingham it was especially popular among cabaret performers during the late 1960s 65 In 1971 a recording by Shirley Bassey peaked at number 48 on the UK Singles Chart 88 Helen Reddy recorded the song for All This and World War II 89 a 1976 film in which wartime newsreel was set to a soundtrack of Lennon McCartney songs 90 According to author Robert Rodriguez it was one of the few clever juxtapositions in the film 91 as the song plays over footage of Adolf Hitler at his mountain hideaway in Berchtesgaden 92 The duo Eurythmics nine years after disbanding reunited in January 2014 to perform The Fool on the Hill for The Night That Changed America A Grammy Salute to The Beatles 93 94 The following are among the many other artists who have covered the song This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia s quality standards The specific problem is other cover artists may not meet WP SONGCOVER Please help improve this section if you can March 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message the Four Tops Bjork Sarah Vaughan Aretha Franklin Petula Clark John Williams Santo amp Johnny Ray Stevens Bobbie Gentry Eddie Fisher Lena Horne with Gabor Szabo Micky Dolenz Stone the Crows Vera Lynn Enoch Light Andre Kostelanetz the Boston Pops Orchestra Corry Brokken the King s Singers Ze Ramalho Bud Shank Mulgrew Miller the Chopsticks Mark Mallman Lana Cantrell Barry Goldberg Sharon Tandy Libby Titus the Singers Unlimited Isabelle Aubret and Eddy Mitchell 30 Personnel editAccording to Ian MacDonald except where noted the following musicians played on the Beatles recording 7 The Beatles Paul McCartney vocals piano acoustic guitar recorder bass penny whistle 95 John Lennon classical guitar harmonica Jew s harp George Harrison 12 string acoustic guitar 96 harmonica Ringo Starr drums maracas finger cymbals Additional musicians Christopher Taylor Richard Taylor Jack Ellory flutesSee also editSexy SadieReferences edit Halpin Brooke 2017 Experiencing the Beatles A Listener s Companion Rowman amp Littlefield p 100 ISBN 9781442271449 Retrieved 4 October 2022 Gould 2007 p 455 Miles 1997 p 343 Ingham 2006 p 201 Miles 1997 pp 365 66 Womack 2014 p 280 a b MacDonald 1998 p 237 a b Winn 2009 p 121 Miles 1997 p 366 Sheff 2000 p 186 Pedler 2003 pp 183 84 Riley 2002 p 239 MacDonald 1998 p 339 Pedler 2003 p 184 Sounes 2010 p 178 Greene 2016 p 38 Lewisohn 2005 p 123 Lewisohn 2005 p 126 Anthology 2 booklet The Beatles Apple Records 1996 pp 41 42 31796 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link Winn 2009 pp 125 26 Lewisohn 2005 p 127 Winn 2009 p 132 Womack 2014 p 281 a b Barrow Tony 1999 The Making of The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour London Omnibus Press ISBN 0 7119 7575 2 No page numbers appear Miles 2001 p 282 a b Riley 2002 p 240 Ingham 2006 p 161 Sounes 2010 p 198 Brown amp Gaines 2002 p 254 a b Fontenot Robert The Beatles Songs The Fool on the Hill The history of this classic Beatles song oldies about com Archived from the original on 4 April 2015 Retrieved 25 July 2019 Everett 1999 p 131 Miles 1997 p 365 Norman 2008 p 528 Gould 2007 p 456 Lewisohn 2005 p 131 Greene 2016 pp 41 42 Miles 2001 pp 284 285 Winn 2009 p 80 Miles 2001 p 285 Turner 2012 p 251 Ingham 2006 p 47 Miles 1997 p 364 a b c Everett 1999 p 132 Greene 2016 pp 38 39 MacDonald 1998 p 224 Greene 2016 p 39 Brown amp Gaines 2002 pp 254 55 Miles 1997 p 372 Schaffner 1978 pp 158 207 Goldstein Patrick Rainey James 22 July 2010 The Big Picture How did Jay Roach get a Beatles song for Dinner for Schmucks Los Angeles Times Retrieved 18 February 2021 EMI Music Apple Corps Ltd Cirque du Soleil 1 February 2011 The Beatles Grammy Winning LOVE Album and All Together Now Documentary Film to Make Digital Debuts Exclusively on iTunes Worldwide PR Newswire Retrieved 2 August 2019 Schaffner 1978 p 90 Shaar Murray Charles 2002 Magical Mystery Tour All Aboard the Magic Bus Mojo Special Limited Edition 1000 Days That Shook the World The Psychedelic Beatles April 1 1965 to December 26 1967 London Emap p 128 Dawbarn Bob 25 November 1967 Magical Beatles in Stereo Melody Maker p 17 Jahn Mike December 1967 The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour Saturday Review Available at Rock s Backpages subscription required Goldstein Richard 31 December 1967 Are the Beatles Waning The New York Times p 62 Reed Rex March 1968 Entertainment The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour PDF HiFi Stereo Review p 117 Retrieved 6 April 2020 Christgau Robert May 1968 Columns Dylan Beatles Stones Donovan Who Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield John Fred California May 1968 Esquire robertchristgau com Retrieved 24 July 2019 Gendron 2002 pp 210 346 Carr amp Tyler 1978 p 70 Schaffner 1978 pp 90 91 Woffinden 1981 pp 1 3 MacDonald 1998 pp 237 238 MacDonald 1998 p 238 a b Ingham 2006 p 48 Ingham 2006 pp 200 01 The Top 1 043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time Dirty Dozenth Edition Q1043 com Archived from the original on 14 December 2013 Retrieved 3 February 2014 Alexander Phil et al July 2006 The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs Mojo p 68 Time Out London Music 24 May 2018 The 50 Best Beatles songs Time Out London Archived from the original on 15 December 2018 Retrieved 31 July 2019 Riley 2002 pp 359 60 Schaffner 1978 p 182 Madinger amp Easter 2000 p 254 Badman 2001 p 238 Madinger amp Easter 2000 p 317 Sounes 2010 p 421 Pereles Jon 13 December 1989 More Nostalgia Than Rock in Paul McCartney s Return The New York Times Retrieved 23 July 2011 Everett 1999 p 340 Badman 2001 p 439 Madinger amp Easter 2000 p 334 Ingham 2006 p 122 a b Shand John 26 March 2018 Sergio Mendes story Making songs by the Beatles and Bacharach shine anew The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 27 July 2019 Stanley Bob 13 September 2013 Pop Gets Sophisticated Soft Rock Yeah Yeah Yeah The Story of Modern Pop Faber amp Faber p 250 ISBN 978 0 571 28198 5 Margolis Lynne 1 January 1998 Sergio Mendes In Knopper Steve ed MusicHound Lounge The Essential Album Guide Detroit Visible Ink Press pp 328 329 a b Billboard Review Panel 3 August 1968 Spotlight Singles Billboard p 74 a b c Ginell Richard S Sergio Mendes Sergio Mendes amp Brasil 66 Fool on the Hill AllMusic Retrieved 14 May 2015 Whitburn 1996 Schaffner 1978 p 91 Shirley Bassey Official Charts Company Retrieved 27 July 2019 Film Threat admin 1 October 2004 The Bootleg Files All This and World War II Film Threat Retrieved 27 July 2019 Schaffner 1978 pp 171 72 Rodriguez 2010 p 91 Badman 2001 p 196 Appleford Steve 28 January 2014 McCartney and Starr Team Again as Eurythmics Grohl Honor the Beatles Rolling Stone Retrieved 27 July 2019 Kaye Ben 11 February 2014 Watch The Beatles tribute concert featuring Paul McCartney Dave Grohl Eurythmics and more Consequence of Sound Retrieved 27 July 2019 George Martin interviewed on the Pop Chronicles 1969 Everett 1999 p 138 Sources editBadman Keith 2001 The Beatles Diary Volume 2 After the Break Up 1970 2001 London Omnibus Press ISBN 978 0 7119 8307 6 Brown Peter Gaines Steven 2002 1983 The Love You Make An Insider s Story of the Beatles New York NY New American Library ISBN 978 0 4512 0735 7 Carr Roy Tyler Tony 1978 The Beatles An Illustrated Record London Trewin Copplestone ISBN 0 450 04170 0 Everett Walter 1999 The Beatles as Musicians Revolver through the Anthology New York NY Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 512941 0 Gendron Bernard 2002 Between Montmartre and the Mudd Club Popular Music and the Avant Garde Chicago IL University of Chicago Press ISBN 978 0 226 28737 9 Gould Jonathan 2007 Can t Buy Me Love The Beatles Britain and America New York NY Harmony Books ISBN 978 0 307 35337 5 Greene Doyle 2016 Rock Counterculture and the Avant Garde 1966 1970 How the Beatles Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground Defined an Era Jefferson NC McFarland ISBN 978 1 4766 6214 5 Ingham Chris 2006 The Rough Guide to the Beatles London Rough Guides ISBN 978 1 84353 720 5 Lewisohn Mark 2005 1988 The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962 1970 London Bounty Books ISBN 978 0 7537 2545 0 MacDonald Ian 1998 Revolution in the Head The Beatles Records and the Sixties London Pimlico ISBN 978 0 7126 6697 8 Madinger Chip Easter Mark 2000 Eight Arms to Hold You The Solo Beatles Compendium Chesterfield MO 44 1 Productions ISBN 0 615 11724 4 Miles Barry 1997 Paul McCartney Many Years from Now New York NY Henry Holt and Company ISBN 0 8050 5249 6 Miles Barry 2001 The Beatles Diary Volume 1 The Beatles Years London Omnibus Press ISBN 0 7119 8308 9 Norman Philip 2008 John Lennon The Life New York NY Ecco ISBN 978 0 06 075402 0 Pedler Dominic 2003 The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles London Omnibus Press ISBN 978 0 7119 8167 6 Riley Tim 2002 1988 Tell Me Why The Beatles Album by Album Song by Song the Sixties and After Cambridge MA Da Capo Press ISBN 978 0 306 81120 3 Rodriguez Robert 2010 Fab Four FAQ 2 0 The Beatles Solo Years 1970 1980 Milwaukee WI Backbeat Books ISBN 978 1 4165 9093 4 Schaffner Nicholas 1978 The Beatles Forever New York NY McGraw Hill ISBN 0 07 055087 5 Sheff David 2000 1981 All We Are Saying The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono New York NY St Martin s Press ISBN 0 312 25464 4 Sounes Howard 2010 Fab An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney London HarperCollins ISBN 978 0 00 723705 0 Turner Steve 2012 1994 A Hard Day s Write The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song London Carlton Books ISBN 978 1 78097 096 7 Whitburn Joel 1996 The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits 6th ed New York Billboard Publications Winn John C 2009 That Magic Feeling The Beatles Recorded Legacy Volume Two 1966 1970 New York NY Three Rivers Press ISBN 978 0 307 45239 9 Woffinden Bob 1981 The Beatles Apart London Proteus ISBN 0 906071 89 5 Womack Kenneth 2014 The Beatles Encyclopedia Everything Fab Four Santa Barbara CA ABC CLIO ISBN 978 0 313 39171 2 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Magical Mystery Tour Alan W Pollack s Notes on The Fool on the Hill Handwritten lyrics of The Fool on the Hill in The Beatles Loan at the British Library The Fool On The Hill on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Fool on the Hill amp oldid 1220411510, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.