Lennon or McCartney ??

[Benjamin34551]

I like the Beatles but I always wonder who's singing in the songs. I know Lennon does most of the singing but I'd like to know if you had found something to make the difference between John's voice and Paul's voice.

Thanks!

[edna]

Wow... you should need a whole list... though it´s very easy... I listened to the Beatles since 1963 so I can make the difference but I´ll try to find a site where then tell you who sings what...

I can´t find anything on the web... the list is too long so I can´t do it song by song...

Which songs you´re interested in? Post them and we´ll tell you who´s the lead singer...

For instance, John sings lead in : "Misery", "Ballad of John and Yoko", "In my life", "revolution", "Help"... Paul is "Helter Skelter", "Yesterday", "I saw her standing there", "Let it be"... or take "Imagine" and "The long and winding road" and then you can compare and find out...

[Harguitay]

I think Paul did most of the singing. Wasn't it Beatles' practise that the author of the lyrics sang them?

Paul certainly had the more melodic and polished voice. John's was edgier and a little nasal.

[Steel2Velvet]

Yes, each sang the lead on any song for which they were the primary composer. (They sometimes added bits of lyrics to one another's compositions.) The other usually then sang backup. On some of their earlier work they sang together the lead melody in unison and then occasionally broke apart for harmonic distinction eg. "Help", "She Loves You. " A lot of their lead is a double track of the same singer tracking over themselves on the same note to add a fullness to the melody, eg. "Paperback Writer."

Their note range was similar (John strains more for the higher notes), but the sound is distinctly different. One can best compare them on the 2 sided hit "Penny Lane" (Paul) and "Strawberry Fields Forever" (John.)

[_Laurie_]

I always have a hard time of knowing which one is singing also.....they are very similar.

[Mike]

I like the Beatles but I always wonder who's singing in the songs. I know Lennon does most of the singing but I'd like to know if you had found something to make the difference between John's voice and Paul's voice.

Thanks!

First of all, welcome to Songfacts Ben.

My advice to you is, go to your local video rental store and get a copy of "A Hard Days Night" and "Help!" (I'm sure Netflix has 'em too) Help! is mildly funny but the plot would likely bore a 4 year old these days. The music is great, and you'll be able to identify Johns higher nasally throatier vocals to Pauls smoother mid-range loftier vocals, George's english accent tends to be more prominent and therefore fairly easy to identify, George also sang far less leads and more back-ups than either Lennon or McCartney.

Mike

[RonJonSurfer]

I think George and John sound similar. Paul is easy to pick out for me.

[Benjamin34551]

Well okay thanks a lot guys!! I'm already starting to make a difference between Paul and John thanks to what you told me, and I'll try to find a copy of A Hard Day's Night and Help!

thx, goodbye from Paris

[big_man_pig_man]

I like the Beatles but I always wonder who's singing in the songs. I know Lennon does most of the singing but I'd like to know if you had found something to make the difference between John's voice and Paul's voice.

Thanks!

if you listen to "Help"

and "When I'm 64"

a few times or so...you'll start to get it.

Lennon does Help!

Mcartney does 64