While My Guitar Gently Weeps

The Beatles, 1968. Solo by Eric Clapton.

Harrison invited his friend to play, uncredited. Clapton's phrasing literally weeps; the ADT treatment made it wobble.

Eric Clapton played the lead, uncredited, on 'Lucy', a Les Paul he had recently given to George Harrison. Instead of flashy blues runs he answers Harrison's vocal with mournful, singing lines built on slow bends and vibrato, weaving through the verses before stepping forward for the solo and a long, crying outro. During mixing, Chris Thomas wobbled the automatic double-tracking oscillator by hand, giving the guitar its distinctive warble. It is a lovely example of a guest player serving the song and its title rather than showing off. Listen for the slight wavering in the tone as the notes sustain; that studio trick is part of what makes the guitar sound like it is actually weeping.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps by The Beatles is ranked #12 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Eric Clapton and the song was released in 1968. It appears on 35 lists, placing as high as #1 (Moises.ai blog).

The story of While My Guitar Gently Weeps

George Harrison wrote the song in 1968, soon after the Beatles returned from studying Transcendental Meditation in India. Inspired by the Chinese I Ching and its idea that nothing happens by chance, he decided to write about whatever words he first saw when he opened a book at random. The phrase he landed on was "gently weeps", and the song grew from there into a sorrowful reflection on unused love that also hinted at the growing discord inside the band.

Harrison first taped a solo demo on 25 July 1968, singing over a Gibson J-200 acoustic with harmonium added later; that performance eventually surfaced on Anthology 3. The group then attempted a full-band arrangement on 16 August and again in early September, when Abbey Road's new eight-track machine was first used for the song. Harrison tried adding a backwards guitar solo but felt it did not work, and he sensed his bandmates were not taking the song seriously.

To change the atmosphere, Harrison invited his friend Eric Clapton to play lead guitar. Clapton hesitated, pointing out that outsiders never played on Beatles records, but agreed, and the others behaved noticeably better with a guest in the room. Most accounts, including Wikipedia, date his contribution to 6 September 1968, though The Beatles Bible argues he actually played live with the band on the remake takes of 5 September, with overdubs completed the following day.

Released on the White Album in November 1968, the song went uncredited to Clapton on the sleeve. It was not a single in Britain or America, but appeared as the B-side of 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' in several other territories. It became one of Harrison's signature compositions and the song he performed more than any other in his later career. Clapton was later credited by name on Anthology 3.

The solo

Eric Clapton plays the lead on "Lucy", a Gibson Les Paul he had given to Harrison shortly before the sessions. Instead of flashy blues runs, he answers Harrison's vocal with a mournful, singing line full of slow bends and vibrato, weaving through the verses before stepping forward for the solo and a long, crying outro. The mix treated it with Abbey Road's automatic double-tracking: according to comments cited by The Beatles Bible, Chris Thomas manually wobbled the ADT oscillator during mixing, giving the guitar its distinctive warble. Wikipedia places this processing in the final mix of 14 October. The mono mix is often said to present the post-solo guitar more clearly than the stereo version.

Legacy

The track is now counted among the Beatles' finest recordings and is often called Harrison's first truly great composition. Rolling Stone ranked it 136th on its 500 Greatest Songs list and seventh among its 100 greatest guitar songs, while Guitar World placed Clapton's solo 42nd in its 2008 list of the greatest guitar solos. Its later life is almost as famous: Prince's blazing solo at Harrison's 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction has become one of the most-watched performance clips on YouTube.

Top 10 facts about While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Harrison took the phrase 'gently weeps' from a book he opened at random, following the I Ching idea that everything is connected and nothing is coincidence.
Wikipedia
Harrison's 25 July 1968 solo demo, on acoustic guitar with harmonium overdub, was later released on Anthology 3.
Wikipedia
Clapton initially declined, telling Harrison that nobody ever played on Beatles records.
Wikipedia
Clapton played 'Lucy', a Gibson Les Paul he had given Harrison around a month before the session.
The Beatles Bible
The Beatles Bible reports that Clapton played live with the band across 28 remake takes rather than overdubbing his part.
The Beatles Bible
The session on 3 September 1968 was the first time the Beatles used EMI's eight-track recorder.
Wikipedia
The warbling effect on Clapton's guitar came from ADT, with Chris Thomas varying the oscillator speed by hand during the mix.
The Beatles Bible
Clapton received no credit on the White Album sleeve.
Songfacts
Guitar World ranked Clapton's solo 42nd in its 2008 list of the 100 greatest guitar solos.
Wikipedia
At the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, Clapton played a Gibson Byrdland, a choice he later regretted and linked to his worsening heroin addiction.
Wikipedia

Live versions

The Concert for Bangladesh, Madison Square Garden (1971) Harrison and Clapton shared the song at the landmark benefit Harrison organised.
Live in Japan (Tokyo Dome) (1991) Harrison's tour with Clapton's band; edited performances released in 1992.
Concert for George, Royal Albert Hall (2002) Clapton led McCartney, Starr and Dhani Harrison; his closing solo is widely praised.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (2004) Prince's extended closing solo became a viral, much-celebrated performance.

Notable covers

Jeff Healey (1990) Charted in Canada, the UK and New Zealand from the album Hell to Pay.
Peter Frampton (2003) Recorded for his album Now.
Todd Rundgren (2003) Contributed to a Harrison tribute album.
Santana feat. India.Arie and Yo-Yo Ma (2010) From Guitar Heaven; reached the Adult Contemporary chart.
Regina Spektor (2016) Recorded for the film Kubo and the Two Strings.
Jake Shimabukuro Famous solo ukulele arrangement.

In our lists

The 25 Greatest Classic Rock Guitar Solos — #10
The Pioneers: 1950s & 60s — #2
Guest Solos — #1
Best of Eric Clapton — #1
Played on a Les Paul — #4
Most Agreed-Upon — #12
Critics' Picks — #5
Fans' Picks — #12

Sources

What guitar was used on the While My Guitar Gently Weeps solo?

A gibson les paul, according to widely reported accounts.

Where does While My Guitar Gently Weeps rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#12 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 35 of them.

Who played the guitar solo on While My Guitar Gently Weeps?

Eric Clapton, uncredited, at George Harrison's invitation.

Who wrote While My Guitar Gently Weeps?

George Harrison wrote it in 1968 after the Beatles' trip to India.

What guitar did Clapton use on While My Guitar Gently Weeps?

'Lucy', a Gibson Les Paul that Clapton had recently given to Harrison.

What is While My Guitar Gently Weeps about?

It laments the love and potential people fail to realise, and reflects tension within the band; the title came from a randomly opened book.

What album is While My Guitar Gently Weeps on?

The Beatles' 1968 double album The Beatles, known as the White Album.