Something was the
first Beatles' A side to be written by George. Its twin
sources of inspiration were Ray Charles, who George imagined
singing it, and a 1968 album track by James Taylor titled
Something in the Way She Moves. Despite what is
popularly believed, George has said that it was not written
about his wife Pattie.
James Taylor, an American, was signed to the Apple label
and his eponymous first album was produced by Peter Asher
between July and October 1968. Paul played bass on one track.
Something in the Way She Moves was the last track on
the first side of the album and the opening lines were:
"There's something in the way she moves, Or looks my way or
calls my name, That seems to leave this troubled world
behind."
The White Album was being recorded at Abbey Road
at exactly the same time as Taylor was recording at Trident
Studios in London's Soho. Indeed, on October 3, George was at
Trident recording Savoy Truffle with Paul and Ringo
and probably heard the track then.
"I've always assumed George must have heard it but I never
actually spoke to him about it," says Taylor. "I'd
written Something in the Way She Moves about two
years before I recorded it and, strangely enough, I'd wanted
to call it 'I Feel Fine', but of course that was a
Beatles' track.
"I often notice traces of other people's work in my own
songs," Taylor continues. "If George either consciously or
unconsciously took a line from one of my songs then I find it
very flattering. It's certainly not an unusual thing to
happen. I'd made a tape of Something in the Way She Moves
and about seven other songs about a couple of months
before I met Peter Asher. I know Paul listened to it at Apple
but I'm not sure who else listened to it".
The basic writing of Something must have taken
place in October because George has said that he worked it
out on piano in Studio 1, while Paul was overdubbing in
Studio 2. The only reason it wasn't included on the White
Album was because the track selection had already been
completed.
George first offered Something to Joe Cocker and
Jackie Lomax but then, in May 1969, decided to record it with
the Beatles for Abbey Road. He said that when he wrote
it he imagined Ray Charles singing it. Something was
an enormously successful song for George, becoming the second
most covered Beatles' song after Yesterday (Ray
Charles and Smokey Robinson both did versions) and giving him
his first American Top 10
hit.