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by: Andy Roman (revolver@bright.net)
Don't Bother Me (takes 10-13)
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Takes 1 through 7 of George Harrison's first solo composition to appear on a Beatles record were attempted the previous day to no satisfaction.
On this day, a remake was attempted. The first "remake take" was given a round number of 10. The session tape begins:
Lead Gutarist for The Beatles George Harrison is heard
demonstrating and discussing some timing structures as the session tape kicks
on: ". .No, that stays. . ."
The voice of Engineer Norman
Smith makes it official: "Don't Bother Me... This is remake.
.We're calling it Take 10."
The take begins. This run-through is complete, yet clearly not releasable. George's voice, for instance, is off-key in places, particularly towards the end of the second stanza, on the lines "I've got no time for you right now, don't bother me. ."
Overall, his vocal performance is shakey. Timing, too, is a problem with this take, especially as the song heads toward the finish. As the take is ending. George is singing, "Oh yeah, Rock and Roll Now, Oh yeah. . ."
The familiar sounds of prepatory warm-ups are heard from the Beatle guitars in Number Two. This is to be the second take of the remake, officially called Take 11.
A George Harrison count-in takes the band into the song.
For those familiar with the commercially released version of this Harrison original, there is a small yet disinctive difference in the structure of the song attempted on this take. One will note on the commercial release that there is a one-bar instrumentation break as George sings the lines "So, go away, leave me alone . . ." Ringo's drumming resumes on the second syllable of the word "away." This pattern is repeated on the lines "I've got no time for you right now. . ." and so on. In this take, a similar break occurs on the opening line "Since she's been gone. . ." As interesting as this structure is in theory, it would go no further.
The take breaks down apparently because George thought it was going a bit too fast.
This third attempt might be called the "Confusion Take."
George, once again, counts-in the Fabs. Again, there is a one-bar instrumentation break as the opening line of the song is sung. Yet, confusion abounds during the opening line of the second stanza. A close listen suggests that perhaps George intended for there to be a break at this point as well. His guitar hits a determinative chord that would have timed perfectly to a break in the drum beat. However, Ringo and Paul keep playing through.
Matters grow worse when Ringo does break on the lines "It's just not right when every night. . ." No one else seems sure. The take breaks down soon thereafter.
This take is essentially the released version of the song.
As Mark Lewisohn points out, overdubs were placed on Take 13 (that being Take 15).
Altogether, Don't Bother Me survived through 19 takes. One can assume that Take 14 was either another attempt at a run-through of the song, or a first attempt at overdubs. Takes 16 through 19 can be assumed to be unsatisfactory overdub attempts, although it is not out of the question that perhaps another complete take was attempted. Lewisohn is not specific.
Earlier on September 12, 1963
April 16, 1964 
Behind The Scenes.
