Mal Evans - Musical Contributions

Musical Contributions

Evans contributed to many recordings, including singing in the chorus of "Yellow Submarine". He played single organ notes on "You Won't See Me", and harmonica on "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!". McCartney explained that he showed Evans where the notes were on the organ, and then nodded his head when he wanted Evans to play, and shook it when he wanted him to stop.

On "A Day in the Life", Evans controlled an alarm clock; counting the measures in the original 24-bar pause, and was one of the five piano players simultaneously hitting the last chord of the song. He played tambourine on "Dear Prudence", and trumpet on "Helter Skelter", where he played a double solo with Lennon, even though neither were proficient on the instrument. Evans contributed background vocals, and stirred a bucket of gravel (as part of the rhythm), on "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)". He also contributed to the White Album out-take, "What's the New Mary Jane", and hit an anvil on "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", because Starr could not lift the hammer high enough to get the right sound and keep in time with the song.

According to Evans' diaries, he helped to compose songs for the Sgt. Pepper album. He wrote, on 27 January 1967: "Sgt Pepper. Started writing song with Paul upstairs in his room, he on piano" and "Did a lot more of "where the rain comes in" . Hope people like it. Started Sergeant Pepper". On 1 February: "Sergeant Pepper sounds good. Paul tells me that I will get royalties on the song—great news, now perhaps a new home." On 2 February: "Recording voices on Captain Pepper. All six of us doing the chorus in the middle, worked until about midnight."

Keith Badman—author of The Beatles off the Record—referred to a tape recording of Evans speaking shortly before his death, on which Evans reiterated some of the statements made in the diary. According to Badman, Evans was asked at the time if it would be a problem that he was not credited as a writer, because the Lennon–McCartney writing name was "a really hot item". Evans did not receive any royalties and stayed at his £38-a-week pay (equivalent to £514 today).