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People · Unique personnel

Role swap

At least one Beatle plays an instrument other than their usual one.

songs

79 of their recordings have at least one of them on somebody else's instrument, from 1964 to 1970. 'You Can't Do That' is the earliest, from 1964, and 'I Me Mine' the last, from 1970, with Abbey Road leaning on it hardest, eleven of its seventeen tracks. More of them come from 1967 on than from the first four years, 54 against fourteen. Paul sings lead on 37 of them, nineteen for John, and the two of them together on eight, with George on nine and Ringo on two. All four of them take the lead on 'Carry That Weight'. Three of them share it on 'Because'. On 'The Night Before' it is Paul McCartney on Guitar, Paul McCartney on Electric guitar, Paul McCartney on Lead guitar and George Harrison on Rhythm guitar. On 'Flying' it is Paul McCartney on Guitar, Ringo Starr on Tape loops, Paul McCartney on Electric guitar and Ringo Starr on Sound effects.

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More songs with role swap come from 1968 than from any other year: 19 of the 79.

1968

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)

By Era

Early2 · 3%

Mid-period30 · 41%

Late42 · 57%

By Album

The Beatles (The White Album)17

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band6

Let It Be6

Magical Mystery Tour5

Album

The White Album

Software

Waves Abbey Road Reverb Plates

Waves Audio

Album

Please Please Me

Vinyl

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Songs(77 of 79)

Year

Album

Writer

Lead vocal(s)

#	Title	Year	Album	Lead Vocal(s)	Notes
1	You Can't Do That	1964	A Hard Day's Night	John	John Lennon on Lead guitar; George Harrison on Rhythm guitar
2	I'll Follow the Sun	1964	Beatles For Sale	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
3	Ticket to Ride	1965	Help!	John	Paul on lead guitar; George on rhythm
4	Another Girl	1965	Help!	Paul	Paul on lead guitar in place of George
5	I Need You	1965	Help!	George	Lennon on snare; Ringo on acoustic body percussion
6	I've Just Seen a Face	1965	Help!	Paul	Paul McCartney on Classical guitar; Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
7	The Night Before	1965	Help!	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar; Paul McCartney on Lead guitar; George Harrison on Rhythm guitar

8	Yesterday	1965	Help!	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
9	Day Tripper	1965	Past Masters	John, Paul	John Lennon on Lead guitar
10	Drive My Car	1965	Rubber Soul	Paul, John	Paul plays slide lead guitar solo
11	I'm Looking Through You	1965	Rubber Soul	Paul	Ringo on Hammond organ
12	Michelle	1965	Rubber Soul	Paul	Paul McCartney on Classical guitar; Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
13	Nowhere Man	1965	Rubber Soul	John	John Lennon on Lead guitar
14	Paperback Writer	1966	Past Masters	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar; Paul McCartney on Lead guitar; George Harrison on Rhythm guitar
15	And Your Bird Can Sing	1966	Revolver	John	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar; Paul McCartney on Lead guitar
16	Good Day Sunshine	1966	Revolver	Paul	George Harrison on Bass guitar
17	Got to Get You into My Life	1966	Revolver	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar
18	Here, There and Everywhere	1966	Revolver	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar
19	She Said She Said	1966	Revolver	John	Harrison on bass
20	Taxman	1966	Revolver	George	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar; Paul McCartney on Lead guitar; George Harrison on Rhythm guitar
21	Tomorrow Never Knows	1966	Revolver	John	Ringo Starr on Tape loops; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar
22	Strawberry Fields Forever	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	John	Paul on lead guitar (end); George on Mellotron
23	A Day in the Life	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John, Paul	-
24	Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John	-
25	Fixing a Hole	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; John Lennon on Bass guitar
26	Getting Better	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar
27	Good Morning Good Morning	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	John	Paul on lead guitar; George on rhythm
28	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	1967	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar; Paul McCartney on Lead guitar

29	Hello, Goodbye	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	John Lennon on Lead guitar
30	Blue Jay Way	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	George	George Harrison on Organ
31	Flying	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	-	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Ringo Starr on Tape loops; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar; Ringo Starr on Sound effects
32	The Fool on the Hill	1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
33	Lady Madonna	1968	Past Masters	Paul	John Lennon on Lead guitar
34	Revolution	1968	Past Masters	John	John Lennon on Lead guitar
35	Back in the U.S.S.R.	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul on drums; Lennon and Harrison on basses
36	Blackbird	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
37	Cry Baby Cry	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
38	Dear Prudence	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Paul on drums
39	Don't Pass Me By	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Ringo	Ringo Starr on Tack piano; Paul McCartney on Drums; Ringo Starr on Piano
40	Helter Skelter	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul on lead guitar solo; John on bass
41	Honey Pie	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	George Harrison on Bass guitar; John Lennon on Lead guitar; George Harrison on 6-string bass
42	I Will	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
43	Martha My Dear	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar
44	Mother Nature's Son	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Drums; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
45	Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
46	Revolution 1	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	John Lennon on Lead guitar
47	Rocky Raccoon	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar; George Harrison on Bass guitar; John Lennon on Bass guitar; John Lennon on 6-string bass
48	Sexy Sadie	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	John	Paul McCartney on Guitar
49	While My Guitar Gently Weeps	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	George	George Harrison on Bass guitar; George Harrison on Organ
50	Why Don't We Do It in the Road?	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar
51	Wild Honey Pie	1968	The Beatles (The White Album)	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Drums; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
52	All Together Now	1969	Yellow Submarine	Paul, John	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
53	It's All Too Much	1969	Yellow Submarine	George	George Harrison on Organ
54	Only a Northern Song	1969	Yellow Submarine	George	Harrison on organ; McCartney on piano and trumpet; Lennon on trumpet and glockenspiel
55	Get Back	1969	Let It Be	Paul	John on lead guitar; George on rhythm
56	Old Brown Shoe	1969	Past Masters	George	George Harrison on Tack piano; Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Drums; George Harrison on Bass guitar; George Harrison on Piano; George Harrison on Organ; Paul McCartney on Rhythm guitar
57	The Ballad of John and Yoko	1969	Past Masters	John	Paul on drums; Paul on piano
58	Because	1969	Abbey Road	John, Paul, George	George Harrison on Synthesizer
59	Carry That Weight	1969	Abbey Road	Paul, John, George, Ringo	George on bass; Paul on rhythm guitar
60	Golden Slumbers	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	George Harrison on Bass guitar
61	Her Majesty	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
62	Here Comes the Sun	1969	Abbey Road	George	George Harrison on Harmonium; George Harrison on Synthesizer
63	I Want You (She's So Heavy)	1969	Abbey Road	John	Ringo Starr on Noises; John Lennon on Lead guitar; George Harrison on Rhythm guitar; Ringo Starr on Wind machine
64	Maxwell's Silver Hammer	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar; George Harrison on Bass guitar
65	Octopus's Garden	1969	Abbey Road	Ringo	Ringo Starr on Sound effects
66	Oh! Darling	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	George Harrison on Bass guitar
67	She Came in Through the Bathroom Window	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
68	The End	1969	Abbey Road	Paul	Three-way guitar duel: Paul, George, John take turns on lead
69	Across the Universe (Wildlife version)	1969	Past Masters	John	-
70	Across the Universe	1970	Let It Be	John	John Lennon on Lead guitar
71	Dig It	1970	Let It Be	John	John Lennon on Bass guitar; John Lennon on 6-string bass
72	I Me Mine	1970	Let It Be	George	Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
73	The Long and Winding Road	1970	Let It Be	Paul	John on bass; Paul on piano (lead instrument)
74	Two of Us	1970	Let It Be	Paul, John	George on bass-register lead guitar; no bass guitar
75	Free as a Bird	1995	Reunion singles	John, Paul, George	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
76	Real Love	1996	Reunion singles	John	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar
77	Now and Then	2023	Reunion singles	John	Paul McCartney on Guitar; Paul McCartney on Acoustic guitar; Paul McCartney on Electric guitar

Updated 2026-10-09

Role swap

Analysis

By Year

By Songwriter

By Era

By Album

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Songs(77 of 79)

You Can't Do That

I'll Follow the Sun

Ticket to Ride

Another Girl

I Need You

I've Just Seen a Face

The Night Before

Yesterday

Day Tripper

Drive My Car

I'm Looking Through You

Michelle

Nowhere Man

Paperback Writer

And Your Bird Can Sing

Good Day Sunshine

Got to Get You into My Life

Here, There and Everywhere

She Said She Said

Taxman

Tomorrow Never Knows

Strawberry Fields Forever

A Day in the Life

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

Fixing a Hole

Getting Better

Good Morning Good Morning

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Hello, Goodbye

Blue Jay Way

Flying

The Fool on the Hill

Lady Madonna

Revolution

Back in the U.S.S.R.

Blackbird

Cry Baby Cry

Dear Prudence

Don't Pass Me By

Helter Skelter

Honey Pie

I Will

Martha My Dear

Mother Nature's Son

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Revolution 1

Rocky Raccoon

Sexy Sadie

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Why Don't We Do It in the Road?

Wild Honey Pie

All Together Now

It's All Too Much

Only a Northern Song

Get Back

Old Brown Shoe

The Ballad of John and Yoko

Because

Carry That Weight

Golden Slumbers

Her Majesty

Here Comes the Sun

I Want You (She's So Heavy)

Maxwell's Silver Hammer

Octopus's Garden

Oh! Darling

She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

The End

Across the Universe (Wildlife version)

Across the Universe

Dig It

I Me Mine