I Will - Remastered 2009

In the televised documentary The Beatles Anthology, Paul, George and Ringo are shown relaxing on a blanket outside. Ringo asks Paul what he wrote in India and Paul answers, "I Will." Then George begins playing the song on his ukulele while he and Paul harmonize with it. McCartney had the tune for a long time. While in India he made an unsuccessful attempt, together with psychedelic singer-songwriter Donovan, to pen a lyric to go with it, months before coming up with the elusive lyric on his own.

Recorded at the end of The White Album sessions, the song has some unusual instrumentation. McCartney played acoustic guitar and vocalized the bass (you can hear him going "bom, bom" in parts). John Lennon and Ringo Starr both added percussion using various instruments; George Harrison didn't play on it at all.

Sixty-seven takes were recorded. The 65th was used.