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{{Short description|1968 song by the Beatles}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2010}}
{{Infobox song
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| cover = [[File:The Beatles' While My Guitar Gently Weeps sheet music cover.jpg|160px]]
| alt = Picture of Harrison, with the text "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" above him in orange.
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| published =
| released = {{Start date|1968|11|22|df=y}}
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| recorded = 5–6 September 1968{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|pp=153–54}}
| studio = [[Abbey Road Studios|EMI]], London
| genre = {{hlist|[[Hard rock]]{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=300}}|[[blues]]{{sfn|Riley|2002|p=268}}|[[Rock music|rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/06/all-213-beatles-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html|title=All 213 Beatles Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best|last=Wyman|first=Bill|website=Vulture|date=7 June 2017|language=en|access-date=31 December 2018}}</ref>}}
| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=46}}
| label = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer = [[George Harrison]]
| composer =
| lyricist =
| producer = [[George Martin]]
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| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = song
| file = Beatles gently weeps.ogg
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{{External music video
| {{YouTube|VJDJs9dumZI|"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"}}
| type = song
}}
}}
"'''While My Guitar Gently Weeps'''" is a song by the English rock band [[the Beatles]] from their 1968 double album ''[[The Beatles (album)|The Beatles]]'' (also known as the "White Album"). It was written by [[George Harrison]], the band's lead guitarist, as an exercise in randomness inspired by the Chinese ''[[I Ching]]''. The song conveys his dismay at the world's unrealised potential for universal love, which he refers to as "the love there that's sleeping".
The song also serves as a comment on the disharmony within the Beatles after their return from [[The Beatles in India|studying Transcendental Meditation in India]] in early 1968. This lack of camaraderie was reflected in the band's initial apathy towards the composition, which Harrison countered by inviting his friend and occasional collaborator, [[Eric Clapton]], to contribute to the recording. Clapton [[Overdubbing|overdubbed]] a lead guitar part, although he was not formally credited for his contribution.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=154}} Harrison first recorded it with a sparse backing of acoustic guitar and [[Pump organ|harmonium]] – a version that appeared on the 1996 ''[[Anthology 3]]'' outtakes compilation and, with the addition of a string arrangement by [[George Martin]], on the ''[[Love (Beatles album)|Love]]'' soundtrack album in 2006. The full group recording was made in September 1968, at which point the song's folk-based musical arrangement was replaced by a production in the heavy rock style. The recording was one of several collaborations between Harrison and Clapton during the late 1960s and was followed by the pair co-writing the song "[[Badge (song)|Badge]]" for Clapton's group [[Cream (band)|Cream]].
On release, the song received praise from several music critics, and it has since been recognised as an example of Harrison's maturing as a songwriter beside his Beatles bandmates [[John Lennon]] and [[Paul McCartney]]. ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" 135th on its list of "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]", seventh on the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time", and at number 10 on its list of "The Beatles 100 Greatest Songs". Clapton's performance was ranked 42nd in ''[[Guitar World]]''{{'}}s 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos". Harrison and Clapton often performed the song together live, during which they shared the lead guitar role over the closing section. Live versions featuring the pair were included on the ''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (album)|Concert for Bangladesh]]'' album in 1971 and ''[[Live in Japan (George Harrison album)|Live in Japan]]'' in 1992. Backed by a band that included McCartney and [[Ringo Starr]], Clapton performed the song at the ''[[Concert for George]]'' in November 2002, a year after Harrison's death.
==Background and inspiration==
{{quote box|quote= The Eastern concept is that whatever happens is all meant to be ... every little item that's going down has a purpose. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was a simple study based on that theory ... I picked up a book at random, opened it, saw "gently weeps", then laid the book down again and started the song.{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=306}}|source= – George Harrison|width=25%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}
The song reflects the disharmonious atmosphere within the Beatles following their return from India.{{sfn|Ingham|2006|p=202}}<ref>{{cite news|first=Shamik|last=Bag|title=The Beatles' magical mystery tour of India|work=[[Live Mint]]|date=20 January 2018|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/ShOyoU6g0Rs5TPKxfOgwxK/The-Beatles-magical-mystery-tour-of-India.html|access-date=29 April 2018}}</ref> Harrison had led the band in their highly publicised endorsement of Transcendental Meditation{{sfn|The Editors of ''Rolling Stone''|2002|pp=36–37}}<ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Rabey|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/09/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world_n_1001707.html |title=George Harrison, 'Living in the Material World'|work=[[Huffington Post]]|date=9 October 2011|access-date=30 December 2017}}</ref> and viewed this spiritual pursuit as superior in importance to their career momentum.{{sfn|Greene|2006|p=98}} When discussing another song he wrote at this time, "[[Not Guilty (song)|Not Guilty]]", Harrison said it referred to "the grief I was catching" from [[John Lennon]] and [[Paul McCartney]] for leading them to [[Rishikesh]]{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=276}} and supposedly hindering the group's career and the launch of their [[Apple Records|Apple]] record label.{{sfn|Huntley|2006|p=165}} [[Eric Clapton]], with whom Harrison collaborated on several recordings throughout 1968 as a distraction from the Beatles,{{sfn|Everett|1999|pp=305–06}} said that "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" conveyed Harrison's spiritual isolation within the group.<ref>{{cite video|last=Scorsese|first=Martin (dir.)|year=2011|title=George Harrison: Living in the Material World |medium=2 DVDs|publisher=Roadshow Entertainment/Grove Street Productions |id=R-112294-9}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Having contributed to "Ski-ing" on Harrison's debut solo album, ''[[Wonderwall Music]]'', in January 1968, Clapton played on "[[Sour Milk Sea]]", a song that Harrison wrote and produced for his Apple Records signing [[Jackie Lomax]].{{sfn|Leng|2006|pp=56–57}} Another Harrison composition from 1968, "[[Savoy Truffle]]", was inspired by Clapton's love of chocolate.{{sfn|Harrison|2002|p=128}}}} Author Jonathan Gould writes that, although in the past each of the Beatles had become temporarily subsumed in fads and personal interests, the level of Harrison's commitment to Indian spirituality as an alternative to the band was unprecedented.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=468}}
A demo that Harrison recorded at his home in [[Esher]] includes an unused verse: "I look at the trouble and hate that is raging / While my guitar gently weeps / As I'm sitting here, doing nothing but ageing …"{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=106}} This version also includes the line "The problems you sow are the troubles you're reaping", which he similarly discarded.{{sfn|Unterberger|2006|p=199}} An early [[acoustic guitar]] and [[Pump organ|harmonium]] performance of the song features a slightly different third verse: "I look from the wings at the play you are staging / While my guitar gently weeps / As I'm sitting here, doing nothing but ageing …"{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=106}} This version was released on the 1996 compilation ''[[Anthology 3]]'' and was used as the basis of the 2006 ''[[Love (Beatles album)|Love]]'' remix, with a string arrangement by [[George Martin]].{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=194}}
==Composition==
===Music===
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was one of the few Beatles compositions from early 1968 that changed markedly from demo form to the official recording.{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1996|p=252}} Harrison's demos suggest the influence of [[folk music]], yet the Beatles' version is in the [[Hard rock|heavy rock]] style typical of much of the band's late 1960s work.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|pp=297, 300}} While noting the importance of Harrison's return to the guitar during this period, Gould describes the song as "virtually a declaration of his recommitment to rock".{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=523}}
The song as originally issued by the Beatles is in the [[Key (music)|key]] of A minor,{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=498}} changing to A major over the bridges.<ref name="Pollack" /> Aside from the intro, the composition is structured into two rounds of verse and bridge, with an instrumental passage extending the second of these verse sections, followed by a final verse and a long instrumental passage that fades out on the released recording.<ref name="Pollack">{{cite web|last=Pollack|first=Alan W.|author-link=Alan W. Pollack|title=Notes on 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'| year=2001|publisher=Soundscapes|url=http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/wmggw.shtml|access-date=29 December 2017}}</ref> All the sections consist of an even sixteen [[Bar (music)|bars]] or measures, which are divided into four [[Phrase (music theory)|phrases]].<ref name="Pollack" />
The chord progression over the verses includes a descending bass of A–G–F{{music|sharp}}–F (I–{{music|flat}}VII–VI–{{music|flat}}VI) over an A-minor chord, leading to F-major on the F bass note. According to musicologist Dominic Pedler, the I–{{music|flat}}VII–VI–{{music|flat}}VI progression represents a hybrid of the [[Aeolian mode|Aeolian]] and [[Dorian mode|Dorian]] modes.{{sfn|Pedler|2003|pp=435–37}} The change to the parallel major key is heralded by a C chord as the verse's penultimate chord (replacing the D used in the second phrase of each verse) before the E that leads into the bridge.<ref name="Pollack" /> Musicologist [[Alan W. Pollack|Alan Pollack]] views this combination of C and E as representing a sense of "arrival", after which the bridge contains "upward [harmonic] gestures" that contrast with the bass descents that dominate the verse.<ref name="Pollack" /> Such contrasts are limited by the inclusion of [[minor triad]]s (ii, iii, and vi) played over the E chord that ends the bridge's second and fourth phrases.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=201}}
===Lyrics===
In his lyrics to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", Harrison revisits the theme of universal love and the philosophical concerns that were evident in his overtly Indian-influenced compositions, particularly "[[Within You Without You]]".{{sfn|Inglis|2010|pp=12, 26}} The song is a lament for how a universal love for humankind is latent in all individuals yet remains unrealised.{{sfn|Inglis|2010|pp=12, 26}}{{sfn|Greene|2006|pp=110–11}} In the description of theologian [[Dale Allison]], the song "conveys spiritual angst and an urgent religious point of view without being explicitly theological".{{sfn|Allison|2006|p=158}} Harrison sings of surveying "you all" and seeing "the love there that's sleeping".{{sfn|Tillery|2011|p=68}} Musicologist [[Walter Everett (musicologist)|Walter Everett]] comments that the change from the minor-mode verse to the parallel major might express hope that "unrealized potential" described in the lyrics is to be "fulfilled", but the continued minor triads "seem to express a strong dismay that love is not to be unfolded".{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=201}} During the bridges, Harrison adopts a repetitive rhyming scheme in the style of [[Bob Dylan]]{{sfn|Inglis|2010|p=12}} to convey how humankind has become distracted from its ability to manifest this love.{{sfn|Tillery|2011|p=68}} He sings of people that have been "inverted" and "perverted" from their natural perspective.{{sfn|Allison|2006|p=70}}
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" follows in a lyrical tradition established by [[Woody Guthrie]], [[Pete Seeger]] and [[Bo Diddley]], whereby emotions and actions are attributed to a musical instrument.{{sfn|Inglis|2010|p=51}} According to an ''[[NME]]'' reviewer, writing in 1998, the song conveys "serious concern" for the Beatles' "dwindling ''esprit de corps''".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/461 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> writer|title=NME Album Reviews – The Beatles|date=12 September 2005|orig-year=7 November 1998|magazine=[[NME|nme.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409010623/http://www.nme.com/reviews/461 |archive-date=9 April 2013 |access-date=19 March 2019}}</ref> Harrison biographer Joshua Greene says that its message reflects the pessimism encouraged by world events throughout 1968, such as the assassinations of [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Martin Luther King]] and [[Robert F. Kennedy|Robert Kennedy]] in the United States, and the [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia]].{{sfn|Greene|2006|p=110}}{{refn|group=nb|Greene comments that "Wilting Flowers" was the title of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's article summarising the year.{{sfn|Greene|2006|p=110}} By contrast, at the start of 1968, ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' had declared it "the Year of the Guru", partly as a result of the Beatles' championing of Eastern religion,{{sfn|Greene|2006|p=98}} and had featured the Maharishi on the cover of the magazine.{{sfn|Gould|2007|p=465}}}} Allison writes that the lyrics represent the "antithesis of spiritual triumphalism", in which Harrison "mourns because love has not conquered all".{{sfn|Allison|2006|p=70}}
==
===Early attempts and basic track===
The Beatles recorded "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" several times during the sessions for their [[The Beatles (album)|self-titled double album]], also known as "the White Album".{{sfn|Spizer|2003|pp=106–07}} The recording sessions, which began in late May 1968, were characterised by a lack of co-operation among the four band members,{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=305}}{{sfn|The Editors of ''Rolling Stone''|2002|p=38}} and by what Lennon's bandmates regarded as the overly intrusive presence of his new romantic partner, [[Yoko Ono]].{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1996|pp=238–41}}{{sfn|Ingham|2006|pp=49–50}} In this atmosphere, Harrison had initially been reluctant to present his new compositions to the group.{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=209}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=145}} Take 1 on 25 July – the version later issued on ''Anthology 3'' – was a solo performance by Harrison, playing his [[Gibson J-200]] acoustic guitar, with an overdubbed harmonium part.{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=194}}{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=201}}{{refn|group=nb|This version remained in EMI's archives through the 1980s.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=145}} It was first presented for public hearing when [[Abbey Road Studios]] (formerly EMI Studios) hosted ''[[The Beatles at Abbey Road]]'' in 1983,{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=194}} at which point EMI reported that Harrison was keen that the song be released "as soon as possible".{{sfn|Badman|2001|pp=318–19}} When remixing the recording for inclusion on the planned ''[[Sessions (Beatles album)|Sessions]]'' compilation album in 1984, however (and as later heard on ''Anthology 3''),{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=349}} [[Geoff Emerick]] chose to loop and repeat Harrison's concluding guitar phrase into a fadeout, and increased the volume of the harmonium.{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=194}}}}
Sessions on 16 August and 5 September produced full band recordings of the song. In the case of the 16 August version, an overdubbing session on 3 September marked the first time that the Beatles had used [[Multitrack recording|eight-track recording]] at EMI Studios.{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=209}}{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=153}} According to [[Ken Scott]], the band's recording engineer, Harrison saw the eight-track recorder in a corridor and, defying EMI regulations that new equipment should be thoroughly tested, insisted that they use it immediately.<ref name="Buskin/SoS" /> At the same session, Harrison overdubbed a backwards (or [[Backmasking|"backmasked"]]) guitar solo, as he had done two years before on "[[I'm Only Sleeping]]", on the ''[[Revolver (Beatles album)|Revolver]]'' album, but he was not satisfied with the results.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|pp=78, 153}} The Beatles then remade the basic track on 5 September{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=201}} – a session that marked [[Ringo Starr]]'s return to the group after he had walked out on 22 August, upset at the unpleasant atmosphere.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|pp=151, 153}} While Harrison led the band in welcoming back their drummer, by installing a large flower display all over Starr's drum kit,{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=312}}{{sfn|Quantick|2002|p=28}} he continued to think that his bandmates were not giving their best to the song.{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1996|pp=252–53}}{{sfn|Winn|2009|pp=209–10}}{{refn|group=nb|In the ''[[The Beatles Anthology (book)|Beatles Anthology]]'' book, Harrison recalls of this 5 September session: "Paul and John were so used to just cranking out their own tunes that it was very difficult at times to get serious and record one of mine. It wasn't happening ... so I went home that night thinking 'Well, that's a shame', because I knew the song was pretty good."{{sfn|Unterberger|2006|p=214}}}}
===Overdubs===
[[File:George's_red_Les_Paul,_Lucy,_given_to_him_by_Eric_Clapton-_2013-07-13_20-56.jpg|thumbnail|right|Clapton had given Harrison his red [[Gibson Les Paul]] shortly before the session and subsequently used it on the song.]]
On 6 September, during a ride from Surrey into London, Harrison asked Clapton to play guitar on the track. Clapton, who recognised Harrison's talent as a songwriter,<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Nigel|last=Williamson|title=Only a Northern Song: The songs George Harrison wrote for The Beatles|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|date=February 2002|page=61}}</ref> and considered that his abilities had long been held back by Lennon and McCartney,<ref>{{cite magazine|first=John|last=Harris|title=A Quiet Storm|magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|date=July 2001|page=69}}</ref> was nevertheless reluctant to participate; he later recalled that his initial response was: "I can't do that. Nobody ever plays on Beatles records."{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1996|p=253}} Harrison convinced him, and Clapton's lead guitar part, played on Harrison's [[Gibson Les Paul]] electric guitar [[Lucy (George Harrison guitar)|"Lucy"]] (a recent gift from Clapton), was overdubbed that evening.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=154}}{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=210}} Recalling the session in his 2007 autobiography, Clapton says that, while Lennon and McCartney were "fairly non-committal", he thought the track "sounded fantastic", adding: "I knew George was happy, because he listened to it over and over in the control room."{{sfn|Clapton|2007|p=105}}
Harrison recalled that Clapton's presence also ensured that his bandmates "tr[ied] a bit harder" and "were all on their best behaviour".{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=154}} The Beatles carried out the remaining overdubs, which included an ascending piano [[Motif (music)|motif]], played by McCartney, over the introduction,{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=202}} [[Hammond organ]] by Harrison, and further percussion by Starr.{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=210}} McCartney also added a second bass part, played on his [[Fender Jazz Bass]] rather than on either of his usual [[Höfner 500/1|Höfner]] or [[Rickenbacker 4003|Rickenbacker]] models.{{sfn|Everett|1999|pp=202, 300–02}}
===Mixing===
Still wary that his contribution might present too much of a departure from the band's sound, Clapton requested that Harrison give the lead guitar track a more "Beatley" sound when mixing the song.{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=162}}{{sfn|Ingham|2006|p=203}} During final mixing for the White Album, on 14 October,{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|p=162}} the guitar part was run through an [[automatic double tracking|ADT]] circuit with "varispeed", with engineer [[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]] manipulating the oscillator to achieve the desired "wobbly" effect.{{sfn|Womack|2007|pp=225–26}}{{refn|group=nb|In Scott's recollection, the need to manually work the ADT oscillation was a result of the Beatles' impatience to use EMI's new eight-track recording equipment. The company's technical engineers had yet to carry out the conversion necessary to allow the effect to be applied automatically.<ref name="Buskin/SoS">{{cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/beatles-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps|first=Richard|last=Buskin|title=The Beatles 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'|magazine=[[Sound on Sound]]|date=June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617111409/https://www.soundonsound.com/people/beatles-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps |archive-date=17 June 2016|access-date=5 November 2021}}</ref>}} According to Everett, Lennon's tremolo-rich guitar part, recorded on 5 September, was retained only in the song's [[Coda (music)|coda]].{{sfn|Everett|1999|pp=201–02}}
Everett credits Clapton's guitar contribution with making the Beatles recording a "monumental" track. As particularly notable features, he highlights the increasing lengths of thrice-heard first scale degrees (0:17–0:19), the restraint shown by rests in many bars then unexpected appearances (as at 0:28–0:29), commanding turnaround phrases (0:31–0:33), expressive string bends marking modal changes from C to C{{music|#}} (0:47–0:53), power retransition (1:21–1:24), emotive vibrato (2:01–2:07), and a solo (1:55–2:31) with a "measured rise in intensity, rhythmic activity, tonal drive and registral climb".{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=202}} In October 1968, Harrison reciprocated by co-writing "[[Badge (song)|Badge]]" with Clapton and playing on [[Cream (band)|Cream]]'s recording of the track.{{sfn|Inglis|2010|p=134}}
==Release and reception==
Apple Records released ''The Beatles'' on 22 November 1968.{{sfn|Miles|2001|p=314}} One of four Harrison compositions on the double album, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was sequenced as the penultimate track on side one in the [[LP record|LP]] format,{{sfn|Castleman|Podrazik|1976|pp=70–71}} between Lennon's "[[The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill]]" and "[[Happiness Is a Warm Gun]]".{{sfn|Lewisohn|2005|pp=163, 200}}{{sfn|Miles|2001|p=317}} The song was issued as the [[B-side]] of "[[Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da]]",{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=107}} a McCartney-written song that had also tested the Beatles' patience during the White Album sessions.{{sfn|Womack|2007|pp=223–24}}{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=294}} This single was an international hit, topping charts in Australia, Austria, Switzerland{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=684}} and West Germany,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Beatles&titel=Ob-La-Di,+Ob-La-Da&cat=s|title=The Beatles – Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da|publisher=austriancharts.at|access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref> but was not released in Britain or the United States.{{sfn|Everett|1999|p=349}}{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=107}}{{refn|group=nb|"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was listed with "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", as a [[double A-side]], when the single topped Australia's ''[[Go-Set]]'' National Top 40 chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1969/19690423.html|title=Go-Set Australian charts – 23 April 1969|publisher=poparchives.com.au|access-date=7 January 2018|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225082105/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1969/19690423.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}
[[File:TheBeatles68LP.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.85|alt=A mostly plain white album cover, with the words "the Beatles" towards the center and a serial number towards the lower right corner|LP cover of ''The Beatles''. Some music critics have recognised "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as a highlight of the Beatles' 1968 double album.]]
Recalling the release in his 1977 book ''The Beatles Forever'', [[Nicholas Schaffner]] said that, in returning to pop/rock songwriting after his excursions into the [[Indian classical music|Indian classical]] style, Harrison's four White Album songs "firmly established him as a contender" beside Lennon and McCartney. In Schaffner's description, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was the most instantly popular of "a quartet of more conventionally accessible pop songs [written by Harrison] that many felt were among the finest on the album".{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=115}}{{refn|group=nb|According to music critic [[Tim Riley (music critic)|Tim Riley]], Harrison's writing contributions "regain[ed] the promise" evident in his three songs on the Beatles' 1966 album ''[[Revolver (Beatles album)|Revolver]]''.{{sfn|Riley|2002|p=262}}}} According to Beatles historian Erin Torkelson Weber, the release of the White Album marked the start of a period when many observers began to consider his songs "equal to some of Lennon and McCartney's best compositions", a view that was heightened with his two contributions to the Beatles' 1969 album ''[[Abbey Road]]'', "[[Something (Beatles song)|Something]]" and "[[Here Comes the Sun]]".{{sfn|Weber|2016|p=82}} ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]]'' columnist [[Mark Hertsgaard]], writing in his 1995 book ''A Day in the Life'', said "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was "the first great composition of George's career and perhaps the single most impressive song on the White Album".{{sfn|Hertsgaard|1996|p=252}}
Among contemporary reviews, [[Jann Wenner]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' said that "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was "one of George Harrison's very best songs", and likened it to "[[Blue Jay Way]]" in that it "recalls California, the simple Baja California beat, the dreamy words of the Los Angeles haze, the organic pace lapping around every room as if in invisible waves". Wenner found the lyrics "slightly self-righteous and preaching", representing "a general set of incidents, a message, like a sermon, impersonally directed to everyone", and concluded: "I am willing to bet something substantial that the lead guitarist on this cut is Eric Clapton, yet another involution of the circular logic on which this song [is] so superbly constructed as a musical piece."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Jann S.|last=Wenner|title=Review: The Beatles' 'White Album'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/review-the-beatles-white-album-186863/|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=21 December 1968|page=10|access-date=26 June 2019}}</ref> In his review for the ''[[International Times]]'', [[Barry Miles]] said the song was a "great tune" with "nice hi-hats" but a "lifeless" guitar part.<ref>{{cite news|title=Multi-Purpose Beatles Music|last=Miles|first=Barry|newspaper=[[International Times]]|date=29 November 1968|page=10}}</ref>
Alan Smith of the ''NME'' credited the "warm voice" and "very strong melody" to McCartney and said that the track was one of the "highlights ... moving into a slightly Hendrix thing" and was bound to be "Another hit for somebody".<ref name="Smith/NME">{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Smith|title=Beatles Double-LP in Full|magazine=[[NME]]|date=9 November 1968|page=3}}</ref> Three weeks later, Smith acknowledged that the singer and composer was in fact Harrison, and added: "the words are evocative and the melody line is creeping into my mind to stay."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Smith|title=Beatles Chart History by Getting Double LP In|magazine=[[NME]]|date=30 November 1968|page=3}} Available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beatles-ithe-beatlesi-the-white-album Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref> [[Geoffrey Cannon]] wrote in ''[[The Guardian]]'': "George Harrison has seen the truth, and is anxious that we should see our truth. He's a preacher, man of fire. When his songs speak of 'you', the address is direct. He achieves his character in 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', which, with Phil Ochs's '[[Tape from California]]', is the first track I know that succeeds in making magnanimous love serious and touching."<ref>{{cite news|first=Geoffrey|last=Cannon|title=Back to Spring: The Beatles: ''The Beatles'' (White Album) (Apple)|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=26 November 1968}} Available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/back-to-spring-the-beatles-ithe-beatles-white-albumi-apple Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref>
==Retrospective assessment and legacy==
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" became a staple of US rock radio during the early 1970s,{{sfn|Rodriguez|2010|p=280}} on a par with songs such as "[[Layla]]" by Clapton's short-lived band [[Derek and the Dominos]], [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "[[Stairway to Heaven]]" and [[the Who]]'s "[[Won't Get Fooled Again]]".{{sfn|Riley|2002|p=262}} In 1973, it appeared on the Beatles' double album compilation ''[[1967–1970]]'',{{sfn|Castleman|Podrazik|1976|pp=123–24}} as one of only three tracks representing the White Album.{{sfn|Spizer|2003|p=232}} [[Capitol Records]] included it on ''[[The Best of George Harrison]]'' in 1976;{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|pp=188, 209}} a year before this, Harrison released a sequel to the song, titled "[[This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)]]", which also served as the final single issued by Apple in its original incarnation.{{sfn|Rodriguez|2010|pp=280–81}}{{sfn|Womack|2007|p=247}} The Beatles' recording appeared on the soundtrack to ''[[Withnail and I]]'', a 1987 comedy film set in late-1960s London and produced by Harrison's company [[HandMade Films]].<ref name="Pirnia/MentalFloss">{{cite magazine|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/77419/13-loaded-facts-about-withnail-and-i|first=Garin|last=Pirnia|title=13 Loaded Facts About ''Withnail and I''|magazine=[[Mental Floss]]|date=19 March 2016|access-date=7 December 2017}}</ref>
Writing for ''[[The Observer]]'' in 2004, [[Pete Paphides]] described "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as "George Harrison's startling coming of age as a songwriter" and one of the few tracks that "pick themselves" when listeners attempt to edit the double album down to a single disc.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/observer/omm/story/0,,1240045,00.html|first=Pete|last=Paphides|title=Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band & The White album, The Beatles|publisher=[[The Observer]] /[[The Guardian|theguardian.com]]|date=20 June 2004|access-date=19 March 2019}}</ref> In his book ''[[Revolution in the Head]]'', [[Ian MacDonald]] was less impressed with the track,{{sfn|Weber|2016|p=191}} saying that it "exudes a browbeating self-importance which quickly becomes tiresome".{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=311}} McCartney identified it as one of his favourite selections on the 1995–96 ''Anthology'' outtakes series,{{sfn|Tillery|2011|p=140}} and he grouped the song with "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" as candidates for Harrison's "greatest track".{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=340}} Starr paired it with "Something" as "Two of the finest love songs ever written", adding: "they're really on a par with what John and Paul or anyone else of that time wrote."{{sfn|The Beatles|2000|p=340}} In their written tributes to Harrison following his death in November 2001, [[Mick Jagger]] and [[Keith Richards]] each expressed their admiration for the song.{{sfn|The Editors of ''Rolling Stone''|2002|pp=227, 229}} Jagger said: "It's lovely, plaintive. Only a guitar player could write that ..."{{sfn|The Editors of ''Rolling Stone''|2002|p=227}}
''Rolling Stone'' ranked "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" 136th on its list of "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Rolling Stone|title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|date=9 December 2004 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820114448/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 August 2006 |access-date=10 November 2009}}</ref> seventh on the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time",<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Rolling Stone |title=The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time|date=12 June 2008|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20947527/the_100_greatest_guitar_songs_of_all_time/print |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531030023/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20947527/the_100_greatest_guitar_songs_of_all_time/print |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 May 2008 |access-date=12 June 2008}}</ref> and at number 10 on its list of "The Beatles 100 Greatest Songs".{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=989}}<ref name=RollingStone100>{{cite magazine|title=100 Greatest Beatles Songs: 10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-beatles-songs-20110919/while-my-guitar-gently-weeps-19691231|magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=21 May 2013}}</ref> Clapton's performance was ranked 42nd in ''[[Guitar World]]''{{'}}s 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gw-archive/guitar-world-lists/100-greatest-guitar-solos?page=1|title=100 Greatest Guitar Solos|author=Guitar World Staff|date=30 October 2008|magazine=[[Guitar World|guitarworld.com]]|access-date=25 February 2015}}</ref>{{sfn|Womack|2014|pp=989–90}} Among other critics' lists of the best Beatles songs, ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' magazine and ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]'' each ranked it at number 4,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/08/50-best-beatles-songs.html?p=5|first=Hilary|last=Saunders|title=The 50 Best Beatles Songs|magazine=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|date=28 August 2015|access-date=19 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/beatles-songs/|first=Michael|last=Gallucci|title=The Top 50 Beatles Songs (10–1)|website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]|date=7 February 2014|access-date=19 March 2019}}</ref> while ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' placed it at number 17.<ref name="Alexander/Mojo">{{cite magazine|last=Alexander|first=Phil|title=The 101 Greatest Beatles Songs|magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|date=July 2006|page=90|display-authors=etal}}</ref> In his commentary for the ''Mojo'' selection, English songwriter [[Chris Difford]] said that he had only come to fully appreciate the lyrics following Harrison's death in 2001; describing them as a "riposte" to Harrison's bandmates, particularly Lennon and McCartney, Difford added: "George was the one who came back from India with the spiritual awakening and carried it through to the rest of his life, whereas the others came back with the postcards."<ref name="Alexander/Mojo" /> In 2018, the music staff of ''[[Time Out London]]'' ranked "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" 20th on their list of the best Beatles songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/music/the-best-beatles-songs|author=Time Out London Music|title=The 50 Best Beatles songs|website=[[Time Out London]]|date=24 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215173746/https://www.timeout.com/london/music/the-best-beatles-songs|archive-date=15 December 2018|access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref> Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the White Album's release, Jacob Stolworthy of ''[[The Independent]]'' listed it at number 1 on his ranking of the album's 30 tracks. He said the song was "hands down one of The Beatles' greatest" and, having been conceived through "disharmony – in the world, as well as in the band he'd grown up with", "testament to Harrison's genius".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-beatles-white-album-tracks-ranked-paul-mccartney-john-lennon-george-harrison-50-anniversary-a8643431.html|first=Jacob|last=Stolworthy|title=The Beatles' White Album tracks, ranked – from Blackbird to While My Guitar Gently Weeps|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=22 November 2018|access-date=27 March 2019}}</ref>
==Harrison live performances==
Harrison played "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at every one of his rare concerts as a solo artist. Writing for ''Mojo'' in 2003, [[Ashley Kahn]] attributed the track's "classic" status to its evocation of "a band falling out of harmony" and, with regard to the enduring musical bond between Harrison and Clapton, its standing as "''their'' song".<ref>{{cite book|first=Ashley|last=Khan|chapter=Gun for Hire|year=2003|title=[[Mojo (magazine)#Special editions|Mojo Special Limited Edition]]: 1000 Days of Revolution (The Beatles' Final Years – Jan 1, 1968 to Sept 27, 1970)|___location=London|publisher=Emap|page=48}}</ref> At Harrison's [[Concert for Bangladesh]], held at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York on 1 August 1971, Clapton performed the song on a [[Gibson Byrdland]], a hollow-body guitar more suited to [[jazz]]{{sfn|Rodriguez|2010|p=50}} or [[country music]] than rock.<ref name="Clapton/BD Revisited" /> He later said that this was a poor decision and, as with his substandard playing at the event, one that was indicative of his descent into [[heroin addiction]].<ref name="Clapton/BD Revisited">''The Concert for Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison and Friends'', DVD, 2005.</ref>{{sfn|Clapton|2007|pp=146–47}} In his entry for ''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (album)|The Concert for Bangladesh]]'' in the book ''[[1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die]]'', [[Tom Moon]] nevertheless describes Clapton and Harrison's interplay as "one of the more thrilling two-man guitar explorations in rock", adding: "As they finish each other's thoughts, the two extend and amplify the song's intent: You haven't heard the full gamut of gentle (and not so) guitar weeping until you've heard this."<ref>{{cite book|first=Tom|last=Moon|title=1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die|url=https://archive.org/details/1000recordingsto00moon_0|url-access=registration|publisher=Workman Publishing Company|___location=New York, NY|year=2008|isbn=9780761139638}} Quoted in [http://www.superseventies.com/spbangladesh.html "The Super Seventies "Classic 500": ''The Concert For Bangla Desh'' – George Harrison and Friends"]. superseventies.com. Retrieved 19 March 2019.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The Concert for Bangladesh performance of the song was included on Harrison's 2009 compilation album ''[[Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison|Let It Roll]]''.{{sfn|Inglis|2010|p=128}}}}
The version performed by Harrison during his brief set at the 1987 [[Prince's Trust]] Concert reunited him with Starr and Clapton,{{sfn|Badman|2001|p=389}} and features an extended coda with the guitars of Harrison and Clapton interweaving.<ref>{{cite web|first=Damian|last=Fanelli|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/george-harrison-and-eric-clapton-play-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps-1987-video|title=George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr Play the Beatles' 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' in 1987|publisher=[[Guitar World|guitarworld.com]]|date=23 February 2016|access-date=28 November 2019}}</ref> On their [[George Harrison–Eric Clapton 1991 Japanese Tour|1991 tour of Japan]], Harrison and Clapton performed "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with additional background vocals. An edit combining parts of the 14 December and 17 December [[Tokyo Dome]] performances of the song was included on Harrison's 1992 double album ''[[Live in Japan (George Harrison album)|Live in Japan]]''.{{sfn|Madinger|Easter|2000|p=483}}
Harrison also featured the song in the set list for his only other tour as a solo artist, a series of [[George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1974 North American tour|North American concerts]] over November–December 1974 with [[Ravi Shankar]].{{sfn|Rodriguez|2010|pp=59, 60}}{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=990}} Harrison shared the lead guitarist's role with [[Robben Ford]], often extending the piece to eight minutes.{{sfn|Leng|2006|pp=167, 170–71}} While it was a popular inclusion in a set list that barely acknowledged Harrison's past as a former Beatle, his alteration of some of the lyrics – so that his guitar "gently smiles" and "tries to smile" – disappointed many concert-goers and reviewers.{{sfn|Rodriguez|2010|pp=59, 60}}{{sfn|Schaffner|1978|p=178}} Author Simon Leng comments that on Harrison's return to Madison Square Garden towards the end of the tour, his playing on the song nevertheless received a standing ovation.{{sfn|Leng|2006|p=167}}
{{Clear}}
==Cover versions==
Canadian guitarist [[Jeff Healey]] covered "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on his 1990 album ''[[Hell to Pay (The Jeff Healey Band album)|Hell to Pay]]''. Harrison participated in the recording, contributing on acoustic guitar and backing vocals.{{sfn|The Editors of ''Rolling Stone''|2002|p=195}} Also issued as a single, Healey's version peaked at number 27 in Canada,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1368&type=1 |title=RPM 100 Hit Tracks – November 3, 1990 |publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]] |access-date=27 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023112904/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1368&type=1 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> number 85 in the UK<ref>{{cite web|title=While My Guitar Gently Weeps |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/while%20my%20guitar%20gently%20weeps/ |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=10 September 2016}}</ref> and number 25 in New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Jeff+Healey+Band&titel=While+My+Guitar+Gently+Weeps&cat=s |title=The Jeff Healey Band – While My Guitar Gently Weeps|publisher=charts.nz|access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref>
During the [[Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II]] concert at [[Buckingham Palace Garden]] on 3 June 2002, McCartney performed the song with Clapton, as a tribute to Harrison.{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=990}} The performance appears on the DVD release ''[[Party at the Palace]]''.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Party at the Palace – The Queen's Concerts, Buckingham Palace|year=2002|others=Various Artists|type=booklet |publisher=Opus Arte|id=OA 0845 D}}</ref> On 29 November the same year, Clapton, backed by a large band that included McCartney, Starr, [[Dhani Harrison]], [[Jeff Lynne]] and [[Marc Mann]], performed "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the [[Concert for George]] in memory of Harrison.{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=990}} Author Ian Inglis writes that while Clapton was already "permanently associated" with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" due to his presence on the ''White Album'' recording and the Concert for Bangladesh and ''Live in Japan'' versions, his long, closing solo at the Concert for George contained "perhaps the most expressive" playing of all those versions.{{sfn|Inglis|2010|p=127}}
American musician [[Todd Rundgren]] covered "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" for the 2003 album ''[[Songs from the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison]]''. Rundgren said of his contribution to the multi-artist tribute: "[Before the Beatles], I'd never heard the term 'lead guitarist.' George created the job description for my first paying gig, the vocation that I'm still lucky enough to practice today …"<ref name="BB Dec02">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/73177/rock-vets-fete-harrison-on-tribute-disc |title=Rock Vets Fete Harrison on Tribute Disc |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|billboard.com]]|date=11 December 2002|access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref> Johnny Loftus of AllMusic views the recording as one of the collection's highlights, saying that Rundgren "effortlessly replicates the grandeur" of the Beatles' track.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-from-the-material-world-a-tribute-to-george-harrison-mw0000019300 |title=Various Artists ''Songs From The Material World: A Tribute To George Harrison'' |last=Loftus |first=Johnny |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=22 April 2016}}</ref> As his personal tribute to Harrison,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mcapozzolijr.com/peterframpton.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126203535/http://mcapozzolijr.com/peterframpton.html |title=Peter Frampton |publisher=interviewsofrecordingartists.com |archive-date=26 November 2010|url-status=usurped |access-date=11 September 2016}}</ref> [[Peter Frampton]] released a version of the song on his 2003 album ''[[Now (Peter Frampton album)|Now]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r647929 |title=Peter Frampton ''Now'' |last=Horowitz |first=Hal |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=10 September 2016}}</ref>
In 2004, when Harrison was inducted posthumously into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a solo artist, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was played in tribute by a large band that included [[Tom Petty]], [[Jeff Lynne]], [[Steve Winwood]], [[Marc Mann]], Dhani Harrison, [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] and [[Steve Ferrone]].{{sfn|Womack|2014|p=990}} The performance concluded with a highly acclaimed extended guitar solo by Prince, who was also being inducted into the Hall of Fame.<ref name="princeNYT">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/arts/music/prince-dead.html |first=Jon|last=Pareles| title=Prince, an Artist Who Defied Genre, Is Dead at 57 | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=21 April 2016 | access-date=22 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/tom-petty-and-others-tell-the-story-behind-princes-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps-solo|title=Tom Petty and Others Tell the Story Behind Prince's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Solo|last=Scapelliti|first=Christopher|website=GuitarPlayer.com|language=en-us|access-date=2020-02-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/watch-princes-incredible-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps-solo-178144/|title=Watch Prince's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' Solo|last=Greene|first=Andy|date=2016-04-21|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2018/03/15/what-happened-to-princes-guitar-after-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps|title=What happened to Prince's guitar after 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'?|last=Baldwin|first=Brett|website=www.thecurrent.org|access-date=2020-02-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ew.com/music/2017/10/03/tom-petty-prince-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/|title=Revisit Tom Petty and Prince's classic performance of 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'|website=EW.com|language=EN|access-date=2020-02-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-anatomy-of-princes-legendary-2004-rock-and-171849680.html|title=The Anatomy of Prince's Legendary 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Guitar Solo|website=www.yahoo.com|date=29 April 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-28}}</ref>
Among other cover versions, the song has also been recorded by guitarists such as [[Marc Ribot]], [[Phish]] and [[Charlie Byrd]], and on [[ukulele]] by [[Jake Shimabukuro]].<ref name="Glide2011">{{cite news|author1=DaveO|title=Cover Wars: While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles) – Glide Magazine|url=http://www.glidemagazine.com/68428/cover-wars-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps-the-beatles/|access-date=15 December 2016|work=Glide Magazine|date=11 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Richard|last=Gehr|title=Jake Shimabukuro|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2009/04/22/jake-shimabukuro/|access-date=18 November 2018|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|date=22 April 2009}}</ref> [[Toto (band)|Toto]] did a cover version for their album ''[[Through the Looking Glass (Toto album)|Through the Looking Glass]]'' and in a live performance in ''[[Live in Amsterdam (Toto album)|Live in Amsterdam]]''.<ref name="Glide2011" /> [[Santana (band)|Santana]] did a cover for his twentieth album ''[[Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time]]'', in 2010, featuring singer [[India Arie]] and cellist [[Yo-Yo Ma]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/956141/carlos-santana-covers-classics-on-guitar-heaven |title=Carlos Santana Covers Classics on 'Guitar Heaven' |magazine=Billboard |date=2010-09-23 |access-date=2016-10-02}}</ref> Released as a single, it charted on ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Gary Trust |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/956299/santana-michael-buble-kings-of-leon-preview-new-albums |title=Santana, Michael Buble, Kings of Leon Preview New Albums |magazine=Billboard |date=2010-09-15 |access-date=2016-10-02}}</ref> A recording of the song by [[Regina Spektor]] appears in the 2016 film ''[[Kubo and the Two Strings]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ryan|last=Reed |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-regina-spektors-haunting-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps-cover-250149/ |title=Hear Regina Spektor's Haunting 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' Cover |publisher=[[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]]|date=5 August 2016|access-date=18 March 2022}}</ref>
==2016 music video==
In June 2016, [[Apple Corps]] and [[Cirque du Soleil]] released a music video for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". The video was created for the tenth anniversary re-staging of Cirque du Soleil's ''[[Love (Cirque du Soleil)|Love]]'' theatrical production.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/06/29/cirque-du-soleil-beatles-music-video/ |first=Eric|last=Renner Brown|title=Cirque du Soleil's Beatles music video: Show debuts clip for 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly|ew.com]]|date=29 June 2016|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref> The video was directed by Dandypunk, André Kasten and Leah Moyer. Ryan Reed, describing the clip for ''Rolling Stone'', wrote that "Dandypunk's hand-drawn illustrations depict Harrison's lyrics falling off the page into the air, transporting LOVE performer Eira Glover into a series of fantastical locations. [[Projection mapping]] – and no [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] – was used to create the clip."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-the-beatles-hypnotic-while-my-guitar-gently-weeps-video-20160629|title=Watch the Beatles' Hypnotic 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' Video|last=Reed|first=Ryan|date=5 August 2016|publisher=[[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]]|access-date=18 March 2022}}</ref>
==Personnel==
According to Ian MacDonald,{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|pp=300–01}} Walter Everett{{sfn|Everett|1999|pp=201–02}} and John C. Winn:{{sfn|Winn|2009|p=210}}
'''The Beatles'''
*[[George Harrison]]{{snd}} [[Double tracking|double-tracked]] vocals, backing vocal, acoustic guitar, [[Hammond organ]]
*[[John Lennon]]{{snd}} electric guitar with [[tremolo]]
*[[Paul McCartney]]{{snd}} harmony vocal, piano, bass guitars{{refn|group=nb|According to [[Giles Martin]] (George Martin's son), Lennon played [[six-string bass]] on the track.<ref>{{Cite AV media|last=Boilen|first=Bob|title=How The Beatles Made 'The White Album'|date=November 13, 2018|type=Radio broadcast|publisher=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2018/11/13/666154261/how-the-beatles-made-the-white-album|time=25:48}}</ref> In his 2012 autobiography, Ken Scott recalls "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as being one of several songs on the White Album where the four-string bass is doubled by a six-string bass, and that the two basses were "always played together, and never overdubbed individually".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Ken |last2=Owsinski |first2=Bobby |title=Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust |date=2012 |publisher=Alfred Music |isbn=978-0739078587 |pages=37–57}}</ref>}}
*[[Ringo Starr]]{{snd}} drums, tambourine, [[castanets]]
'''Additional musician'''
*[[Eric Clapton]]{{snd}} lead guitar
==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Beatles|title=While My Guitar Gently Weeps|award=Gold|relyear=2010|certyear=2023|id=8213-1786-1|access-date=6 January 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em|group=nb}}
==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}
==Sources==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|first=Dale C. Jr.|last=Allison|title=The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison|url=https://archive.org/details/lovetherethatssl00dale|url-access=registration|publisher=Continuum |___location=New York, NY|year=2006|isbn=978-0-8264-1917-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Badman|first=Keith|title=The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001|publisher= Omnibus Press|___location=London|year=2001|isbn=978-0-7119-8307-6}}
* {{cite book|author=The Beatles|title=The Beatles Anthology|publisher=Chronicle Books|___location=San Francisco, CA|year=2000|isbn=0-8118-2684-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesanthology0000unse}}
* {{cite book|last1=Castleman|first1=Harry|last2=Podrazik|first2=Walter J.|title=All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975|publisher=Ballantine Books|___location=New York, NY|year=1976|isbn=0-345-25680-8|url=https://archive.org/details/alltogethernowfi0000cast}}
* {{cite book|last=Clapton|first=Eric|title=Eric Clapton: The Autobiography|publisher=Century|___location=London|year=2007|isbn=978-1-84605-309-2}}
* {{cite book|author=((The Editors of ''Rolling Stone''))|title=Harrison|publisher=Rolling Stone Press|___location=New York, NY|year=2002|isbn=978-0-7432-3581-5|url=https://archive.org/details/harrison00fine}}
* {{cite book|last=Everett|first=Walter|year=1999|title=The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver Through the Anthology|publisher=Oxford University Press|___location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-19-512941-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eTkHAldi4bEC }}
* {{cite book|last=Gould|first=Jonathan|title=Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain and America|publisher= Piatkus |___location=London|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7499-2988-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Greene|first=Joshua M.|title=Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|___location=Hoboken, NJ|year=2006|isbn=978-0-470-12780-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Harrison|first=George|title=I, Me, Mine|publisher=Chronicle Books|___location=San Francisco, CA|year=2002|isbn=978-0-8118-5900-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Hertsgaard|first=Mark|title=A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles|publisher=Pan Books|___location=London|year=1996|isbn=0-330-33891-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Huntley|first=Elliot J.|title=Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles|publisher=Guernica Editions|___location=Toronto, ON|year=2006|isbn=978-1-55071-197-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Ingham|first=Chris|year=2006|title=The Rough Guide to the Beatles'' (2nd edn)''|publisher=Rough Guides|___location=London|isbn=978-1-84353-720-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Inglis|first=Ian|title=The Words and Music of George Harrison|publisher=Praeger|___location=Santa Barbara, CA|year=2010|isbn=978-0-313-37532-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Leng|first=Simon|title=While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison|publisher=Hal Leonard|___location=Milwaukee, WI|year=2006|isbn=978-1-4234-0609-9}}
* {{cite book|first=Mark|last=Lewisohn|title=The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962–1970|publisher=Bounty Books|___location=London|year=2005|orig-year=1988|isbn=978-0-7537-2545-0}}
* {{cite book|last=MacDonald|first=Ian|year=2005|title=Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties ''(2nd rev. edn)''|publisher=Chicago Review Press|___location=Chicago, IL|isbn=978-1-55652-733-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/revolutioninhead0003macd}}
* {{cite book|last1=Madinger|first1=Chip|last2=Easter|first2=Mark|title=Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium|publisher=44.1 Productions|___location=Chesterfield, MO|year=2000|isbn=0-615-11724-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Miles|first=Barry|title=The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years|year=2001|publisher=Omnibus Press|___location=London|isbn=0-7119-8308-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Pedler|first=Dominic|title=The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles|publisher=Omnibus Press|___location=London|year=2003|isbn=978-0-7119-8167-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Quantick|first=David|title=Revolution: The Making of the Beatles' White Album|publisher=A Cappella Books|___location=Chicago, IL|year=2002|isbn=1-55652-470-6}}
* {{cite book|first=Tim|last=Riley|title=Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary|publisher=Da Capo Press|___location=Cambridge, MA|year=2002|orig-year=1988|isbn=978-0-306-81120-3|url=https://archive.org/details/tellmewhybeatles00rile}}
* {{cite book|last=Rodriguez|first=Robert|title=Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980|publisher=Backbeat Books|___location=Milwaukee, WI|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4165-9093-4|url=https://archive.org/details/missodellmyhardd00odel}}
* {{cite book|last=Schaffner|first=Nicholas|title=The Beatles Forever|publisher=McGraw-Hill|___location=New York, NY|year=1978|isbn=0-07-055087-5|url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesforever00scha}}
* {{cite book|last=Spizer|first=Bruce|title=The Beatles on Apple Records|publisher=498 Productions|___location=New Orleans, LA|year=2003|isbn=0-9662649-4-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Tillery|first=Gary|title=Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison|publisher=Quest Books|___location=Wheaton, IL|year=2011|isbn=978-0-8356-0900-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Unterberger|first=Richie|author-link=Richie Unterberger|title=The Unreleased Beatles: Music & Film|year=2006|publisher=Backbeat Books|___location=San Francisco, CA|isbn=978-0-87930-892-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Weber|first=Erin Torkelson|title=The Beatles and the Historians: An Analysis of Writings About the Fab Four|publisher=McFarland|___location=Jefferson, NC|year=2016|isbn=978-1-4766-6266-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Winn|first=John C.|year=2009|title=That Magic Feeling: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume Two, 1966–1970|publisher=Three Rivers Press|___location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-307-45239-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Womack|first=Kenneth|year=2007|title=Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles|publisher=Continuum|___location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-8264-1746-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Womack|first=Kenneth|year=2014|title=The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four|publisher=ABC-CLIO|___location=Santa Barbara, CA|isbn= 978-0-313-39171-2}}
{{Refend}}
== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|The Beatles (album)}}
* [https://www.thebeatles.com/while-my-guitar-gently-weeps Full lyrics for the song at the Beatles' official website]
{{The Beatles (White Album)}}
{{The Beatles singles}}
{{Jeff Healey}}
{{India Arie}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1968 songs]]
[[Category:The Beatles songs]]
[[Category:Songs
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Martin]]
[[Category:Music published by Harrisongs]]
[[Category:Apple Records singles]]
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Eric Clapton songs]]
[[Category:British blues rock songs]]
[[Category:British hard rock songs]]
[[Category:I Ching]]
[[Category:Songs about guitars]]
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