Who played synth on The Beatles’ 1969 song ‘Here Comes the Sun’?
George Harrison played and programmed the Moog synthesiser heard on The Beatles’ 1969 song ‘Here Comes the Sun’, with technical help from Mike Vickers. Their work added electronic colour to the acoustic-led track and showed how the band was using new studio technology to expand pop music’s sound.
Harrison had bought a Moog IIIp and brought it to the Abbey Road sessions. The instrument had no presets or instructions, so producer George Martin brought in Vickers, a former Manfred Mann guitarist and flautist, to help operate it. The synth is heard supporting the melody, adding bass in the bridge and providing a descending counter-melody in the third verse.
In short
- George Harrison played the Moog parts on ‘Here Comes the Sun’.
- Mike Vickers helped programme and operate the instrument.
- The synth added melody, bass and a counter-melody to the track.