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All Things Must Beat. Share Anything Beatles!!
- Thread starter Rumble Thunder
- Start date
A family photo. Paul and Nancy with their dog Rose.
I did something the other day I haven't in years...turned on the FM radio in my car. The Beatles 'With A Little Help From My Friends" came on. I've known that song practically my whole life, but Paul's bass was especially resonant through my little car speakers and it really hit me: his part carries it! The drums and guitar just plod in a repetitious 4/4 unison. The bass adds the syncopation, the hooks, the turnarounds to the point that it makes the song listenable. That's pretty amazing. That must have been a band decision to let Paul do that.
Similar things could be said about George's "Something", which Paul had to talk George into allowing such a busy bassline on such an, otherwise, elegant song. But, other than that one, I dunno about the band having much say over Paul's basslines. He often waited 'til all the other tracks were done to record his bass, when it may have been pretty much too late to change. Or he may have just asked, "Okay, so who else is gonna play the bass?" The pix & vids of John & George playing bass don't look like they're too happy to do it.
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"Something" is a wonderfully melodic line until the chorus, After that George may have a point! Just a personal observation. I still have to learn that part, so I may change my mind. Something could probably stand on its own without bass in a way I don't think "Just A Little Help..." can. Lyrics aside, that drum and guitar part is just devoid of musical interest. It seems like it was written with a big hole for some melodic bass to add all those things I said. Definitely not after the fact. I would think it's (at least the time) a rare song written for the bass.
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George is on record as having detested Paul's bass part. From what I've read, it was only in later years that George eventually gave in and allowed the bass players in his touring bands to play Paul's part, since that's what everyone expected to hear.
We bass players love it, of course---how often do we get to play song-length bass solos? But once I read of George's complaints about it, I saw his point. If I were one of the the two main songwriters in a band and wanted to assert my dominance over a second-string member, I, too, might play something that sounds as if I recorded it by noodling around on the bass while watching TV.
For those who disagree, please offer an example of a slow-tempo McCartney song with a similarly hyperactive bass line. Here, There, and Everywhere? Let Me Roll It?
This is the original by Arthur Alexander, very good IMO thought someone might like to hear it (again).
Yes, Sir George was quite the cool dude, even before hooking up with the Fab Four. How fortunate, for all of us! Here he is, AKA "Ray Cathode" just slightly before meeting The Beatles.
And this tribute article, written shortly after his passing, elaborates a bit. Hear the Unique, Original Compositions of George Martin, Beloved Beatles Producer (RIP) | Open Culture
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The Ballad of John and Yoko surprised me on the radio today. I turned it up! No one can doubt how much John loved the bass when you hear that song. It actually booms...like a local band playing a sock hop in the high school gym reverberating off the wooden floor. I've said it before. He was such a rocker. It occurred to me all the Beatles were. They literally bridged the gap between the '50s and '70s. Maybe the last band like that to have had their feet legitimately planted in Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Everly Brothers, and Eddie Cochran from which they sprang. Even as far out as they got. John never lost that streak and I love that.
John was a master and taking someone else’s song and making it his own. In the case of The Ballad Of John And Yoko, it came from Lonesome Tears In My Eyes which the Beatles covered in the early days. This song was originally released in 1957 by Johnny Burnette and his Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio.
The Beatles released the single "Let It Be" on March 11, 1970 in the US. At the time, it had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100, coming in at Number 6. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band. Both the Let It Be album and the US single "The Long and Winding Road" were released after McCartney's announced departure from and subsequent break-up of the group.
The alternate mix on their album "Let It Be" features an altered guitar solo and some minor differences in the orchestral sections.
"Let It Be" holds the number-one spot on "The Fans' Top 10" poll included in The 100 Best Beatles Songs: An Informed Fan's Guide by Stephen J. Spignesi and Michael Lewis. The song is number three in the 100 Best Beatles Songs list, only behind "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "A Day in the Life", which is number one.
Would you put "Let It Be" in your list of your top 3 Beatles songs?
Happy 51st US Birthday to the Beatles single "Let It Be"!!!
The alternate mix on their album "Let It Be" features an altered guitar solo and some minor differences in the orchestral sections.
"Let It Be" holds the number-one spot on "The Fans' Top 10" poll included in The 100 Best Beatles Songs: An Informed Fan's Guide by Stephen J. Spignesi and Michael Lewis. The song is number three in the 100 Best Beatles Songs list, only behind "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "A Day in the Life", which is number one.
Would you put "Let It Be" in your list of your top 3 Beatles songs?
Happy 51st US Birthday to the Beatles single "Let It Be"!!!
Mar 22 1978 the Rutles TV movie--All You Need is Cash premieres.
UK audiences may have caught an earlier version of the Rutles on Eric Idle's Rutland Weekend Television.
(Musical genius of Neil Innes)
And some footage of the Rutles appeared before that on SNL when Eric Idle hosted (and Neil Innes performed as well)
(to add to this-Neil Innes appeared in the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour movie)
UK audiences may have caught an earlier version of the Rutles on Eric Idle's Rutland Weekend Television.
(Musical genius of Neil Innes)
And some footage of the Rutles appeared before that on SNL when Eric Idle hosted (and Neil Innes performed as well)
(to add to this-Neil Innes appeared in the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour movie)
Duane Eddy perfectly describes the impact that Elvis had in opening up rock-n-roll in a big way. He made people want to play that music and he showed them how with showmanship. The Beatles followed Elvis’s approach and did the same thing only on a larger scale.
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Well, I hesitated to share this "musically unproductive" reunion of Lennon-McCartney in 1974, but it is historically significant, so here ya go. This is just one night in John's 18 month "lost weekend" when Paul & Linda, and others, dropped in on his recording session in L.A.
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Well, I hesitated to share this "musically unproductive" reunion of Lennon-McCartney in 1974, but it is historically significant, so here ya go. This is just one night in John's 18 month "lost weekend" when Paul & Linda, and others, dropped in on his recording session in L.A.
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Thanks G Doggie for sharing that. I had never heard that before. A little Rough yet interesting.
Yea, it’s sounds like to me they really didn’t know what to do or play most of the time.
