All Things Must Beat. Share Anything Beatles!!

[BazzaBass]

I'm a 53 year old dude.
Although I still play out weekly, I am coming to grips with the fact that Rock music seems basically dead and I am living in a post rock age. I love rock and roll, man!!
I played with a drummer not too long ago that declared "how much he hated playing rock music" I guess because he thought it was so simple.
Well, these events have pushed me back into the Beatles. I am a huge fan anyway but coupled with the fact that many younger musicians view them as ancient, archaic, golden oldies type music, it makes me just want to get into the old albums and talk about them and their records even more. The Beatles were like "magic" back in the day and of course I can't expect the next generations to understand "that particular special time period" but I wondered if anybody else feels like talking about the Beatles.

Favorite songs, records, album covers, instruments and whatever anybody wants to talk about, I would definitely be interested in reading it.
To start,
I was thinking about which Beatle songs were under-rated and wondered which three tunes would be on your list?

I think I would go with:
1) Bad Boy
2) It's Only Love
3) What You're Doing

Any thoughts from the bass thumping brethren?

You would have been 2 years old when the Beatles disbanded. How did you get into old people’s music? Who were your favourite bands when you were a teenager?

 

[zontar]

 

[Rumble Thunder]

You would have been 2 years old when the Beatles disbanded. How did you get into old people’s music? Who were your favourite bands when you were a teenager?

You would have been 2 years old when the Beatles disbanded. How did you get into old people’s music? Who were your favourite bands when you were a teenager?

You would have been 2 years old when the Beatles disbanded. How did you get into old people’s music? Who were your favourite bands when you were a teenager?

Well, that original post was made three years ago so I am 56 years old now at this present time. I was born in 1965 (my baby pictures are in Black & White) and my father was a working musician so I was always around music. My grandfather was in the Army band and we would listen to all different kinds and types of music. Well it just so happened that my Aunt was a Beatles freak and she would buy me records so I was always listening to Beatle records from my earliest memories. I had the American released, “Beatles Second Album” and wore the grooves off that record! It had Roll Over Beethoven, You Really Got a Hold on Me, Devil in Her Heart and I’ll Get You to name a few of the tunes off the record. I had the singles Paperback Writer/ Rain and I saw Her Standing There and some others. I use to play Rain over and over and over again a billion times a day. Anyway, I have always had Beatles music around in my life and I can’t recall a time in my life that I can remember without the Beatles in it so I guess “With the Beatles” is a very appropriate album title. I was five years old when they split and I totally remember how earth shattering it was. Music just wasn’t the same after that in my world until the Boston album came out in 1975. I was totally into that album! The sweet, tight distortion of the rhythm guitars and the euphoric lead guitar resonated with me. I also listened to Rush, Yes and that little ol’ band from Texas, ZZ Top. I was into Geddy, Chris Squire and Dusty because they could drop bass lines like no other. Those are the bands I primarily listened to when I was a youth. Eventually I discovered other Rock and Roll outfits but the Beatles have always been the original prototype band for me.
When I was in kindergarten, the teacher asked us all what we wanted to be when we grew up and I said, “The Beatles.” She asked me which one and I said , “all of them.” Lol, I knew each of their names before I could write my own.

 

[Richland123]

 

[G-Dog]

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Hmmmm, ... here's an interesting article. I've just browsed thru it and plan to return and read it closer later. See what you think and comment here, if you wish. Bass-ically, I think I've absorbed much of this in real time over the decades already.

How to Play Bass Guitar like Paul McCartney | Beginner Guitar HQ
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[Richland123]

 

[beans-on-toast]

Ed used to get mad at the girls when they would scream.

 

[G-Dog]

Ed used to get mad at the girls when they would scream.

But he sure didn't mind the publicity!
.

 

[zontar]

 

[G-Dog]

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The Beatles "all crummy musicians"? Who said that? Anyone agree?

The Beatles George Harrison: 'The band were crummy musicians' - Star blasted Fab Four | Music | Entertainment | Express.co.uk
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[beans-on-toast]

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The Beatles "all crummy musicians"? Who said that? Anyone agree?

The Beatles George Harrison: 'The band were crummy musicians' - Star blasted Fab Four | Music | Entertainment | Express.co.uk
.​

I don’t know where this comes from but I’ve seen it repeated often enough. The Beatles used complex guitar harmonies in their songs. Each guitar played different parts that complimented one another. Chords were not simple. Many talented players state that Beatle songs are difficult to properly do correctly. They played in inventive ways that weren’t seen in rock music from other bands.




Mike does a very good job breaking down Beatles songs and showing you how to play them.

 

[G-Dog]

.
The Beatles "all crummy musicians"? Who said that? Anyone agree?

The Beatles George Harrison: 'The band were crummy musicians' - Star blasted Fab Four | Music | Entertainment | Express.co.uk
.​

I don’t know where this comes from but I’ve seen it repeated often enough. The Beatles used complex guitar harmonies in their songs. Each guitar played different parts that complimented one another. Chords were not simple. Many talented players state that Beatle songs are difficult to properly do correctly. They played in inventive ways that weren’t seen in rock music from other bands.




Mike does a very good job breaking down Beatles songs and showing you how to play them.

I agree, beanie. I think George was just spouting off from his guilt about not practicing as much as what he'd heard as the requirements to be a serious musician. But, certainly his dedication to his instrument was of tremendous benefit to their success! I recall, but can't now find, an interview video when they were asked who was the best musician in the group John, Paul & Ringo all immediately pointed to George without hesitation. IIRC, George just smiled acknowledgement.

And, of course, there is Quincy Jones' famous self serving putdown of the Beatles as the “worst musicians in the world”, among other colorful phrases. Although he subsequently apologized, his original remarks are far more widely publicized.

But was John & Paul's dedicated attention to lyrics and songcraft, alternating between guitar & piano to serve the song, any less musicianlike than George's serious pursuit of instrumentality? I think not. And I daresay that George Martin's classically trained musicianship interjected no small contributions to the recorded whole. And Brian Epstein's promotional efforts, though non-musical, certainly had great timing. Not to downplay Ringo's contributions, since Paul has said they just really "clicked" with him, but I don't have a very good perspective to comment intelligently on that.

In an alternate universe, the lacking of any one of several contributing people, behaviors and factors may have prevented the synergy of the confluence of timing and talents that we have experienced as "The Beatles." Not only very musical, but actually quite magical in its having ever existed at all!
.

 

[RedVee]

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The Beatles "all crummy musicians"? Who said that? Anyone agree?

The Beatles George Harrison: 'The band were crummy musicians' - Star blasted Fab Four | Music | Entertainment | Express.co.uk
.​

I wish I was that crummy. When we have done Beatles songs we have been struck by how their supposedly ‘simple’ songs are not so simple. There is always something you may not have expected going in.

 

[zontar]

.
The Beatles "all crummy musicians"? Who said that? Anyone agree?

The Beatles George Harrison: 'The band were crummy musicians' - Star blasted Fab Four | Music | Entertainment | Express.co.uk
.​

they played perfectly for what they were doing...

May we all be able to do that

 

[beans-on-toast]

.
The Beatles "all crummy musicians"? Who said that? Anyone agree?

The Beatles George Harrison: 'The band were crummy musicians' - Star blasted Fab Four | Music | Entertainment | Express.co.uk
.​

One thing to note, the Express is a tabloid newspaper that claims to be the greatest in the world. They run questionable stories to sell papers.

 

[G-Dog]

One thing to note, the Express is a tabloid newspaper that claims to be the greatest in the world. They run questionable stories to sell papers.

View attachment 4423213

Yeah! The tabloid part is taking the guys humble admissions of no formal musical training and making the headline say that George is "blasting" them!

Sure, they didn't have a lotta time to practice scales and exercises while performing long hours in Hamburg and when traveling to perform all over England. But, all that performing is pretty good practice, too, I think.

They could certainly all afford proper lessons once they stopped touring. But John's fingerpicking lessons from Donovan in Rishikesh and George's sitar lessons with Ravi are the only training I've ever heard any of them taking. Anyone else?
.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Yeah! The tabloid part is taking the guys humble admissions of no formal musical training and making the headline say that George is "blasting" them!

Sure, they didn't have a lotta time to practice scales and exercises while performing long hours in Hamburg and when traveling to perform all over England. But, all that performing is pretty good practice, too, I think.

They could certainly all afford proper lessons once they stopped touring. But John's fingerpicking lessons from Donovan in Rishikesh and George's sitar lessons with Ravi are the only training I've ever heard any of them taking. Anyone else?
.

They all studied, in depth, the recordings of those who influenced them and figured out what worked and how to make it their own. Buddy Holly, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and many others. Their practice came from learning new songs. This was a real music education gained through long hours of hard work.

Paul talked about how they used these influences to write music that sounded bigger than what four musicians could make. They did this by combining vocal and music harmonies.

They were shown jazz chords and ran with them. Paul sang in a church choir, there’s training that comes with that. Pauls dad was in a well known jazz band playing trumpet and piano, he studied music in the 1920’s. There were influences from his dad. Paul drew the line when his dad suggested changes to Beatle song lyrics that were in the works.

George sat with his mom, meticulously working out records by repeatedly dropping the needle. This made him a perfectionist, as was Paul. One example, Paul recorded all the parts for Come and Get It. He was with Badfinger when they recorded it. Listening to bootlegs, you hear Paul coaching them. The drummer made a slight change and Paul insisted that he do it exactly the way that Paul wrote it.

 

[G-Dog]

They all studied, in depth, the recordings of those who influenced them and figured out what worked and how to make it their own. Buddy Holly, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and many others. Their practice came from learning new songs. This was a real music education gained through long hours of hard work.

Paul talked about how they used these influences to write music that sounded bigger than what four musicians could make. They did this by combining vocal and music harmonies.

They were shown jazz chords and ran with them. Paul sang in a church choir, there’s training that comes with that. Pauls dad was in a well known jazz band playing trumpet and piano, he studied music in the 1920’s. There were influences from his dad. Paul drew the line when his dad suggested changes to Beatle song lyrics that were in the works.

George sat with his mom, meticulously working out records by repeatedly dropping the needle. This made him a perfectionist, as was Paul. One example, Paul recorded all the parts for Come and Get It. He was with Badfinger when they recorded it. Listening to bootlegs, you hear Paul coaching them. The drummer made a slight change and Paul insisted that he do it exactly the way that Paul wrote it.

I've read for many decades how, when John & Paul met, one of them (I forget which) said, "I've written some songs." and the other said, "Oh, yeah? So have I." This was a very unusual thing, Paul says, because usually other people would just say, "Oh?" and change the subject.

Lately, on SiriusXM's Beatles Channel, they've been playing a blurb of Paul talking about The Early Beatles having to play after other bands that were playing the same Top Ten songs they were going to play. So, he says, they would write their own songs that the other bands, of course, wouldn't know. That way they could stand out as being fresh and original.

Paul's father must have really thought he was helping when he suggested they change the lyrics to, "She loves you! Yes! Yes! Yes!" because it sounds more proper than, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Well, yes, but being proper "ain't rock 'n' roll"!!!
.

 

[G-Dog]

... ... And, of course, there is Quincy Jones' famous self serving putdown of the Beatles as the “worst musicians in the world”, among other colorful phrases. Although he subsequently apologized, his original remarks are far more widely publicized. ... ...

And I just found this article describing Jones' "apology" directly over the phone to Paul, with Paul's reaction. Good for him!

Why Quincy Jones called The Beatles “the worst musicians in the world”
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[StereoPlayer]

Always love these isolated bass tracks. Listen to all the splices or punch ins. I say splices.