I wasn't aware that the Beatles 1962-1966(Red Album) cover photo was not the same photo as the Please, Please Me album cover. Same photo shoot. Different frame. And the 1967-1970 is not the same as that proposed "Get Back" cover.
When I first heard Helter Skelter back in '68 I thought it was John who said the 'blisters' comment at the end. We used to aaargue about that.
Yeah, I think everyone did. For years. In fact the first print of the Capitol Rarities referred to it as "the classic Lennon statement". That was removed in the ensuing prints. Which, btw, if you hve that original print, you have a collectible.
This isn't really the most obvious oversight, but I surprised to find that Her Majesty was originally intended and performed in the Mean Mr Mustard/Polythene Pam Medley. And now I know where that awkward first chordal strike comes from and why it ends so awkward and abruptly on the 4 rather than resolving on the 1 of the next measure. It's because the 1 is the first chord of PP.
Not sure if these were ever obvious to others, but there are quite a few Beatle songs that are at least partly reworkings of other songs - sometimes their own, sometimes not.
1. Musically, Paul's "World Without Love" is almost identical to "All My Loving". Same notes, just different speed.
2. The opening notes of "Please, Please Me" are very similar to the notes that play with the opening lyrics of "Across the Universe".
3. Although he gave the song to Billy J Krammer, John must have liked "Bad to Me" enough to later use the melody (albeit slowed down) as the opening for "Ticket to Ride"
4. "It's All Too Much" took it's melody from a song by the Mersey's called "Sorrow". George acknowledges the swipe within the song by singing a line from the Mersey's tune ("With her long, blond hair")
5. It was only when I heard an early bootlegged version of "God" did I realise that Ritchie Valen's "Oh, Donna" influenced John's classic. It isn't obvious in the released version, but it's now something I can't not hear. Compare John's "God is a concept" with Valen's "I had a girl" opening.
Sometimes the lyrics themselves have been influenced from other sources or have meanings that should be obvious but to which I was oblivious:
1. "Blackbird" is about civil rights. I had to read an interview with Paul to realise it. "Take these broken wings and learn to fly" = "Take the little that you've been given in life and turn it into something". "You were only waiting for this moment to be free" "Fly into the heart of a dark, black night" = "It's dark now, yet there's light at the end of the tunnel". Beautiful - and this was one of my favourites even before I knew this.
2. "Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it so that the other half may reach you" is from Kahlil Gibran's Sand and Form which was published decades before John's "Julia".
3. Certain versions (I'm guessing the ones released in Stereo) of the Sgt Pepper Reprise have Paul shouting in the background something along the lines of "SGT PEPPER GREATEST BAND IN THE WORLD" really quickly while others don't.
4. "Please, Please Me" again. John flubs the lyrics at one point by singing the first few words of the wrong stanza ("Why do I-") but seamlessly weaves the last half the proper stanza in (the one which goes "I know you never even try, girl") to get "Why do I never even try girl".
5. "Fish and Finger pie" is actually kind of dirty.
Last edited by Jongo McHarrison : Dec 21, 2012 at 10:26 PM.
This isn't really the most obvious oversight, but I surprised to find that Her Majesty was originally intended and performed in the Mean Mr Mustard/Polythene Pam Medley. And now I know where that awkward first chordal strike comes from and why it ends so awkward and abruptly on the 4 rather than resolving on the 1 of the next measure. It's because the 1 is the first chord of PP.
There is a proper last note to "Her Majesty." It was cut off when the engineer slipped it onto the album.
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5. "Fish and Finger pie" is actually kind of dirty.
it's "four of fish and finger pies.."
"four of fish" is making an order of fish and chips and yes, "finger pie" has a sexual connotation..but i did not know that sex was dirty..??
This is from thegearpage.net.
In 'Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live', The musical director Howard Shore said " There was no theme song, they just improvised every week".
Since 'Whatever Gets You Thru The Night' was released in 1974, it was probably in the back of his mind somewhere when he came up with the SNL theme song.
This is quite a quirky point but still has a ring of truth to it. The Beatles started - and ended - their live concert career as a covers band. In the early days they did supreme versions of 50's and 60's rockers, and at Candlestick Park, their very last concert they started and ended their (short) set with career long favourites, Rock and Roll Music and Long Tall Sally. George's solos were often more developed on these covers.
Last edited by Take a sad song : Mar 05, 2013 at 03:49 AM.
My other (quirky) entry is that The Beatles most likely would have reunited four months after John Lennon's death at Ringo's wedding. This is based on the fact that John was on best terms with Ringo (of all Beatles) and he and Ringo were the last Beatles to socialise together, on 26 November 1980, less than two weeks before Lennon's death. (from Barbara Bach website). Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach were married in April 1981, and all surviving Beatles and their partners attended.
Last edited by Take a sad song : Mar 05, 2013 at 03:55 AM.
I first heard "Back in the USSR" in 6th grade (1977). I must have heard it thousands of times since then and of course saw Paul do it live.
I got the joke/irony from the get go- satire of the Soviet Union and a tribute to the Beach Boys.
Well, most of it. Just last year, I was driving and it came on the radio. When Paul sings, "And Georgia is always on my-my-my mind....", I realized that he not only meant the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, but also was spoofing the song 'Georgia on my Mind" popularized by Ray Charles.
So there it is. It took 35 years to fully appreciate those lyrics. I may have to parse She Loves You to see what else I have missed.
I first heard "Back in the USSR" in 6th grade (1977). I must have heard it thousands of times since then and of course saw Paul do it live.
I got the joke/irony from the get go- satire of the Soviet Union and a tribute to the Beach Boys.
Well, most of it. Just last year, I was driving and it came on the radio. When Paul sings, "And Georgia is always on my-my-my mind....", I realized that he not only meant the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, but also was spoofing the song 'Georgia on my Mind" popularized by Ray Charles.
So there it is. It took 35 years to fully appreciate those lyrics. I may have to parse She Loves You to see what else I have missed.
Add me to the list. I never made the connection. What a clever line.
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