The Beatles

[The Bear]

I've just heard it again on the radio. It's not only a really average song it's dreary as well. If the music or vocal melody had any character or memorable moments you could forgive it, but it's just bland from start to finish. 

[purpleronnie]

It's kind of sad really that they churn this out, there was no real need for it and doesn't enhance their legacy one bit.

[WigstonWanderer]

Personally I prefer Free as a Bird, which i actually quite liked despite it not being universally acclaimed. Perhaps I just need to listen to Now and Then a bit more.

[inckley fox]

20 hours ago, purpleronnie said:

It's kind of sad really that they churn this out, there was no real need for it and doesn't enhance their legacy one bit.

I honestly couldn't disagree with you more. It's a good new song by The Beatles. We haven't been able to say that in my entire lifetime, and yes, I was there when 'Free As A Bird' came out! No, it's not 'A Day in the Life', but you couldn't expect that from them in 1969 or 1970 either. It's a very suitable ending, and not everything has to be groundbreaking or bouncing with the joys of summer. It's reflective and lamenting, I grant you, but plenty of good music - and plenty of their good music - is. If you don't like it, fine, but I do wonder if some people either had unrealistic expectations or are just being negative nancies!

 

Mind you, I wouldn't encourage anyone to watch that video. Aside from the shot of Paul looking back with wonderment at where he's been and who he's been there with - as corny as it may be, I still think it's an affecting moment - I think the whole thing is quite crass and amateurish. I fully expect to see an alternative video, or perhaps even fan-made vids which supplant it as an accompaniment.

[SpacedX]

1 hour ago, inckley fox said:

I honestly couldn't disagree with you more. It's a good new song by The Beatles. 

Disagree. 

 

It's a throwaway song by John Lennon, an afterthought on a cassette labelled 'For Paul' and nothing to do with The Beatles and certainly never intended to bear their name. More McCartney revisionism and completely adulterates the back catalogue. Also, it was likely never intended to be so lavish. I find the latter highly ironic given McCartney's protestations over Phil Spector's treatment of 'The Long and Winding Road'. 

 

The video is terrible, and largely culled from the ludicrous 'Hello Goodbye' promotional film, a song that Lennon loathed. John and George would have equally hated the notion of this. 

 

On August 22, 1969, the four Beatles were gathered for the last time in their lives, for a photo shoot at John's recently purchased Tittenhurst Park grounds and mansion in Ascot. This was two days after their final recording session together editing and mixing 'I Want You, (She's So Heavy)'. On January 3, 1970, the Beatles began their last song started from scratch that ended up on a Beatles album. That's "I Me Mine". They had rehearsed the song a year earlier, but had never recorded it on multi-track tape until this date. However, John was not there, so only Paul, George, and Ringo participated. On April 1, 1970, Ringo Starr recorded an overdub for "The Long & Winding Road", so this was the last session, and last song, where any new work was done by any Beatle on any song that ended up on an original Beatles album. So far as I'm concerned, it ended there and then. 

[inckley fox]

19 hours ago, SpacedX said:

Disagree. 

 

It's a throwaway song by John Lennon, an afterthought on a cassette labelled 'For Paul' and nothing to do with The Beatles and certainly never intended to bear their name. More McCartney revisionism and completely adulterates the back catalogue. Also, it was likely never intended to be so lavish. I find the latter highly ironic given McCartney's protestations over Phil Spector's treatment of 'The Long and Winding Road'. 

 

The video is terrible, and largely culled from the ludicrous 'Hello Goodbye' promotional film, a song that Lennon loathed. John and George would have equally hated the notion of this. 

 

On August 22, 1969, the four Beatles were gathered for the last time in their lives, for a photo shoot at John's recently purchased Tittenhurst Park grounds and mansion in Ascot. This was two days after their final recording session together editing and mixing 'I Want You, (She's So Heavy)'. On January 3, 1970, the Beatles began their last song started from scratch that ended up on a Beatles album. That's "I Me Mine". They had rehearsed the song a year earlier, but had never recorded it on multi-track tape until this date. However, John was not there, so only Paul, George, and Ringo participated. On April 1, 1970, Ringo Starr recorded an overdub for "The Long & Winding Road", so this was the last session, and last song, where any new work was done by any Beatle on any song that ended up on an original Beatles album. So far as I'm concerned, it ended there and then. 

That's fair and well-reasoned. I certainly won't be arguing with you about that video either! It worried me the moment I heard Peter Jackson saying he couldn't make a Beatles video without new footage. Thank god nobody said that to the artists who prepared great visual accompaniments to 'Eleanor Rigby', 'Sgt Pepper', 'Lucy in the Sky' etc. without any such luxury. I can understand why you'd consider that this isn't a song which has the consensual participation of all of The Beatles, and I totally get your suspicions that neither John nor George would have been on board. As for your view of the song, well, that's your personal take, and I'm sure you're not alone in feeling that way.

 

However I'd make three points in response. Firstly, that George had taken part in those sessions, and two previous releases. Even though he may have expressed a desire to leave 'Now and Then' alone, I can't get too upset over what his wishes may have been when he'd not shown a whole load of interest in whatever John's reservations would likely have been up to that point.

 

Secondly, even when The Beatles were together the definition of what constituted a 'Beatles' song which had the group's full collaboration and/or consent was often stretched. Was 'Revolution 9', solely recorded by John and disliked by the others, truly a Beatles song? Was 'Why Don't We Do It In the Road?', recorded by Paul on the sly to John's bemusement, a Beatles song? Or 'Dear Prudence', made while Ringo had briefly quit, with Paul taking his place on drums? Or 'The Ballad of John and Yoko', entirely recorded by John and Paul? I'd argue that a Lennon song - by no means permanently abandoned, given that he often sat on songs or developed them over years - which Yoko and possibly even he intended for Paul, and which features all four of them on the recording, is every bit as much a Beatles song as some of the aforementioned.

 

And my final point is that I maintain it's a pretty damn good song. The positive reception reflects many fans' pleasant sense of surprise that 'Now and Then' might pass muster as a Beatles track. Perhaps that judgement is muddied by nostalgia and sentimentality, but I'm quite happy to enjoy the moment myself. Even if I hate the video!

 

As for whether it's The Beatles - it doesn't matter too much whether John wanted to look on 'Let It Be', 'Why Don't We Do It' as Beatles songs, nor Paul and the others when it comes to 'Revolution 9'. That's what it says on the can at the end of the day, and beyond that all that really matters is whether you're into the song, as I am, or not, as you are. Is Paul a revisionist? Absolutely! He can't stop contradicting himself about who wrote the verses for 'A Day in the Life', which literally nobody including him had questioned for half a century, and has consistently downplayed John's work on a whole load of other tracks. But John used to play that game too, claiming 'Eleanor Rigby' was basically his lyric, when everyone else disputed the fact, or that he offered the best lines in 'Blackbird' and even 'Taxman'. They were competitive, and while it gets on my nerves too at times, I also appreciate that that's what made them work so well as a partnership.

[SpacedX]

Thanks for your reply and apart from not liking the song, I do agree with much of what you are saying. 

 

7 minutes ago, inckley fox said:

Firstly, that George had taken part in those sessions, and two previous releases. Even though he may have expressed a desire to leave 'Now and Then' alone, I can't get too upset over what his wishes may have been when he'd not shown a whole load of interest in whatever John's reservations would likely have been up to that point.

He had, but he's not around now, which is my point and neither was John when the same was done to 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love' which I thought was a mistake too. All this smacks of McCartney not Starr and Harrison. I believe that George's main objection to working on 'Now and Then' back in 1995 as the 'Threetles' was the poor quality of the demo as opposed to the song, and lacking the technology of today, it was impossible to enhance. 

 

14 minutes ago, inckley fox said:

Secondly, even when The Beatles were together the definition of what constituted a 'Beatles' song which had the group's full collaboration and/or consent was often stretched. Was 'Revolution 9', solely recorded by John and disliked by the others, truly a Beatles song? Was 'Why Don't We Do It In the Road?', recorded by Paul on the sly to John's bemusement, a Beatles song? Or 'Dear Prudence', made while Ringo had briefly quit, with Paul taking his place on drums? Or 'The Ballad of John and Yoko', entirely recorded by John and Paul? I'd argue that a Lennon song - by no means permanently abandoned, given that he often sat on songs or developed them over years - which Yoko and possibly even he intended for Paul, and which features all four of them on the recording, is every bit as much a Beatles song as some of the aforementioned.

During the White album period, it wasn't unusual for John, Paul and George to be separately working on their own material in studios one, two and three. As I'm sure you know, the recording of that album was so toxic and fractious that Geoff Emerick quit and even George Martin was spitting expletives by the end of it. Given that he had to produce the truly dreadful Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, who could blame him? - (and if that wasn't bad enough, months of drudgery over the equally awful 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' was to follow a year later). Two years prior to this, a disagreement during the recording of 'She Said She Said' saw McCartney storm out of the Revolver sessions (George played bass). Of course  is still a Beatles song - as is 'Julia', 'Her Majesty' or 'Blackbird' - or any of the songs you or I mention. The point being, they were still a functioning band (well, almost during the White Album). The Beatles were still an entity and artistically a foursome even if Ringo's contributions were marginal and George often got short shrift. (In fact, mentally, I think George had ceased to be a Beatle in 1967). I will say this however, had John had his way 'Abbey Road' would have likely resembled 'Life With the Lions' or 'The Two Virgins'. 

 

28 minutes ago, inckley fox said:

And my final point is that I maintain it's a pretty damn good song. The positive reception reflects many fans' pleasant sense of surprise that 'Now and Then' might pass muster as a Beatles track. Perhaps that judgement is muddied by nostalgia and sentimentality, but I'm quite happy to enjoy the moment myself. Even if I hate the video!

 

Here I have to vehemently disagree. It's quite literally a throwaway track and completely discarded in favour of emergent material written in Bermuda that found its way onto Double Fantasy. Yes, it was probably composed at Tittenhurst Park, but never used on any of Lennon's solo albums and likely revisited on the piano with a cassette recorded perched on top in 1977 out of a whim. It isn't a Beatles track though, was never intended to be a Beatles track and likely forgotten as quickly as it was in 1970. The Beatles ceased to be a creative alliance in August 1969, the last recording associated with the band was an overdub during the Phil Sector salvage job on 'Let it Be' in the spring of 1970 and they were officially dissolved in a court of law in January 1971. 

 

39 minutes ago, inckley fox said:

As for whether it's The Beatles - it doesn't matter too much whether John wanted to look on 'Let It Be', 'Why Don't We Do It' as Beatles songs, nor Paul and the others when it comes to 'Revolution 9'. That's what it says on the can at the end of the day, and beyond that all that really matters is whether you're into the song, as I am, or not, as you are. 

Those were still 'Beatles' songs, released by an existing band prior to their break up. This latest venture is rather like exhuming a corpse and dressing it up. I realise that sounds incredibly distasteful, but without John or George's artistic input, it isn't the Beatles. it's a voice from the grave, which is rather unsettling. 

 

Of course Lennon hated McCartney's 'Granny music' as he derogatorily referred to it. Similarly, Macca didn't care much for Lennon's self-indulgence or avant garde posturing and pretensions, but it was still as you say, the Beatles on the can. This release is more like a label that has been falsely appended to it - sullying the name and the history in the process. Yet again, it compromises and adulterates the legend and the legacy. 

 

47 minutes ago, inckley fox said:

Is Paul a revisionist? Absolutely! He can't stop contradicting himself about who wrote the verses for 'A Day in the Life', which literally nobody including him had questioned for half a century, and has consistently downplayed John's work on a whole load of other tracks. But John used to play that game too, claiming 'Eleanor Rigby' was basically his lyric, when everyone else disputed the fact, or that he offered the best lines in 'Blackbird' and even 'Taxman'. They were competitive, and while it gets on my nerves too at times, I also appreciate that that's what made them work so well as a partnership.

Agree entirely, Lennon was notorious for that wasn't he. He also appeared to have an appalling memory as evidenced by the 1970 Jan Wenner interviews which were as bitter as they were fanciful. A particularly jaded and cynical time of his life. I am inclined to believe his recount of the circumstances surrounding Taxman though, although that acerbic tendency that crept into lyrics, was equally a hallmark of George as it was John, so we will never know. 

[Fox92]

3 hours ago, inckley fox said:

As for whether it's The Beatles - it doesn't matter too much whether John wanted to look on 'Let It Be', 'Why Don't We Do It' as Beatles songs, nor Paul and the others when it comes to 'Revolution 9'. That's what it says on the can at the end of the day, and beyond that all that really matters is whether you're into the song, as I am, or not, as you are. Is Paul a revisionist? Absolutely! He can't stop contradicting himself about who wrote the verses for 'A Day in the Life', which literally nobody including him had questioned for half a century, and has consistently downplayed John's work on a whole load of other tracks. But John used to play that game too, claiming 'Eleanor Rigby' was basically his lyric, when everyone else disputed the fact, or that he offered the best lines in 'Blackbird' and even 'Taxman'. They were competitive, and while it gets on my nerves too at times, I also appreciate that that's what made them work so well as a partnership.

I do feel for McCartney in that sense. He's lived 40 years longer than John Lennon now and often comes up against the whole "but John did this". I'm guessing that has happened Lennon's death. Yet Paul was actually there, he was in the band, he wrote the songs too. I know McCartney can be petty as well but when Lennon was alive so was he, as you say. 

[Andy11111]

Don't think it's the best song ever but still better than most the crap around nowadays 😀

[Sly]

IMO … it’s not great is it. 
 

If Baz from down the boozer had pushed this out, not a single person would be listening to it. 

[Daggers]

Weak. 
 

The reactions, not the song. 
 

 

[WigstonWanderer]

I’ve listened to it a few times now and, despite the snobbery of the cool intellectuals here I’m not ashamed to say I like it, and the video 

Edited 6 November 2023 by WigstonWanderer

[Dr Marco]

I like it

regarding "real love", I think this one is the best version of it:

 

 

[DennisNedry]

I quite like it too after a few listens.

 

I wonder if a lot of the footage in the video was remastered old footage or whether it was AI? I was getting uncanny valley vibes from John in particular.

 

 

[DennisNedry]

On 03/11/2023 at 16:10, SpacedX said:

Utterly ridiculous and typical Macca. 
 

Not what John and George would have wanted. 

What's typical Macca?

 

(I mean generally, not just in this instance)

Edited 6 November 2023 by DennisNedry

[SpacedX]

12 minutes ago, DennisNedry said:

What's typical Macca?

 

(I mean generally, not just in this instance)

Frequently ill-conceived tasteless projects and milking The Beatles dry. 

 

16 minutes ago, DennisNedry said:

I wonder if a lot of the footage in the video was remastered old footage or whether it was AI? I was getting uncanny valley vibes from John in particular.

Genuine old footage.

[Free Falling Foxes]

https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/beatles-now-then-number-1-song-record/

 

I think they've passed the audition.

Edited 10 November 2023 by Free Falling Foxes

[Izzy]

[Free Falling Foxes]

I've been listening to the 2023 remixes of the red and blue albums.

Very worthwhile imo.

All the early Beatles LPs and singles were mixed for mono. Stereo versions had that harsh sounding vocals on one side, instruments on the other. That has now been address thanks to the new de-mixing technology.

That largely affects the red, 62-66 album.

The blue album, 67-70, features a lot of the re mixes made for the 50th anniversary re releases of later albums - with some exceptions.

Later singles and Magical Mystery Tour have now had the de-mix/re-mix treatment and in most of the examples it is brilliant, I think.

If I had to pick one track as an example, it would be the title song from Mystery Tour. An electric guitar - I assume played by George - was completely absent/ buried in the mix in previous versions but now, it is quite prominent in all its strumming beauty.

Edited 24 November 2023 by Free Falling Foxes

[SpacedX]

Lennon's voice...

 

 

Baby faced Paul. 

[Dr Marco]

https://www.stereogum.com/2252588/sam-mendes-plans-to-direct-four-different-beatles-biopics/news/?fbclid=IwAR3ZjyhkKfJx6eORlFxKc5IgKHfPUMv8qQIWvhip07BR7yC7vt6JSv9NIRY

[davieG]

Inside The World Of Rock
Suggested for you  ·   · 
🔴 THE DAY THE WORLD CHANGED FOREVER
On the evening of 5th October 1962, with its powerful transmitter broadcasting to the UK on 208 Meters on the Medium Wave band (AM to our US readers) Radio Luxembourg played a new song, a simple song, in which the singers sang the word ‘love’ a total of 23 times. It was raw, it was sexy, and an almost complete rebuttal of the saccharine, over-produced pap prevalent at the time. It was “Love Me Do”. Beatles producer George Martin said when The Beatles “Love Me Do” was released, on Friday 5th October 1962, it was the day the world changed, and the world has consistently agreed with him ever since. Liverpool, in the North West of England, was approaching the winter of 1962 with rocketing unemployment rates and the worst slums in Europe, and yet it was also the world’s biggest port. Even as the deadly game of bluff, played with nuclear weapons, was enacted as The Cold War between East and West, some of Liverpool’s’ youth had been reaching out across the oceans to pursue the rock ‘n’ roll dream, inspired by the groundbreaking efforts of Elvis Presley in the USA, and, closer to home, the example of do it yourself music as led by British singer / banjo player Lonnie Donegan. Amidst a bleak economic backdrop, five young men from Liverpool had been slowly learning their craft in Hamburg, Germany as a rock ‘n’ roll band (they left one behind). The unbeatable Hamburg apprenticeship of 4-hour sets, 7 days a week, meant that when the leaner, and certainly hungrier, quartet returned to their home city, they were able to whip up excitement in audiences inspired by their musicianship, showmanship and sheer enthusiasm. Label head and producer George Martin wasn’t initially bowled over by the lads’ musicianship or compositions, but he was impressed with their self-confident insouciance, and something in his gut told him to take a chance. Even when the band had signed, they were determined to be individual, refusing to release a song suggested by George Martin, even though he assured them it would be a hit. (It was – the song was ‘How Do You Do It?’, a chart-topper in 1963 when recorded by Gerry & The Pacemakers. History shows that The Beatles’ instincts were correct, though). George Martin does deserve credit for his control of the recording session for ‘Love Me Do’, in which he made a vital change to the arrangement. It was a very early Lennon–McCartney composition, principally written by the 16-year old Paul McCartney while playing truant from school, with John Lennon later adding the middle eight section (starting with “Someone to love…”) to complete the song, Their practice at the time was to scribble songs in a school notebook, and, in their dreams of future respect as professional songwriters, to always write “Another Lennon-McCartney Original” at the top of the page. Having been promised a deal by George Martin in the spring, The Beatles formally signed to Parlophone on June 4th 1962 and had their first recording session at London’s EMI Studios in Abbey Road on 6th June with Pete Best on drums. After Martin expressed concern over Best’s level of technique, The Beatles returned to London three months later, on 4 September, with their new drummer, Ringo Starr, formerly of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. A controversial decision at the time in Liverpool, since Best had his own coterie of personal fans, the band’s decision has been more than vindicated by the excellent rhythm parts of Ringo since then, but also by a perusal of the original recorded version of ‘Love Me Do’: Ringo adds the final ingredient to The Beatles’ mix of originality, the swinging new version sounding like a completely new song. “Love Me Do” kicks off with John Lennon playing a bluesy dry harmonica riff, having learnt to play as a child after his Uncle George introduced him to the instrument. The actual harmonica being used at this time was one stolen by the light-fingered Lennon from a music shop in Arnhem, the Netherlands, in 1960, as the Beatles first journeyed to Hamburg. It has been much reported that Delbert McClinton, who supplied the distinctive harp riff on Bruce Channel’s ‘Hey Baby’, taught Lennon to play, but this isn’t strictly accurate. ‘Hey Baby’ was already in the Beatles’ repertoire, and The Beatles did open for Bruce Channel when he appeared at Liverpool’s Tower Ballroom, but that was on June 21st, so McClinton merely gave Lennon a few pointers. The song features Lennon and McCartney on joint lead vocals, in their best Everly Brothers style, harmonising during the beseeching “please” before McCartney sings the unaccompanied vocal line on the song’s title phrase, ‘Love Me Do’. Lennon had previously sung the title sections, but this change in arrangement was made in the studio under the direction of producer George Martin when he realised that the harmonica part encroached on the vocal, allowing McCartney’s solo voice to act as a contrast to the harmony work elsewhere.
After first checking into their Chelsea hotel on September 4th, The Beatles arrived at EMI Studios early in the afternoon where they set up their equipment in Studio 3 and began rehearsing six songs including: “Please Please Me”, “Love Me Do” and “How Do You Do It?” One week later, on 11 September, the Beatles returned to the same studio where they made another recording of “Love Me Do” with session drummer Andy White on drums, as Martin was unhappy with the 4th September drum sound, relegating Ringo to tambourine. The first pressing of the single, however, did feature the Ringo Starr version, prompting Mark Lewisohn to later write: “Clearly, the 11 September version was not regarded as having been a significant improvement after all”. It was also later included on the compilation albums Rarities (American version) and Past Masters, Volume One. The Andy White version was included on the Beatles’ debut UK album, Please Please Me, The Beatles’ Hits EP, and all subsequent album releases on which “Love Me Do” was included. As the tambourine was not included on the 4 September recording, this is the easiest way to distinguish between the Starr and White recordings. That first week of October 1962 saw The Tornadoes at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the instrumental “Telstar”, while The Four Seasons were at the top of the charts in the US with “Sherry”. The Rollin’ Stones, (as they were known during this period), played The Woodstock Hotel in Surrey to less than 200 people. The Who hadn’t yet met Keith Moon, and Bruce Springsteen, who had recently turned 13, had just bought his first guitar. So it was with one foot in the established order of package tours and light entertainment shows, that The Beatles launched their debut. Compared to modern day promotional activities, where artists set out on a gruelling schedule of radio, TV and press interviews, The Beatles didn’t really have a plan. The day after “Love Me Do’ was released, in the afternoon the band made a special 15 mile trip to Dawson’s Music Shop in Widnes, Cheshire, to hold an in-store signing session, and in the evening they played at the Horticultural Dance at Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight, Birkenhead. The following day they appeared at The Cavern, Liverpool, and the next was spent recording a Radio Luxembourg special, The Friday Spectacular, before a live audience of 100. Still, in London, the following day The Beatles made a visit to the offices of Record Mirror in the hope that someone might review their new release. To finish the week off, they returned to Liverpool and played a lunchtime and evening show at The Cavern. By the end of the month, The Beatles returned to Hamburg for a 14-night run at the Star Club, sharing the bill with Little Richard. Back in England, over the next two months, The Beatles continued to make the odd radio and TV appearance along with gigs in the North West. During this time, airplay on the single was steadily increasing, and eventually, two days after Christmas, on December 27th 1962, The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” peaked on the Record Retailer Top 50 charts, at number 17, its highest position. So, after a tough year, The Beatles had at least put themselves in the map. But, unbeknownst to the world, they had already got in the can the track that would place them at the top of the tree – “Please Please Me”, to be released in January 1963. That was to break them wide open, but in the meantime, The Beatles could spend their last New Year as normal humans before the madness and mayhem to come.

[Dr Marco]

c'est trop long, je n'ai pas lu!

[davieG]

Abbey Road Tribute  · 

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The song that was a turning point for George as a songwriter

When George left The Beatles, he was ready to take on the world, and for a period of time, he was the biggest name that the Beatles had produced. With the success of All Things Must Pass, George proved what he had already known for a long time; he was a great songwriter.

George’s songwriting contributions continued to increase from the moment he wrote and recorded ‘Don’t Bother Me’.

“At least it showed me that all I needed to do was keep on writing, and then maybe eventually I would write something good”.

“George got stuck with being the Beatle that had to fight to get songs on records because of Lennon and McCartney. Well, who wouldn’t get stuck?” said Bob Dylan in 2006.

“If George had had his own group and was writing his own songs back then, he’d have been probably just as big as anybody.”

The opening track on Revolver, ‘Taxman’ marked not only George using his own life to help him write songs, but arguably the first moment he really ascended to match the levels set by John and Paul.

“I remember the day he called to ask for help on ‘Taxman’, one of his first songs,” John said in 1980.

“I threw in a few one-liners to help the song along, because that’s what he asked for. He came to me because he couldn’t go to Paul, because Paul wouldn’t have helped him at that period. I didn’t want to do it. I thought, Oh, no, don’t tell me I have to work on George’s stuff. It’s enough doing my own and Paul’s.”

“But because I loved him and I didn’t want to hurt him when he called that afternoon and said, ‘Will you help me with this song?’ I just sort of bit my tongue and said OK. It had been John and Paul for so long, he’d been left out because he hadn’t been a songwriter up until then”.

“Unlike our previous LPs, this one is intended to show our versatility rather than a haphazard collection of songs…George has written three of the tracks. On past LPs he never did more than two,” said Paul

“I wouldn’t say that my songs are autobiographical; ‘Taxman’ is, perhaps,” George said.

“The early ones were just any words I could think of.”

After Taxman, George would go on a cracking run of songs, providing some of The Beatles’ finest cuts, including songs as ‘Here Comes The Sun’ and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.

Thanks to Boris.

[SpacedX]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

Abbey Road Tribute  · 

Follow

  · 

 

 

The song that was a turning point for George as a songwriter

When George left The Beatles, he was ready to take on the world, and for a period of time, he was the biggest name that the Beatles had produced. With the success of All Things Must Pass, George proved what he had already known for a long time; he was a great songwriter.

George’s songwriting contributions continued to increase from the moment he wrote and recorded ‘Don’t Bother Me’.

“At least it showed me that all I needed to do was keep on writing, and then maybe eventually I would write something good”.

“George got stuck with being the Beatle that had to fight to get songs on records because of Lennon and McCartney. Well, who wouldn’t get stuck?” said Bob Dylan in 2006.

“If George had had his own group and was writing his own songs back then, he’d have been probably just as big as anybody.”

The opening track on Revolver, ‘Taxman’ marked not only George using his own life to help him write songs, but arguably the first moment he really ascended to match the levels set by John and Paul.

“I remember the day he called to ask for help on ‘Taxman’, one of his first songs,” John said in 1980.

“I threw in a few one-liners to help the song along, because that’s what he asked for. He came to me because he couldn’t go to Paul, because Paul wouldn’t have helped him at that period. I didn’t want to do it. I thought, Oh, no, don’t tell me I have to work on George’s stuff. It’s enough doing my own and Paul’s.”

“But because I loved him and I didn’t want to hurt him when he called that afternoon and said, ‘Will you help me with this song?’ I just sort of bit my tongue and said OK. It had been John and Paul for so long, he’d been left out because he hadn’t been a songwriter up until then”.

“Unlike our previous LPs, this one is intended to show our versatility rather than a haphazard collection of songs…George has written three of the tracks. On past LPs he never did more than two,” said Paul

“I wouldn’t say that my songs are autobiographical; ‘Taxman’ is, perhaps,” George said.

“The early ones were just any words I could think of.”

After Taxman, George would go on a cracking run of songs, providing some of The Beatles’ finest cuts, including songs as ‘Here Comes The Sun’ and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.

Thanks to Boris.

Lennon claimed credit for much of the lyrics in Taxman - it certainly contains his acerbic humour, but also George's dry wit and resentment over money matters. George couldn't nail a solo and was perfectly happy for McCartney to come up with something. In the event it fitted perfectly and George was delighted.