Tag Archives: the Beatles

♫ Twist And Shout ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

For absolutely no discernible reason, this song popped into my head tonight and refused to leave!  Ah well … inspiration, I suppose, has a mind of its own.  I well remember this song from my teen years, but had no idea of the song’s history.

Written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns, this was first recorded by the Top Notes, a Philadelphia vocal group, in 1961.  Their version literally went nowhere, charted nowhere, but the next year it was recorded by the Isley Brothers and their version became the group’s first single to reach the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.  It also charted at #42 in the UK.

But it was the Beatles’ version, released in 1963 (UK) – 1964 (U.S.), that has been called “the most famous single take in rock history.”  Mark Lewisohn called it “arguably the most stunning rock and roll vocal and instrumental performance of all time.”  And yet, while the Beatles’ version charted at #2 in the U.S., and #1 in numerous other countries such as Argentina, Finland, and New Zealand, it failed to chart in the UK until 2010, nearly a half-century after its release!

According to SongFacts …

The Beatles used this to end many of their early live performances. It was always a huge hit when they played it in concert, and was chosen as their opening song at their Shea Stadium performance on August 15, 1965 – the first rock concert held in a stadium.

John Lennon admitted that he screamed the lyrics. The Beatles had to sing loud when they did countless live shows in their early years.

You can hear McCartney yell “hey” over the very last chord of this song, possibly because it was such a challenge doing the vocals with Lennon suffering from a cold (he was plagued with them his entire life). A lot of people think that the song was recorded once – a one time shot. They actually did two takes, and kept the first one. John was totally knackered, sick as a dog and had stripped off his shirt to let himself sweat it out, but he pulled it off. The next day – February 12, 1963 – The Beatles played two shows, one at the Azena Ballroom in Yorkshire and another at the Astoria Ballroom in Lancashire.

John Lennon used a 1963 Royal Variety Show performance of this song to make a subtle political dig regarding socioeconomic differences between the British royalty and the British working class in attendance. He introduced the song saying, “For our last number, I’d like to ask your help. Could the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands, and the rest of you can just rattle your jewelry.”

I thought I’d include both the Isley Brothers and the Beatles’ versions tonight …

Twist and Shout

Isley Brothers/Beatles

Well, shake it up, baby, now (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Come on, come on, come, come on, baby, now (come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)
Well, work it on out, honey (work it on out)
You know you look so good (look so good)
You know you got me goin’ now (got me goin’)
Just like you knew you would (like I knew you would)

Well, shake it up, baby, now (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Come on, come on, come, come on, baby, now (come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)
You know you twist, you little girl (twist little girl)
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer now (twist a little closer)
And let me know that you’re mine, woo

Ah-ah-ah-ah, wow
Baby, now (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Come on, come on, come, come on, baby, now (come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)
You know you twist, little girl (twist little girl)
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer now (twist a little closer)
And let me know that you’re mine (know you’re mine ooh)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (shake it up baby)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (shake it up baby)
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (shake it up baby)
Ah-ah-ah-ah

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Bert Russell / Phil Medley

Twist and Shout lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

♫ Without You ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

I last played this one a few years ago and for some reason I had it stuck in my head yesterday, so decided it was time for a redux.  I added just a small bit of trivia from last time, as well.

As I mentioned last night, when I was struggling to find songs that I hadn’t already played here, dear David came to my rescue with a list of songs and artists.  Some, like Fat Larry’s Band, I had never heard before, but some struck a chord, such as the one I played night before last, To Love Somebody by Michael Bolton and also the Bee Gees.  One of the bands on David’s list was Badfinger, and they did a song I love, Without You, but the fact is that I much prefer Nilsson’s (Nilsson Schmilsson) version to Badfinger’s.   

Originally released by Badfinger in 1970, this was written by Badfinger members Peter Ham and Tom Evans.  Ham had written a song called Is This Love?,  but he wasn’t happy with the chorus. Evans came up with the “I can’t live if living is without you” chorus but had no verses for it, so they put the two songs together as one.

The Badfinger original wasn’t released as a single, so most people weren’t familiar with it. Nilsson’s version, laced with lush orchestration, became a huge hit, climbing to #1 in the U.S. in February 1972 and staying for four weeks. Nilsson was known as a songwriter and wrote most of the songs he recorded, but two of his biggest hits were covers: Without You and Everybody’s Talkin’.

According to SongFacts …

Nilsson first came across this song at a Laurel Canyon party in 1971 and thought it was a Beatles song. Badfinger was signed to Apple Records, The Beatles’ label, and their version of “Without You” was produced by Beatles associates Geoff Emerick and Mal Evans. Nilsson also had a Beatles connection: John Lennon helped launch his career when he referred to Harry as his “favorite American group.” He and Lennon enjoyed a destructive time together from 1973-1975 that became known as the “lost weekend.”

Nilsson’s version added an orchestra and gave the song a dramatic production. When Nilsson recorded it, he initially played the song slow and dark, accompanied only by piano. Producer Richard Perry recalled to Mojo magazine April 2008 that he had to persuade an unwilling Nilsson to record it as a big ballad: “I had to force him to take a shot with the rhythm section. Even while we were doing it, he’d be saying to the musicians, ‘This song’s awful.'” 

This song made a lot of money for a lot of people, but for those most entitled to the windfall, it had tragic consequences. As the song’s writers, Peter Ham and Tom Evans should have been set for life, but Badfinger’s label, Apple Records, collapsed in 1973 and they never got their due. Despondent over career setbacks and overwhelmed by myriad legal difficulties, Ham hanged himself in 1975. In 1983, Evans followed suit, hanging himself from a willow tree after a bitter argument with Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland about the royalties for “Without You.”

As for Nilsson, he didn’t handle success well. Alcoholism ran in his family, and the fame and fortune from “Without You” triggered him to drink. He went into a downward spiral, and his career and health never recovered. Nilsson died of heart failure in 1994 at age 52.

Well … I really liked this song, but until tonight I had no idea of the tragedies associated with it.  😔

Nilsson’s version charted at #1 in both the UK and the U.S.  Mariah Carey also covered this song in 1994, and it was released just a week after Nilsson’s death.  Something I did not know the first time I played this is that Nilsson made his last concert appearance on September 1, 1992, when he joined Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band on stage at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, to sing Without You with Todd Rundgren handling the high notes. 

I give you both Badfinger and Nilsson’s versions tonight, for each has merit in its own right …

Without You
Badfinger/Nilsson

Well, I can’t forget this evening
And your face when you were leaving
But I guess that’s just the way the story goes
You always smile, but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes it shows

Well I can’t forget tomorrow
When I think of all my sorrow
I had you there, but then I let you go
And now it’s only fair that I should let you know
What you should know

I can’t live
If living is without you
I can’t live
I can’t give anymore
I can’t live
If living is without you
I can’t live
I can’t give anymore

Well, I can’t forget this evening
And your face when you were leaving
But I guess that’s just the way the story goes
You always smile, but in your eyes your sorrow shows
Yes it shows

I can’t live
If living is without you
I can’t live
I can’t give anymore
I can’t live
If living is without you
I can’t live
I can’t give anymore

I can’t live
If living is without you
I can’t live
I can’t give anymore
I can’t live
If living is without you
I can’t live
I can’t give anymore

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Evans Thomas / Ham Peter William
Without You lyrics © Apple Publishing Ltd., The Estate For Peter William Ham, The Estate For Thomas Evans, Apple Publ Ltd

♫ We Can Work It Out ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

I seem to have posted most of the Beatles’ repertoire at some point!  I went in search for a new Beatles’ tune tonight, since I haven’t played them in a while, but decided to settle on this one … in part because it is storming, the lights are flickering, and I want to get a song on the schedule before the electricity goes out altogether!  Still, I do love this one and hope you will too … it’s been almost two years since I last played it!

From my old standby Songfacts …

Paul McCartney wrote this about his girlfriend, an actress named Jane Asher. They split for good in 1968.
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The Beatles recorded this specifically for release as a single at two quick sessions while they were making the Rubber Soul album in October 1965. When it was released as a single backed with “Day Tripper,” debate raged over which was the A-side. Most pop groups put B-sides on their singles that were far inferior, but The Beatles often came out with 45s containing two great songs.
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John Lennon sang the “life is very short” part (which he also wrote); McCartney sang the rest.  (Prophetic?)
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Now here’s something I did NOT know!!!
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  • Stevie Wonder covered this on his 1970 album Signed, Sealed and Delivered. His version, which hit US #13, plays during the end credits of the 2005 movie Kicking And Screaming.In 2014, Wonder performed the song on the CBS special The Beatles: The Night That Changed America, which aired exactly 50 years after the group first performed on the Ed Sullivan Show. Wonder introduced the song by saying that he first heard it when he was 15 years old. “It had a nice thing to it, but I said, Someday I’m going to do it again, with a little more funky thing with it,” Wonder said when he introduced the song.

WHOA … be still my heart … I must go in search of!

In England, a cover by a soundalike group was used in commercials for Hewlett-Packard.
 .
The only time The Beatles played this live was on their final British tour in November/December 1965. McCartney didn’t perform the song until 1991, when he played it on his 1991 MTV Unplugged appearance. On his 2002 Back In The US tour, McCartney played a solo version on his acoustic guitar.
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We Can Work It Out
Song by The Beatles
Try to see it my way
Do I have to keep on talking ’til I can’t go on?
While you see it your way
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone
We can work it out
We can work it out
.
Think of what you’re saying
You can get it wrong and still you think that it’s alright
Think of what I’m saying
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night
We can work it out
We can work it out
.
Life is very short, and there’s no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it’s a crime
So, I will ask you once again
Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long
We can work it out
We can work it out
.
Life is very short, and there’s no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend
I have always thought that it’s a crime
So I will ask you once again
Try to see it my way
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long
We can work it out
We can work it out
.
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney
We Can Work It Out lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

♫ Albatross ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

I only played this one once before, waaaayyyyy back in 2019, so most of you won’t remember for many of you weren’t even yet part of my blogging family back then!  I think you’ll enjoy this one …

From my 2019 post ...

Today has been a strange one.  First, I came downstairs this morning to brew my first critical cup of coffee, turned the pot on, popped in a pod, hit the button, then fed the furry babes, went into the living room to open the blinds, returned to the kitchen to see coffee spreading all over the counter.  Oops.  I forgot to put a cup in the ol’ Keurig.  Cleaned that mess up, then filled the watering can to go out and water the flowers, since the weather forecasts have been off base all week and we haven’t received a drop of rain since Saturday.  Out in the tiny front yard, I start pouring water over the growing sunflowers, but … I don’t see water hitting the flowers.  And then, I begin to feel an odd sensation of dampness.  I look down, the nozzle is turned the wrong way and I am watering … myself!!!  I seem to be a bit dim-witted these days, for I watered myself for a good 15 seconds or so before I understood the problem and righted the watering can.  Fortunately, those two incidents did not set the tone for the day and the rest was alright … not great, but not terrible either.  However, tonight I am tired … exhausted, or as my UK friends say, knackered … and as such, I am in the mood for a peaceful tune, something soothing, something I can close … my eyes … and drift … zzzzzz … zzzzzzzz

Image result for albatross transparent background

An albatross is a bird that sailors believed brought bad luck, hence the expression “An albatross around your neck.” The albatross appears in the poem The Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner by Samuel Coleridge. Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green read the poem as a child, which gave him the idea for the song.

Albatross” is a guitar-based instrumental by Fleetwood Mac, released as a single in November 1968. This song is the biggest-selling selling rock instrumental of all time in the UK, and it was the inspiration for the Beatles song “Sun King” on their 1969 Abbey Road album.  In Canada, it reached #45 … hear that, John?  I didn’t leave out Canada this time!!!

Lyrics?  It’s an instrumental, silly!  Now hush and listen … zzzzz…zzzzzzzzzz….zzzzzzzzzzzzz…

Text dividers

♫ Ticket To Ride ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

I came across an interesting article in The Guardian this evening … the headline read …

Long-lost bass guitar returned to Paul McCartney after more than 50 years

The article begins …

A Höfner bass guitar bought by Paul McCartney for £30 in 1961 has been returned to the former Beatle after a global search to find the stolen instrument.

The distinctively shaped guitar, bought by McCartney before his rise to stardom and reportedly his favourite, was last seen around the time the Beatles were recording their final album to be released, Let It Be.

McCartney paid £30 for the bass guitar 63 years ago, equivalent to about £800 at today’s prices.

A search to find the missing violin-shaped bass, a German-made Höfner 500/1, was launched by the Lost Bass Project last year, and on Tuesday a student, Ruaidhri Guest, shared a photograph on social media of the elusive instrument.

And so, you know I had to play something by The Beatles!  But, I wanted to play something I hadn’t played yet here on Filosofa’s Word, so the search was on!  And this is the first one I came to that I hadn’t played at least three times!

From SongFacts …

According to A Hard Day’s Write by Steve Turner, many Americans concluded the “ticket” was from British Railways, and “ride” was the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. McCartney confessed to his biographer Barry Miles that they were partly right. Paul had a cousin who ran a bar in Ryde and he and John had visited them there. Paul later mentioned that although the song was primarily about a girl riding out of the life of the narrator, they were conscious of the potential for a double meaning.

Don Short, who traveled with the Beatles in the ’60s, recalled that John coined the phrase “Ticket to Ride” for another meaning: The girls who worked the streets in Hamburg had to have a clean bill of health and the authorities would give them a card saying they were clean. Don later said that although he specifically recalls John telling him that, John could have been joking – you had to be careful with him like that. 

John Lennon: “That was one of the earliest heavy-metal records made.”

The brief but recognizable guitar solo was played by Paul McCartney, who was The Beatles bass player.

This was used in the Beatles movie Help! in the scene where The Beatles ski… poorly. Copies of the original singer released on Capitol Records say: “From The United Artists Release ‘Eight Arms To Hold You’,” which was the original working title of Help! 

This was the first Beatles song over 3-minutes long, which started a trend to longer songs. “You Won’t See Me” from Rubber Soul was the next 3-minute song. Yesterday And Today and Revolver each had one, and Sgt. Pepper had four, including two over 5 minutes.

Longer songs continued over the rest of their albums. Their longest was “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” followed by “Hey Jude .” 

Ringo came up with a distinctive staccato drum pattern for this song which he talked about quite often, sometimes mentioning that he’s a left-handed drummer trying to play right-handed.

According to the renown stickman Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame, Ringo’s work on this track is stellar. “One of the most exciting, rhythmical patterns and parts and songs that I ever heard, which I thought was really big-time and had it all going is a track by The Beatles called ‘Ticket To Ride,'” said Palmer. “The drum part on that I always thought was exceptional.”

This one charted at #1 in Canada, the UK, and the U.S., as well as numerous other countries around the globe!  I think the guitar being played by Paul in this video is the same one that was recently returned to him, as per the article … am I right?

Ticket To Ride

The Beatles

I think I’m gonna be sad, I think it’s today, yeah!
The girl that’s driving me mad is going away

She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride, but she don’t care

She said that living with me is bringing her down, yeah!
She would never be free when I was around

She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride, but she don’t care

I don’t know why she’s riding so high
She ought to think twice, she ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice, she ought to do right by me

I think I’m going to be sad, I think it’s today, yeah!
The girl that’s driving me mad is going away, yeah!

Oh, she’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride, but she don’t care

I don’t know why she’s riding so high
She ought to think twice, she ought to do right by me
Before she gets to saying goodbye
She ought to think twice, she ought to do right by me

She said that living with me was bringing her down, yeah!
For she would never be free when I was around

Oh, she’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride
She’s got a ticket to ride, but she don’t care

My baby don’t care
My baby don’t care
My baby don’t care
My baby don’t care
My baby don’t care
My baby don’t care

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon

Ticket to Ride lyrics © Sony/atv Tunes Llc, Mpl Communications Inc

♫ Hello Goodbye ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

It’s been a while (3 years, give or take) since I’ve played this one and tonight’s music selection is just for fun!  It’s not one of the Beatles’ best, nor is it deep and meaningful … it is truly just fun!  You can’t help but love the costumes, and especially George’s hat!  So, just sit back, listen, and smile … ahhhhh, the good ol’ days …

Written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney, this was the first song released by The Beatles after the death of their manager, Brian Epstein in August 1967.  Paul McCartney wrote this. His friend and Brian Epstein’s assistant, Alistair Taylor, who was visiting McCartney, asked Paul one day how he wrote his many songs, and how he came up with his ideas. Paul took him into his dining room to give him a demonstration of his hand-carved harmonium. As an experiment, Paul asked Taylor to shout out the opposite of whatever he sang, such as black and white, yes and no, hello and goodbye, etc. From this, the song was born.

John Lennon hated the song. He viewed it as an inconsequential song of McCartney’s, saying it was “three minutes of contradictions and meaningless juxtapositions.” What further infuriated Lennon was that his I Am The Walrus, was issued as the B-side to McCartney’s A-side Hello Goodbye.  I Am The Walrus?????  Okay, who knew?  Lennon pushed for I Am the Walrus to be the A-side instead, but then ceded to McCartney and Martin’s insistence that Hello, Goodbye was the more commercial of the two tracks.  That turned out to be a good decision, for while this one charted at #1 almost everywhere, I Am The Walrus charted only at #56 and only in the U.S.  I listened to I Am The Walrus and had I even kinda sorta liked it, I was going to add it in this post, but … 🥺

In 2009 The Performing Rights Society announced this as the most ever played Beatles song in public places in the UK. One of the reasons for this is that this was the first Beatles single release after BBC Radio 1 started broadcasting and the station played this song endlessly.

Admittedly, this song’s lyrics are silly, but there’s something about that catchy tune that makes the toes tap and the lips smile.

Hello Goodbye

The Beatles

You say, “Yes”, I say, “No”
You say, “Stop” but I say, “Go, go, go”
Oh no
You say, “Goodbye”, and I say, “Hello, hello, hello”
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye”, I say, “Hello, hello, hello”
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye”, I say, “Hello”

I say, “High”, you say, “Low”
You say, “Why?” And I say, “I don’t know”
Oh no
You say, “Goodbye”, and I say, “Hello, hello, hello” (hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye)
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye” (hello, goodbye)
I say, “Hello, hello, hello” (Hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye)
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye”, I say, “Hello” (hello, goodbye)

Why, why, why, why, why, why, do you say, “Goodbye, goodbye, bye, bye”
Oh no
You say, “Goodbye”, and I say, “Hello, hello, hello”
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye”, I say, “Hello, hello, hello”
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye”, I say, “Hello”

You say, “Yes”, I say, “No” (I say, “Yes”, but I may mean, “No”)
You say, “Stop”, I say, “Go, go, go”, (I can stay still it’s time to go)
Oh, oh no

You say, “Goodbye”, and I say, “Hello, hello, hello”
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye”, I say, “Hello, hello, hello”
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye”, I say, “Hello, hello, hello”
I don’t know why you say, “Goodbye”, I say, “Hello-wow, oh hello”
Hela, heba, helloa hela, heba, helloa hela, heba, helloa
Hela, heba, helloa (hela) hela, heba, helloa hela, heba, helloa
Hela, heba, helloa
Hela, heba, helloa
Hela, heba

Writer/s: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

♫ Rain ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

Seems to me that it’s been a while since I played any Beatles here!  What say we remedy that right now?  This is one of their lesser known songs that I have played only once, back in 2021, but still a good one!  I love the video because they just look like they’re having fun, like there is so much camaraderie there. 

According to SongFacts …

John Lennon wrote most of Rain. It was his first song to get really deep, exploring themes of reality and illusion – after all, rain or shine is just a state of mind.  

This was the first song to use a tape played backwards, which created the strange audio effect. John Lennon discovered the technique when he put the tape for “Tomorrow Never Knows” on the wrong way. He was stoned at the time, and producer George Martin had to convince him that using a backward recording for the entire song was a bad idea.

Ringo Starr has said this is his best drumming on a Beatles song. “I felt ‘Rain’ – that was another character playing drums itself,” he told Yahoo Entertainment. “The way I play, I’m more of there’s breaks and tom-toms, and [‘Rain’] was all on the snare. So I used to say that. That drove people mad.”

Said John Lennon …

“After we’d done the session on that particular song – it ended at about four or five in the morning – I went home with a tape to see what else you could do with it. And I was sort of very stoned and tired, you know, not knowing what I was doing, and I just happened to put it on my own tape recorder and it came out backwards. And I liked it better. So that’s how it happened.”

Rain peaked at #23 in the U.S., but being a ‘B-side’, it did not chart in the UK … or if it did, I’m not seeing it.  However, Rolling Stone magazine ranks Rain 463rd in its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. On a similar list compiled by the New York radio station Q104.3, the song appeared at number 382.

And now, Sir Roger, I give you … Rain

Rain
The Beatles

If the rain comes
They run and hide their heads
They might as well be dead
If the rain comes
If the rain comes

When the sun shines
They slip into the shade
(When the sun shines down)
And sip their lemonade
(When the sun shines down)
When the sun shines
When the sun shines

Rain, I don’t mind
Shine, the weather’s fine

I can show you
That when it starts to rain
(When the rain comes down)
Everything’s the same
(When the rain comes down)
I can show you
I can show you

Rain, I don’t mind
Shine, the weather’s fine

Can you hear me?
That when it rains and shines
(When it rains and shines)
It’s just a state of mind
(When it rains and shines)
Can you hear me?
Can you hear me?

Sdeah reiht edih dna nur yeht
Semoc niar eht fi
(Rain)
Niar
(Rain)
Senihs nus

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Lennon John Winston / Mccartney Paul James

♫ Please Mr. Postman ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

Tonight I’m taking you back … waaaayyyyy back some 62 years to a song that would become Motown’s first #1 hit.  A few nights ago, Pete commented on a post and included a clip from a song by the Marvelettes … wow, that brought back memories!  Today’s song is the first ever recorded by the Marvelettes and the only #1 hit they ever had.  There is some interesting background to the song, as told by SongFacts …

When The Marvelettes auditioned for Motown, the label didn’t have their full songwriting machinery in place, so they asked the girls to bring in material. William Garrett, a songwriter friend of group member Georgia Dobbins, offered this to The Marvelettes when she asked if he had anything for them to sing. He wrote it as a blues song, but Dobbins completely rewrote it (she saved only the title) and taught it to lead singer Gladys Horton. Before The Marvelettes recorded it, Dobbins left the group to care for her mother. Motown producers Robert Bateman and Brian Holland worked on the song with The Marvelettes and crafted it into a hit. Holland, along with his brother Eddie and Lamont Dozier, went on to write many other Motown classics.

Marvin Gaye played drums on this song. He was 22 at the time and trying to break into the business.

Part of this song was written by a postman who helped complete the lyrics. His name was Freddie Gorman and his mail route included Brewster public housing where members of The Supremes lived. Gorman also sang with the Motown group The Originals. He passed away in 2006.

The Marvelettes were five teenage girls from Inkster, Michigan. This was their first single and their only #1. They went through many member changes before breaking up in 1969.

When they recorded this song, it was the first time The Marvelettes had ever been in a recording studio – their singing experience was in choirs and glee clubs. They got some help from Florence Ballard, who was a member of another Motown girl group, The Supremes. Ballard suggested they loosen up, stretch out the word “postman,” and add “oh yeah” backing vocals. “We were all tight – petrified,” Gladys Horton said. “Florence was a sweetheart, and what he said was dead on.”

I had no idea … or perhaps I knew once upon a time, but my brain lost the data as it often does … that the Beatles had also covered this!  According to Wikipedia …

John Lennon sang lead vocal, Paul McCartney and George Harrison providing backing vocals, while all three added handclaps at their head level.  The Beatles’ 7 March 1962 performance of the song on BBC Radio’s Here We Go was the first time any Tamla song was played over BBC radio. Beatles author Mark Lewisohn reflects: “Without even realising it (and they’d have been thrilled to know), the Beatles broke the Detroit ‘Motown sound’ to the British listening public.”

The Beatles’ version does not appear to have charted, but then along came the Carpenters who covered it in 1975, and their version went to #1 in the U.S. and Canada, and #2 in the UK.  Go figure.

I think I’ll play all three tonight, just for kicks, but to me, this song belongs to the Marvelettes!  Let’s see what you think …

Please Mr. Postman

Marvelettes/Beatles/Carpenters

oh yes, wait a minute, Mr. Postman
(Wait) wait, Mr. Postman

Oh, yeah (if there’s a letter in your bag for me)
Please, please, Mr. Postman (why’s it takin’ such a long time)
Oh, yeah (for me to hear from that boy of mine?)

There must be some word today
From my boyfriend so far away
Please, Mr. Postman, look and see
If there’s a letter, a letter for me

I’ve been standin’ here waiting, Mr. Postman
So patiently
For just a card, or just a letter
Sayin’ he’s returnin’ home to me

Mr. Postman (Mr. Postman, look and see)
Oh, yeah (if there’s a letter in your bag for me)
Please, please, Mr. Postman (why’s it takin’ such a long time)
Oh, yeah (for me to hear from that boy of mine?)

So many days you passed me by
See the tears standin’ in my eyes
You didn’t stop to make me feel better
By leavin’ me a card or a letter

Mr. Postman (Mr. Postman, look and see)
Oh, yeah (if there’s a letter in your bag for me)
Please, please, Mr. Postman (why’s it takin’ such a long time?)

Why don’t you check it and see one more time for me?
You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute
Wait a minute, wait a minute
Ooh, Mr. Postman (Mr. Postman, look and see)
C’mon, deliver the letter, the sooner, the better, ah

Mr. Postman
Ah-ah
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ah-ah-ah
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ah-ah-ah

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Brian Holland / Robert Bateman / Freddie Gorman / Georgia Dobbins / William Garrett

Please Mr. Postman lyrics © Emi Blackwood Music Inc., Stone Agate Music, Jobete Music Co Inc

♫ If I Fell ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history, Political commentary

Alas!  A Beatles song I haven’t played here before!  Will miracles never cease?  This one didn’t seem to have charted well except in Norway and the Netherlands, though it did chart at #53 in the U.S.  Still, I remember it well, and hopefully others will, too!

According to SongFacts …

John Lennon wrote this song, which may have been influenced by the ambivalence he felt during his first marriage. Lennon called this song “my first attempt at a ballad… it’s semi autobiographical, but not consciously.”

Lennon and McCartney sang together into the same microphone when recording this song. John sang the lead on the intro, then Paul sang in a higher lead while John sang harmony.

The structure of the song is rather intriguing. It opens with an intro that contains no musical elements found in the rest of the song, and the body of this song has no real verse/chorus structure, just two verses that each turn halfway through on an unexpected chord.

The song is very expressive, with large intervals between the notes in a quasi-modal way. Typical of Lennon are the emphasis on three recurrent long notes (“…give my heart…”). It has similarities with John Dunstable’s motet “Quam pulchra es” from the fifteenth century. The introduction is also unusual, with four modulations – even tighter than most music from late romantic music.

At the end of the second time that they sing, “Would be sad if our new love was in vain,” McCartney’s voice cracks on “vain,” but on newer releases of the song this mistake is covered over.

If I Fell

The Beatles

If I fell in love with you
Would you promise to be true
And help me
Understand
‘Cause I’ve been in love before
And I found that love was more
Than just
Holding hands

If I give my heart
To you
I must be sure
From the very start
That you
Would love me more than her

If I trust in you
Oh please
Don’t run and hide
If I love you too
Oh please
Don’t hurt my pride like her

‘Cause I couldn’t stand the pain
And I
Would be sad
If our new love was in vain

So I hope you see
That I
Would love to love you
And that she
Will cry
When she learns we are two

‘Cause I couldn’t stand the pain
And I
Would be sad
If our new love was in vain

So I hope you see
That I
Would love to love you
And that she will cry
When she learns we are two

If I fell in love with you…

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon

If I Fell lyrics © Sony/atv Tunes Llc, Mpl Communications Inc

♫ Revolution ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history, Political commentary, Social commentary

Some songs I can barely find a line or two of background information, but tonight’s song has page after page after page of background, trivia, etc.  I’ll pick just a few things, and if you’ve interested in more you can visit either Songfacts or Wikipedia to read the rest!

This was the first overtly political Beatles song. It was John Lennon’s response to the Vietnam War.

According to SongFacts …

John Lennon wrote this in India while The Beatles were at a transcendental meditation camp with The Maharishi. Lennon told Rolling Stone: “I had been thinking about it up in the hills in India. I still had this ‘God will save us’ feeling about it, that it’s going to be all right (even now I’m saying ‘Hold on, John, it’s going to be all right,’ otherwise, I won’t hold on) but that’s why I did it, I wanted to talk, I wanted to say my piece about revolution. I wanted to tell you, or whoever listens, to communicate, to say ‘What do you say? This is what I say.'”

There are two very different versions of this song: a slow version that appears on The White Album, and a fast, loud version was released as a single. In the slow version, Lennon says “count me in” as well as “count me out” when referring to violence. This gives the song a dual meaning.

The fast version was released as the B-side of “Hey Jude” in August 1968, three months before the slow version appeared on The White Album. John Lennon wanted it to be the first A-side released on Apple Records, the label The Beatles started, but Paul McCartney’s “Hey Jude” got the honor.

There are so many versions of this song because Paul McCartney didn’t like it. Lennon really wanted this song to be the “A” side of the single instead of “Hey Jude,” and kept changing it around to come up with something that would make Paul see it his way. He basically wrote the song because he felt like he was being pulled in so many directions by different people, all of whom wanted his backing, politically. It was also him questioning his own belief in the revolution that was going on… whether he was “out” or “in.” In truth, he was writing about a revolution of the mind rather than a physical “in the streets” revolution. He truly believed that revolution comes from inner change rather than social violence.

Interestingly, this charted at #1 in Australia and New Zealand, #12 in the U.S., but did not chart in the Beatles’ homeland of the UK!  Perhaps because it was merely a “B-side”?  Even odder, though, is that another version by the Thompson Twins (who?????) did chart in the UK some 17 years later in 1985, although only at #56.

Revolution

The Beatles

Take two
Okay

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world

But when you talk about destruction
Don’t you know that you can count me out (in)

Don’t you know it’s gonna be
All right?
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)

You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We’d all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We’re all doing what we can

But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait

Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)

You say you’ll change the constitution
Well, you know
We’d all love to change your head
You tell me it’s the institution
Well, you know
You better free your mind instead

But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow

Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)
Don’t you know it’s gonna be (all right)

All, all, all, all, all, all, all, all, all, all, all right
All right, all right, all right, all right, all right

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon

Revolution 1 lyrics © Sony/atv Tunes Llc