PLAYLIST OCT.2ND 2011
HOUR I
The Beatles – Come Together - Abbey Road
Recorded July 21st 1969
Borrowing more that a line from Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me”. Agreed to record 3 songs from the publishing Co. BIG SEVEN MUSIC on his R’n’R LP. SHOOT ME….One of John’s favorite Beatle tracks.
Lennon 1.00
The Beatles - Honey Pie - The Beatles
Recorded Oct. 7th 1968
John on lead guitar and George on bass.
McCartney 1.00
George – Living In The Material World – LITMW `73
The Beatles - If You've Got Trouble – HELP! sessions
18th February 1965 - Take 1.
Previously unreleased, this was intended to be Ringo's vocal outing on Help! ... but was replaced with "Act Naturally".
Often bootlegged.
Musicians:
Ringo Starr – double-tracked lead vocal, drums; John Lennon – rhythm guitar, backing vocal; Paul McCartney – bass guitar, backing vocal; George Harrison – lead guitar, backing vocal
This was recorded during the Help! sessions, but Ringo dumped it in favor of Act Naturally. (You can hear what he thought of it during the instrumental break – he shouts out forlornly Rock on… anybody…) It has now been made available on Anthology 2.
BREAK
The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever – Magical Mystery Tour
Recorded Nov/ Dec. 1966
Written in Spain while John was filming “How I Won The War”
Strawberry Fields was actually a Salvation Army home in the neighborhood where Lennon grew up. John used to go to parties there and it always brought back happy memories to John. One of the only two HONEST songs that John says he wrote for the Beatles…the other? (HELP!)
Lead vocal John
Lennon 1.00
The Beatles - Penny Lane - Magical Mystery Tour
Recorded Dec. 29th 1966
Released as a single in the UK Feb.`67 and DID NOT REACH #1. It was held off by Engelbert Humperdick’s “Release Me”. Penny Lane is a bus roundabout in Liverpool Contains at least TWO slightly slang obscenities (finger pie & keeps his fire engine clean)
Lead vocal Paul
McCartney .8 / Lennon .2
The Beatles – I Me Mine - Let It Be
Recorded Jan. 3rd 1970
LAST Beatle recording session w/out John Lennon
"There is nothing that isn't part of the complete whole." - George Harrison on the Eastern religion belief system "I Me Mine" is based from
The Beatles – Yellow Submarine – Revolver
Recorded May 26th 1966
Written by Mr. McCartney while lying in bed one night sez Paul…You know as a kids story…And then we thought it would be good for Ringo to do.
Can also be found on the Yellow Submarine SDTK and Revolver.
McCartney 1.00
BREAK
The Beatles - It Won’t Be Long – With The Beatles
(Lennon-McCartney)
Lead vocal: John
The first original song recorded for their second album, “With The Beatles.” Composed primarily by John in July 1963 with the intention of writing a follow-up single to the as yet unreleased “She Loves You.” The lyrical similarity to the chorus of “She Loves You” (both songs contain the phrase “yeah, yeah, yeah”) was no accident. Beatles manager Brian Epstein had encouraged John and Paul to try to write songs that would appeal to the American market, specifically American teenagers. Soon American colloquial sayings and words started showing up in their songs. Ten takes were attempted on July 30, 1963 and the song was left unfinished. The group resumed work later that evening, in all logging 23 full or partial takes and edit pieces. It is the first original Beatles song with a call-and-response gimmick, with John and Paul alternating “yeah” throughout the song. The first song Neil Young performed live for an audience at his high school cafeteria in Canada.
On U.S. album:
Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP
The Beatles - All My Loving – With The Beatles
(Lennon-McCartney)
Lead vocal: Paul
Essentially a Paul McCartney solo composition. The first song performed on the live broadcast of “The Ed Sullivan Show” on February 9, 1964, and watched by a then-record 72 million viewers. McCartney has said it was the first song he ever wrote where he had the words before the music. Recorded in 13 takes on July 30, 1963. “All My Loving” is the most commercial Lennon-McCartney song recorded by The Beatles in 1963 that was not released as a single in the UK or U.S.
On U.S. album:
Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP
The Beatles - Don’t Bother Me – With The Beatles
(Harrison)
Lead vocal: George
George Harrison’s first recorded original song. While some may see it as a misfortune that Harrison was surrounded by two of the most gifted songwriters in history, this proximity gave him great insight into the mechanics of writing a song from scratch. His first attempt was more than a throwaway composition. He called “Don’t Bother Me” an “exercise” to see if he could write a song, and it was written while George was sick in a bed at the Palace Court Hotel in Bournemouth where The Beatles were playing six nights at Gaumont Cinema in mid-August of 1963. It was during this engagement (on August 22) that photographer Robert Freeman took the iconic “artsy” cover photograph of the band in half lighting that would grace the cover of both the British “With The Beatles” album and the American “Meet The Beatles!” album.
Using the basic Lennon-McCartney song structure George crafted a “Beatles song” that was on par with the material the band was currently working up for their second album. Getting the other Beatles and producer George Martin to take his work seriously was another matter, and it would take years for Harrison to finally be given his due. Normally he was relegated to one or two songs per album.
Aside from the financial windfall George received from having an original composition on albums selling in the multi-millions worldwide, George said, “It showed me that all I needed to do was keep on writing and maybe eventually I would write something good. It did, however, provide me with an occupation.” Recorded on September 11 and 12, 1963.
On U.S. album:
Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP
The Beatles - I Wanna Be Your Man – With The Beatles
(Lennon-McCartney)
Lead vocal: Ringo
When Ringo Starr rejected “Little Child,” the song John and Paul had written for him to sing on the band’s second album, they created a similar song, but one that would be easier for Ringo to sing and more in his vocal range. “I Wanna Be Your Man” would be Ringo’s vocal contribution to the “With The Beatles” LP, and was often performed at Beatles concerts. The day before the song was to be recorded John and Paul were walking along Charing Cross Road in London when passing in a taxi were Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Paul McCartney: “They shouted from the taxi and we yelled, ‘Hey, hey, give us a lift, give us a lift,’ and we bummed a lift off them. So there were the four of us sitting in a taxi and I think Mick said, ‘Hey we’re recording. Got any songs?’ And we said, ‘Aaaah, yes, sure, we got one. How about Ringo’s song? You could do it as a single.’” John and Paul were invited to the Rolling Stones’ rehearsal to audition their new, but still unfinished song. There Lennon told them, “If you guys really like the main part of the song, we’ll finish it for you right now,” and within minutes, they returned with the song finished on the spot. The Rolling Stones recorded the song and it became their first big British hit, peaking at number 12. The Beatles recorded their version of “I Wanna Be Your Man” the next day, September 11, 1963. The Hammond organ heard faintly in the mix is played by George Martin.
On U.S. album:
Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP
BREAK
The Beatles – Run For Your Life – Rubber Soul
Recorded Oct. 12th 1965 (First Rubber Soul session)
Written 100 % by Mr. Lennon and stealing a bit from Arthur Gunter’s ‘Baby Let’s Play House’ the bits about “I’d rather see you dead little girl, than to be with another man” ….of course heard by The Beatles via Elvis Presley.
The Beatles – I’m Looking Through You - Rubber Soul
Recorded Nov. 1965
US version has 2 false starts.
Written about Paul girl Jane Asher after she had gone off to Bristol on a theater tour. Lead vocal Paul
McCartney 1.00
The Beatles – If I Needed Someone (Harrison) – Rubber Soul
Recorded Oct. 16th 1965
Part of the Beatles live shows in 1965 and `66.
US - Capitol LP Yesterday and Today
The Beatles – What Goes On (Lennon/McCartney/ Starr) - Rubber Soul
Recorded Nov. 4th 1965
Written mainly by John with Paul & Ringo writing the middle eight. 1965
flip “Nowhere Man” in US
This was Ringo’s first writing credit on a Beatle record.
flip Nowhere Man in US
Lennon .6 McCartney .2 Starr .2
US - Capitol LP Yesterday and Today
BREAK
John - Well Well Well – Plastic Ono Band `70
The Beatles - Helter Skelter- The Beatles
Recorded Sept. 9th 1968
Written after Paul read an interview w/ The Who’s Pete Townsend who was talking about a certain Who song that was supposed to be the loudest most raucous rock song ever recorded. “So we decided to do the loudest, nastiest, sweatiest rock number that we could. That was “Helter Skelter “
McCartney 1.00
HOUR II
George – Wah Wah - ATMP `70
RiNGO – It Don’t Come Easy – Single
BREAK
The Beatles – She Said She Said – Revolver
Recorded June 21st 1966
Written after a record 32 cups of extremely strong tea while in LA during a break in their 1965 tour…John was hanging out w/ The Byrds and a whole bunch of girls at a party and actor Peter Fonda kept whispering in John’s ear “I know what it’s like to be dead“…. thus the lyric
Lennon 1.00
The Beatles – Got To Get You Into My Life – Revolver
Recorded throughout the spring of 1966
John said, “I think that was one of his best songs, because the lyrics are good and I didn’t write them”.
McCartney 1.00
The Beatles - Savoy Truffle (Harrison) - The Beatles
Recorded Oct. 3rd 1968
Written about Eric Clapton’s sweet tooth for all kinds of candies…and again on a George white LP song John Lennon is nowhere to be found
The Beatles – Boys – Please Please Me
(Dixon-Farrell)
Lead vocal: Ringo
Recorded in just one take on February 11, 1963. “Boys” was drummer Ringo Starr’s first recorded lead vocal. Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell’s song was originally recorded by The Shirelles and was the b-side to their smash hit “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” This song was usually Ringo’s contribution at The Beatles’ live performances during their North American Tour in the summer of 1964.
On U.S. albums:
Introducing… The Beatles - Vee-Jay LP
The Early Beatles - Capitol LP
The Beatles - I’m A Loser - Beatles For Sale
(Lennon-McCartney)
Lead vocal: John
Recorded in eight takes on August 14, 1964. Written mostly by John Lennon. The song style, more autobiographical and introspective than the “yeah, yeah, yeah” pop the group had previously recorded, was heavily influenced by the work of Bob Dylan. Paul McCartney called it “a folk song gone pop.” The Beatles debuted “I’m A Loser” on ABC’s “Shindig” program, an appearance taped in London and airing on October 7. The song was performed during the Beatles’ European Tour commencing June 20, 1965, but was not on the set list for the U.S. shows two months later. John’s harmonica solo was a last minute addition to the song, appearing first in Take 6. George Martin and the group considered “I’m A Loser” a potential single and had initially chosen it to be the LP’s opening song.
On U.S. album:
Beatles ‘65 - Capitol LP
The Beatles - The Night Before - Help!
(Lennon-McCartney)
Lead vocal: Paul
Recorded in two takes on February 17, 1965. Paul double-tracked his vocal and overdubbed a lead guitar solo, which is heard at the very end and during the instrumental break. Lennon: “George and Paul are playing the same break exactly, both playing but in different octaves.” John Lennon plays the Hammond organ.
On U.S. album:
Help! - Capitol LP
The Beatles - Roll Over Beethoven – With The Beatles
(Berry)
Lead vocal: George
Chuck Berry’s rock and roll standard was released as a single in May 1956 on Chess Records. It peaking at #29. A staple of The Beatles’ live show from the earliest days, Beatles fans will be surprised to learn that John Lennon was the lead singer of the song in those very early club days. In 1961 George Harrison took over lead vocals. “Roll Over Beethoven” was the opening song at The Beatles’ first concert in America, February 11, 1964 in Washington D.C., and opens Capitol’s “The Beatles’ Second Album,” released on April 10, 1964.
On U.S. album:
The Beatles’ Second Album - Capitol LP
“Matchbox”
(Perkins)
Lead vocal: Ringo
Carl Perkins is one of the few “outsiders” to be in the studio or control booth when the Beatles rehearsed or recorded. He was in England on a promotional tour and was there at the invitation of George Harrison, who was a huge fan. Perkins got to witness the most famous band in the world recording one of his original compositions on June 1, 1964. Ringo Starr was given the honor of singing the lead vocal. Harrison and Perkins remained lifelong friends. The Beatles would return to the Carl Perkins catalog once more a few months later when George sang “Everybody’s Trying to be My Baby” for their fourth album. Five years later John Lennon performed Perkins’ biggest hit, “Blue Suede Shoes,” during his Plastic Ono Band appearance in Toronto in September 1969, the live recording of which was released as “Live Peace in Toronto.” The subject matter of the song “Matchbox” was lost on some younger American Beatles fans, many thinking the reference was to the popular brand of miniature toy cars wildly popular with American children at the time. In fact, it is about a box of matches used to light cigarettes.
On U.S. album:
Something New - Capitol LP
U.K.:
Non-album track (EP song)
BREAK
John & Phil – Here We Go Again – Menlove Ave
The Beatles – Let It Be - Let It Be
Paul wrote "Let It Be" in response to the constant fighting amongst band members, esp. over finances. Paul was trying to emerge as the new 'leader' of the band, since John was often absent from sessions. The other members grew tired of his poking and prodding and soon turned on him. 'Mother Mary' who gives Paul strength is actually his mother, who came to him in a dream and lifted his spirits.
McCartney 1.00
George – What Is Life? – ATMP `70
The Beatles – Octopus’s Garden (Starkey) - Abbey Road
Recorded April 26 1969
Only the second and last Starkey penned tune to be found on a Beatle LP. Ringo and George can been seen messing about on the tune during the Let It Be film filmed in January of 1969.
BREAK
The Beatles – Good Morning Good Morning - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Recorded Feb. 8th 1967
Based on a Cornflakes TV commercial John heard while sitting at the piano and feeling a bit “stuck” trying to write something for Sgt. Pepper. Paul plays one of the guitar solos w/ his right-handed Fender Esquire.
Lead vocal John
Lennon 1.00
Paul & Linda – Smile Away – RAM
HOUR III
The Beatles – Think For Yourself (Harrison) Rubber Soul
Recorded Nov. 8th 1965
One of George’s most underrated rockers featuring Paul on fuzz bass…
RiNGO – Blink – Ringo Rama Outtake
BREAK
The Beatles - Cry Baby Cry - The Beatles
Recorded July 15th 1968
Another song John called ‘rubbish” in Playboy in 1980…I hate when he does that..
Lennon 1.00
The Beatles - I’ll Follow The Sun - Beatles For Sale
(Lennon-McCartney)
Lead vocal: Paul
One of the earliest Beatle originals, “I’ll Follow The Sun” was composed entirely in 1959 by Paul McCartney in the front room of his family home on Forthlin Road in Liverpool. Recorded in eight takes on October 18, 1964.
On U.S. album:
Beatles ‘65 - Capitol LP
The Beatles - I Need You - Help!
(Harrison)
Lead vocal: George
Recorded in five takes on February 15, 1965, the first day of recording for what was to become the “Help!” album, with overdubs completed the next day. It is the second original George Harrison song to be recorded by the Beatles. Harrison wrote “I Need You” for his future wife, Pattie Boyd. The track is notable for the first use on a Beatles record of what is now known as a “wah-wah pedal.” George achieved this by playing his 12-string Rickenbacker through a foot-controlled volume pedal. Ringo provides cowbell percussion.
On U.S. album:
Help! - Capitol LP
The Beatles - Act Naturally - Help!
(Morrison-Russell)
Lead vocal: Ringo
Lennon and McCartney had penned a song especially for Ringo to sing on the “Help!” album, but their creation, “If You’ve Got Trouble,” didn’t pan out in the studio. Ringo, a long-time country and western music fan, selected this chart-topping hit from 1963 by Buck Owens to be his song on the “Help!” album. The backing track was perfected in 13 takes on June 17, 1965. Ringo provided his vocal later that day. With the exception of the various oldies performed during the “Get Back” sessions (mostly jams during rehearsals) in January 1969, “Act Naturally” was the last song recorded by the Beatles that was not written by a member of the group. The B-side of “Yesterday” in the U.S.
On U.S. album:
Yesterday and Today - Capitol LP
The Beatles – A Day In The Life - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Recorded Jan & Feb 1967
Quite possibly the finest Lennon/McCartney collaboration of their song-writing career.
The Beatles – I’ve Got A Feeling - Let It Be
Paul's song "I've Got a Feeling" and John's "Everybody's Had a Hard Year" were put together for "I've Got a Feeling". Paul's contribution was a love song to Linda, whereas John's was autobiographical and experimentive in new writing styles (each line begins with the word 'everybody'). John did have had a hard year, as he divorced his wife Cynthia, was arrested for drug possession, was nearly broke, and had lost a baby with Yoko through miscarriage.
Lennon .5 /McCartney .5
George – When We Was Fab – Cloud 9
RiNGO – Photograph – RINGO `73
BREAK
The Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night - A Hard Day’s Night
(Lennon-McCartney)
Lead vocal: John with Paul
The Beatles’ seventh single release for EMI’s Parlophone label.
The title is a Ringoism, coined by the drummer sometime in 1963 and used by John in his book “In His Own Write.” With the film nearly completed the last bit of business was to give the film a name. The project was being filmed with the working title “Beatlemania.” On April 13, 1964 The Beatles met with key personnel from the studio and bounced title ideas. It was felt they’d find no better suggestion than Ringo’s off-hand remark “it’s been a hard day’s night” and John volunteered to write the title song that evening. The next morning he brought the song in and taught it to Paul. Paul cleaned up the middle section and the two played it for producer Walter Shenson. Two days later The Beatles would formally record the song. It was a rarity for an outsider to be allowed in the studio or control booth while The Beatles rehearsed and recorded. An exception was made for the director of the “A Hard Day’s Night” film, Richard Lester. Lester was in the control booth and offered many suggestions during the morning while this key song was worked out, much to the dismay of producer George Martin. It was Lester’s suggestion that the song open dramatically (as it would open the film), and fade out at the end in a cinematic way. He got his wish. George’s striking a G suspended 4th chord on his 12-string Rickenbacker make this record instantly recognizable in its opening two seconds. Released as a single in the UK on July 10, 1964, it went straight to #1.
On U.S. album:
A Hard Day’s Night - United Artists LP
The Beatles - Can’t Buy Me Love - A Hard Day’s Night
(Lennon-McCartney)
Lead vocal: Paul
The Beatles’ sixth single release for EMI’s Parlophone label.
During their 19-day engagement at Paris’s Olympia Theatre The Beatles took time out to record German-language versions for two of their biggest hits. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You” were chosen to get new vocals to increase sales in the German market. This was at the insistence of EMI’s German branch, Odeon, which felt they couldn’t sell large quantities of records unless they were sung in German. With less than an hour left on their booked recording time, The Beatles recorded four takes of a new song by Paul, “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Issued in the U.S. on March 16, 1964, it sold 940,225 copies in the U.S. the day it was released, earning a gold record award that day and shattering all previous sales records. Within two weeks sales had totaled 2 million copies. The single went on to sell over 3 million by the end of the year. The UK single was released four days later, on March 20, 1964. Recorded Jan. 29, 1964 at Pathe’ Marconi Studio in Paris. It’s inclusion in “A Hard Day’s Night” was a decision by director Richard Lester, who opted for Paul’s fast paced million seller over John’s slower new song “I’ll Cry Instead.” The decision to cut “I’ll Cry Instead” from the film was so last minute that the American soundtrack LP, which had been rush-released on United Artists Records, included “I’ll Cry Instead” in its song line-up.
On U.S. album:
A Hard Day’s Night - United Artists LP
Hey Jude - Apple LP (1970)
. The Beatles – I Want To Tell You (Harrison) – Revolver
Recorded June 2nd 1966
Contains the first bass overdub on a Beatles record. Paul had his bass recorded on a different track really allowed for more options when it came time to mix the song.
Musicians:
George Harrison – double-tracked lead vocal, lead guitar; Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, bass guitar, piano; John Lennon – harmony vocal, tambourine; Ringo Starr – drums
Lead vocal George
Harrison 1.00
RiNGO – Elizabeth Reigns – Ringo Rama
BREAK
The Beatles - Rain – Hey Jude/Beatles Again / Past Masters
Recorded: 14/16 April 1966
flip of Paperback Writer
Ringo’s favorite Beatle track… On the evening of April 14th 1966, John Lennon very soaked with tea put on his reel to reel tape of that days work backwards and of course listened for about 2 minutes before realizing it was indeed backwards…this is the how he got the idea for the finished product we know and love.
The Beatles - Lady Madonna – Single / – Hey Jude-Beatles Again/ 67-70 / Past Masters II – Beatles 1
Recorded: 3/6 February 1968
The exact opposite of what was expected from them after the incredible Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Based on an old number called “Bad Penny Blues” by Humphrey Lyttelton
Beatles last Capitol 45 in US and last Parlophone 45 in UK
The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison) - The Beatles
Recorded July 25th 1968
George said in I Me Mine that he picked a book at random and said to himself he was going to write a song based on the first thing he saw when he opened the book laying on the coffee table…he saw “Gently Weeps” and the rest is history.
Features Eric Clapton on lead guitar.
George 1.00
The Beatles - Good Night - The Beatles
Recorded June 28th 1968
Written by John for son Julian
Sung by Ringo – No Beatles
Lennon 1.00
THIS WEEKEND / October 1st & 2nd In Beatles History
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October 1
1960
Performance at the Indra Club.
1962
A new and revised contract is signed by The Beatles and Brian.
1964
Brian appears on the live BBC 1 TV program, "Tonight", interviewed by Cliff Michelmore about "A Cellarful Of Noise".
US album release: The Beatles Vs. The Four Seasons (Vee Jay VJDX 30).
1968
Trident Studios. Time unknown. Recording: "Honey Pie" (take 1). Mono mixing: "Honey Pie" (unnumbered rough remix, from take 1). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Barry Sheffield; 2nd Engineer: unknown.
Remixes for George Martin, to compose the score.
1969
US album release: Abbey Road (SO 383).
1970
In London, George Martin's new Ł400,000 recording studio AIR (Associated Independent Recording) Studios opens for business.
Breakfast w/ the Beatles Special
Next Sunday Oct. 9th (#9 #9 #9)
John Lennon Birthday Show
Three Hours of John with & without his Beatles.
Including John songs from every Beatles album, singles, solo albums, interview clips, radio spots, outtakes, home recordings and a few faves from John’s jukebox!
Switch on…Tune In – 9AM / 12MID - ET
