sign in sign up
<<
Home , Allen Klein, Call Me Back Again, Dig a Pony, George Harrison, Horse to the Water, Memory Almost Full

1

2

PLAYLIST SEPT. 22nd 2013

9AM

The Beatles - - (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John 3

The Beatles’ twenty-first single release for EMI, and fourth on the label. When John and Yoko were in Montreal staging their second and last Bed-In For Peace they were visited by Timothy Leary, an outspoken proponent of LSD. During their visit, Leary and his wife participated in John and Yoko’s hotel room recording of “,” singing on the chorus. Timothy is even name-checked in the lyrics. He asked John to write a titled “Come Together – Join The Party” for his bid to become governor of . Lennon obliged and responded with lyrics such as: “Come together right now/Don’t come tomorrow, don’t come alone/Come together right now over me.” Lennon recorded a demo for Leary, who started using it as his campaign song. After being imprisoned for possession of marijuana in late 1969, Leary dropped out of the gubernatorial race, which was won by Ronald Reagan. Lennon reworked and expanded the song for the Beatles.

The Beatles - The Ballad Of John And Yoko - Non-LP track (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The Beatles’ twentieth single release for EMI, and third on the Apple Records label. The first Beatles single issued in stereo in the UK, it is also the very first stereo single issued by EMI. The “” single had been released in stereo in America by Capitol. Recorded on April 14, 1969, by just John and Paul, the song was completed that day. George was on vacation and Ringo was still filming the ’ comedy “The Magic Christian.” Producer and engineer , who had distanced themselves from the group because of the constant bickering amongst the group members, were back on board behind the recording console. The single was a complete surprise to Beatles fans. They had waited a long seven months for the group to follow- “” with “Get Back” and now just over a month came another new Beatles record. The rhythm track was perfected in 11 takes (four complete) with Paul playing drums while John played acoustic and sang the lead vocal. The duo was in good spirits during the day-long session. Prior to take four John said to drummer Paul “Go a bit faster, Ringo!” and Paul replied “OK, George!” Overdubs featured Paul on bass guitar, piano, backing vocal and maracas, and John on two lead guitar parts and percussive thumping on the back of an acoustic guitar. The song recounts the chaos surrounding John and Yoko’s getting married. Lennon had encountered visa problems because of his November 1968 drug conviction which made his movement from one country to another very difficult. As an example, he was not allowed to enter the United States at this time so the couple’s second “Bed-In” was staged in Montreal, about an hour north of the U.S. border in Canada.

The Beatles - - (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded live on the rooftop of the Apple headquarters building, 3 , on January 30, 1969. In re-producing the tapes for the “Let It Be” , edited out the opening and closing line of the song (“All I want is …”) which can be heard on the “” album and in the film “Let It Be.” The idea to go on the rooftop and play live in front of a few people was conceived by Paul on January 26. 4

From a technical standpoint, this simple request to perform on the rooftop was a gigantic headache for the film crew and the Apple/EMI sound engineers. In addition to accommodating the space required for five film cameras, and various sound equipment which needed electricity to run, there was also the issue of the cold temperature – the temperature would be in the mid-40s and windy when the Beatles performed. In a few cases, sound engineers wrapped ladies’ stockings around microphones to camouflage the sound of the wind blowing against them. John and George wore heavy coats and Ringo wore his wife’s raincoat in a futile attempt to stay warm. Throughout the 42- minute rooftop set John can be seen rubbing his hands together in between to keep warm. At the conclusion of the released version of “Dig A Pony,” John says, “Thank you brothers, me hand’s gettin’ too cold to play the chords.” The song was so new that John had an assistant hold up a clipboard with the lyrics in case he forgot them. Engineer Alan Parsons: “No one ever questioned the Beatles. They want to do it on the roof? Fine, it will be done. That was one of the greatest and most exciting days of my life. To see the Beatles playing together and getting instant feedback from the people around them, it was just unbelievable. A magic, magic day.”

9.12 BREAK

George Harrison – - ‘70 5

This track was retrieved from the session George did with earlier in the year. Dylan was to release the track himself the following year on his LP, but George’s take definitely has the edge over Dylan’s lackadaisical reading.

The Beatles - You’ve Got To Hide Your Away - Help! (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded in less than two hours on February 18, 1965. Written entirely by , who freely admitted the obvious Bob Dylan influence. Lennon wrote this at Kenwood, his home on the St. George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey (where the Beatles would be photographed for the cover of their “” album). John’s original lyric was “I can’t go on feeling two foot tall,” but when singing it for Paul the first time he accidentally said, two foot “small.” Lennon then laughed and said, “Let’s leave it … all those pseudes will really love it.” The first of their songs since “” in 1962 to feature an outside musician. Johnnie Scott provides the flute solo at the end of the song, though he is not credited on the album jacket. On U.S. album: Help! - Capitol LP

The Beatles - I’m A Loser - (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

George Harrison – I Don’t Want To Do It (written by Bob Dylan) A soundtrack for the third installment in a puerile teensploitation movie series was certainly not the most likely venue for the first new George Harrison recording in almost three years. But journeyman rocker, has a way of convincing friends to do the most amazing things.

The Beatles - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John 6

Originally recorded on October 12, 1965, The Beatles decided to scrap this version and re-record the song nine days later, on October 21. George Harrison provides the , the first appearance of the instrument on a Beatles recording, though the sitar can be heard in the instrumental introduction on the American version of “Help!” Written mainly by John with some lyrical assistance from Paul. John: “I was trying to write about an affair without letting me wife know… so it was very gobbledegook. I was sort of writing from my experiences, girls’ flats.” Paul has said that the ending lyrics, “so I lit a fire,” refer to the house being burned down in an act of revenge by the spurned lover. Bob Dylan did a slight parody of the song on his 1966 album, . Check out the song “4th Time Around.” On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

George Harrison – I’d Have You Anytime (co-written with Bob Dylan) – All Things Must Pass ‘70 This composition began at Bob Dylan’s home in , New York during Thanksgiving 1968. George completed the song when he returned to England.

The Beatles - – Tour (EP) (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The Beatles’ sixteenth single release for EMI’s label. On U.S. album: - Capitol LP

7

George Harrison – Mama You’ve Been On My Mind (demo) - Early Takes Vol.1 ‘12

Wow that set turned out to be very Dylan infused.

9.43 BREAK

Ringo – I’m The Greatest - RINGO JL GH RS BP KV NO PAUL

John Lennon – Whatever Gets You Thru The Night Credited to “John Lennon with the Plastic Ono Nuclear Band,” this track was recorded with (who at the time was the biggest star in the world). This would be John’s first #1 single, making him the last of the Beatles (solo) to have a number one song. The song’s composition was heavily influenced by the of George McCrae’s spring of ’74 hit, “Rock You Baby.”

The Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) 8

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 “.” 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 “.” 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 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 - LP

The Beatles - - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded June 2, 1964, the last day of recording for the “A Hard Day’s Night” album. John Lennon: “An effort at writing ‘It Won't Be Long’ - same ilk. C to A minor, C to A minor with me shouting.” The song was in an unfinished state when Lennon brought it to to record on June 2. The group worked out the throughout the day and night. Up against the wall on a deadline to submit the album, the piano section in the middle eight was left without lyrics. They had run out of time. On April 8, 1988, Lennon's handwritten lyrics for “Any Time At All” were sold for £6,000 at an auction held at Sotheby's in London. On U.S. album: Something New - Capitol LP

The Beatles - - Rubber Soul (Harrison) Lead vocal: George The fifth original composition by George Harrison to be recorded by The Beatles was completed on November 8, 1965 in one take with overdubs under the working title “Won’t Be There With You.” The song features Paul playing his bass through a fuzz box to give it a distorted sound. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

9

The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles (Harrison) Lead vocal: George In his book, “,” George explains that while visiting his parents he decided to create a song from the first thing he saw upon opening a book. George randomly opened a book and saw the phrase “gently weeps.” He put the book down and started writing lyrics.

The first proper recording of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” took place on July 25, 1968. Nearly two months into recording the Beatles’ new album, this was George’s first chance to record some of his new material. George: “I always had to do about ten of Paul and John’s songs before they’d give me the break.” On this first day George recorded several rehearsals and one proper take. At this stage, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was an acoustic song, with George’s solo vocal and some organ overdubbed near the end that ran 3:13 and had a final verse not found in the final version. This exquisite “take 1,” which was a demo for the other Beatles, is one of the highlights of the “Anthology 3” album. George would continue working on the song at home, and eventually re-imagined the song as a rocker. On August 16, the full band revisited the song, making 14 takes of a rhythm track.

NEWS RIGHT HERE

10.12 BREAK

Bumper/into The Beatles - Rain - Non-LP B-side (Lennon-McCartney) 10

Lead vocal: John Recorded on April 14 and 16, 1966. The track is notable for the backwards vocal from John Lennon at the end of the song. The section is John singing part of the first verse but the tape is superimposed backwards in the mix. The song contains slowed down instruments, guitar distortion, and vocals recorded and played back at variable speed. Aside from Paul McCartney’s dominant bass part, the song features a striking drum performance from Ringo, who has called “Rain” his favorite Beatles song. The B-side of “.” Issued in America on May 23, 1966 and the UK on June 10, 1966, several months in advance of the “Revolver” album. On U.S. album: Hey Jude - Capitol LP (1970)

The Beatles - It’s Only Love- Help! (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded in six takes on June 15, 1965. The first Beatles song to include a reference to getting “high” (“I get high when I see you go by”). The working title prior to lyrics being written was “That’s a Nice Hat.” George Martin and his Orchestra recorded the instrumental version of “It’s Only Love” using the original title. In 1972 Lennon called “It’s Only Love” “the one song I really hate of mine.” On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - - Rubber Soul (Harrison) Lead vocal: George The fourth original composition by George Harrison to be recorded by The Beatles was heavily inspired by the 12-string guitar sound of . The introduction of George Harrison’s “If I Needed Someone” is strikingly similar to the introduction of The Byrds’ “.” Harrison commented that the song was “like a million other songs written around the D chord.” The backing track was recorded in one take on October 16, 1965. George’s double-tracked lead vocal and John and Paul’s backing vocals were added two days later. The song was performed live by The Beatles in late 1965 and was a staple of their 1966 world tour. On U.S. album: - Capitol LP

QUIZ #1 HERE Who is singing this Beatles song….(not written by Paul McCartney) (Add long quiz tones HERE)

11

and speaking of young he co-wrote this next song…which was unfortunately his Dad’s last recording before he left us for a better place…yer listening to BWTB …95 KLOS

George – A - Jool Hollands Small World, Big Band album

John – Help – solo `70 / The Beatles - Help! - Help! (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The Beatles’ tenth single release for EMI’s Parlophone label. Recorded during a three-hour session on April 13, 1965. Written mostly by John with some help from Paul. In 1965 George Harrison was interviewed about the upcoming single, saying “it’s probably the best single we’ve done.” Harrison said the group was really pleased with the song, and described it as being more “involved” than previous Beatles songs. “It has a counter melody going on as well as a main melody.” In 1980 John Lennon said, “The whole Beatle thing was just beyond comprehension. I was eating and drinking like a pig and I was fat as a pig, dissatisfied with myself, and subconsciously I was crying for help. When ‘Help!’ came out, I was actually crying out for help. I didn't realize it at the time. I just wrote the song because I was commissioned to write it for the movie. But later, I knew I really was crying out for help. So it was my fat Elvis period. You see the movie: he - I - is very fat, very insecure, and he's completely lost himself.” Lennon has pointed to 1967’s “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Help!” as his only “honest” songs . The song was number one in the U.S. for three weeks, and in the UK it spent four weeks at number one. On U.S. album: Help! - Capitol LP

Are ya even noticing Paul McCartney hasn’t sung a song in a hour and 43 minutes?

12

10.42 BREAK

BUMPER INTO/ John Lennon – How Do You Sleep – Imagine ‘71 The most scathing outward song directed towards Paul McCartney. As John responded to a number of songs written on Paul’s Ram LP. This was song was all about Paul, but later John said it was really about himself. George offers a blistering guitar solo. It’s said that even contributed some lyrics towards Paul McCartney, because at the time, Paul was suing Klein and the other Beatles.

The Beatles - I’m Only Sleeping - Revolver (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Written by John and Paul at Kenwood, John’s estate in Weybridge, in one writing session. Recording of the backing rhythm track began at 11:30 p.m. on April 27, 1966. John recorded his lead vocal on April 29. Both the vocal and backing track were recorded at variable speed. It was during the recording of “I’m Only Sleeping” that The Beatles discovered the “backwards guitar.” On May 5, 1966, as the band continued working on the song, George painstakingly transcribed the notes in his guitar solo and 13

flourishes and then wrote them out backwards. He then played them in that reverse order. The tapes were then superimposed BACKWARDS in the mix, playing the solo notes and embellishments in the correct order, but maintaining the eerie backwards sound. “I’m Only Sleeping” was one of three songs issued in America six weeks prior to their official release in the UK. American and Canadian Beatles fans heard “I’m Only Sleeping,” “,” and “” first on ’ “Yesterday And Today” album, issued June 20, 1966. The rest of the world had to wait until the first week of August for them to appear on the “Revolver” LP. On U.S. album: Yesterday And Today - Capitol LP

The Beatles - I’m So Tired - The Beatles (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John John Lennon’s “I’m So Tired” was started and finished in 14 takes on October 8, 1968. No overdubs were added. The session was a marathon 16-hour session which started at 4 p.m. on the 8th and finished at 8 a.m. on October 9 (John’s 28th birthday), and saw the completion of two Lennon compositions (“I’m So Tired” and “The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill”) and work on George Harrison’s “Long Long Long.” Written in India while the Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation under , the all-day regime in , India, prevented John from sleeping at night, so he decided to write a song about it. At the end of the song John can be heard muttering a phrase that when played backwards offered “” conspiracy theorists another major clue: “Paul is a dead man, miss him, miss him.”

The Beatles - Revolution - Non-LP Track (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The Beatles’ eighteenth single release for EMI, their first on the Apple Records label. John Lennon lobbied hard to get his magnificent rocker on the A-side of the band’s summer 1968 single, but by any standard, Paul’s “Hey Jude” was an unbeatable choice for the A-side. There are three versions of John’s “Revolution.” The first one recorded was the slower version which opens the fourth side of “The Beatles” and was released under the title “Revolution 1.” That track was the first song to be recorded for what would be known as the “White Album.” Ultimately, the song ran over 10 minutes. Much of it was cut out and used to create the entitled “,” which would also appear on side four of the new album. Shortly before his death in 1980, John explained the reason for the song’s remake into a fast rocker: Paul and George refused to allow the original slower recording to be released as the next Beatles single, fearing it was not upbeat enough. So Lennon decided they would record the song fast and loud. Recording began on the fast and loud single version of “Revolution” on July 10, 1968. Additional overdubs were added on July 11 and 12, and the final mix was completed on July 15. The single was issued on August 30, 1968, in the UK, and on August 26 in the U.S. The “Hey Jude”/“Revolution” single would go on to sell nearly five million copies in the U.S. and eight million copies worldwide. On U.S. album: Hey Jude - Capitol LP

14

George Harrison – Wah-Wah - All Things Must Pass ‘70

Famously composed during the “Let It Be” sessions. On January 10th, 1969 – George left the Beatles and wrote the song during this period of estrangement. The title refers to the “wah-wah” (headache) he was receiving due to prolonged exposure to Macca- baiting and John and Yoko’s antics during the Twickenham rehearsals. The song obviously had some meaning to George, as he used it to open his section of the Concert for .

11.12 BREAK

Wings – – Venus and Mars ‘75

The Beatles - Got To Get You Into My Life - Revolver (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Another Paul McCartney solo composition, Paul called this stand out track “an ode to pot, like someone else might write an ode to chocolate or a good claret (wine).” Work began on the song on April 7, 1966, and this early alternate version can be heard on the “” album. It was the second song recorded for the “Revolver” album. The Beatles returned to the song the next day with an improved arrangement that included John and George on fuzz . On May 18 they revisited the song again, devoting a full 12-hour session to rework and complete the song. To give the song its Motown feel, five outside musicians were brought in to add brass and saxophones. An additional dual 15

guitar overdub was added on June 17. “Got To Get You Into My Life” was the opening song performed on the final Wings tour in 1979. On U.S. album: Revolver - Capitol LP

Wings – Hi, Hi, Hi - ‘76 Recorded in Denver, CO – June 7th. This was song number one of the two song Encore.

The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - The Beatles (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Written by Paul while in Rishikesh, India. In ’ “Many Years From Now” Paul recalls walking through the Indian jungle near the Maharishi’s compound with his guitar singing “Ob-La,Di, Ob-La, Da, life goes on, bra,” taking the phrase from Jimmy Scott, a Nigerian conga player who had been a part of the London music scene since the 50s. In Scott’s native language, “Ob la di ob la da” is an expression meaning “life goes on.” Paul created characters for his story - Desmond and Molly and their barrow in a Caribbean marketplace. A barrow is a cart or small vehicle used to carry a load and pulled or pushed by hand.

Paul McCartney – That Was Me - ‘07 A little boogie rocker that waxes incredulous at a charmed life: “That was me / Sweatin’ cobwebs / Under contract / In the cellar / On TV / That was me / The same me that stands here now / If fate decreed that all of this would make a lifetime, who I to disagree?”

Paul & Linda McCartney – – Ram ‘71 Originally played during the “Let it Be” sessions, Lennon again thought was about him with the lyrics, “We believe that we can’t be wrong.” This was intended to be more a Beach Boys style tune, which had nothing to do with Lennon. 11.42 BREAK

16

Jackie Lomax – JL GH PM RS

BWTB Bulletin Board Sept. 29th - Peter Asher

Oct. 6th - TIM PIPER & Band playing a few Lennon numbers on our Lennon birthday special.

Oct. 13th - Author Larry Kane 17

Nov. 3rd – IN STUDIO