tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17605523348739628792024-03-26T22:24:54.469+00:00Beatles Songwriting Academy<center><i></i>Sitting reverently at the feet of Lennon & McCartney...& then stealing their shoes.</center>Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.comBlogger587125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-22058715628749343652020-11-23T10:22:00.017+00:002020-11-23T10:22:00.132+00:00How To Co-write Virtually<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4UD8lSIaxW9kBICDYHUb2D-qS1c5lXelIFxps9b-BTgFWtNSFCLjCiPGIzGvq-0VV9d_Mx_GBc9ea-ZTQMhQpsBTgE_OVjbMFq7OTH027bghmAMtwJhzvG1DDxTtlCR4EGOHOOqkcuyr/s502/What+Goes+Online+Blue+Computer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="502" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4UD8lSIaxW9kBICDYHUb2D-qS1c5lXelIFxps9b-BTgFWtNSFCLjCiPGIzGvq-0VV9d_Mx_GBc9ea-ZTQMhQpsBTgE_OVjbMFq7OTH027bghmAMtwJhzvG1DDxTtlCR4EGOHOOqkcuyr/w400-h224/What+Goes+Online+Blue+Computer.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i> I've not been able to post here for a while as I've been working on a book about Lennon and McCartney. Reviewing the first draft I've had to cull a number of parts that don't really belong in the book and I'll be posting some of them here in the weeks to come. Here's one that that seems very timely. </i><br /><br /><i></i></p><blockquote><i>John and I would sit down and by then it might be one or two o'clock, and by four or five o'clock we'd be done. Three hours is about right, you start to fray at the edges after that. But that's good too because you think, "We've got to get this done!" … We always wrote a song a day, whatever happened we always wrote a song a day. And after that I'd pack up and drive back home and go out for the evening and that was it. </i><br /> Paul McCartney in Barry Miles: Many Years From Now (p.171) </blockquote><i></i><blockquote><i>The last verse was no problem "Two hours is up! C'mon, just put "Repeat 1". That's how a lot of our songs end, "Repeat 1". We'd number the verses, one, two, so we'd write a couple of verses, middle, the chorus, then pretty much repeat verse one. Which was good if it was hooky, it meant that you've heard those lyrics twice, so we'd rammed 'em home, and it saved us having to think of a third verse. <br /></i><br />Paul McCartney in Barry Miles: Many Years From Now (p.152) </blockquote><br /> Though they often started ideas separately John and Paul wrote together in the same room “eyeball to eyeball” “singing into each other's noses” as Lennon memorably put it. But in Covid-ravaged 2020 that's not been possible for many. <br /><br /> Here are some tips for songwriters struggling to co-write remotely. <p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Decide the method </h3><p>Broadly speaking you can collaborate remotely in real time, you can tag-team (taking it in turns to progress the song) or you can divide the song up and work on different parts interdependently, assembling the parts at the end. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Choose your tools </h3><p>Emailing files back and forth? - Audio, Lyrics? What format? Mp3, Word? Uploading to the cloud? Virtual documents you both edit? <br /><br />Whatever options you have always go for the simplest, dumbed down option that will suit your needs. John and Paul started with an old school exercise book. If the system doesn't break down (and it probably will) you still want to remove as much drag as possible. Once you've got your tools get used to them, meaning learn workarounds for the things that don't function as they should or as you'd like them to. <br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Set a time limit </h3><p> If you're collaborating in real time using conferencing software (Zoom, Teams, FaceTime) give yourself a limited window. John and Paul kept sessions to a three hour limit. After that you can just get too brain-fried. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Agree waiting etiquette </h3><p style="text-align: left;">Writing by tag team method, i.e. one of you move the song on so far and then stopping is another way to do it. But make sure you need to agree when the tag point will be. What are you going to do before you hand off to your partner? Communicate! <br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Split microtasks </h3><p>You can get rid of some of the waiting around by dividing up some of the more mundane jobs. Fix a problem lyric line, write a guitar solo, come up with three possible intros. If you're handing off the job though it's important to give the person a free hand and accept you can't have 100% input into 100% of the song as you might if you were both in the room. If it's a part you must have a say in then write it together. <br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Communicate literally and unambiguously<br /></h3><p>If you're writing live via video conference remember a lot of body language vibes type communication is going to be lost. Even more so if you're emailing or texting. Emojis are not the most nuanced communication tools. So try to say clearly and unambiguously what you feel. “I really like that chord pattern”. “The rhythm feels a little awkward”. “These lyrics aren't grabbing me. Can we brainstorm lines for five minutes and pick the best ones?” Follow up the session with a quick debrief and then set up home work assignments and/or future sessions. This can be directly at the end of a session or after sleeping on the song for a few days. The debrief is simply assessing 'where we're up to' - “I think we have verse one and two. The chorus hook needs work. We need to rethink the bridge”. <br /><br /><br /> <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">Join the mailing list</a> <br /><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a> <br /><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">The Be-Atletudes</a> <br /><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a> <br /><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">Music by Matt Blick</a></p>Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-79181290580145278262020-07-17T12:24:00.000+01:002020-07-17T12:24:18.222+01:00Under The Influence: Kurt Cobain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>I like the Beatles, but I hate Paul McCartney.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rolling Stone</span><br />
<br />
<i>I loved Paul McCartney … He meant more to me than my own parents.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sandford: McCartney*</span><br />
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The Beatles were a early and formative influence on Cobain. A video survives of him singing <b>Hey Jude</b> at the age of two and he remembers walking around the neighbourhood singing Beatles songs while playing a toy bass drum. He wrote he was <i>"forever grateful"</i> to his Aunt Mari for giving him three Beatles albums and heartbroken when he learned in 1976 that the band had split up years before.<br />
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<br />
In high-school Kurt wrote a 2000 word essay on <b>Give My Regards To Broad Street </b>after he spent much of the winter of 1984-5 listening to the soundtrack*.<br />
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About a Girl was written after Kurt spent three hours listening to Meet The Beatles on repeat to get in the mood and the <a href="https://youtu.be/PbgKEjNBHqM">In Bloom video</a> is a parody of the Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. <br />
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<br />
In my Life was played at his funeral.<br />
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<br />
Here are a few quotes.<br />
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<i>I don’t value music much. I like the Beatles, but I hate Paul McCartney. I like Led Zeppelin, but I hate Robert Plant. I like the Who, but I hate Roger Daltrey.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>John Lennon was definitely my favourite Beatle, hands down. I don’t know who wrote what parts of what Beatles songs, but Paul McCartney embarrasses me. Lennon was obviously disturbed [laughs]. So I could relate to that. And from the books I’ve read - and I’m so sceptical of anything I read, especially in rock books - I just felt really sorry for him. To be locked up in that apartment. Although he was totally in love with Yoko and his child, his life was a prison.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>John Lennon has been my idol all my life but he’s dead wrong about revolution… find a representative of gluttony or oppression and blow the motherf***er's head off.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Flavorwire</span><br />
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<i>Even in Nirvana — the Beatles [were] such a huge influence. Kurt loved The Beatles because it was just so simple. Well, it seemed simple… they sound easy to play, but you know what? They’re f**cking hard!</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dave Grohl: Access Online</span><br />
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<i>Everyone talks about Kurt's love affair with ... the whole punk scene, but he was also a huge Beatles fan, and the more time we spent together the more obvious their influence on his songwriting became.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Butch Vig: NME</span><br />
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Here is Cobain covering McCartney twice (without embarrassment!) <b>And I Love Her</b> (extra links <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/7x4b0UccXSKBWxWmjcrG2T">here</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/HuUOcqJb89o">here</a>) ...<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rBzA4shGmw8" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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And <b>Hey Jude</b> (aged 2).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/roV_3nGGigc" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sources</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*<i>I loved Paul McCartney … He meant more to me than my own parents.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Christopher Sandford: McCartney (p.297) - I can find no sources for Sandford's quotes, which seem to be at odds with other quotes. If you can confirm or deny let me know!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/hear-kurt-cobains-chilling-unreleased-beatles-cover-36117/">Rolling Stone</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.flavorwire.com/562118/kurt-cobain-on-the-bands-and-musicians-he-loved">Flavorwire</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.accessonline.com/articles/dave-grohl-the-beatles-were-a-huge-influence-on-kurt-cobain-i-113641">Access Online</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">NME interview 2004</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Charles R. Cross: Heavier Than Heaven</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
LINKS<br />
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<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2012/02/under-influence-dave-grohl-foo-fighters.html">Dave Grohl on the Beatles</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://eepurl.com/bz6tJj">Join the mailing list</a><br />
<i> </i> <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mattblick.com/">Music by Matt Blick</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-23152398761176467912020-07-02T14:26:00.001+01:002020-07-02T14:26:58.226+01:0010:69 Good Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
King of Sleep</h3>
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Good Night was written by John for Julian Lennon, probably during May/June 1968*. You could call it part of John's sleep trilogy with<b> I'm Only Sleeping</b> and<b> I'm So Tired</b>, or a bookend with <b>Good Morning, Good Morning</b>. Either way sleep was a reoccurring theme in Lennon's work – appropriate for some one once dubbed “the laziest man in England”.<br />
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The rehearsal tracks on 50th Anniversary reveal Lennon wrote the song using the fingerpicking pattern Donovan taught him in Rishikesh (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2014/08/ticket-59-turn-technical-exercise-into.html">ticket 59</a>) – making this a brother-song to <b><a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2012/08/102-julia-pt1-introduction.html">Julia</a> </b>and <b><a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2014/10/1036-dear-prudence-pt1-ringoing-going.html">Prudence</a> </b>(and <b><a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2013/09/1022-happiness-is-warm-gun-pt1.html">Warm Gun</a></b>).This guitar version with John, Paul and George adding complex vocal harmonies somewhere between '<b>Because</b>' and 'barbershop quartet' (Take 10 - 0:26) was abandoned* leaving Ringo to rehearse with piano accompaniment from George Martin* in preparation for the orchestral backing (Take 22).<br />
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For the second time on a Ringo track the band attempted (then rejected) a spoken intro. <b>Yellow Submarine</b> kicked off with <i>“And we will march to free the day to see them gathered there, from Land O’Groats to John O’Green, from Stepney to Utrecht, to see a yellow submarine, we love it!”. </i>Here Ringo improvises lines like<i> “Put all those toys away. Yes, Daddy will sing a song for you!”</i> or <i>“Cover yourself up, Charlie*. Pull those covers up and off you go to dreamland!”</i><br />
<i></i><i></i><br />
The finished record has George Martin's fingerprints all over it but it's possible that some of the most 'Martin' moments originated with John. The wonderful instrumental interlude (1:50) is rather baroque in style and the only non-diatonic moment in the song (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/ticket-28-use-at-least-one-out-of-key.html">ticket 28</a>). But the chord movement is clearly there when John is accompanying Ringo on the guitar (Take 10 – 1:32) and less clear when George is on the piano (Take 22 – 2:26). And the backing vocals recorded by the Mike Sammes Singers are well on their way to being 'overlush' in the hands (mouths) of John, Paul and George. None of this disproves 'Big George' having his finger in the pie but we have to credit John with being fully involved, as were the others. It's heart-warming to hear the whole band coaching Ringo as he become the third Beatles to record a 'solo track'*.<br />
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Ditching the piano to <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-3-make-everything-hook.html">play celesta (2:14)</a> George arranged the song for a string section (12 violins, 3 violas, 3 cellos, 1 double bass) 8 singers, 3 flutes, a clarinet, a french horn, a vibraphone and a harp. Sappy or not, it's a beautiful arrangement and totally right for the song*. <br />
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<h3>
Hey Jools, Please Go To Bed</h3>
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Everything great about this song hinges on it being an 'occasional' song (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-66-write-occasional-song.html">Ticket 66</a>) - in this case a lullaby. Beyond entertainment or passive listening an occasional song serves a purpose – a national anthem, a birthday song, a football team chant, learning your times-tables. How 'good' it is depends to a large extent on how well it serves that purpose. This song is designed to lull a little loved one to sleep and John makes lyrical and melodic choices that might be bad for your average pop song but are perfect here*.<br />
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Lyrically it's incredibly simple. John uses only 30 different words (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/ticket-23-use-less-words.html">Ticket 23</a>) and they are all one syllable*. Perfect for a song written for a five year old child. <br />
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Small children love repetition. We have the same phrase in lines 2 and 4 (<i>good night, sleep tight</i>) and a wholesale repeat of verse 2 after the instrumental section (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-67-repeat-verse-1.html">Ticket 67</a>). There's also repetition via parallel lyrics (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-24-use-parallel-lyrics.html">Ticket 24</a>) <i>dream sweet dreams for me / for you</i> and the lovely rhyming concept of sun/moon - <i>Now the moon begins to shine </i>(v1) and<i> Now the sun turns out his light </i>(v2). All this repetition is very comforting. <br />
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Simplicity defines the structure too. The only distinct section is a verse with a refrain (the term 'chorus' seems a bit grand for <i>'dream sweet dreams...'</i> and the title is in the other section). For analysis sake we'll call the verse A and the refrain B. The brief instrumental interlude is a variation on the B section, and so is the intro/outro (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-4-recycle-your-os.html">ticket 4</a>).<br />
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<h3>
Tune out</h3>
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The modest vocal range of less than an octave (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-40-dont-use-all-seven-notes-of.html">ticket 40</a>) is another thing that marks it out as a 'children's song'. <br />
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The A section finds Lennon at his most melodic, though he doesn't leap around as athletically as McCartney, using 3rds, 4ths and 5ths. The B section is typically horizontal using two notes in the first phrase (<i>dream sweet dreams for me</i>) and only one in the second (<i>dream sweet dreams for you</i>). But the lush chords make it sound clever because every note is supported (doubled) by rich chords – major sevens and slash chords (D7/G) implying 11th and 13ths.<br />
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Far more important though is the shape of the melody. The melody feels so wonderfully light and 'sing-song' because it constantly goes up and down and sticks to the same lazy 1 / +3 / +1 / +3 rhythm. Notice the rhythmic similarity between <i>close / your eyes / and I'll /close mine </i>and<i> dream / sweet dreams / for me. </i><br />
<i></i><i></i><br />
There are three subtle contrasts between the A and B sections that prevent things becoming monotonous. First, as already mentioned, the range in the A section is a 6th (C - A) but only a semitone in the B (F# - G). Second, the melodies move in the opposite direction. Up-down-up-down-up-down-up in the A section and down-up-down-up-down in the B. Finally, the vocal rhythm is broken up on lines 2 and 4 of the A section (<i>good night, sleep tight</i>) by having the chords change on every word (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/ticket-36-emphasise-key-lyrics-by.html">ticket 36</a>) instead of two words per chord in the rest of the song.<br />
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That said, many things that make a great Beatles song are missing here – the only out of key chords (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/ticket-28-use-at-least-one-out-of-key.html">ticket 28</a>) are the G7 and A7 implied in the instrumental section. In fact there's very little chord movement at all – a short jump from G to Bm7 followed by a walk back down to Am7 and G is about as daring as it gets. There's a descant (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-58-write-descant.html">ticket 58</a>) at 0:55 but the backing vocals are in the background, smothered in strings. The whole effect is a soothing comfort blanket of sound with the opening and closing string melody rocking you to sleep. The only 'drama' is the ascending scales in the 'solo' but even that section ends with the cellos drifting down into the land of nod. In short there is no drama because drama is not what you need in a lullaby. <br />
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John (and the team) show such restraint in this recording and to me that's what makes it such a successful song in it's own right. <br />
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The wonderful thing about writing an <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-66-write-occasional-song.html">occasional song</a> is that the competition is so limited (Christmas songs aside). So even your poor attempt at a bar mitzvah, pancake day, university graduation or coming out song is probably going to be in the All Time Top 20.<br />
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I mean how many great rock lullabies* can you name?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Footnotes</b></span><br />
<b></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Probably during May/June 1968*</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The song is unlikely to predate Rishikesh as Lennon is using the fingerpicking technique learned in India and it wasn't demoed at Esher in May, so it was probably written afterwards. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Abandoned</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Also abandoned was a crazy-sounding octave-higher guitar effect achieved by double-tracking the guitar part at half-speed (Good Night Take 10).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Piano played by George Martin</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Of the three suspects – the pianist is clearly not John. The rehearsal tapes (Take 22) reveal he's in the control room using the talkback mic. George and Paul are in the studio with Ringo but seem to be there for moral support and click track duties. George Martin is also on the 'production floor' and the piano playing is both accomplished and similar to the string parts in a way that suggests he's fleshing out the arrangement. In short Paul would play more like a piano player, this person is playing like an arranger/accompanist – so George gets my vote. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cover yourself up, Charlie</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm not the first person to wonder what Charles Manson would have made of getting a name check on the White Album. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The third Beatles to record a 'solo track</i>' </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Paul had recorded Yesterday, without the others and George, Within You Without You. John would complete the set with Julia, coached through his performance by Paul in the control room. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Totally right for the song</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As is Giles Martin's remix which sparkles, gives the arrangement a kick at 1:05 and 1:34 and removes the nasty thump from Ringo's whispered outro (2:53).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>John makes lyrical and melodic choices [that] are perfect</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Certainly more effectively than Paul's screamer of a lullaby Golden Slumbers written six months later!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One syllable</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ringo says 'everybody' in the coda but that's a spoken ad-lib rather than a part of the song.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Rock lullabies</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Though it's NOT a lullaby I'm convinced that Queen's We Will Rock You was inspired by the Czech lullaby Little Jesus, Sweetly Sleep aka The Rocking Carol translated by Percy Dearmer. </span><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-66-write-occasional-song.html"></a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-66-write-occasional-song.html">Ticket 66: Write An Occasional Song</a><br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-84906214620391348012020-06-23T13:50:00.001+01:002020-06-23T13:52:03.928+01:00Golden Ticket: Embrace Your Mistakes (Ticket 72)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every artist needs fresh inspiration and sometimes mistakes can be a source of new sounds and ideas. Now, more than ever, musicians and producers have the tools to scrub every error from a recording but the end result can be flat, dehumanised and boring. Whether we screw up when the tape is rolling or mess up in rehearsal and then decide to keep the results, sometimes throwing a spanner in the works is the smart thing to do. </div>
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Or at least leaving the spanner where you dropped it. </div>
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Mistakes can make the listener feel they are really THERE or that the vibe is laid back or 'real' and not cleaning up your tracks is a great way to achieve this. Keeping count-ins, or even flying them in from other takes: <b>I Saw Her Standing There, Taxman, Revolution 1</b>, or catching snippets of conversation: <b>Revolution 1 </b>(0:00), <b>Level With Yourself </b>(0:53),<b> Little Wonder </b>(0:39). It's the equivalent of professionally lighting your 'no make up selfie'. </div>
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Keeping mistakes and retakes (e.g. the start of <b>Bob Dylan's 115th Dream</b>) help to humanise the artist; doubly so if they end up swearing in frustration: <b>Hey Jude </b>(2:58), <b>Louie Louie</b> (0:53),<b> Good Riddance</b> (0:00).</div>
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Vocals entering early is another common 'keeper'. Robert Plant comes in a whole four bars early on the second verse of <b>Stairway To Heaven</b> (1:32)* and James Blunt's premature arrival in <b>You're Beautiful</b> (0:23) is so obvious it warranted it's own parody.*<br />
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Singers sometimes struggle to get the words out and that stuttering can be serendipitous if your song is about barely containable teenage rage (<b>My Generation</b>) or accepting your failings (<b>You're Only Human</b> – 3:19).</div>
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Mistakes in the recording process itself can be useful. Both <b>Revolution 1 </b>(3:23) and <b>Let Me Roll It </b>(4:22) have extra beats caused by bad tape editing. <b>Flying In a Blue Dream</b> opens with other-worldly voices (0:02) – the result of picking up radio interference during recording. My own cover of <b>River of Suffering </b>catches the sound of a police car passing outside the studio (3:09).<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Right Time For Mistakes</h3>
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To conclude – mistakes should be embraced when you're looking for fresh inspiration, want to bring the listener closer, humanise the artist, or just communicate a sense of fun and not taking yourself too seriously. If the nature of the mistake reflects the subject material of the song that's even better. And who knows? They may even advance your career. </div>
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When <b>Ella Fitzgerald </b>performed<b> Mack the Knife</b> in Germany for a live album, she forgot the lyrics to one of the many verses. Undaunted, she started freestyling lyrics (1:55, 2:50, 3:44, 4:00) throwing in a killer Louis Armstrong impersonation along the way (3:16). That performance won her, not one but, two Grammys*.</div>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qU7R1w0aNF0" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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<b>Revolution 1 – The Beatles (0:00, 3:23) </b></div>
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Level With Yourself - David Bazan (0:53) </div>
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Little Wonder - David Bowie (0:39)</div>
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<i>Bob Dylan's 115th Dream – Bob Dylan (0:00)</i></div>
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Louie Louie – The Kingsmen (0:53) </div>
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Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) – Green Day (0:00)</div>
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My Generation – The Who (0:05, 0:16, 0:30, 0:36, 0:41, 0:45, 1:20, 1:25, 1:58, 2:04).</div>
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You're Only Human (Second Wind) – Billy Joel (3:19)</div>
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Let Me Roll It - Paul McCartney and Wings (4:22)</div>
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Flying In a Blue Dream – Joe Satriani (0:02)</div>
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The River of Suffering – Matt Blick (3:09)</div>
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For an expanded playlist for this songwriting tip – <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/06/ticket-72-playlist-embrace-your-mistakes.html">go here</a></div>
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See also </div>
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<a href="https://mattblickarchive.com/wp/2009/08/04/too-much-monkey-business/">Why you <b><i>don't</i></b> learn by your mistakes – lessons from a chimpanzee</a></div>
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Footnotes</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Second verse of Stairway To Heaven</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is far from obvious but compare the chord sequences on 'verse 1' (0:52) and 'verse 2' (1:32) it's clear that Plant sings 'chorus 1' (1:19) once but Page plays it twice. Plant then sings verse 2 over one chorus progression and one verse progression then runs out of lyrics, leaving Page an extra four bars to fill in with some nifty fingerpicking. This 'mistake' would have been clearly obvious to all involved at once the reason it remained is – it's kind of cool!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Warranted it's own parody </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>You're Pitiful - "Weird Al" Yankovic</b> (0:12) mercilessly mocks Blunt's entrance. In a similar way, someone on <b>Sting</b>'s version of <b>Shadows In The Rain</b> (0:00) pays homage to bassist Joe Swift on <b>Fingertips - Part 2 </b>by<b> Stevie Wonder</b> (2:22) by repeated asking what key they're playing in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Two Grammys</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Ella Fitzgerald</b> won Best Female Vocal Performance (Single) and Best Female Vocal Performance (Album) for <b>Mack The Knife</b> at the1960 Grammy Awards.</span></div>
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-27074804879824342992020-06-08T09:03:00.000+01:002020-06-08T09:03:00.924+01:00Under The Influence: Elliott Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>At what age did you realise you wanted to become a musician?</i><br />
Probably five, as soon as I heard The White Album. It was pretty much my inspiration, that and AC/DC.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Elliott Smith: NME (2000)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
My friends and I were just starting to teach ourselves guitar in 1980. I was 11 and really into Beatles songs like <b>Julia</b> and<b> Sexy Sadie</b>— cool, kaleidoscopic chord changes. I was totally immersed in trying to figure it all out, and it was slowly happening when some madman gunned down the guide. At first, kids at school acted like it was a hoax. It didn’t seem real at the time, and to be honest, I rarely think of John Lennon as dead. There’s too much life in his music to think of him as gone. For some reason when I think of him now, I usually picture him the way he looked and sounded during the 'hairy and scary' phase, around the time of Abbey Road. Definitely on his own trip. It’s neat when you’re a kid to see people who aren’t scared to change. <br />
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My folks were Beatles fans and supposedly played Sgt. Pepper’s for me before I was born. In junior high I thought that <b>A Day in the Life</b> was probably my favourite song ever. Of course, now I have many, many favourite songs, but a lot of them are still Lennon songs. For example:<br />
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<b>I’m Only Sleeping</b><br />
<b></b><br />
Most songs that bring up wanting to be left alone in some way or another don’t do it as gracefully as this one. It’s cool to express and defend your own interior space without getting all hostile about it; this song makes it seem easy. I also like the way it feels as if it’s pulling itself along with its own momentum instead of being pushed forward heavily with the kick drum.<br />
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<b>Tomorrow Never Knows</b><br />
<b></b><br />
The first line kinda says it all, really. Again, it’s like he’s describing a solid internal state you can maintain without doing battle with the outside world. Sometimes the most amazing thing to me about Lennon is that he kept a positive identity despite such a cracked upbringing and crazy fame.<br />
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<br />
<b>Cold Turkey </b>and<b> Jealous Guy</b><br />
<b></b><b></b><br />
Being this honest can be risky, which, of course, is an excellent idea. It’ll either be sappy or brave. Or both. He chanced it and won. Other people have to write this way all the time. Lennon had access to all floors. Didn’t he also write:<br />
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<b>I Am the Walrus</b><br />
<b></b><br />
It’s dark, complicated, funny, and popular; it rocks; and it contains the phrase <i>“goo goo g’joob.”</i> Lyrics all over the place. I like songs like this because they activate my imagination. Coherence is fine and all, but it’s not the measure of interesting lyrics. Sonically, this song seems to be coming from a person who just busted out of incarceration somewhere.<br />
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<b>Across the Universe</b><br />
<b></b><br />
This song is fluid and musical in a way that, to me, overarches all the cultural and political commentary that surrounds his life. A really cool song can sometimes make a dream and reality trade places, maybe for the better.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Elliott Smith: <a href="https://www.spin.com/2001/01/elliott-smith-his-favorite-john-lennon-songs/">SPIN (Jan 2001)</a></span></div>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sd32skmM89s" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.verbicidemagazine.com/2014/03/10/elliott-smith-beatles-cover-songs-john-lennon-jealous-guy-blackbird-i-me-mine-im-so-tired-yer-blues/">Five Beatles Cover Version by Elliott Smith</a><br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-11130980164014654392020-06-05T13:41:00.002+01:002020-07-18T15:11:15.361+01:00Ticket 72 Playlist: Embrace Your Mistakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1G5picYawitx56MZwalFNBwnT_YQ2XNvgwxy6yFiGiScU3iQezdJwomEP30U5MN97AqoPrOdQrUdtwi4rr37yE5yO99s4ywcHew8n3L0KkMy_CpEsjY0_hyFswbVHq-8HIKg6pm9TA27/s1600/BE+cassette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="635" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1G5picYawitx56MZwalFNBwnT_YQ2XNvgwxy6yFiGiScU3iQezdJwomEP30U5MN97AqoPrOdQrUdtwi4rr37yE5yO99s4ywcHew8n3L0KkMy_CpEsjY0_hyFswbVHq-8HIKg6pm9TA27/s400/BE+cassette.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In order to better understand the influence of ideas on and by the Beatles songs are laid out in chronological order. Songs known to have an influence on the Beatles are in italics.<br />
<br />
This page is a work in progress. Errors? Typos? Suggestions? Did I miss an example? Leave a comment below!<br />
<br />
For more on this songwriting tip <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2015/10/ticket-72-embrace-your-mistakes.html">go here</a><br />
<br />
1960 Mack the Knife (Ella In Berlin) - Ella Fitzgerald (1:55, 2:50, 3:44, 4:00) Ella forgets the lyrics and freestyles new verses, (3:16) Ella does an impression of Louis Armstrong.<br />
<b>1963 I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles (0:00)</b> Audible count-in. <br />
<b><i>1963 Twist And Shout – The Beatles (2:27)</i></b> Cheer at the end.<br />
1963 Louie Louie – The Kingsmen (0:53) Drummer swears. (1:56) Vocals enter early. Many later cover versions deliberately emulate this mistake. <br />
1963 Fingertips - Part 2 - Stevie Wonder (2:22) bassist Joe Swift can be heard asking "What key?" (referenced in Shadows In The Rain – Sting (0:00)<br />
<i>1965 Bob Dylan's 115th Dream – Bob Dylan (0:00)</i> False start grafted onto the beginning of the best take.<br />
1965 My Generation – The Who (0:05, 0:16, 0:30, 0:36, 0:41, 0:45, 1:20, 1:25, 1:58, 2:04) Stuttering.<br />
<b>1966 Taxman – The Beatles(0:00)</b> Two audible count-ins, coughing, tape noise. <br />
<i>1966 I Saw Her Again – The Mamas And The Papas (2:42)</i> Vocals enter early.<br />
<i>1966 Here Today – The Beach Boys (1:51) </i>Conversation audible under the solo.<br />
<b>1967 A Day In The Life - The Beatles</b> (1:43/3:50) Mal’s 'bar count' still audible</div>
<b>1968 Helter Skelter - The Beatles</b> (4:24) Ringo’s shout at the end<br />
<b>1968 Happiness Is A Warm Gun - The Beatles</b> (0:57) John’s ‘down’ remains from an earlier take<br />
<b>1968 <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/04/1066-revolution-pt6-fake-mistakes.html">Revolution 1</a> – The Beatles (0:00)</b> Conversation and audible count-in. (3:23) Extra beat caused by bad tape edit.<br />
<b>1968 <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/04/1067-ob-la-di-ob-la-da-pt1-melody-and.html">Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da</a> – The Beatles (2:33)</b> Paul gets the lyrics wrong.<br />
<b>1968 <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2015/09/1047-hey-jude-pt1-mistakes-and-myths-in.html">Hey Jude</a> – The Beatles (2:58)</b> John swears. <br />
<b>1969 Her Majesty - The Beatles</b> - entire song was cut from the album and ended up at the master tape by mistake<br />
1970 The Beehive State - Harry Nilsson (0:54) Distorted sound from headphone bleed<br />
1970 So Long Dad - Harry Nilsson (1:56) Instructions to engineer<br />
1970 Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell (2:10) Joni laughs after switching from soprano to bass.<br />
1971 Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin (1:32) Vocals come in four bars early on second verse. <br />
1971 Andy Warhol – David Bowie (0:10) Bowie correcting engineer Ken Scott's pronunciation of title.<br />
1972 C Moon - Wings (0:17) Vocals enter late "Is that the intro I should have been in"<br />
1973 Let Me Roll It - Paul McCartney and Wings (4:22) Extra beat caused by bad tape edit.<br />
1973 The Jean Genie - David Bowie (0:37) bass/guitar start chorus a bar early. Bowie says "get back on it" (?). <br />
1978 Roxanne – The Police (0:03) Sting sits on piano in vocal booth and laughs.<br />
1978 Have Thine Own Way Lord (Personal File version) – Johnny Cash (0:37) Restarts after playing in the wrong key.<br />
1985 You're Only Human (Second Wind) - Billy Joel (3:19) Billy stutters and laughs.<br />
1985 Paisley Park - Prince (2:44) singing start of the verse ‘who’ too early <br />
1989 Flying In a Blue Dream – Joe Satriani (0:02) Recording picks up ghostly radio interference.<br />
1991 Polly – Nirvana (1:55) Vocals enter early.<br />
1994 The Man Who Sold The World (MTV Unplugged) - Nirvana (2:48) Lead guitar bum note. <br />
1997 Little Wonder - David Bowie (0:39) Bowie says “I'm getting it”. (3:09, 3:22) Bass soundcheck used as samples for breakdown. <br />
1997 Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) – Green Day (0:00) False start and swearing.<br />
2001 I Do – Paul McCartney (0:46) caught his breath, fluffed vocal delivery<br />
2002 Beautiful - Christina Aguilera (3:46) Deleted drum track audible through headphone bleed. <br />
2005 Fine Line – Paul McCartney (0:00) warm up noises, count in (0:46) incorrect bass note.<br />
2005 You're Beautiful - James Blunt (0:23) Vocals enter early.<br />
2006 You're Pitiful - "Weird Al" Yankovic (0:12) Not a mistake but a spoof of the false start in James Blunt's song.<br />
2011 Level With Yourself - David Bazan (0:53) David coughs and says “nope”.<br />
2014 Air Conditioning – Sleaford Mods (1:00) Bass mistake.<br />
2019 <a href="https://mattblick.bandcamp.com/album/fifty-five-stories-down">Deleted Scene (Attempted Bravery)</a> – Matt Blick (0:08) Matt sings wrong lyrics, (0:35) Car horn outside studio.<br />
2019 <a href="https://mattblick.bandcamp.com/album/fifty-five-stories-down">The River of Suffering</a> – Matt Blick (3:09) Police siren outside studio.<br />
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<i></i><br />
<i>Thanks to Rob Stevens, Jonathan Nelson, Andy Getch, Martin Quibell, Nancy Rost, Rod Downburst Johnson for suggesting examples.</i><br />
<i></i><i></i><i></i><br />
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<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-65928099301749575432020-05-30T19:26:00.001+01:002020-05-30T21:13:06.001+01:00Ticket 77: Repeat The Final Line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCcd8YZY8xcX6m3KmTNdSaymIs5n9d8BlM2CNBoU30qpKqwGz9NtZODyaooj4N_UNxDo4yTuNu0nspOxrmodiwoCaZjOWA7eR7Eqg40p9BthzeCrFusvPVdOvLeGfe0fwFyD_RvxTz7Rd/s1600/Ticket+yellow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCcd8YZY8xcX6m3KmTNdSaymIs5n9d8BlM2CNBoU30qpKqwGz9NtZODyaooj4N_UNxDo4yTuNu0nspOxrmodiwoCaZjOWA7eR7Eqg40p9BthzeCrFusvPVdOvLeGfe0fwFyD_RvxTz7Rd/s400/Ticket+yellow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can signal that this really is the end of your song and tie things up with a pretty bow by repeating the end of the chorus. This works best by singing the final line twice or three times.</div>
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<b>Double Final Line</b></div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
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All I've Got To Do</div>
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When I Get Home </div>
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Think For Yourself </div>
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Yes It Is</div>
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<b>Triple Final Line</b></div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
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Nowhere Man</div>
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One After 909</div>
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Please Please Me </div>
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Your Mother Should Know</div>
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If your final line ends on the tonic/root chord (I) - which it almost certainly will - you can combine this ticket with <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-10-aeolian-cadence.html">Aeolian Cadence (Ticket 10)</a> by ending the penultimate line on the six minor (vi) instead of the root chord (I). <b>Octopus's Garden</b> is a great example of this (2:30) </div>
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<i>In an octopus's garden with you</i> (F G Am)</div>
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<i>In an octopus's garden with you</i> (F G Am)</div>
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<i>In an octopus's garden with you</i> (F G C) </div>
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<b>She Loves You</b> finishes on the I but then moves to the vi to set up further repeats (1:47)</div>
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<i>With a love like that you know you should be glad </i>(Cm D G Em)</div>
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The vi chord isn't the only substitute for the I chord when you want to delay the end and set up for a repeat of the last line. The iv, IV, bVI are just a few that would work <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-46-false-picardy.html">(The False Picardy - Ticket 46)</a>.</div>
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<b>I Want To Hold Your Hand</b> is another great example (2:08), delaying the root first with the III (B7) then IV (C) before finally ending on the I (G)</div>
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<i>I Want To Hold Your Hand</i> (C D G Em)</div>
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<i>I Want To Hold Your Hand</i> (C D B7)</div>
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<i>I Want To Hold Your Hand</i> (C D C G)</div>
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<b>I Will</b> delays with the bVI before an altered version of the title line and a wordless coda (1:22).</div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
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<b>Your Mother Should Know</b> uses the VI to delay the end (twice) and <b>I Saw Her Standing There</b> has two lines ending on the I chord before delaying with the IV on the final line (2:30)</div>
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<i>Since I saw her standing there</i> (E B7 E)</div>
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<i>Since I saw her standing there</i> (E B7 E)</div>
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<i>Since I saw her standing there</i> (E B7 A E)</div>
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Sometimes the ending is better set up by repeating a lyric just before the end. <b>I'm Happy Just To Dance With You</b> delays with the vi chord but changes the penultimate line of lyric to better set up the original final line (1:37)</div>
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<i>I've discovered I'm in love with you</i> (A Baug C#m F#m G#)</div>
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<i>Cos I'm happy just to dance with you</i> (A Baug C#m F#m G#)</div>
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before five more “oh”s round the whole thing off. Adding a musical or lyrical phrase after the 'last line' like this can be just the ticket. <b>It's Only Love</b> adds a final<i> “loving you...”</i> (1:36) after the repeats (1:28) and <b>P.S. I Love You</b> adds a final, higher <i>“I love you...”</i> over it's repeated chord progression (1:49).</div>
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You can find more examples in the <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/05/ticket-77-playlist-repeat-final-line.html">Ticket 77 Playlist</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
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<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mattblick.com/">Music by Matt Blick</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-78240488659090806562020-05-30T18:44:00.003+01:002020-06-01T16:29:35.788+01:00Ticket 77 Playlist: Repeat The Final Line<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1G5picYawitx56MZwalFNBwnT_YQ2XNvgwxy6yFiGiScU3iQezdJwomEP30U5MN97AqoPrOdQrUdtwi4rr37yE5yO99s4ywcHew8n3L0KkMy_CpEsjY0_hyFswbVHq-8HIKg6pm9TA27/s1600/BE+cassette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="635" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1G5picYawitx56MZwalFNBwnT_YQ2XNvgwxy6yFiGiScU3iQezdJwomEP30U5MN97AqoPrOdQrUdtwi4rr37yE5yO99s4ywcHew8n3L0KkMy_CpEsjY0_hyFswbVHq-8HIKg6pm9TA27/s400/BE+cassette.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In order to better understand the influence of ideas on and by the Beatles songs are laid out in chronological order.<br />
<br />
This page is a work in progress. Errors? Typos? Suggestions? Did I miss an example? Leave a comment below!<br />
<br />
For more on this songwriting tip <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/05/ticket-77-repeat-final-line.html">go here</a><br />
<br />
<b>1962 P.S. I Love You - The Beatles (1:49)</b><br />
<b>1963 Please Please Me - The Beatles (1:39)</b><br />
<b>1963 Ask Me Why - The Beatles (2:10)</b><br />
<b>1963 I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles (2:30)</b><br />
<b>1963 She Loves You - The Beatles (1:47)</b><br />
<b>1963 All I've Got To Do - The Beatles (1:39)</b><br />
<b>1963 I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles (2:08)</b><br />
<b>1964 When I Get Home - The Beatles (1:58)</b><br />
<b>1964 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You - The Beatles (1:37)</b><br />
<b>1964 What You're Doing - The Beatles (1:58)</b><br />
<b>1965 Yes It Is - The Beatles (2:26)</b><br />
<b>1965 It's Only Love - The Beatles (1:28)</b><br />
<b>1965 Nowhere Man - The Beatles (2:14)</b><br />
<b>1965 Think For Yourself - The Beatles (2:01)</b><br />
<b>1967 Your Mother Should Know - The Beatles (1:58)</b><br />
<b>1968 I Will - The Beatles (1:22)</b><br />
<b>1969 One After 909 - The Beatles (2:03)</b><br />
<b>1969 The Ballad of John and Yoko - The Beatles (2:31)</b><br />
<b>1969 Octopus's Garden - The Beatles (2:30)</b><br />
1986 Earn Enough For Us – XTC (2:36) <br />
1998 Acquiesce - Oasis (3:08)<br />
2006 No Buses – Arctic Monkeys (2:57)<br />
<br />
<i>Thanks to Chris Henson, Jamie Osbourne and Tom Slatter for help with examples.</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-79991951013476710252020-05-19T14:31:00.002+01:002020-05-30T18:55:57.203+01:00Ticket 4 Playlist: Recycle Your Os<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMs07y4mB7x2VBfgjEU9Cd4hHN0jWb7lb655uKxKdKMbVJFGF515dnC-L9LWyhkauMZ5Mb1wx4ICEAB9Ncy0l9vrMxajKsmcbjkFNw15jX7QBi85Uwgy900Bk0V3y0NyyIAvP5wT-hSFH/s1600/BE+cassette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="635" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMs07y4mB7x2VBfgjEU9Cd4hHN0jWb7lb655uKxKdKMbVJFGF515dnC-L9LWyhkauMZ5Mb1wx4ICEAB9Ncy0l9vrMxajKsmcbjkFNw15jX7QBi85Uwgy900Bk0V3y0NyyIAvP5wT-hSFH/s400/BE+cassette.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li>In order to better understand the influence of ideas on and by the Beatles songs are laid out in chronological order.</li>
<li>Songs written or performed by the Beatles are <b>in bold</b>.</li>
<li>Songs covered by the Beatles, or to known to have had an influence on them, are<i> in italics.</i></li>
</ul>
This page is continually being revised. Errors? Typos? Suggestions? Did I miss an example? Leave a comment below!<br />
<br />
Read a detailed explanation of this ticket here - <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2017/03/ticket-4-plant-chorus-grow-intro.html">Plant A Chorus: Grow An Intro</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>1962 <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2010/01/ps-i-love-you.html">P.S. I Love You</a> - The Beatles - intro</b><br />
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<b>1963 All My Loving – The Beatles - outro</b></div>
<b>1963 <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2010/03/from-me-to-you.html" target="_blank">From Me To You</a> - The Beatles - outro</b><br />
<div>
<b>1963 <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2010/01/please-please-me-song.html" target="_blank">Please Please Me</a> - The Beatles - intro</span></b><br />
<b>1963 <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2010/03/she-loves-you-chorus.html" target="_blank">She Loves You</a> - The Beatles - intro/outro</span></b><br />
<b>1964 Help - The Beatles - intro</b><br />
<b>1964 Can’t Buy Me Love - The Beatles - intro/outro</b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div>
<b>1964 I'm A Loser - The Beatles - intro</b><br />
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<b>1966 Dr Robert - The Beatles - outro</b></div>
<b>1968 <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/106-julia-pt-5-last-post-structure.html">Julia</a> - The Beatles - intro</b><br />
<b>1968 <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/1018-martha-my-dear-pt6-lyrics.html">Martha My Dear</a> - The Beatles - solo</b><br />
<b>1968 <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/1027-piggies-pt-3-recycling-on-farm.html">Piggies</a> - The Beatles - intro/outro/solo</b><br />
<b>1968 Blackbird – The Beatles - links</b><br />
<b>1969 <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/115-long-and-winding-road-pt1.html">The Long And Winding Road</a> - The Beatles - outro</b><br />
<b>1969 <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/1222-here-comes-sun-again.html">Here Comes The Sun</a> - The Beatles - outro</b><br />
<div>
1977 The Modern World - The Jam - intro (0:00) from chorus (2:05)<br />
1986 You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi - intro<br />
1991 Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana - solo</div>
<div>
2001 One Day - Nik Kershaw - bridge</div>
<div>
2009 Secret Door - Arctic Monkeys - intro</div>
<div>
2012 I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift - outro</div>
2012 Let Her Go – Passenger - intro (0:00) from chorus<br />
2013 Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? – Arctic Monkeys – outro (2:18) from chorus<br />
2017 Jekyll - Plastic Inevitables - intro/outro<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Thanks to Curtis Pea for examples</i><br />
<br />
See the full list of songwriting tips here - <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">Tickets To Write</a><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://eepurl.com/bz6tJj">Join the mailing list</a></b><br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-4535816169572683852020-05-13T14:57:00.000+01:002020-05-13T14:58:20.926+01:0010:68 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (pt.2) Four Beatles In Search Of A Groove<div style="text-align: left;">
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<br />
Written in Rishikesh and originally titled <b>Obla Dee Obla Da</b>, the received narrative about this song is that Lennon hated it and furiously forced it over the finish line, propelling the band at breakneck speed with his drug-crazed piano playing.<br />
<br />
McCartney was always the musical visionary who could complete what Lennon started but on this song the tables were turned. For once McCartney was at sea musically and it was Lennon that came to the rescue.<br />
<br />
A walk through the different versions reveal a clear plan and stunning failure to execute it. <br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Esher demo</li>
<li>Version 1</li>
<li>Version 2 – this is the version on The White Album</li>
<li>Version 3 – abandoned after a couple of takes and unreleased</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
All version were played in A but on the Esher demo the guitars are tuned down a semitone to Ab and on version 2 the tape is varisped up a semitone to Bb.<br />
<br />
That the song was always intended to be a ska-influenced recording is clear. Calling the song <i>"one of the first examples of white reggae"</i> <b>Stewart Copeland</b> says, <i>"Ob-la-di has an accent, ob-la-da has an accent, 'life goes on...' sort of leads you into that ska feel. There's a definite scansion to those lyrics, which is probably why they ended up playing a ska beat"</i>*. Paul's lyrics and ska-approved vocal percussion <i>"chicka-bum"</i> and Lennon's studio comments <i>"Oobladi-blada. Brutha!", "Yassuh! Take one, and de Mighty Jumbo Band!”</i> show their heads were somewhere more tropical than St. John's Wood, NW8. <br />
<br />
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<br />
<b>Version 1</b> has been released as an Anniversary Edition bonus track ('Take 3') and on Anthology 3 ('Take 5'). The latter features the <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2013/10/lennon-mccartney-and-taylor-beatles.html">(uncredited) creator of the chorus lyrics</a>, <b>Jimmy Scott Emuakpor</b> on congas.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<i>Perfection is attained not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.*<br /><div style="text-align: right;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Antoine de Saint-Exupéry</span></span></i></div>
</i></h3>
<br />
The Esher demo and <b>Take 3</b> feature very straight ahead drumming and strumming – the only hint of ska is the chord fill in the bridge (1:29).<br />
<br />
<b>Take 5</b> (the same take with overdubs) add a lovely tiny cowbell, some busy sax parts, Jimmy's very busy congas and Paul's extremely busy bass. <br />
<br />
There is zero groove at this point - no skanking* from guitar or piano and ultra 'white bread' drumming. The bass runs all over the place and the only semblance of a groove comes from congas and cowbell patterns that are messy and confused. The whole thing is a hyperactive hot mess, the result of adding more and more to a track that isn't working. Ringo has no idea what to play and McCartney, uncharacteristically, isn't able to help. <b>Geoff Emerick</b> stated the obvious saying <i>"Paul wasn't happy with the rhythm of the track … he was after a Jamaican reggae feel and he wasn't satisfied that the band had nailed it"</i>* but then went on to tell the tale that has become legend.<br />
<br />
<i>When Paul announced he wanted to … start the song again from scratch, John went ballistic. Ranting and raving, he headed out the door, with Yoko trailing closely behind, and we thought that we'd seen the last of him that evening. But a few hours later he stormed back into the studio, clearly in a highly altered state of mind.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"I AM F**KING STONED!!" John Lennon bellowed from the top of the stairs … swaying slightly, he continued, waving his arms for emphasis. "I am more stoned than you have ever been. In fact, I am more stoned than you will ever be! … and this," Lennon added with a snarl, "is how the fucking song should go." Unsteadily, he lurched down the stairs and over to the piano and began smashing the keys with all his might, pounding out the famous opening chords that became the song's introduction, played at a breakneck tempo.*</i><br />
<br />
<h3>
Truth From Fiction</h3>
<br />
Lennon didn't play the song <i>"at a breakneck tempo"</i>. Version 1 was recorded at 121bpm. Version 2 is only 112bpm even after varispeeding up. It was played at 107bpm – significantly slower. Lennon didn't speed the song up, he slowed it down to a tempo that allowed to song to breathe. <br />
<br />
Side stepping the fruitless search for 'authenticity' he played what<b> Ian MacDonald</b> describes as a <i>"mock music-hall piano"</i>* intro giving it an instant instrumental hook (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-3-make-everything-hook.html">Ticket 3</a>), before playing what the song had been crying out for all along the 2, 4 skank pattern. He was incapable of overplaying as McCartney and Emuakpor had been doing and Lennon's limitations as a piano player saved the track. Harrison fell in with a similar rhythm on acoustic guitar and Paul created a new, simple grooving bass line built on arpeggios on 1 2+ 3 4+. And Ringo ? Ringo played the same beat as before. But you can't have everything. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBN0g4X_tBSTEtJOX0Q1q1ht-4yhV8CCaNKussQij8qOwh0HQC_F7Ly5f2kTVBat2nZF4AHywR0Kr2uMdyXLpfgssZYRjQsYfG_5CvifK3beNgSxwYZXhb9BkFbQOdT5ZjYyIZp61-EIY/s1600/PM+wings+bass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1000" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBN0g4X_tBSTEtJOX0Q1q1ht-4yhV8CCaNKussQij8qOwh0HQC_F7Ly5f2kTVBat2nZF4AHywR0Kr2uMdyXLpfgssZYRjQsYfG_5CvifK3beNgSxwYZXhb9BkFbQOdT5ZjYyIZp61-EIY/s400/PM+wings+bass.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Once the track locked together, other ideas presented themselves. Compare the improvement in the rhythmic accompaniment on<i> "Desmond and Molly Jones"</i> from Version 1 (1:21 – Take 3, 1:23 - Take 5) to the Lennon-driven remake (1:30). There are some childlike plinky piano overdubs (2:32) and a sped-up gliss that sounds like a video game (2:08). McCartney's bassline deserves special mention, using a distorted acoustic guitar (0:02) to doubling the very simple bass line, Paul plays both instruments with a plectrum, adding funky ghost notes on the bass (0:06) that really make the song move.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Mind Blown</h3>
<br />
It's understandable that Paul would listen to Reggae/Ska and subconsciously absorb melodic ideas. So it forgivable that the start of the bridge has the same melody and almost exactly the rhythm as the opening line of <b>River of Babylon</b> by <b>The Melodians</b>.<br />
<br />
<i>In a couple of years </i><br />
A A D D E F# (landing on a D major chord)<br />
<br />
<i>By the rivers of Babylon</i><br />
D D G G A B B B (landing on a G major chord)<br />
<br />
But here's the bombshell. <b>Paul's song was released two years earlier!</b> Did the Beatles have a influence on the seminal 1970 song?*<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9j6m6FzQmyQ9uTg-4WutuUxE5seCgvfykqZBULgMyi8-dtawqrfpmGDtF6riU-0eOOHUuE9TDdjNmsN-bKBBWzx6S2xuHsDaT7jrIsgcE0n2mebqx0S3QYcwqtUX-MI3-oehztMl45lG/s1600/MELODIANS_1970_copy_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="509" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9j6m6FzQmyQ9uTg-4WutuUxE5seCgvfykqZBULgMyi8-dtawqrfpmGDtF6riU-0eOOHUuE9TDdjNmsN-bKBBWzx6S2xuHsDaT7jrIsgcE0n2mebqx0S3QYcwqtUX-MI3-oehztMl45lG/s400/MELODIANS_1970_copy_2.jpg" width="325" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Footnotes</span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the first examples of white reggae</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Stewart Copeland: Musician Magazine (1988)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">perfection is attained</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: Wind, Sand and Stars (p. 31) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Paul wasn't happy with the rhythm</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Geoff Emerick: Here, There and Everywhere (p.246)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Skanking</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sharp off beat chord hits which are the foundation of reggae & ska (on beats 2 and 4 in reggae and the 'ands' between beats in ska).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Paul wanted to start the song again from scratch</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Geoff Emerick: Here, There and Everywhere (p.247)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mock music-hall piano</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ian MacDonald: Revolution In The Head (p.295)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Seminal 1970 song</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">It was a no 1 hit in Jamaica on release and reached an international audience via The Harder They Come Soundtrack which is credited with having "brought reggae to the world" (L.A. Times).</span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-9695754339787623322020-04-30T12:38:00.002+01:002020-05-19T12:11:09.017+01:0010:67 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (pt.1) Melody and Lyrics<div style="text-align: left;">
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<br />
For the record I don't think Ob-La-Di is a terrible song – it's a great piece of family friendly lowbrow entertainment written and played with real craftsmanship and made to look deceptively easy. It's like the perfect McDonald's meal. It's probably not good for you as your only diet but I'd like to see you go behind the counter and put one together yourself.<br />
<br />
McCartney (with a little help from his friends) displays his gift for doing the very simple and accessible brilliantly. The building blocks are mundane. The structure is V C V C B etc. The chords almost entirely diatonic ('in-key') with only the Bb7 in the bridge (2:16) implied by saxes, venturing 'outside' (Ticket 28). The bridge builds back into the verse with via the V chord (1:31) just like they did in <b>Twist And Shout</b> (Ticket 65). We have a bit of a descant (Ticket 58) coming in at 1:01, the helium effect the obvious result of varispeeding the tape. <br />
<br />
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<br />
<h3>
Two Melody Tips</h3>
<br />
One very simple way McCartney generates memorable vocal melodies is through repetition.<br />
<br />
In the chorus he repeats the same three notes for<br />
<br />
<i>Ob-la-di / ob-la-da / life goes on</i><br />
<br />
Secondly, in the verse he <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-9-recycle-musical-cells.html">develops a musical cell (Ticket 9)</a>, essentially taking a melodic fragment and moving it up one scale tone each time.<br />
<br />
<i>Desmond has a barrow in the mar...</i> D D D D D D C Bb A<br />
<i>Molly is the singer in a...</i> E E E E E E D C Bb<br />
<i>Desmond says to Molly, girl, I... </i>F F F F F F E D<br />
<br />
<h3>
All We Hear Is Radio Bla-Da</h3>
<br />
A third simple trick he employs is using the <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2014/02/ticket-10-aeolian-cadence.html">'Aeolian Cadence' (Ticket 10)</a> finishing on the relative minor chord instead of the tonic chord. Here he uses it to delay the ending rather than change it.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Most songs finish with the melody arriving on the root note on the final syllable as the chords land on the tonic chord (in this song a Bb note on a Bb major chord). In the chorus, the melody<br />
<br />
D C Bb (<i>Life goes on</i>) happens over an F to Bb chord progression (1:06).<br />
<br />
But the final time the same melody occurs over F to Gm (2:57).<br />
<br />
This still works, because there's a Bb note in Gm. But that chord (the relative minor or vi chord in the key of Bb) makes us feel like we've been left hanging. Then Paul sings <i>"and if you want some fun..." </i>before the melody walks all the way back down <i>"...sing ob-la-di, bla-da" </i>and Bb note reunites with Bb chord. Hi honey we're home!<br />
<br />
<h3>
Winston And The Trolley Problem</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>It’s a very me song, in as much as it’s a fantasy about a couple of people who don’t really exist, Desmond and Molly. I’m keen on names too. Desmond is a very Caribbean name. It could have been Winston, that would have been all right.<br />
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><i>Paul McCartney*</i></i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
Paul likes to <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/new-ticket-70-write-like-novelist.html">Write Like A Novelist (Ticket 70)</a> but here the story is a pretty straight forward 'boy meets girl' verse married to a non sequitur chorus <br />
<br />
Him: Will you marry me? <br />
Her: Life goes on!<br />
Him: Wait. What? Is that a yes?<br />
<br />
Again Paul uses old, familiar tools to build a catchy song. <br />
<br />
A ridiculously simple and repetitive rhyme scheme (ABAB) - <i>place/face, band/hand</i> in verse 1, 3 and 4 (reversing <i>hand/band</i> in 3 and 4) and <i>store/door, ring/sing</i> in verse 2. Straight repetition in the two bridges and verse 3 and 4. And <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-24-use-parallel-lyrics.html">parallel lyrics (Ticket 24)</a> to increase the stickiness everywhere.<br />
<br />
The bridge has <br />
<br />
<i>In a couple of years / with a couple of kids</i><br />
<br />
but the structure of the entire song is built on the lyrical framework of 'Desmond does this, Molly does that' – though Desmond and Molly's positions shift around the verses as aren't always at the same melodic points.<br />
<br />
<i>Desmond has a / Molly is a / Desmond says / Molly says this</i><br />
<i>Desmond take a trolley / takes it back to Molly </i><br />
<i>Desmond let's the children / Molly stays at home </i><br />
<br />
This is even more pronounced in the bookending between verses 1 and 3 <br />
<br />
<i>Has a barrow in the market place / happy ever after in the market place</i><br />
<i>The singer in a band / sings it with the band</i><br />
<i>Molly … I like your face / Molly ... does her pretty face</i><br />
<i>Takes him by the hand / children lend a hand</i><br />
<i>Desmond says to Molly / Molly says this</i><br />
<br />
Very workmanlike but very effective. The only part that stands out is the clever internal rhyme <br />
<br />
<i>Desmond takes a trolley / takes it back to Molly </i><br />
<br />
which is surely a result John and Paul's fantastic ear for how words 'sing' than any grand plan. Why else would you take a trolley?<br />
<br />
The Beatles had a long history of spoofing lyrics*, constantly messing about for 'laffs'. Paul's first impression of John was to marvel at the way he rewrote lyrics that he didn't know or couldn't remember. So perhaps Paul's<i> "genuine mistake"</i> with the line <i>“Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face” </i>(2:34) was simply playing for laughs as Lennon did with the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St0HYTzhkxI">in the Abbey Road sessions</a>: <i>"Desmond has a sparrow in his pocket book, Molly had an eagle in the Strand" finishing off with "And if you want some jam!.."</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><i><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/St0HYTzhkxI" width="560"></iframe></i></i></div>
<i> </i> <br />
<br />
This spoofing is not confined to the lead vocals either. Amid the laughter, genuine (3:06) and fake "ha ha ha" (1:34), there are barely audible asides from John and George all designed to let some air out of Paul's beautiful balloon.<br />
<br />
1:42 After the line <i>"lets the children lend a hand"</i> (George: <i>"arm"</i>, John:<i> "leg"</i>)<br />
2:33 After the line <i>"lets the children lend a hand" </i>(George: <i>"foot"</i>)<br />
<br />
Though premeditated to some degree, this is still an example of <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/ticket-72-embrace-your-mistakes.html">leaving your mistakes in (Ticket 72)</a>. <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/04/1066-revolution-pt6-fake-mistakes.html">Just like counting in</a>, musicians mess around all the time, but most of the mess is cleaned up before the song is offered for public consumption.<br />
<br />
Next time: John Lennon the unlikely musical saviour of Paul's granny music.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
FOOTNOTES<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">It’s a very me song</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now (p.348)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Beatles had a long history of spoofing lyrics</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The frequently altered lyrics live, name-checking local vicars, Bob Wooler and other audience members and changing "shimmy, shimmy" to "shitty shitty" in I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate and "I'm so blue and lonely" to "I'm so bloody lonely" in I Forgot To Remember To Forget. Raining In My Heart became Raining In The Yard and Sharing You - Shaving You. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mark Lewisohn: Tune In (p.128, 419, 429, 539, 606, 680, 821).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-48905217597053001992020-04-07T21:06:00.001+01:002020-04-30T12:18:59.662+01:00The Revolution Is Over!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrLPDJrKCdU6P9S2pTiMGi9KAntrOWfLreSpgCiyng56Ut-QpDpl-2iFsV-TBjwFpwSWS0yNCDAMqLzaNxtjKNn9_7p_IDCIMUue9R9VzmGwAaC-pnjxcBRU2gUzUdjCrwUOoBrT63j1c/s1600/BE+Mao.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="717" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrLPDJrKCdU6P9S2pTiMGi9KAntrOWfLreSpgCiyng56Ut-QpDpl-2iFsV-TBjwFpwSWS0yNCDAMqLzaNxtjKNn9_7p_IDCIMUue9R9VzmGwAaC-pnjxcBRU2gUzUdjCrwUOoBrT63j1c/s400/BE+Mao.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I've finally finished working my way through Revolution and/or Revolution 1!!!<br />
<br />
Here's all the posts<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/02/1061-revolution-pt1-did-george-play.html">10:61 Revolution (pt.1) Did George Play Bass on Revolution 1</a>, or was Paul just having a bad day at the office?<br />
<a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/02/1062-revolution-pt2-whats-difference.html">10:62 Revolution (pt.2) - What's The Difference</a> between the album, single and video versions?<br />
<a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/02/1063-revolution-pt3-will-real.html">10:63 Revolution (pt.3) Will the real Revolution please stand up?</a> Album or single - Which is the definitive version?<br />
<a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/04/1064-revolution-pt4-all-we-are-saying.html">10:64 Revolution (pt.4) All We Are Saying: Lyrics</a> - rhyme schemes and structures<br />
<a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/04/1065-revolution-pt5-dont-bore-us-get-to.html">10:65 Revolution (pt.5) - Don't Bore Us, Get To The Pre-Chorus</a> - structures, out of key chords and the V chord<br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/04/1066-revolution-pt6-fake-mistakes.html">10:66 Revolution (pt.6) Fake Mistakes</a> - embellishments, edits and extensions<br />
<br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-26925602801702130682020-04-07T20:52:00.002+01:002020-06-05T12:30:42.705+01:0010:66 Revolution (pt.6) Fake Mistakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h4>
<br /></h4>
<h4>
Embrace (or Fake) Your Mistakes</h4>
<br />
One little detail that gives Revolution 1 the edge over Revolution for me are the little editing mistakes in the album version (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/ticket-72-embrace-your-mistakes.html">Ticket 72: Embrace your mistakes</a>).<br />
<br />
At the beginning of the track there is studio chatter, a false start on guitar, followed by engineer Geoff Emerick saying <i>"take 2"</i>* and Lennon saying <i>"OK"</i> and near the end (3:23) a tape edit spliced together incorrectly resulting in an unintended 2/4 bar*. Lennon can be heard talking on an unmuted track (3:28) and you could even make a case for Lennon's <i>"count me out … in" </i>as something of a 'deliberate' error. <br />
<br />
These all contribute to a very specific loose vibe for the track and what's important to remember is that though all of these things were genuine 'accidents', their appearance on the finished recording were <i>not</i>. Even with the fairly primitive recording gear available, they had the opportunity to go back and mute channels, redo tape edits and even take five minutes to say <i>"John, make up your mind – are you 'in' or 'out'?".</i> But they didn't. They chose to 'put a frame' around the mistakes and make them part of the art. Sometimes mistakes will result in a musical choice that you would never have thought of (the 2/4 bar) and sometimes it just helps to communicate a mood. Here the band wants to say <i>"we're just having a jam, everybody join in"</i> but rather than play sloppy with no rehearsal, the band is tight but communicates the mood by these little extras*. <br />
<br />
Every time you hear a count-in on a Beatles record it's a deliberate choice. After all, most takes started with a count-in and almost every one was later edited out. But <b>I Saw Her Standing There, Yer Blues </b>and <b>Taxman</b> retained theirs, to communicate the <i>"we're gonna rock out!" </i>vibe. And not just retain them. Each count-in was edited in from a different take, presumably one that had more energy*.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
On my album <b><a href="https://mattblick.bandcamp.com/album/fifty-five-stories-down">Fifty Five Stories Down</a></b> I wanted the listener to have the feeling of being 'in the room' rather than being a distant audience. So I recorded every sessions in entirety and cherry picked snippets of conversation between me and producer<b> Daniel Wright</b> to bookend the tracks (some so long <a href="https://mattblick.bandcamp.com/track/attempted-bravery">they merited their own track</a>). Nothing was staged or scripted* but comments were spliced together or moved to different songs to improve the flow. And there were happy accidents too like the mournful police siren during the song <b><a href="https://mattblick.bandcamp.com/track/the-river-of-suffering">River of Suffering</a></b> (3:08). <br />
<br />
<h4>
Edits And Extensions: The Strange Rhythm Scene Of John Lennon</h4>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I dig the people that notice that I have a sort of strange rhythm scene, because I've never been able to keep rhythm on the stage. I always used to get lost. It's me double off-beats.</i></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">John Lennon: <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/john-lennon-the-rolling-stone-interview-19681123J">The Rolling Stone Interview (Nov 23 1968)</a></span><br />
<br />
The unintended tape edit in the chorus is not the only 2/4 bar. Every other section has one as part of the composition. The verse is a classic example of <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-52-lennon-extension.html">The Lennon Extension (Ticket 52)</a> where his <i>"well you know"</i> needs a extra space to fit in. Try singing without the <i>"well..."</i><br />
<br />
<i>You say you want a revolution, <b>you know</b></i><br />
<i>We all want to change the world</i><br />
<br />
The lyrics fit into 4/4 and is the way someone without 'double off-beats' might play it. The single-only solo retains the same half bar. The end of the pre-chorus has a 2/4 bar to allow a full two bars of building.<br />
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<br />
<h4>
Cool And Unusual Embellishments</h4>
<br />
Though the <i>'shooby doo'</i> is a pretty mundane example of a descant <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-58-write-descant.html">(Ticket 58)</a> it's also <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-25-transplant-cliches-from-other.html">a musical idea borrowed from another genre</a>, in this case Doo-Wop. The guitar's shuffle pattern is borrowed from the blues and the switches from A to D and E hint at a 12 bar blues progression. The vocal melody utilises the major pentatonic scale almost entirely except for <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-22-bluesify-your-melody.html">'bluesifying the melody' (Ticket 22)</a> with a b3 on <i>"it's gonna be AL – right".</i> All of which gives this folk song a playful, doo-wop/blues flavour <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-25-transplant-cliches-from-other.html">(Ticket 25)</a>. <br />
<br />
The song has some great <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-3-make-everything-hook.html">instrumental hooks (Ticket 3)</a> - the acoustic guitar riff at end of each chorus, the electric guitar fill at the end of verse 2 and the 'Indian' bass run down in the (album version) pre-chorus.<br />
<br />
There's a couple of unusual choices too. It's normal practice to edit down a song for single release and the first thing to go is usually the solo but Revolution one of the few songs to add a solo rather than take it out. The single's solid blues ending is an improvement on the album's fade out. Fading is something the Beatles hardly ever did but on this song even the Esher demo fades.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Footnotes</h4>
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Geoff Emerick saying "take 2"</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As the take is actually Take 18, It's unclear why he is saying "take 2." It may be in response to Paul "humorously announcing the next take off mic as "take three?" or be a clipped part of a longer phrase "I'll take it to...".</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Humorously announcing the next take off mic as "take three?" </span></i><br />
<a href="http://www.beatlesebooks.com/revolution-1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beatles Book.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Unintended 2/4 bar </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As 2/3rd of a triplet you could make a case for it being a 5/4 bar or even a 14/8. But that's above my mathematical pay grade.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The band is tight but communicates the mood </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ironically <b>Give Peace A Chance</b> uses the opposite method to achieve the same effect. It genuinely is sloppily performed and badly recorded and required later studio vocal overdubs to make it acceptable for release.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Each count-in was edited in from a different take </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">If you listen to Taxman you can hear two overlapping count-ins.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nothing was staged or scripted </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As a example of 'staged recording' listen to the start of <b>Cigarettes And Alcohol</b> by Oasis. The hissing guitar amp (and whistling) was overdubbed later for effect on top of the track, which becomes clear when it slowly fades out when the rest of the band enters.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-revolution-is-over.html">Other posts on Revolution/Revolution 1</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-2462512545398021522020-04-03T17:29:00.000+01:002020-04-30T12:18:20.318+01:0010:65 Revolution (pt.5) - Don't Bore Us, Get To The Pre-Chorus<div style="text-align: left;">
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<br />
<i>*N.B. All timings are for Revolution 1 unless otherwise stated.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Revolution</b> has some great songwriting tips to give us and a lot of them are contained in the pre-chorus. If great songwriting is a matter of tension and resolution, much of the tension is here.<br />
<br />
Here's an experiment – grab your guitar and play the song, omitting the pre-choruses. Structurally it still works and even the narrative flow still hangs together. But it just ambles along, three chord wallpaper.<br />
<br />
So how do the pre-chorus do that voodoo that it do so well?<br />
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<br />
<h4>
Gimme Five</h4>
<br />
Firstly like all three sections it ends by <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-65-build-up-on-v-chord.html">building on the V chord</a> (even the single-only piano solo does it – 2:03). <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/ticket-65-build-up-on-v-chord.html">Ticket 65</a> (in it's most extreme incarnation the "aaahhhh" section of <b>Twist and Shout</b>) appears in the verse as we hang there for two bars to gently build anticipation (0:43). On the chorus we enjoy a cool guitar break, again built on the V (1:16). But in the pre-chorus it's a proper build up (0:59), not only used to create a lift back to the chorus' tonic chord but also to reset our ears and restate the key after the F# chord (0:56).<br />
<br />
<h4>
Something Sounds Fishy</h4>
<br />
Let's talk about F#. First of all it's completely <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/ticket-28-use-at-least-one-out-of-key.html">out of key chord (Ticket 28)</a> providing the freshness and surprise that OOKC's do. But occurring near the end of the section it seems to be setting us up for a big key change. Where are we going next? The excitement is palpable! Though Bm and E are still in the home key of A the pre-chorus hints that Bm might be becoming the new key centre. The G and A chords that follow are firmly in the key of Bm and F# is the V of i (translation = an F# major chord leads REALLY strongly back to Bm, even though technically F#m is the chord that belongs in that key). And the Beatles have used that trick hundreds of times – <b>While My Guitar Gently Weeps </b>(0:29), <b>Because</b> (0:39), <b>Girl </b>(0:09), <b>I Me Mine </b>(0:29), <b>I Want You (She's So Heavy) </b>(1:44) <b>I'm Only Sleeping</b> (0:08) etc.<br />
<br />
The vocal melody at this point is hanging on an A# (<i>count me OUT</i>) which if you're in the key of A major is about as nasty and weird as you can get but if you're transposing to Bm it's the 'leading tone' (7th) - the smoothest path you can take. <br />
<br />
So we're heading to Bm, right? Nope. Lennon chooses the 'real' V chord (E major) and takes us back to A major. Why? Because he doesn't want to change! <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/02/1063-revolution-pt3-will-real.html">Revolution is an anti-revolution song, remember?</a> Don't you know? It's gonna be alright!<br />
<br />
<i>Cos when you want a transposition</i><br />
<i>Don't you know that you can count me out! </i><br />
<br />
<h4>
I Asked My Cat Who His Favourite Socialist Was ...</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<br />
He just looked at me and said Mao.<br />
<br />
Lennon reserves his most forceful arguments for the pre-choruses. Not only through his use of humour (the Chairman Mao lines), but in the way the whole band punctuate the polemics and gags. Listen to the way the band let the vocals take centre stage. On the single (0:34), <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/ticket-30-emphasise-key-lyrics-by.html">guitar and bass drop entirely (Ticket 30)</a>, on the album (0:48) sustained chords from the guitar and horns allow the lyrics room to breathe. <br />
<br />
Lennon may have played to both political sides on the album version, but listen to how the chords change on every word (0:55) to ram home the message "COUNT (G) ME (A) OUT (F#)". This (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2014/07/ticket-36-emphasise-key-lyrics-by.html">Ticket 36</a>) is a powerful way to make your point in a song, in comparison John's [count me] "in" sounds like a weak afterthought once the band are pounding away on the F# chord.<br />
<br />
The way Lennon develops the different pre-chorus vocal lines deserves credit too. PC 1 employs the same "lah-di-dah-di" (long-short-long-short) shuffle rhythm that vocals, drums and guitar play in the verse<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"don't-you / know-that / you-can"</i><br />
<br />
but PC 2 and 3 up the tension by using a faster triple time rhythm (not technically a triplet as we're in 12/8 time but it's essentially the same thing)<br />
<br />
<i>if-you-want / mo-ney-for / peo-ple-with </i><br />
<i>All-I-can / tell-you-is / bro-ther-you'll </i><br />
<br />
So as well as upping the urgency from the first set of lyrics by <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/04/1064-revolution-pt4-all-we-are-saying.html">adding more rhymes (see previous post)</a> he's building by having a more insistent, busier rhythm. This development from one pre-chorus to the next is a mark of a true craftsperson, sorely needed in today's copy-and-paste era, where each section is literally a clone of an earlier ones (albeit with ever-increasing overdubs).<br />
<br />
These later pre-choruses provide a contrast to the laid back rhythm of the verse and chorus. The chorus vocals are an octave higher than the other sections. If you map the vocal line out like this <br />
<br />
V – low and laid back <br />
PC – low and busy<br />
C – high and laid back<br />
<br />
you can see how distinct each section is.<br />
<br />
Finally, one detail that's easy to miss is the way Paul staggers the piano chords in the pre-chorus, playing on the 'and' after 3. It's inaudible on the finished mix (0:49) but clear on Take 18 - the 50th Anniversary 'outtake' (1:00).<br />
<br />
Next time we'll finish our look at the 'Revolution twins' with mistakes, odd timing and unusual choices.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<b></b> <i> </i> <br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a> </div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-82014848032722854922020-04-02T13:04:00.000+01:002020-04-03T16:45:18.460+01:0010:64 Revolution (pt.4) All We Are Saying - Lyrics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h4>
<span style="text-align: left;">Structure</span></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Revolution is one of Lennon's most tightly structured lyrics. You can break the whole song down as follows <br />
<br />
Verse: <i>“You say you want to do this, but I'm not sure. I for one have reservations. You say you want to do that but I'm not sure. Again, I have reservations".</i><br />
<br />
pre-chorus:<i> “But when you propose this other thing, that's going too far”.</i><br />
<br />
Chorus: <i>“You should just chill out”.</i><br />
<br />
Employing the Beatles favourite device of <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-24-use-parallel-lyrics.html">parallel lyrics (Ticket 24)</a> makes the structure clearer and more memorable <br />
<br />
Verse: <i>“You say you … Well, you know we … You tell me/you ask me … Well, you know we …"</i><br />
<br />
pre-chorus: <i>“But when you/but if you …”</i><br />
<br />
<h4>
A Mild Case of Rhymes Disease</h4>
The facsimiles included in the 50th Anniversary Edition book reveal a Harrison-style list of rhymes<br />
<br />
constitution<br />
institution <br />
desolation<br />
revelation<br />
pollution<br />
dissolution<br />
confusion<br />
intrusion<br />
distribution [?]<br />
Constitution [?]<br />
<br />
but where <b><a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2011/01/lyrical-hall-of-shame-3-while-my-guitar.html">While My Guitar Gently Weeps</a></b> (and <b>Dig A Pony</b> for that matter) succumb to <b>Rhymes Disease</b>, letting rhymes dictate what the song is saying and being so obvious that it distracts from the meaning, Revolution's wordplay manages to be cute and memorable.<br />
<br />
In this it shares much with it's spiritual successor, <b>Give Peace A Chance</b>. Released a year later it's another campfire friendly peace anthem, marrying a rhyme-laden, preachy verse to a mantra like chorus. It even gives the previous song a self-referential nod <i>"everybody's talking 'bout revolution, evolution..." </i>If anything Give Peace A Chance distils the core concepts even further and is arguably more successful for it. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ftE8vr0WNus" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
<h4>
Don't Break It Till You Make It</h4>
<br />
The Beatles weren't afraid to break a rhyme scheme (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2015/11/ticket-73-break-rhyme-scheme.html">Ticket 73</a>) if they had a good reason, but here Lennon does something different. The first verse has one rhyme (A) and two repeated lines (b & c), and the first pre-chorus doesn't rhyme at all (X)<br />
<br />
<b>Abc Abc XX</b><br />
<br />
A You say you want a <b><u>revolution</u></b><br />
b Well, you <b>know</b><br />
c We all want to change the <b>world</b><br />
<br />
A You tell me that it's <b><u>evolution</u></b><br />
b Well, you <b>know</b><br />
c We all want to change the <b>world</b><br />
<br />
X But when you talk about <b>destruction</b><br />
X Don't you know that you can <b>count me out</b><br />
<br />
But the second and third verses/pre-choruses introduce a more rigorous rhyme structure<br />
<br />
<b>AbC AbC DD</b><br />
<br />
2.<br />
<br />
A You say you got a real <b><u>solution</u></b><br />
b Well, you <b>know</b><br />
C We'd all love to see the <b><u>plan</u></b><br />
<br />
A You ask me for a <b><u>contribution</u></b><br />
b Well, you <b>know</b><br />
C We're doing what we <b><u>can</u></b><br />
<br />
D But if you want money for people with minds that <b><u>hate</u></b><br />
D All I can tell is brother you have to <b><u>wait</u></b><br />
<br />
3.<br />
<br />
A You say you'll change the <b><u>constitution</u></b><br />
b Well, you <b>know</b><br />
C We all want to change your <b><u>head</u></b><br />
<br />
A You tell me it's the <b><u>institution</u></b><br />
b Well, you <b>know</b><br />
C You better free you mind <b><u>instead</u></b><br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b> D But if you go carrying pictures of chairman<b><u> Mao</u></b><br />
D You ain't going to make it with anyone <b><u>anyhow</u></b><br />
<br />
The rhyme structure works brilliantly as it is (admit it, you didn't even notice, right?) but if the order of the verses are reversed the lack of rhymes in the first part lands badly, especially on the pre-chorus (destruction/count me out). Once you've set up the expectation of rhyme you're committed. So Lennon wisely doesn't let his poetic soul write cheques his rhyming dictionary can't cash. Or something.<br />
<br />
This shows how skilful you have to be to use ticket 73. To break a rhyme you really have to be obeying some higher logic or structure device that the listener can sense if only subconsciously. </div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-24-use-parallel-lyrics.html">Ticket 24: Repeat words and sentence structures</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2015/11/ticket-73-break-rhyme-scheme.html">Ticket 73: Interrupt the rhyme scheme by rhyming with a previous section or anticipating one that follows</a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/be-atletudes.html">The Be-Atletudes</a><br />
<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mattblick.com/music">Music by Matt Blick</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-66138883684756237692020-02-21T17:24:00.001+00:002020-04-04T18:01:46.594+01:0010:63 Revolution (pt.3) Will the real Revolution please stand up? <div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<h2>
Revolution vs Revolution 1</h2>
<br />
Welcome to the post (and song) that threw the spanner in the works of my blogging through the Beatles catalogue. But I'm here to just poke a big stream of consciousness stick down the plug hole of musical constipation ... wait … let me start again …<br />
<br />
<b>Revolution</b> and <b>Revolution 1</b> are unique in the Beatles catalogue. Not merely remixes (<b>Across The Universe</b>), or out of the vault alternative takes (<b>One After 909</b> on Anthology), or a new piece built on the bones of an existing one (<b>Revolution 9</b>). These are two completely independent attempts on the same song. The Beatles covering the Beatles. Just imagine if Lennon had wanted to release both versions of <b>Strawberry Fields Forever</b> instead of stitching them together?<br />
<br />
So before analysing the song it feels apposite to ask: Which is the real version? The right version? The original version? The best version? And is that four ways of asking the same question?<br />
<br />
You can attempt to answer via <br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>chronology</li>
<li>personal chronology (i.e. which one you heard first)</li>
<li>personal preference</li>
<li>authorial intent</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
First, the TL;DR version confirming the world and John Lennon agree with all my prejudices followed by the TL;BIRIAA <i>(Too Long But I Read It All Anyway)</i> version in which I hope to change your mind.<br />
<br />
<b>TL;DR - Revolution 1 (aka 'the album version') is the definitive version</b><br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
Chronology: It was recorded in Jun 68, a month before the single version.<br />
<br />
Personal chronology: I heard the White Album as a kid on <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2012/07/101-beatles-aka-white-album-introduction.html">my sister's TDK120 cassette</a> – I didn't hear the single till I started Beatles Songwriting Academy in 2009. So there.<br />
<br />
Personal preference: That fuzztone is like someone poured itching powder into my eyeballs and it's the most prominent element on the record. Bad tones do have their place on great records (in the background or just prior to something awesome, making it sound even awesomer). <br />
<br />
Authorial Intent: Lennon was happy with the album cut and it was only after Paul and George vetoed it as a single that he decided to rerecord it. His comments in 1980 reveal he still considered the album cut to be better. <br />
<br />
Convinced? No? Let's dig deeper.<br />
<br />
<h3>
CONFUSING CHRONOLOGY – PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE</h3>
<br />
Just like Let It Be/Abbey Road, Revolution has <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2010/09/let-it-be-vs-abbey-road.html">a convoluted timeline</a>. Revolution 1 (album version) was recorded first, but released second. The promo video for the single replaced the vocals with a 'live' take (to get around Musician Union rules against miming) and could be considered a third distinct version.<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BGLGzRXY5Bw" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Revolution 1 - recorded 30, 31 May; 4, 21 June<br />
Revolution - recorded 9-12 July<br />
Revolution - released 30 Aug<br />
Revolution Video - recorded 4 Sep<br />
Revolution Video - released 8 Sep (Frost on Saturday)<br />
Revolution 1 - released 22 Nov (UK), 25 Nov (US)<br />
<br />
If you were sentient in 1968 you would have heard the 'do-over' almost a full two months before the original. That's a long time to get used to the over-distorted freakout before encountering the laid back jam session. <b>Alan W. Pollack</b> sounds like someone who encountered the single first, calling it <i>“the 'true' version of the song, and the album cut … a remake ... a veritable parody of the single version”.*</i><br />
<br />
First time listeners from 1969 onwards probably heard the album cut first unless they arrived via the <b>'Blue Album' (The Beatles: 1967–1970)</b> or <b>Past Masters</b>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
FUZZTONE REVISTED</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<br />
As a rock guitarist I've spent countless hours sampling the nuances of distorted guitar tones like a sommelier of sound. Distortion vs overdrive, pedals vs amp, transistors vs tubes, pre amp or power amp of course humbuckers vs single coils. This single is covered with the stankiest DI'd-to-the-desk <i>“full spectrum of frequencies”*</i> fuzztone, a sound so bad that record buyers were returning their 'defective' singles, only to be met with the explanation <i>“it's called distortion, apparently. It's meant to sound like that”.*</i><br />
<br />
And though <b>George Harrison</b> didn't love the album version, he wasn't impressed with the the single either, <i>“I think Revolution is pretty good and it grooves along, but I don't particularly like the noise that it makes; and I say 'noise' because I didn't like the distorted sound of John's guitar.”*</i><br />
<br />
<h3>
WAS JOHN HAPPY WITH THE ALBUM VERSION?</h3>
<br />
Was the album version a demo to be reworked? Did they need two attempts to get it right? Or was the single (recorded second) merely a cover of the album version?<br />
<br />
Lennon seems to have been perfectly happy with Revolution. Re-recording it only became an issue when, according to John, <i>“George and Paul ... said it wasn't fast enough”*</i> and vetoed it as a single. Perhaps the guys weren't comfortable with releasing such a overt political statement or <i>“Paul felt that the song simply wasn't all that good”*</i> but fudged the issue. <br />
<br />
To be charitable to Paul and the others what they were hearing was not what we hear on The White Album. 'Revolution 1 (take 18)' was a sprawling 10 minutes 29 seconds of hippy flavoured jam. Eventually the second half was lopped off and allowed to carrying on mutating into <b>Revolution 9</b> like some weird alien limb. It would be understandable if they had mentally consigned such freakishness to the 'album track' bin and were unable to hear it with fresh ears, especially knowing Lennon had no problem with flaunting his experimental underwear in public.<br />
<br />
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<br />
At the same time Paul was pushing for <b>Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da</b> to be the single. Neither writer would back down and both set about rerecording their songs to break the deadlock.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“John had defiantly taken [Paul] up on the challenge and so was insisting that they cut it again, faster...that was typical of him in those days; that was his vibe: pissed off”.*</i></blockquote>
Lennon had a history of needing to speed up his songs. <b>Help </b>and<b> Please Please Me</b> were dirge-like till George Martin got hold of them. Antagonised by Paul, John vented his frustration on the piano, propelling the remake of Ob-La-Di into more ragged, less commercial (and arguably better) territory. On the Revolution single Lennon was taking a similar wrecking ball to his own song but what you are hearing is not the 'soundtrack to a revolution' but <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2017/06/1057-cry-baby-cry-pt1-song-no-one-wanted.html">two songwriters fighting for an A-side</a> (before <b>Hey Jude</b> came along and rendered the point moot).<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“I wanted to put it out as a single, but they said it wasn't good enough...We recorded the song twice. The Beatles were getting real tense with each other. The first take, George and Paul were resentful and said it wasn't fast enough. Now, if you go into the details of what a hit record is and isn't, maybe. But The Beatles could have afforded to put out the slow, understandable version of 'Revolution' as a single, whether it was a gold record or a wooden record”.*</i></blockquote>
<br />
Interviewed 12 years later, John has no problem dismissing other songs he's written as <i>“embarrassing”, “disgusting”, “a horror”, “garbage”, “crap”, “abysmal” </i>and<i> “lousy”* </i>but here it's instructive he says “they said it wasn't good enough”. Undoubtedly the remake has more energy, due to key, tempo and timbre. The bassline moving off the root note more also helps. But the majority of musical changes are arguably cosmetic (<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/02/1062-revolution-pt2-whats-difference.html">see here for a full breakdown</a>). <br />
<br />
Unconvinced about the intersection of tempo and commercial appeal, when Lennon describes Revolution 1 as <i>“the slow, understandable version”</i> he wasn't just implying the album cut was better but also that the remake somehow obscured the core message. <br />
<br />
It's this point that I want to dig into as it's the reason why the single is less successful and points to an instructive lesson about songwriting.<br />
<br />
<h3>
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, WINSTON?</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRfLfyHKrBH0Zo1u2ol7hvzOAe5Tq7ioPKhZ3l7OHXP8xCa4kudf6NNfIzlKFjdOhj2WVO7Yy5Yfp1oz9ZmZ4jY9RvmdlW-i6vXvkxw3j0IJkBIYyF_etIVwAODtpDtnfxxKbkm_TV1M5/s1600/JL+Yoko+Bed+In.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="800" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRfLfyHKrBH0Zo1u2ol7hvzOAe5Tq7ioPKhZ3l7OHXP8xCa4kudf6NNfIzlKFjdOhj2WVO7Yy5Yfp1oz9ZmZ4jY9RvmdlW-i6vXvkxw3j0IJkBIYyF_etIVwAODtpDtnfxxKbkm_TV1M5/s400/JL+Yoko+Bed+In.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Authorial intent is key - to assess how well the song 'works' we need to know what the author was trying to achieve, and in Lennon's case, to say.<br />
<br />
Written in an ashram in Rishikesh Revolution 1 was a hippie manifesto for peace. The title Revolution occurs ONCE in the entire song. After Lennon opens with <i>“YOU say YOU want a revolution”</i> he spends the rest of the song telling us what HE wants – which is for everyone to chill out and enjoy a little bit of moderate, well-managed change. The chorus (the emotional heart of any well constructed song) is <br />
<br />
<i>Don't you know it's gonna be... all right</i><br />
<i>Don't you know it's gonna be... all right</i><br />
<i>Don't you know it's gonna be... all right</i><br />
<br />
It's just the kind of thing you'd expect a man who's been meditating on a mountain, half a world away from riots, invasions and assassinations, a man who<i> “really thought that love would save us all".*</i><br />
<br />
And he reaffirmed this stance at the end of his life, <i>“the lyrics stand today. It's still my feeling about politics. I want to see the plan. That is what I used to say to Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Count me out if it is for violence. Don't expect me to be on the barricades unless it is with flowers. As far as overthrowing something in the name of Marxism or Christianity, I want to know what you're going to do after you've knocked it all down. I mean, can't we use some of it? What's the point of bombing Wall Street? If you want to change the system, change the system. It's no good shooting people.”*</i><br />
<br />
Lennon's attitude was unpopular in 1968 and open to the charge that the Beatles were out of touch millionaires. Cocooned in the studio when Bobby Kennedy was shot and Paris rioted, holidaying as Czechoslovakia was invaded, and literally retreating from worldly distractions as Reverend King was assassinated. Harrison expressed the tension in <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2019/07/while-my-guitar-gently-weeps.html">the cut verse</a> to <b>While My Guitar Gently Weeps</b> <i>“I look at the trouble and hate that is raging … as I’m sitting here, doing nothing but ageing”.</i><br />
<br />
But out of touch or not, that is what was Lennon trying to express. So to say <i>“the madman-on-a-street-corner raving of the single resonates more sympathetically with the sense of the lyrics”* </i>or dismiss the album version as a <i>“song about revolution with all the bite taken out”*</i> is wrong. <br />
<br />
<h3>
Revolution is an anti-revolution song. </h3>
<br />
In the remake the message of the chorus<i> (“Don't you know it's gonna be alright”)</i> is obscured by the missing words and a lack of vocal reinforcement and the only ambiguity in the lyrics - <i>“count me out...in” </i>- is removed. <br />
<br />
Pressured by the band to remake the music in <i>“a much more commercial style”* </i>Lennon paradoxically made choices that pleased no one. Masking his peacenik sentiments by punching up the music didn't impress the radical left who labelled the song <i>"a lamentable petty bourgeois cry of fear"* </i>at the same time leaving out the one thing they would have approved of - the ‘count me in’ - <i>“Because I’m a coward – I don’t want to be killed”*</i> by the establishment who continued to view hippy counter culture as a threat anyway.<br />
<br />
John didn't like the remake, George didn't like the guitars and Geoff Emerick is probably right saying <i>“I think Paul felt that the song simply wasn't all that good”*</i>. <b>In the 40 years since Paul has never covered Revolution or performed it live.</b><br />
<br />
It's worth noting that when the Beatles recorded the 'video version' (adding live vocals to the single backing track) they undid every change that they could – Lennon adding the <i>“in”</i> back 'in', Paul and George singing <i>“Don't you know it's gonna be”</i> three times and reinstating the almost universally derided <i>“shoo-bee-do-wop"</i> backing vocals. <br />
<br />
There is a good song, perhaps a great (if misunderstood) song hidden within two unsuccessful recordings. Perhaps it needed a decent cover version like Marmalade's take on <b>Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da*</b>. Something that followed the author's blueprint but had some distance from the distracting circus that the band's life and creative process had become.<br />
<br />
In future posts we'll look at the song itself.<br />
<br />
<h4>
FOOTNOTES</h4>
<br />
<i>A veritable parody of the single version</i><br />
<a href="http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/r.shtml">Alan W. Pollack</a><br />
<br />
<i>Full spectrum of frequencies distorted</i><br />
Geoff Emerick in Andy Babiuk: Beatles Gear (p.222)<br />
<br />
<i>It’s called distortion, apparently </i><br />
Chris Ingham: The Rough Guide To The Beatles (p. 254)<br />
<br />
<i>I didn't like the distorted sound of John's guitar</i><br />
George Harrison in Beatles Anthology (p.298)<br />
<br />
<i>George and Paul were resentful and said it wasn't fast enough.</i><br />
John Lennon in Beatles Anthology (p.298)<br />
<br />
<i>Personally, I think Paul felt that the song simply wasn't all that good</i><br />
Geoff Emerick: Here, There And Everywhere (p. 252)<br />
<br />
<i>That was typical of him in those days; that was his vibe: pissed off. </i><br />
Geoff Emerick: Here, There And Everywhere (p. 252)<br />
<br />
<i>The slow, understandable version</i><br />
John Lennon in David Sheff: All We Are Saying (p.187)<br />
<br />
<i>Embarrassing, disgusting, a horror...</i><br />
John Lennon in David Sheff: All We Are Saying (various places)<br />
<br />
<i>I really thought that love would save us all</i><br />
John Lennon in Jann Wenner: Lennon Remembers (p.132)<br />
<br />
<i>The lyrics stand today. It's still my feeling about politics. I want to see the plan.</i><br />
John Lennon in David Sheff: All We Are Saying (p.187)<br />
<br />
<i>The madman-on-a-street-corner</i><br />
<a href="http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/r.shtml">Alan W. Pollack</a><br />
<br />
<i>A song about revolution with all the bite taken out</i><br />
Erik Didriksen in a message to author <br />
<br />
<i>A lamentable petty bourgeois cry of fear </i><br />
New Left Review quoted in Revolution: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution_(Beatles_song)#Revolution_1">Wikipedia</a><br />
<br />
<i>A much more commercial style.</i><br />
John Lennon <a href="https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/revolution-story-behind-song-beatles/">1971 Interview</a><br />
<br />
<i>I’m a coward – I don’t want to be killed.</i><br />
John Lennon <a href="https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/revolution-story-behind-song-beatles/">1971 Interview</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da</b> was covered by Marmalade and went on to be a no. 1 hit just as McCartney anticipated.<br />
<br />
<h4>
THANKS</h4>
<br />
Thanks to Rod 'Downburst' Johnston, Ross Durand, Zecoop, Erik Didriksen<br />
<br /></div>
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-29269152655172969072020-02-17T12:08:00.001+00:002020-04-07T16:46:21.334+01:0010:62 Revolution (pt.2) - What's The Difference?<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBO5SG_dxadvE3YQzC9MpedEBYacJMdFc14gs3TdwQr9dZtpQ_qMVJyvDww1z6y-1FgBFfg_6MHHAcozKKyAwVxXnl_3Z5cwRjWOzSQRxZTja1ibvG_yy9OntLLVa2Ben-7iFZglva5DR/s1600/JL+69+Doves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1345" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBO5SG_dxadvE3YQzC9MpedEBYacJMdFc14gs3TdwQr9dZtpQ_qMVJyvDww1z6y-1FgBFfg_6MHHAcozKKyAwVxXnl_3Z5cwRjWOzSQRxZTja1ibvG_yy9OntLLVa2Ben-7iFZglva5DR/s400/JL+69+Doves.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here's a comparison between the album version (<b>Revolution 1</b>) and the single (<b>Revolution</b>).<br />
<br />
Album first - Single second - Video version third (where appropriate).<br />
<br />
All divided by a dash. e.g. Key: A <b><i>(this is the album) </i></b>- Bb (slightly sharp)<b><i> (this is the single).</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b> <br />
<h3>
Overall </h3>
<br />
<b>Key: A - Bb (slightly sharp). </b>The single was almost certainly recorded in A major like the album but vari-sped up. When the band mimed the single for the video they 'played' in A without capos, making it likely that that is how they had most recently played it (the Esher demo was played in A but capoed at the third fret).<br />
<br />
<b>Tempo: 95 bpm - 118 bpm.</b> If the track was vari-sped then the band would have cut it at 111 bpm (the Esher demo was 120bpm).<br />
<br />
<h3>
Vocals </h3>
<br />
Appropriately the lead vocals for 'laid-back version' were recorded lying down on the floor.<br />
<br />
<i>“count me out … in”</i> – (0:53) <i>“count me out”</i> (0:40) - restored for video<br />
<br />
<i>“shoo-bee-doo-wop"</i> backing vocals (1:00) – none – restored for video<br />
<br />
<i>“Don't you know it's gonna be”</i> - three times – once - three time restored for video<br />
<br />
So when the Beatles added live vocals to the single backing track for the video they undid every change they were able to.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Personnel </h3>
<h4>
Both versions</h4>
<br />
John Lennon – lead vocals, electric guitar (lead on single)<br />
George Harrison – electric guitar<br />
Paul McCartney – Hammond organ<br />
Ringo Starr – drums<br />
<br />
<h4>
Revolution 1 only</h4>
<br />
John Lennon – acoustic guitar<br />
Paul McCartney – piano<br />
Paul, George – backing vocals<br />
<i>All sources say </i>Paul McCartney – bass<i> but <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2020/02/1061-revolution-pt1-did-george-play.html">I suspect it was actually George Harrison</a></i><br />
<br />
Derek Watkins, Freddy Clayton – trumpets <br />
Don Lang, Rex Morris, J. Power, Bill Povey – trombones<br />
<br />
<h4>
Revolution only</h4>
<br />
Paul McCartney – bass<br />
John, Paul, George, Ringo - handclaps<br />
<br />
Nicky Hopkins – electric piano<br />
<br />
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<br />
<h3>
Arrangement</h3>
<br />
<b>Intro</b><br />
Rev 1: false start, studio chatter (Geoff Emerick<i> “take two”</i>), a sound like someone hitting a box of cabassas (or possibly <a href="http://www.beatlesebooks.com/revolution-1">Yoko playing a washboard</a>!). Original drum track barely audible before drum overdub comes in.<br />
Rev: solo lead guitar, drums, rhythm guitar barely audible<br />
<br />
<b>Verse 1</b><br />
Rev 1: no electrics, organ fades in at end, heavily double tracked vox<br />
Rev: little or no double tracking on vox – blooper <i>“that it's evo-juice-shan”</i> (0:23)<br />
<br />
<b>Pre Chorus 1</b><br />
Rev 1: sustained chords, long descending bassline<br />
Rev: staccato chords and bassline <br />
<br />
<b>Chorus 1</b><br />
Rev 1: <i>"don't you know it's gonna be alright. don't you know it's gonna be alright. don't you know it's gonna be alright". </i><br />
Electric fills, acoustic fill at end really boosted, bass (and piano) walking bassline<br />
Rev: <i>“don't you know it's gonna be alright. Alright. Alright.”</i><br />
End fill played on electric, bass root notes<br />
<br />
<b>Verse 2</b><br />
Rev 1: harmony vocals with lead and <i>'shooby' </i>BVs, electric fill at end, bass root note (doesn't go to D) and annoying slides<br />
Rev: no harmony BVs or fill. Bass walking<br />
<br />
<b>Pre Chorus 2 as PC1</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>Chorus 2</b><br />
Rev 1: as C1<br />
Rev: vocal mistake left in (1:44) <br />
<br />
<b>Solo</b><br />
This section only occurs on single version (1:52) over a I, IV, V chord progression<br />
Electric piano solo (Nicky Hopkins) with lead fills at end (John Lennon). Heavy breathing by Lennon. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
<b>Verse 3 </b><br />
Rev 1: <i>“<b>We all want</b> to change your head”</i><br />
Rev: <i>“<b>We'd all love</b> to change your head”</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Pre Chorus 3 as PC1</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>Chorus 3</b><br />
Rev 1: Accident bad tape edit during the mixing process resulted in two extra beats at the end (3:23). Lennon decided to leave it in. A similar mistake happened later on McCartney's song <b>Let Me Roll It</b> (4:22).<br />
Rev: electric piano fills<br />
<br />
<b>Outro</b><br />
Rev 1: (3:29 – 4:16) pick scrapes, heavy breathing, Fade<br />
Rev: (3:03-3:25) electric piano fills, stock blues ending on bII – I.<br />
<br />
The vast majority of changes are arguably cosmetic. <br />
<br />
The single has more energy, due to key, tempo and timbre. The bassline moving off the root note more also contributes to that. The message of the chorus is obscured by missing words and less vocal reinforcement. The only ambiguity in the lyrics “in/out” is removed. The single is an unambiguous statement of 'angry pacificism'. <br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-52702694625833944352020-02-15T15:14:00.000+00:002020-04-02T16:55:37.958+01:0010:61 Revolution (pt.1) Did George Play Bass on Revolution 1?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
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<h3>
Received wisdom</h3>
<br />
Lewisohn says the bass was overdubbed the day after the basic track with two Lennon vocals and the BVs but the 50th ann version of Take 18 doesn't have these BVs – just the bass. But it does have some embryonic samples/farting around from the Lennons which were supposed to be recorded later, with (or after) the drum overdub which is also missing. So something's confused.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Why I think Harrison did it</h3>
<br />
Paul played piano live (with John on acoustic and Ringo drums) and the bass 'seems' to be cut live at the same time. It's hard to believe they would have a full on extended jam with no bass. Take 18 (on the the 50th ann) has a bass line for it's entirety. It's unlikely anyone would think it worth while to continue playing for the whole extended freakout unless they were there at the time (and not overdubbing). <br />
<br />
The bass is very unlike Paul - jamming or overdubbing. Compare how 'Pianist Paul' gets loose and wild, whereas 'Bassist Paul' seems to be happy with hanging on the root notes but overly enamoured with doing crazy slides. I can't believe Paul, given all the aimless filler in the last half of the track, wouldn't try to put in a lot more clever stuff - certainly a lot cleverer that a bunch of quick slides. The only McCartney-esque flourish is the descending line in the pre-chorus. However it does sounds a little 'indian' which points to … <br />
<br />
George Harrison did play bass on some tracks like Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Honey Pie and She Said She Said. <br />
<br />
Therefore I suspect George in Studio Three with the Fender VI.<br />
<br />
<h3>
But on the other hand</h3>
<br />
Paul did overdubbed bass on Revolution the single at a later date so it's possible he did the same thing here. Though on the other other hand (third hand?) this may be the source of the confusion about the album version.<br />
<br />
<h3>
What would decide it</h3>
<br />
Is there bass on earlier takes (1-17) of Revolution 1? Then it's definitely Harrison. Paul couldn't play piano and bass at the same time and they would have never overdubbed bass on discarded rehearsal takes. If there isn't it probably is an overdub by Paul.<br />
<br />
Is there bass spill on the stems of Lennon's acoustic guitar, Paul's piano or Ringo's initial drums part? Then it's definitely Harrison. Later overdubs would not leak onto earlier tracks.<br />
<br />
Is George's voice audible as studio chatter on the original takes. Then it's probably Harrison on bass. He wasn't involved otherwise.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Why it matters</h3>
<br />
If George played the bass - the lead guitarist laid down a uninspired bass take during an extended jam session that somehow morphed into a album track. So what!<br />
<br />
But if Paul played the bass – arguably Paul's unimaginative bass playing 'ruined' Revolution 1 just like John's error-strewn take 'ruined' <b>The Long And Winding Road</b>. Listen to verses 2 and 3 (1:21) – the bass inexplicably abandons the walking line of the first verse, ignores the chord changes and hangs on the root note, which in turned forced George Martin into arguably his most uninspired horn arrangement.<br />
<br />
After two less than stellar versions – Lennon could have taken another crack but he lacked Paul's stamina. So where Paul would power through a <b>Maxwell </b>or an <b>Ob-La-Di</b>, Lennon gave up on tunes like <b>Across The Universe</b>. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Footnotes</b><br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Lewisohn says </i>Mark Lewisohn: The Beatles Recording Sessions (p.137)<br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-6583747894134431512019-09-13T11:54:00.001+01:002019-09-13T11:56:30.932+01:00Under The Influence: Daniel Johnson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>When I learned how to play I was always trying to write with Queen … but I could never quite get a song. And then I started listening to the Beatles and got more into the knack of songwriting. And then, finally, my dad bought me a book called Complete Beatles, and ... I played every song in that book again and again, and I did develop a rapport with the Beatles songs. I began to re-work because of what Ringo said in an interview. He said, "We took other people's songs and rearranged their chord structures to write songs," and I go, "Wow!" and I started doing that with their songs. And it was like magic, rearranging the chords. It was like a mathematical situation.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>It was just a phenomenal theory for me. Of course, if the Beatles heard about this today they'd roll over in their graves, but you know, that's what I did and it was revolutionary to me and that went on forever. This book was like a bible to me and I knew all their songs and I played them, and then I kept … writing with the Beatles theory over and over again. Millions of songs.</i></span><br />
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<i>Pitchfork: Do you have a favourite Beatles song?</i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Well, I wouldn't know what to say. From Yesterday to I Am the Walrus to... Yer Blues ... so many. I wouldn't do without any of them. I love the Beatles, they are my favourite band. </i></span><br />
<br />
<i>Pitchfork: The first time I heard a tape of yours it reminded me of Rocky Raccoon.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Well, when John Lennon wrote [Rocky Raccoon]*, he had a book called Enter in the Words**, where he would play around with words and everything was hilarious, and that really was a big influence on me. I had a song called Never Relax, and I was playing around a lot with words that way. And it took a long while for John. I mean, in the early days, he was writing songs-- love songs-- and those were great songs, and at the same time he was writing really hilarious poetry. But it took him until Revolver to take that hilarious poetry and work it into his songs.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>But that was an influence on me, in writing lyrics. You know because John was hilarious with his lyrics, and you know, we miss him. But I believe the Beatles are still alive, and with me, because I can put on any record at any time and there they are. And so the Beatles mean a lot to me, and I listen to them a lot. They're my main influence. And I just acquire anything I can get a hold of, from bootlegs to solo albums to whatever.</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/5841-daniel-johnston/">Pitchfork magazine</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>The Beatles – Daniel Johnson</b> (from the album Yip)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>When I was born in '61***</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>They already had a hit</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>They worked so hard and they m</i></span><i><span style="font-size: large;">ade it too</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>They really were very good</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>They deserved all their success</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>They earned it, yes they did, they didn't b</i><i>uy their respect</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>And everybody wanted to be like them</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Everybody wanted to be the Beatles</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>And I really wanted to be like him b</i><i>ut he died</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>A legendary rock group</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Like history now to read</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Like a magical fairy tale that's hard to believe</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>But it really did happen</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Four lads who shook the world</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>God bless them for what they done</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>God bless them for what they done</i></span><br />
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*Paul McCartney wrote Rocky Racoon<br />
**There's no book with this title. Perhaps Daniel means In His Own Write, or Spaniard In The Works.<br />
***Their first hit was in 1962<br />
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<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
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<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html">About Beatles Songwriting Academy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mattblick.com/music">Music by Matt Blick</a></div>
Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-77761663532933946812019-07-08T11:33:00.000+01:002019-12-19T11:44:19.595+00:00While My Guitar Gently Weeps: Anniversary Edition Notes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>While My Guitar Gently Weeps</b> was one of the few post-Rishikesh songs on The Beatles.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lyrical Development</span><br />
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<br />
The lyric facsimiles in the anniversary edition, written on 'NEMS London' headed paper, begins with a list of rhymes<br />
<br />
<i>Tampering – tapering, Tempering – thundering, </i><br />
<i>Tittering – Tottering, Towering, Toppling [TICK]</i><br />
<i>Wandering - Watering, Wavering, Weathering</i><br />
<i>Whimpering, wintering, whispering, Wondering [TICK]</i><br />
<br />
and later on in the manuscript <br />
<br />
<i>Burning</i><br />
<i>churning</i><br />
<i>learning</i><br />
<i>yearning</i><br />
<br />
adding further supporting evidence that Harrison was suffering from a bad case of <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2011/01/lyrical-hall-of-shame-3-while-my-guitar.html">rhyme's disease</a> when he penned this otherwise excellent song.<br />
<br />
The manuscript gives a window into the lyrical development. Verse 1 is fully formed but verse 2 develops from <br />
<br />
<i>I look at the sky and I notice it's clouding</i><br />
<br />
which is then replaced by <br />
<br />
<i>I look at the world and I notice it's turning</i><br />
<i>While my guitar gently weeps</i><br />
<i>I'm wondering why your cigars [?*] keep on burning </i><br />
<i>still your guitar gently weeps! > still my guitar gently weeps!</i><br />
<br />
After the <i>Burning/churning/learning/yearning</i> list the lyric takes it's final form as<br />
<br />
<i>I look at the world and I notice it's turning</i><br />
<i>While my guitar gently weeps</i><br />
<i>With every mistake we must surely be learning</i><br />
<i>Still my guitar gently weeps!</i><br />
<br />
<i>I don't know how, someone controlled you, how they</i><br />
<i>blindfolded you.</i><br />
<br />
Then the bridge <br />
<br />
<i>I don't know how </i><br />
<i>You were perverted – you were diverted too</i><br />
<i>I don't know why you got inverted</i><br />
<i>No one alerted you</i><br />
<br />
undergoes a minor change as <i>'why'</i> and <i>'how'</i> change places<br />
<br />
<i>I don't know why </i><br />
<i>You were perverted – you were diverted too</i><br />
<i>I don't know how you got inverted</i><br />
<i>No one alerted you</i><br />
<br />
George makes a number of attempts to start verse 3<br />
<br />
<i>I look at the powers around</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I look at the wars of the world that are raging</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I'm thinking of wars everywhere that is raging</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I look at the trouble and hate that is raging</i><br />
<br />
none of which he seems as happy with. Verse 3 line 3 is more solid, needing only minor tweaks <br />
<br />
<i>While I'm sitting here doing nothing but ageing > As I'm sitting here doing nothing but ageing</i><br />
<br />
This verse survived to the Esher demo <br />
<br />
<i>I look at the trouble and pain that is raging</i><br />
<i>While my guitar gently weeps</i><br />
<i>As I'm sitting here doing nothing but ageing</i><br />
<i>Still my guitar gently weeps</i><br />
<br />
by the time they got to Abbey Road (the 'Version 1' acoustic guitar/harmonium 'demo' that appears on Anthology 3 and 'Love') it's become<br />
<br />
<i>I look from the wings at the play you are staging</i><br />
<i>While my guitar gently weeps</i><br />
<i>As I'm sitting here, doing nothing but ageing</i><br />
<i>Still my guitar gently weeps</i><br />
<br />
By the final version (Version 3) it's been replaced by a restatement of the first verse<br />
<br />
<i>I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping</i><br />
<i>While my guitar gently weeps</i><br />
<i>Look at you all</i><br />
<i>Still my guitar gently weeps</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Musical Development</span><br />
<br />
In a similar way the demos and recording notes chart the musical evolution.<br />
<br />
<b>Esher demo</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The key is F#m (Dm capoed at 4th fret)</li>
<li>The tempo faster</li>
<li>The vocal rhythm is more straight forward and hurried</li>
<li>There's a short i to bVII (F#m – E) vamp after the last bridge missing from the finished version</li>
<li>At the end of each bridge phrase there's a V to V+ substitution but played inconsistently and not always by both doubled-tracked guitars – revealing it to be an idea that George was perhaps considering but not committed to.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Version 1</b><br />
<br />
The key is Gm. It's still played in Dm but now capoed on the 5th fret. Perhaps the Esher was capoed at 5 too but tuned down a semitone like most of the other demos?<br />
<br />
Paul is playing minimal harmonium on the bridge and a few other spots.<br />
<br />
The previously undiscovered 'Take 2' outtake has Paul switching to organ but still very much figuring out the chords.<br />
<br />
<b>Version 2</b><br />
<br />
According to the studio notes this had John on organ and Paul on bass. Bizarrely the notes state the tape was slowed down by three semitones. From what? If the key had already risen to Gm and was destined to end up in Am it seems strange to start going down again. Three semitones would put the song in Ebm. <br />
<br />
Perhaps it's a mistake – three down from the final key Am would put the song back in the Esher key – F#m. Maybe someone is getting their versions mixed up. Until they release a version 2 outtake <i>(anyone out there have one? Send me a link!)</i> we can't be sure.<br />
<br />
<b>Version 3</b><br />
<br />
The 'third version take 27' outtake makes it clear the line up is<br />
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<br />
1 Ringo drums<br />
2 Eric Clapton jamming freely throughout the take on 'Lucy' - the Les Paul he gave to George a month before the session.<br />
3 Paul switching live between piano (intro/verses) and organ (bridges)<br />
4 George on acoustic and George and Paul on vocals <br />
<br />
George is attempting Smokey Robinson falsetto/melisma thing that makes him sound like a hypothermic sheep – he halts the take saying <i>“I tried to do a Smokey and I just aren't [sic] Smokey”</i><br />
<br />
Overdubs: George double tracked his vocals and adds more organ (0:58, audible on top of the piano during the guitar solo and continuing for the rest of the song) Ringo adds tambourine and weird sounding tippy-tappy percussion (left speaker 0:34) and there's a distorted bass part played by … who? McCartney on bass (BB) or Lennon on Bass VI (50AE)? It can't be both as the only 'bass' is overdriven and played with a pick.<br />
<br />
<b>The case for John</b><br />
<br />
The part, like so many of John's Bass VI performances, is very much a guitar part down an octave, switching between power chords and free flowing single notes riffs rather than diligently performing the role of bass man. Though very un-bass-player-like it's John's best 'bass' performance by a mile.<br />
<br />
<b>The case for Paul</b><br />
<br />
From Pepper onwards Paul often overdubbed his bass afterwards. When John played bass, it was usually because they needed it on the basic track and Paul was playing something else (like piano on Long And Winding Road). Here John didn't play on the basic track at all so there was no need for him to play bass – the 'real' bass player could do it. It's likely Paul used his Rickenbacker not the Bass VI (RITH) as the Beatles only had a right-handed one.<br />
<br />
If Lennon had provided the Bass VI part it's hard to believe Paul would have been able to resist added a 'real' bass track underneath (as he had done on Back In The USSR). And while it is very 'free' the playing is also tight and disciplined, which is more of a Paul trademark.<br />
<br />
<b>The Electric Guitar Mystery – Solved?</b><br />
<br />
Allegedly Lennon is on <a href="https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/while-my-guitar-gently-weeps/">rhythm guitar (BB)</a> or lead guitar (RITH) but the only electric guitar on the finished track is Clapton switching effortlessly between lead and rhythm. <br />
<br />
It used to be thought that Lennon's lead guitar was tracked on the 5th Sep and replaced by Clapton's overdub on the 6th (TBRS). How Clapton's presence was supposed to <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2014/06/hurry-up-george.html">'make everyone act better'</a> (as Harrison later stated) when their work on song was already completed is unclear and the outtake answers that - Clapton tracked his part live with the band (on the 5th).<br />
<br />
Paul on bass and Eric on guitar leaves John having contributed nothing to the track, but he often absented himself from George's songs so it's a plausible theory.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>*According Everett to but it looks more like an 'n' than a 'c' to me!</i><br />
<br />
<b>Sources</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">50AE: The Beatles 50th Anniversary Edition Book</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">RITH – Ian McDonald: Revolution In The Head </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">BB – Beatles Bible</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">TBRS – Mark Lewisohn: The Beatles Recording Sessions</span><br />
<br /></div>
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-13174169939784664822019-07-05T12:17:00.000+01:002019-07-06T02:12:55.635+01:00Wild Honey Pie and The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill: Anniversary Edition Notes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;">Wild Honey Pie</span><br />
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Was recorded during the Mother Nature's Son sessions and titled 'Ad Lib' Take One on the track listing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill</span><br />
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A post-Rishikesh lyric manuscript is titled <b>(the continuing story of) BUNGALOW BILL</b> has the following vocal performance direction above the title<br />
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<i>“Band (Water Melon). Children!”</i><br />
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possibly a (faintly racist?) reference to the band singing backing vocals?<br />
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On the Esher demo the tuning is down a semitone (again), the intro chord progression is (possibly accidentally) C Fm C instead of C G C and timing is slightly different. At the end of each chorus chord sequence we get one extra beat instead of two. And the <i>“All the children sing...”</i> rhythm is different.<br />
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On the outtakes on unused take 2 Lennon sang <i>“Was it a thrill, Bungalow Bill?”</i> and Ringo is playing with brushes and still making his mind up about the feel.<br />
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Paul used up two precious tracks for two bass parts but John replaced the second with a vocal overdub; John, Paul and George can all be hear whistling at 2:45 and Ringo the backing vocalist gets a rare outing.<br />
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I've long held to the view that John's cry of 'Ay Up!' belongs at the end of this track NOT at the beginning of While My Guitar... that's confirmed here by Giles' remix which restores it to it's rightful place (as it is on the mono version).<br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-69389406106121188352019-07-01T12:15:00.000+01:002019-07-01T12:15:01.435+01:00What Goes Online - Jul 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">My new album is finally out on all digital platforms! </span><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.mattblick.com/2019/02/fifty-five-stories-down-out-now.html">Fifty Five Stories Down</a> </b>is a 12 song collection sung live in an abandoned Police Station with only a baritone electric guitar for accompaniment. Personal and political, intimate and irreverent, boneheaded and beautifully-crafted, you can buy or stream it wherever you do those kind of things (I like <a href="https://mattblick.bandcamp.com/album/fifty-five-stories-down">Bandcamp</a>).<br />
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And if you're a<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6QWrnaypUX6bufsfFfREOE"> Spotifier please follow me</a> and add my music to any playlists you have lying about the place.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Podcasts</span><br />
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I recently had the honour of being a guest on the <b>Musicality Podcast</b> talking about (what else?) songwriting as part of 'Beatles Week'. <a href="https://www.musical-u.com/learn/writing-songs-the-beatles-way-with-matt-blick/">Download it here</a> or stream it below. Be sure to <a href="https://www.musical-u.com/learn/topic/podcast/page/2/">check out some of the other guests</a> too.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8JNEmZYFsPI" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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My buddy <b>Lee Pat</b> has a cool video that I'd recommend - digging deep into the <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2011/06/1236-somethings-always-going-down.html">line cliches</a> of <b>Something</b> - he's found <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2011/06/1236-somethings-always-going-down.html">a few more than me</a>!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E92bNT2dJ1o" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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More on line cliches? Check out the <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/ticket-17-chromatic-descent-starting.html">descending root</a>, <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/ticket-31-chromatic-descent-starting.html">descending flat 7th</a>, and the <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/ticket-32-james-bond-chord-progression.html">ascending 5th (aka James Bond)</a>. Oh, and I've updated the <a href="https://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2018/11/ticket-43-playlist-use-fourths-luke.html">Circle of Fifths playlist page</a> too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Live Chat</span><br />
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The legendary <b>Mark Lewisohn</b> is on tour! <a href="https://hornseyroad.net/">I've booked my tickets</a> - how about you?<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="157" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0E1GXti9mfo" width="280"></iframe><br /></div>
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Long time friend of the site <b>Famous Patrick</b> paid me a visit from Minneapolis via Berlin. As well as viewing the 'holy city' he had to come and check out<i> <a href="https://mattblick.bandcamp.com/track/my-ride-an-open-letter-to-nct">"where the Beatles played the Odeon in '63"</a>. </i>Nice having you Pat!</div>
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-62302464556090861512019-05-29T12:41:00.000+01:002019-05-29T12:41:00.265+01:00Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da: Anniversary Edition Notes<br />
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<b>Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da</b> appears in Paul's “Spring Songs: Rishikesh 1968” notebook titled <b>'Obla Dee Obla Da'</b>. The Esher demo like all other versions is played in A but tuned down a semitone like many of the other demos. Paul harmonises nicely with himself. There's some percussion and someone is shaking a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axatse">axatse/shekere/calabash</a>.<br />
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The coda spends only one bar on the vi chord (3:00) to the finished version's two bars.<br />
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The track listing reveals that Version 1 had three saxes, a conga drum (played by <b>Jimmy Scott,</b> the originator of the title phrase) and a piccolo that was wiped almost immediately to make room for an 'acoustic bass doubling the bass line'. I think this is an error I can't hear <i>anything </i>doubling the, frankly erratic, bass line, (listen to 'Take 5' on Anthology 3) and there doesn't seem to be this a double bass or an acoustic bass guitar that the Beatles used or had lying around (see <a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-beatles-gear-andy-babuik.html">Beatles Gear</a>). I think this 'doubling' comment refers to Version 2 and the piccolo was wiped for McCartney's only bass overdub.<br />
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Take 3 of version 1 appears as an 'outtake'. McCartney's <i>'chick-a-boom'</i> asides, 'one bar' coda and self harmonising from the Esher demo are all still present. Take 5 (the Anthology 3 track) is the same take with overdubs - some busy sax parts, Jimmy's very busy congas and Paul's extremely busy bass. Version 1 also seems to speed up half way through. But the tiny cowbell overdub is cool. <br />
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Version 2 also has three saxes but no Jimmy. <br />
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Here's a theory: Was one reason for recording a second version that McCartney uncomfortable with having Jimmy Scott on the track? Unable to remove him as saxes and percussion were all recorded on the same track, Ringo later added another conga overdub anyway. Was Paul worried Jimmy's claim to authorship would be strengthened if he actually appearing on the disputed track? Or was it just his busy conga playing?<br />
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This time we have a distorted acoustic guitar doubling the very much simplified bass line.<br />
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Version 3 was attempted (with Paul on drums) but abandoned after a couple of takes and the band returned to finish version 2 which was recorded in A and tape sped up to Bb (noticeably affecting the backing vocals at 1:09).<br />
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The line <i>“Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face”</i> (2:34) was a genuine mistake which Paul liked and decided to keep. <br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-26312747370875451402019-05-27T12:03:00.000+01:002019-05-27T15:39:14.664+01:00Glass Onion: Anniversary Edition Notes<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJNL9HxL1KR7Kh8MHYUcEAXBc_AwRW9syCbnMGqcIQSGvS1T_buqfd8Qv-Ql_jgf-mzktMeJ3K2Erhd1mbd60z2l39beyScHOz6ydO9zuHIl7tVf6cpHACf-1L52Wj68chsyY_sPdPM8f/s1600/JL+Yoko+Bed+in+Tulips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="748" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJNL9HxL1KR7Kh8MHYUcEAXBc_AwRW9syCbnMGqcIQSGvS1T_buqfd8Qv-Ql_jgf-mzktMeJ3K2Erhd1mbd60z2l39beyScHOz6ydO9zuHIl7tVf6cpHACf-1L52Wj68chsyY_sPdPM8f/s400/JL+Yoko+Bed+in+Tulips.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Esher demo of <b>Glass Onion</b> is played in the same key (Am) but Lennon's guitar is tuned down (this time by a semitone). At this stage there is only one verse and no bridge. Lennon messes up the lyrics and descends into stream of conscious gibberish, paraphrasing <b>'Chicago' </b>by <b>Fred Fisher</b>. A post-Rishikesh lyric manuscripts, written on the back of an envelope, omits the word 'man' from the <br />
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<i>Walrus and me/close as can be </i><br />
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lines and reveals that Lennon (and McCartney?) was (were?) even more ambitious about trying to cram in self-references<br />
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<i>Trying to make a dovetail joint for a yellow submarine</i><br />
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Lennon was still tweaking lyrics during the recording at various points, trying out <br />
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<i>Fool on the Hill is standing/sitting/living there still</i><br />
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<i>Walrus and me are as nice/cool/keen/close as can be</i><br />
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<i>Looking through a hole in the ocean</i><br />
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There were musical as well as lyrical self-references - a mellotron quote of <b>Strawberry Fields Forever</b> was cut (along with <a href="http://www.mattblick.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Glass-Onion-SFX-Coda.mp3">the sound effects coda</a> heard on Anthology 3) but a nod to <b>The Fool On The Hill</b> (with Paul and Chris Thomas on recorders) made it to the final version.<br />
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<br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760552334873962879.post-48891137330183937742019-05-24T11:36:00.000+01:002019-05-24T11:36:01.500+01:00Dear Prudence: Anniversary Edition Notes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear Prudence was written in Rishikesh in dropped D (DADGBE) but the <b>Esher demo</b> is pitched almost a full tone down from that (CGCFAD). Lennon is having fun dragging out the 's' in <i>"Dear Prudenssssssss..."</i> every chance he gets. On this unplugged version you can clearly hear Lennon continue the drone bass note under the menacing out of key chords at the end of the bridge. A nasty discordant effect thankfully disguised by the bass on the studio version.<br />
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At 4:13 Lennon launches into a semi-audible exposition <br />
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<i>Prudence was struck by an illness in the middle of her meditation course in Rishikesh, India. No one was to know that [laughs] sooner or later, she was to go completely berserk under the care of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. All the people around were very worried about the girl, because she was going insane.So we sang to her. Thank you.</i><br />
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The Giles Martin mix is gloriously clear but misses the first few notes (which now reside on the end of USSR). Given that he fixed so many of the previous mix's faults it's a shame that this edition creates a new one. But at least we've lost that crappy jet sound. Swings and roundabouts...<br />
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Johnny Lennon is <a href="http://www.mattblick.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Dear-Prudence-Bridge-Vocals-Sample.mp3">singing bass BVs (again!)</a> along with Mal Evans, Jackie Lomax and John McCartney (cousin) mucking in on BVs and handclaps. Paul is on drums – the outtake ('Vocal, Guitar and Drum') helps to show how average the drum performance is. Not only is Paul clearly NOT Ringo, Paul isn't even the best drummer in the er... Paul... The finished version of Prudence is glorious, but the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts – especially the two drum tracks combined on the final verse.<br />
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Wikipedia: <i>“although some commentators list this sound [in the bridge] as a flugelhorn, it is in fact Harrison's lead guitar, played on his Gibson Les Paul”. </i><br />
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Wikipedia are talking out of their flugelhorn. You can hear it clearly on the 'almost' isolated track <a href="http://www.mattblick.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Dear-Prudence-Horn-and-Drum-Solo.mp3">here</a> (along with the drum solo). <br />
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<a href="http://beatlessongwriting.blogspot.co.uk/p/tickets-to-write.html">70+ Songwriting Tips From The Beatles</a><br />
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Matt Blickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07532287235128200046noreply@blogger.com0