The Silkie Sounds Of Lennon And McCartney

On 9th August 1965, 3 days after releasing You've Got Hide Your Love Away, The Beatles were back in the studio (IBC in London) re-recording it.

The Silkie were a folk group in the 'Peter, Paul And Mary' style, formed at Hull University with a wealth of Beatles connections. They were signed by Brian Epstein after a gig at the Cavern Club and managed by Alastair Taylor. This naturally paved the way for covering The Beatles but their session had the added bonus of being produced by John and featuring Paul on guitar and George on Tambourine. The record went to no.10 in the States.

Listen to the track on Spotify

Remembering Michael Hedges

Today is the anniversary of the death of Michael Hedges, a ground breaking guitarist and incredible composer, all round musician and a Beatles fan. I was going to try to post a few videos, but just about everyone has "embedding disabled by request".

Here's Michael performing

You've Got To Hide Your Love Away with a little help (hinderance?) from the audience
While My Guitar Gently Weeps in a weird hat, just before he died
Come Together from '87 with pigtails, singing McCartney's bassline
Mother's Nature Son with mandolin and violin
Come Together with and without shoes and Pierre Bensusan adding jazzy soloing
a medley of Michael's own tune Gospel and Tomorrow Never Knows from 1985
A Tomorrow Never Knows jam session with Montreux members Darol Anger, Mike Marshall and Todd Philips - Bass
and rocking out on his own composition
Ragamuffin

Under The Influence: Brian Wilson

Lennon and McCartney are fantastic. They turn out so much good material. They're very melodic – they rely on melody and harmony rather than beat. They will simplify to it's skeletal form and arrangement where I would be impelled to make it more complex. Like Norwegian Wood, with it's one voice and a sitar. I would have orchestrated it – put in background voices – done a thousand thing. But the fact that the Beatles can do things with such simplicity is what makes them so good.

We recognised that the Beatles had cut Rubber Soul, and I really wasn't quite ready for it's unity – it felt like it all belonged together. [The American version of] Rubber Soul was like a folk album by the Beatles that somehow went together like no album ever made before, and I was very impressed. I had to go [into the studio] and experiment with sounds. I really felt challenged to do it – and I followed through with it [on Pet Sounds].

Brian Wilson in Charles L. Granata: I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (p. 71-2)

The Beach Boys covered I Should Have Known Better, Tell Me Why and You've Got To Hide Your Love Away on the 'Beach Boy's Party' album.

Why wasn't Brian Wilson as successful as Lennon & McCartney?
Read more Under the influence posts

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