PLAYLIST SEPT. #9 #9 #9 2012

Transcription

1 1 PLAYLIST SEPT. #9 #9 # AM 1

2 2 The Beatles - Words Of Love - Beatles For Sale (Holly) Lead vocal: John and Paul The Beatles idolized Buddy Holly and performed his songs regularly as part of their club act. So it is a little surprising that Words of Love is the only Buddy Holly song the band officially recorded. John and Paul took extra care to make sure their harmonies were perfect, likewise George, in reverence to the material, double-tracked his careful guitar work. This recording was special to the Beatles, and it shows. Recorded on October 18, 1964 in three takes. Beatles VI - Capitol LP 2

3 3 The Beatles - You ve Got To Hide Your Love Away - Help! Lead vocal: John Recorded in less than two hours on February 18, Written entirely by John Lennon, who freely admitted the obvious Bob Dylan influence. Lennon wrote this at Kenwood, his home on the St. George s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey (where the Beatles would be photographed for the cover of their Rubber Soul album). John s original lyric was I can t go on feeling two foot tall, but when singing it for Paul the first time he accidentally said, two foot small. Lennon then laughed and said, Let s leave it all those pseudes will really love it. The first of their songs since Love Me Do in 1962 to feature an outside musician. Johnnie Scott provides the flute solo at the end of the song, though he is not credited on the album jacket. Help! - Capitol LP The Beatles - And I Love Her - A Hard Day s Night Lead vocal: Paul Written mainly by Paul with the middle eight by John it was released as a single in the U.S. reaching #12. Recorded initially as a heavier, up-tempo number on February 25, 1964, The Beatles attempted two takes and moved on to something else. On February 3

4 4 26 they struggled with the simpler, now acoustic arrangement through 12 more takes and Ringo swapping his drums for congas, ultimately leaving it to be re-made the next day. Finally, on February 27, they had the arrangement to their liking and perfected the song in two completed takes (takes 20 and 21). A Hard Day s Night - United Artists LP Something New - Capitol LP The Beatles - P.S. I Love You Please Please Me (McCartney-Lennon) Lead vocal: Paul Recorded in ten takes on September 11, 1962, with Andy White on drums. The b-side of Love Me Do, released October 5, 1962, in the UK. The Beatles originally intended this to be the A-side of their first Parlophone single but because another song with the same title had been released by Peggy Lee they were persuaded to put this on the b-side. One of the three original compositions they performed during their EMI audition. Written mostly by Paul McCartney in April or May 1962 while The Beatles were in Hamburg, Germany. John has said it was Paul s attempt to mimic Soldier Boy by The Shirelles, which was a hit in April of One of several Beatles songs Paul McCartney owns with Yoko Ono. Starting with the songs recorded for their debut album on February 11, 1963, Lennon-McCartney s output was attached to their Northern Songs publishing company. Because their first single was released before John and Paul had contracted with a music publisher, EMI assigned it to their own, a company called Ardmore and Beechwood, which took the two songs, Love Me Do and P.S. I Love You. Decades later McCartney and Ono were able to purchase the songs for their respective companies, MPL Communications and Lenono Music. On U.S. albums: Introducing The Beatles (Version 1) - Vee-Jay LP The Early Beatles - Capitol LP Some words of LUV for yer Sunday morning from John Lennon Paul McCartney and even Buddy Holly 9.13 BREAK I was reviewing past shows and our records indicate we have not played this particular Beatles number in quite some time SO I thought I should remedy that immediately. 4

5 5 The Beatles - This Boy Meet The Beatles US EP Four By The Beatles /Past Masters I flip of I Want To Hold You Hand in UK The Beatles - Help! - Help! Lead vocal: John The Beatles tenth single release for EMI s Parlophone label. Recorded during a three-hour session on April 13, Written mostly by John with some help from Paul. In 1965 George Harrison was interviewed about the upcoming single, saying it s probably the best single we ve done. Harrison said the group was 5

6 6 really pleased with the song, and described it as being more involved than previous Beatles songs. It has a counter melody going on as well as a main melody. In 1980 John Lennon said, The whole Beatle thing was just beyond comprehension. I was eating and drinking like a pig and I was fat as a pig, dissatisfied with myself, and subconsciously I was crying for help. When Help! came out, I was actually crying out for help. I didn't realize it at the time. I just wrote the song because I was commissioned to write it for the movie. But later, I knew I really was crying out for help. So it was my fat Elvis period. You see the movie: he - I - is very fat, very insecure, and he's completely lost himself. Lennon has pointed to 1967 s Strawberry Fields Forever and Help! as his only honest songs with the Beatles. The song was number one in the U.S. for three weeks, and in the UK it spent four weeks at number one. Help! - Capitol LP The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour - Magical Mystery Tour (EP) Lead vocals: Paul and John When Paul McCartney was in the U.S. in early April 1967 he came up with the idea for a Beatles television film about a mystery tour on a bus. During the April 11 flight back home he began writing lyrics for the title song and sketching out some ideas for the film. Upon his arrival in London, Paul pitched his idea to Brian Epstein who happily approved. Paul then met with John to go over the details and the two began work on the film s title track. The title track was written primarily by Paul but was not finished 6

7 7 when McCartney brought the song in to be recorded on April 25, John helped with the missing pieces during the session. Magical Mystery Tour - Capitol LP The Beatles - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band Lead vocal: John Recorded March 1, John Lennon s classic song of psychedelic imagery was inspired by a drawing brought home by son, Julian, who was four years old at the time. In February 1967, Julian returned home from his nursery school with a painting depicting one of his classmates, Lucy O Donnell. Young Lucy was pictured with a background of stars in the sky. When asked by his father about his painting, Julian said it was Lucy, in the sky, with diamonds. John was so taken with the phrase he combined it with passages similar to two books by Lewis Carroll that he d loved as a child, Through The Looking Glass and Alice s Adventures in Wonderland. Paul added the line about newspaper taxis and Lennon s beloved Goon Show got a shout out. Their famed plasticine ties merged with Through the Looking Glass to become plasticine porters with looking glass ties. Work began on Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds with an evening full of rehearsals. The rhythm track was recorded on March 1 with Paul playing the opening riff on a Lowery organ (with a bell stop), George on acoustic guitar, Ringo on drums and John on maracas and offering a guide vocal. John s lead vocal and other instruments (George s tamboura, Paul s melodic bass) were added the next evening. 7

8 8 The Beatles - Let It Be - album version - Let It Be Lead vocal: Paul Let It Be was the last song properly recorded on multi-track at Apple Studios during the Get Back sessions in January It was completed in eight takes (numbered Take 20 through 27 to match the film crew clapboard numbers) on January 31, 1969, the day after the rooftop concert. Take 27 had two complete performances of the song and the first of these Take 27 performances was deemed the best. Though the intent of the January 1969 Get Back sessions was to capture the Beatles live in the studio without benefit of studio trickery like overdubbing, an exception was made on Let It Be so that George Harrison could re-record his lead guitar solo. George s overdub was recorded on April 30, Author Mark Lewisohn: It is widely believed that there are two different takes of Let It Be publicly available - the single released (in the UK) on March 6, 1970 and the Let It Be LP version released (in the UK) May 8, Certainly the lead guitar solos in the middle eight differ considerably, and the LP version has a longer duration. But, in truth, these are one and the same version. That is, they are derived from the same tape. Badfinger Come & Get It Magic Christian Music Some L & M music from the BIG screen 9.42 BREAK 8

9 9 The Beatles - I m Looking Through You - Rubber Soul Lead vocal: Paul Written by Paul after an argument with then-girlfriend, actress Jane Asher. Initially recorded on October 24, 1965, the song was re-recorded from scratch on November 6, but McCartney was still not satisfied. Four days later, on November 10, the group took another stab at it. Paul s lead vocal was superimposed the next day. The version issued by Capitol Records has two false starts. Rubber Soul - Capitol LP The Beatles - Tell Me What You See - Help! Lead vocal: John and Paul Recorded in four takes on February 18, The song was presented to Help! director Richard Lester for possible inclusion in the film, but he declined. Lennon said the group wanted a Mexican effect on the track so George played a guiro (an openended hallow gourd played by rubbing a stick over parallel notches on the side of the instrument to create a ratchet-like sound), and Ringo played claves (two short thick pieces of wood). Beatles VI - Capitol LP 9

10 10 The Beatles - You Won t See Me - Rubber Soul Lead vocal: Paul Written entirely by Paul. Recorded in two takes on November 11, 1965, at the final recording session for the Rubber Soul album. The song is notable for Paul s melodic bass line, something new to rock and roll. Paul: It was very Motown-flavored. It's got a James Jamerson feel. He was the Motown bass player, he was fabulous, the guy who did all those great melodic bass lines. It was him, me and Brian Wilson who were doing melodic bass lines at that time. Beatles roadie Mal Evans is credited on the album s back cover with playing Hammond organ on this track, but it is inaudible in the final mix. Rubber Soul - Capitol LP The Beatles - I ve Just Seen A Face - Help! Lead vocal: Paul Written by Paul at the Asher family home on Wimpole Street. Paul had the tune prior to coming up with the lyrics and originally named the song Auntie Gin s Theme because his aunt liked it. George Martin s instrumental Help! album includes an orchestrated version of I ve Just Seen A Face using the title Auntie Gin s Theme. Recorded in six takes at the same June 14, 1965 McCartney-dominated session that produced Yesterday and I m Down. One of only five Beatles songs Paul chose to perform live on his Wings Over America tour in Rubber Soul - Capitol LP 10

11 11 The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There Please Please Me (McCartney-Lennon) Lead vocal: Paul Recorded February 11, A Paul McCartney original, the song was written in one day in September 1962 in the front parlor of 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton (the McCartney family from 1955 to 1964), with John Lennon helping with some of the lyrics. It was recorded under its working title, Seventeen, at the marathon recording session that produced the majority of songs for the Beatles debut album. A fan favorite, the Beatles recorded I Saw Her Standing There eleven times for BBC Radio between March 1963 and May McCartney has said that his bass line was lifted almost note for note from the obscure Chuck Berry song I m Talking About You, released by Berry in February The Beatles performed I m Talking About You at some of their club shows in 1962 and It is included on the Live! At The Star Club CD. 11

12 12 Specially selected by Capitol Records staff members to be the b-side of the American I Want to Hold Your Hand single on Capitol in the U.S., replacing This Boy for the honor. The first song on the first Beatles LP. On U.S. albums: Introducing The Beatles (with 1, 2, 3 inexplicably missing from Paul s count-in) - Vee-Jay LP Meet the Beatles! - Capitol LP John Lennon Look At Me - Plastic Ono Band 70 A song written around the time of Julia during the White Album sessions, it was never offered for that particular long playing record. DON T READ `em what did those 6 song titles have in common? KLOS TAKE LIVE NEWS w/ Jackie BREAK 12

13 13 The Beatles - I m Down - Single Lead vocal: Paul Recorded in one take on June 14, Written entirely by Paul McCartney, who showed off his skills at the June 14 recording session by recording I ve Just Seen A Face in six takes, then the scorcher I m Down in one take, and following a dinner break, nailing Yesterday in two takes. I m Down was patterned after Little Richard s Long Tall Sally, or as George Harrison described it at the time, It s pretty wild because it has Paul s wild voice. Paul: I could do Little Richard's voice, which is a wild, hoarse, screaming thing. It's like an out-of-body experience. You have to leave your current sensibilities and go about a foot above your head to sing it. A lot of people were fans of Little Richard so I used to sing his stuff but there came a point when I wanted one of my own, so I wrote I'm Down. I ended up doing it at Shea Stadium. It worked very well for those kind of places, it was a good stage song. And in as much as they are hard to write, I'm proud of it. Those kind of songs with hardly any melody, rock 'n' roll songs, are much harder to write than ballads, because there's nothing to them. John Lennon plays the Hammond organ. The B-side of the Help! single, issued July 23, 1965 in the UK and July 19, 1965 in the U.S. Non-album single (B-side) UK: Non-album single (B-side) 13

14 14 The Beatles - Don t Let Me Down - Non-LP B-Side Lead vocal: John with Paul The Beatles nineteenth single release for EMI, and second on the Apple Records label. The Get Back sessions, as the January 1969 recording sessions were now known, produced about 475 hours of film and 141 hours of audio tape that had to be sifted through. But proper multi-track recordings weren t made until the band was recording in the basement of the Beatles Apple headquarters between January 21-31, Producer/Engineer Glyn Johns attempted to construct an album entitled Get Back from the tapes but his versions were rejected. The tapes would be left dormant in the vault for a year, with the exception of a single ( Get Back / Don t Let Me Down ). John Lennon s Don t Let Me Down was a love song for Yoko Ono and was the first song given a full run-through by the group when sessions for the new album began at Twickenham Studios on January 2, But proper multi-track recording takes were not done until the band changed location to the basement recording studio at their Apple headquarters. The master take was recorded on January 28, Hey Jude - Capitol LP (1970) The Beatles - Slow Down - (Williams) 14

15 15 Lead vocal: John Larry Williams had originally released his rocker in 1958, and the song had often been performed by the Beatles as part of their pre-fame stage act. Recorded June 1, The Beatles would dip into the Larry Williams catalog two more times when they needed something quickly to fill an album, and both songs were sung by John: Dizzy Miss Lizzie and Bad Boy. Something New - Capitol LP U.K.: Non-album track (EP song) George Harrison Let It Down - All Things Must Pass 70 Also written during the Let It Be sessions, this track shows Phil Spector running rampant with the Wall of Sound. Getting DOWN w/ yer Beatles here on 95.5 KLOS.the MAGIC word in that set was DOWN in all 4 titles 15

16 QUIZ TONES HERE/CLEAR PHONE LINES OK we ve got 3 songs cued up One from Paul & WINGS One solo track from John Lennon and a B side from Ringo all with the word DOWN it their titles.first person to call KLOS and get just 1 of the 3 songs we have selected you WIN.if you get all three I ll throw in Go to phones NOW! Wings Don t Let It Bring You Down London Town 78 This song used a flageolet, which is an Irish tin whistle. Paul took quite awhile to finish this tune, requiring assistance from Denny on the lyrics. RiNGO Down & Out flip Photograph 1973 John Lennon Going Down On Love Walls And Bridges 74 A terrific opening track with Nicky Hopkins (Piano), Jesse Ed Davis (electric guitar), Klaus Voormann (bass), Jim Keltner (drums), among others BREAK 16

17 17 The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever - Non-LP track Lead vocal: John The Beatles fourteenth single release for EMI s Parlophone label. Recording began on November 24, Written in Spain by John several months earlier while he was filming the Richard Lester-directed film How I Won The War. The beautiful Take 1 of this Lennon classic can be heard on the Anthology 2 album. It is entirely different than the finished version. Strawberry Fields was actually a Salvation Army home in the neighborhood where Lennon grew up. John used to go to parties there and it always brought back happy memories to him. One of the only two honest songs that John says he wrote for the Beatles. The other? Help! In September 1966, Brian Epstein informed EMI and Capitol that there would be no new album and maybe not even a single ready in time for the 1966 Christmas season. EMI quickly assembled a 16-track greatest hits album ( A Collection Of Beatles Oldies ). In the U.S., Capitol did not release a hits compilation and instead waited impatiently for a new single. Magical Mystery Tour - Capitol LP 17

18 18 The Beatles - Penny Lane - Non-LP track Lead vocal: Paul The Beatles fourteenth single release for EMI s Parlophone label. Following the disastrous 1966 world tour the individual Beatles took control of their hectic schedule. They were no longer in a rush to do anything. In September 1966, Brian Epstein informed EMI and Capitol that there would be no new Beatles album, and quite possibly no single, ready in time for the 1966 Christmas season. EMI quickly assembled a 16-track greatest hits album ( A Collection Of Beatles Oldies ). In the U.S., Capitol did not release a hits compilation and instead waited impatiently for a new single. The band reconvened in late November to begin work on their next LP. With no deadlines, they simply brought in new songs as they dreamt them up. 18

19 19 Like John s Strawberry Fields Forever, Paul s Penny Lane was named after a real place; it was a bus stop (roundabout) in Liverpool. Written almost entirely by Paul (he says Lennon helped him with the third verse), work began on December 29, 1966, and the song took nearly three weeks to complete. Paul described the song as childhood reminiscences. Paul: There was a barber shop called Bioletti s with head shots of the haircuts you could have in the window and I just took it all and arted it up a little bit to make it sound like he was having a picture exhibition in his window. It was all based on real things. Contains at least TWO slightly slang obscenities ( finger pie and keeps his fire engine clean ). Magical Mystery Tour - Capitol LP The Beatles - Day Tripper Past Masters Recorded: 16 October 1965 Rubber Soul sessions Oct. `65 Yesterday & Today LP here in the US The eleventh official EMI release. The first official double "A" side release of We Can Work It Out Inspired in part by John and George's first experience with acid, "Day Tripper" was written under pressure for use as a single for the Christmas season. John wrote most of the song, with Paul contributing to each of the verses b/w The Beatles - We Can Work It Out Past Masters Recorded: 20/29 October 1965 RELEASED AS A CHRISTMAS SINGLE ON DEC. 3 RD 1965 AND IT KICKED OFF THE RUBBER SOUL SESSIONS IN OCT Yesterday & Today in US / Collection of Oldies in UK Written by Paul as a pleading song to Jane Asher, who had just moved away from London to join the theatre. It was the first such instance in their relationship, and one that contributed to their eventual breakup Both sides of 2 fine Beatles singles here on this 9 th day of Sept 2012 let s keep the juke box spinning with another single this one w/ a picture sleeve feature all 4 Beatles sitting w/ girl named Yoko. 19

20 20 The Beatles - The Ballad Of John And Yoko - Non-LP track Lead vocal: John The Beatles twentieth single release for EMI, and third on the Apple Records label. The first Beatles single issued in stereo in the UK, it is also the very first stereo single issued by EMI. The Get Back single had been released in stereo in America by Capitol. Recorded on April 14, 1969, by just John and Paul, the song was completed that day. George was on vacation and Ringo was still filming the Peter Sellers comedy The Magic Christian. Producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick, who had distanced themselves from the group because of the constant bickering amongst the group members, were back on board behind the recording console. The single was a complete surprise to Beatles fans. They had waited a long seven months for the group to followup Hey Jude with Get Back and now just over a month came another new Beatles record. The rhythm track was perfected in 11 takes (four complete) with Paul playing drums while John played acoustic guitar and sang the lead vocal. The duo was in good spirits during the day-long session. Prior to take four John said to drummer Paul Go a bit faster, Ringo! and Paul replied OK, George! Overdubs featured Paul on bass guitar, piano, backing vocal and maracas, and John on two lead guitar parts and percussive thumping on the back of an acoustic guitar. The song recounts the chaos surrounding John and Yoko s getting married. Lennon had encountered visa problems because of his November 1968 drug conviction which made his movement from one country to another very difficult. As an example, he was not allowed to enter the United States at this time so the couple s second Bed-In was staged in Montreal, about an hour north of the U.S. border in Canada. 20

21 21 John knew the song s controversial chorus was going to cause problems, particularly coming from the man who three years earlier had claimed the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. Christ! You know it ain t easy You know how hard it can be The way things are going They re gonna crucify me In a memo to Apple promo man Tony Bramwell, Lennon gave the following instructions: No pre-publicity on Ballad of John & Yoko especially the Christ! bit - So don t play it round too much or you ll frighten people - Get it pressed first. The song was originally titled The Ballad Of John And Yoko (They re Gonna Crucify Me ). John dropped the subtitle, though some Capitol pressings in the U.S. carried the full title. The song was banned by the BBC and some American radio stations, especially in the deep south (known as the Bible Belt ), refused to play the single, which had an affect on sales. Another possible hindrance was the picture cover that the single came housed in. Each side showed a picture of the group, but there were FIVE people, not the expected four. New member? Fans would have cheered if Billy Preston had been added to the mix, even if only temporarily. But the fifth person in the two pictures was not Billy Preston, it was Yoko Ono, dressed nearly identical to John in a coat and tie, the two attached like Siamese twins. With no explanation as to why this stranger was in two band photographs, fans were left to assume the worst - Yoko had joined the band! Hey Jude - Capitol LP (1970) 21

22 22 The Beatles - Old Brown Shoe - Non-LP B-Side (Harrison) Lead vocal: George On February 25, 1969, his 26 th birthday, George Harrison went to Abbey Road Studios and recorded elaborate eight-track demos of three of his latest compositions: Old Brown Shoe, Something, and All Things Must Pass. All three of the demos recorded this day can be found on the Anthology 3 album. Old Brown Shoe had made a brief appearance near the end of the Get Back sessions with a few run-through/rehearsals on January 28, The full band revisited the song for a proper recording on April 16, The rhythm track was finished in four takes, with George on lead guitar, Paul on jangle piano, John on rhythm guitar (which would be erased in favor of a Hammond organ part played by George on April 18), and Ringo on drums. Overdubs included bass guitar, lead guitar, and backing vocals by John and Paul. In his book, I Me Mine, George said, I started the chord sequences on piano, which I don t really play, and then began writing ideas for the words from various opposites Again, it s the duality of things - yes no, up down, left right, right wrong, etc. Released as the flip side of The Ballad Of John And Yoko in the UK on May 30, 1969, while the Get Back single was topping the charts. The single was issued by Capitol Records in the U.S. on June 4, Hey Jude - Capitol LP (1970) BREAK The Beatles - Revolution Esher Tapes `68 Lead vocal: John The Beatles - Hey Jude Take 4 Lead vocal: Paul The Beatles eighteenth single release for EMI, the first on the Apple Records label. 22

23 23 Workin out their 1 st Apple Single Let s hear em workin out their 1 st Parlophone Single w./ Pete Best! The Beatles - Love Me Do (June 6, 1962, EMI ), (McCartney-Lennon) Lead vocal: John and Paul The Beatles first single release for EMI s Parlophone label. Released October 5, 1962, it reached #17 on the British charts. Principally written by Paul McCartney in 1958 and Recorded with three different drummers: Pete Best (June 6, 1962, EMI ), Ringo Starr (September 4, 1962), and Andy White (September 11, 1962 with Ringo playing tambourine). The 45 rpm single lists the songwriters as Lennon-McCartney. One of several Beatles songs Paul McCartney owns with Yoko Ono. Starting with the songs recorded for their debut album on February 11, 1963, Lennon and McCartney s output was attached to their Northern Songs publishing company. Because their first single was released before John and Paul had contracted with a music publisher, EMI assigned it to their own, a company called Ardmore and Beechwood, which took the two songs Love Me Do and P.S. I Love You. Decades later McCartney and Ono were able to purchase the songs for their respective companies, MPL Communications and Lenono Music. Fun fact: John Lennon shoplifted the harmonica he played on the song from a shop in Holland. On U.S. albums: Introducing The Beatles (Version 1) - Vee-Jay LP The Early Beatles - Capitol LP 23

24 24 The Beatles - What You re Doing - Beatles For Sale sessions Lead vocal: Paul Recorded in seven takes on October 26, The most problematic song in the sessions for Beatles For Sale. The Beatles tried different arrangements over three days and finally hit upon one they liked on the last day of recording for the album. Written primarily by Paul between August 31 and September 1, 1964 in Atlantic City during days off on the Beatles North American Tour. Paul provides the double-tracked lead vocal. Beatles VI - Capitol LP The Beatles - No Reply - Beatles For Sale sessions Lead vocal: John Recorded in eight takes on September 30, Written entirely by John Lennon. John and Paul had been giving away a treasure trove of original compositions to other artists to record and release because they felt the songs were too pop for Beatles records. John had planned to give No Reply to another Brian Epstein managed artist, Tommy Quickly, to record, but those plans were cancelled in early August 1964 when it was determined the group was going to be short of new material for their upcoming album. The song s storyline was based somewhat on Silhouettes, a number three hit in the U.S. for the R&B group the Rays, which was later covered with great success by Herman s Hermits. Lennon: I had that image of walking down the street and seeing her silhouetted in the window and not answering the phone. Includes some nice piano work from producer George Martin. 24

25 25 Beatles 65 - Capitol LP The Beatles - A Hard Day s Night - A Hard Day s Night sessions Lead vocal: John with Paul The Beatles seventh single release for EMI s Parlophone label. The title is a Ringoism, coined by the drummer sometime in 1963 and used by John in his book In His Own Write. With the film nearly completed the last bit of business was to give the film a name. The project was being filmed with the working title Beatlemania. On April 13, 1964 The Beatles met with key personnel from the studio and bounced title ideas. It was felt they d find no better suggestion than Ringo s offhand remark it s been a hard day s night and John volunteered to write the title song that evening. The next morning he brought the song in and taught it to Paul. Paul cleaned up the middle section and the two played it for producer Walter Shenson. Two days later The Beatles would formally record the song. It was a rarity for an outsider to be allowed in the studio or control booth while The Beatles rehearsed and recorded. An exception was made for the director of the A Hard Day s Night film, Richard Lester. Lester was in the control booth and offered many suggestions during the morning while this key song was worked out, much to the dismay of producer George Martin. It was Lester s suggestion that the song open dramatically (as it would open the film), and fade out at the end in a cinematic way. He got his wish. George s striking a G suspended 4th chord on his 12-string Rickenbacker make this record instantly recognizable in its opening two seconds. Released as a single in the UK on July 10, 1964, it went straight to #1. A Hard Day s Night - United Artists LP BREAK 25

26 26 The Beatles - Baby It s You Please Please Me (David-Williams-Bacharach) Lead vocal: John Recorded in three takes on February 11, Originally recorded by The Shirelles in December 1961 on Scepter Records. Performed by The Beatles in their live act throughout 1962 and On U.S. albums: Introducing The Beatles - Vee-Jay LP The Early Beatles - Capitol LP Paul McCartney & Wings Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five Band on the Run 73 A fantastic ending to a flawless album, the hook had been floating around Paul s head for months prior to the composition. There was a mastering error on the 26

27 27 song (and CD versions) that remained for many, many years where the beginning was affected by a quick fade up. John Lennon Imagine Imagine 71 John s most famous anthem, and one of the most memorable songs of all time, this was to be considered John s Yesterday. It was inspired by Yoko s poem Cloud Piece from It continues to have massive radio play to this very day and was infamously censored (and retracted) by Clear Channel following the 9/11 attacks. This was John s dream no religion, no wars, no possessions his utopian ideal. 27