The Beatles

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MichiganJ
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The Beatles

Post by MichiganJ »

From Chris' brilliant suggestion, here's a thread dedicated to all things John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Ladies and gentlemen, here they are:

The Beatles

[youtube][/youtube]
"Let's be independent together." Dr. Hermey DDS
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Dewey1960
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Re: The Beatles

Post by Dewey1960 »

A very great idea and the ideal time of year to start it, for me at least. I always
associate my first listening experience of THE BEATLES with the dead of winter.
It was in January 1964 and our PE class that semester met every morning at the community
ice rink for an hour of skating. I didn't like skating at all; I didn't have the ankles for it.
But that particularly frigid Motor City morning the PA system was plugged into WJBK radio
and for the first time ever, I heard my first Beatles song: I SAW HER STANDING THERE.
But that great record wasn't technically the first Beatles song I ever heard. The summer
before, a strange 45 on the Big Top label by legendary Detroit rocker (Battle Creek, actually)
DEL SHANNON languished for a few weeks in the Top 40 before drifting out into the ethers.
"From Me To You"
[youtube][/youtube]
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: The Beatles

Post by Rita Hayworth »

My Favorite Beatles Song is:

Hey Jude
[youtube][/youtube]

It was considerably later in my life that when I heard this song for the first time back in 1968; I was a young boy at the age of 9 when I first heard this song on my older brothers record player! It's moved me and by time I reached 16 ... I heard this song something like a zillion times and pretty soon I was able to sing it word to word with some irregularities of the tune.

The Beatles ... in my mind, are the most quintessential rock and roll band in history!

I just wanted to say ... thanks MichiganJ for starting this thread ... but, I just love them dearly and they were a big part of my life when I was growing up and thanks for my older brothers interest's ... I was in tune of their legendary songs. I will share some more later on ... I have other memories of the The Beatles!
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MichiganJ
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Re: The Beatles

Post by MichiganJ »

kingme wrote:I just wanted to say ... thanks MichiganJ for starting this thread
Chris is the one we all thank, it was his idea.

Dewey, I'd never heard the Del Shannon take on From Me To You before. It's interesting that it covers the Beatles' recording almost to the note, even including harmonica.

One of the things the Fabs' did for me was to introduce me to some of the great artists that inspired them. Their cover of Words of Love, for instance, led me to Buddy Holly, which then led me to pick up a K-Tel-ish album of various 50s songs. While the album's pressing didn't present the music very well, it nevertheless introduced me to two "new" songs that instantly became favorites: Franke Ford's Sea Cruise and Screamin' Jay Hawkins I Put a Spell on You.
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MichiganJ
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Re: The Beatles

Post by MichiganJ »

Sir Paul's new album, still untitled, will be released February 7th and is an album of songs that inspired him and John.

The album will include two new songs (one that he wrote for his new wife) but mostly consist of standards--although not the usual ones (he says). As a first, Paul will not be playing any instruments, instead concentrating on the vocals. The music will performed by Diana Krall's band, which bodes quite well for the project. (Paul's collaborations with Elvis C. pays off handsomely.) I don't know who produced or did the arrangements.

Not sure exactly what to expect, but it's gotta be a better album than Ringo's Sentimental Journey, right? It's gotta be.
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: The Beatles

Post by Rita Hayworth »

MichiganJ wrote:
kingme wrote:I just wanted to say ... thanks MichiganJ for starting this thread
Chris is the one we all thank, it was his idea.
Thanks Chris!, MichiganJ ... thanks for this update!
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movieman1957
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Re: The Beatles

Post by movieman1957 »

You are both welcome.

I mentioned in the other thread that "Strawberry Fields Forever" was my favorite recording but there are many qualifiers for my favorite song. In addition to that one they are as varied as "For No One" to "Piggies."

I give George Martin much credit for how well their music sounds. It was more than his "recording" them. It was also his classical music training that forged so much of that sound. A match made in musical heaven came about because he could interpret their ideas and their willingness to expand their sound.

It is my hope that anyone will contribute thoughts on the quality of their writing, performing, arranging and even, if you wish, their solo careers. Everything that came after was a result of what came before.

So share songs or events that have special meanings. Pick a song and we'll discuss the merits or lack thereof for it.

The real genesis was MichiganJ's review of the remasters back in 2009. Here is a link to the page in the "What Are You Listening To" thread. Some discussion comes before and after.

http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... &start=195
Chris

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MichiganJ
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Re: The Beatles

Post by MichiganJ »

One of my favorites of the Beatles Christmas fan club records:

[youtube][/youtube]
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RedRiver
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Re: The Beatles

Post by RedRiver »

In my hometown, and many others, the local radio stations refused to play their records after John's controversial Jesus Christ remark. It wasn't until 1972 that they returned to local airwaves.
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MichiganJ
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Re: The Beatles

Post by MichiganJ »

John's infamous quote:

"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."

His explanation/apology.
[youtube][/youtube]

The reaction.
[youtube][/youtube]

You be the judge...
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MichiganJ
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Re: The Beatles

Post by MichiganJ »

(RE the Red and Blue albums)

The Red and Blue collections were put together to counter an unauthorized 4-album set called The Beatles: Alpha Omega, which I remembered being advertised on TV in the summer of '72. Beatles' manager Allen Klein saw the sales potential and wanted to quickly counter with authorized collections. Clearly Paul would want nothing to do with it, and I assume John wanted to be as far away from Beatle-dom that he could get. While none of the Beatles' really wanted any collection, Klein was going to put one out anyway, so Harrison aided in the song selection. Sources vary as to whether Harrison simply approved of Klein's selections or actively participated, but he was the only Beatle involved at all. (Klein would do similar compilations with the Stones'--Hot Rocks and More Hot Rocks, which, taken together is a pretty good representation of the Stones' through '71.)

The success of the Red and Blue album made the execs at Capital salivate and they soon put out the Rock N Roll Music Collection, which, as much as a money-grab as it was (they partly wanted to capitalize on the Charles Manson craze, and compiled an album sure to include Helter Skelter), the album itself is pretty interesting because George Martin re-mixed a number of tunes, adding echo, etc. The cover was a huge fiasco, however. It shows a drawing of the young lads with 50s-style neon lights proclaiming the album's name. Inside the gatefold is even worse.

Capital followed Rock 'N' Roll Music with The Beatles' Love Songs, which is as an abysmal a collection as it sounds.

The Alpha Omega album is interesting as the song selection appears to be random. It includes some of their solo work (the live version of Bangla Desh, Uncle Albert, Maybe I'm Amazed) and the sound quality is not great (although not too bad, either.) One bizarre thing is that they included the song Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which abruptly ends before With a Little Help From Friends. But With a Little Help From My Friends appears a few sides later. Odd.
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RedRiver
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Re: The Beatles

Post by RedRiver »

I simply adore those soft, sweet love songs. JULIA, HERE THERE AND EVERYWHERE, I WILL. If anything, they're the finest of their amazing contributions.
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: The Beatles

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I owned the Red and Blue albums years before I collected their 'proper' albums. I never knew the history of them before they must surely be two of the biggest selling compliations ever. Good old George, at least he could get past the bad feeling and help create these unique albums.
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movieman1957
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Re: The Beatles

Post by movieman1957 »

They have often been very protective of their work and with Kevin having said John and Paul wouldn't or couldn't be bothered I wonder if George decided that he could do it or have some guy in a room with a list do it and then all be unhappy with it.
Chris

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ChiO
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Re: The Beatles

Post by ChiO »

Out of morbid curiosity: How does Sgt Pepper's.... hold up for folks, especially for those of you who bought it in 1967?

At the time, I thought it was greatest piece of vinyl in history, though I'll admit that that may have been in large part due to nearly every magazine in the country telling us that was the case. But now (and not really too long after the release), as for The Beatles' pre-Sgt. Pepper's.... LPs, I much prefer Rubber Soul and Revolver, and I have a soft spot for Beatles '65.

And of the LPs by others from the rough timeframe, Love's Forever Changes, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and The Beach Boys Today, The Byrds' Younger Than Yesterday, Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited and Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde On Blonde, and The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle get spun far more often here.

Maybe it's kind of an EASY RIDER backlash for me. Liked it too much at the time and now it seems to be stuck in that time.
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