Post by mrmustard on May 31, 2013 21:53:44 GMT
Do you remember those stereo gram systems that you could buy in the 70's that looked like a long sideboard? It use to have a record player in and a radio. Speakers were incorporated into each end of the body of the system. The wood was teak or if you were well off may be mahogany. A huge wooden lid would have to be lifted and propped up to get inside. To one side of the record player was a slot that housed LP's. Depending on where you purchased your stereo gram the shop would often supply some free LP's in this slot.
At some point in the 70's (perhaps 76/77/78) my mum and dad purchased such an item (in teak). It was enormous! In the slot that housed LPs, low and behold there were some free LPs! I distinctly remember an album of western movie themes with Gun Fight At The Ok Carrol on it etc. I also remember a reggae album of Beatles songs. I think it had a silver background with The Beatles written in yellow. It was my first introduction to The Beatles and it was crap! Saying that I wish I still had the album.
When I really got hooked was 1980 when John was killed. My sister, who is 6 years older than me, went to the vigil in Liverpool. At the age of 10 it didn't mean much to me but I always remember where I was when my sister told me he was dead and that she was going to the vigil.
From that point on Beatles albums appeared in the house. Firstly a dodgy copy of the 67 - 70 album on a C90 tape. I wore it out playing Back In The USSR over and over again. Then it was a Capitol release of the 62 - 66 album on red vinyl. I seem to remember my next purchase (or rather gift!) was the Help album then closely followed by Please Please Me at Christmas.
Please Please Me album
What strikes me on hearing the album is how much they had matured in the recording studio since the Decca audition. McCartney completely over sang every lead vocal on the Decca audition. This never happened again from Please Please Me onwards. Lennon sounded considerably unenthusiastic at the Decca session. This never happened again on anything he formally recorded. Harrison's guitar work sounded so accomplished even if George Martin claims to have written a lot of George's solo's in the early years.
A lot of ill-judged comments have been made over the years about EMI being too stringent in their approach to recording techniques. Technicians in white coats placing microphones to the exact position. Balance engineers never letting a channel go into the red etc etc Its these qualities though that added so much to Beatles recordings because they were recorded so cleanly. This is exactly why the 2009 remasters work so well. No such comparison can be made with Stones, Kinks or Who recordings of the early sixties.
I Saw Her Standing There
What an opening to an album, career, phenomenon and musical legacy. Just from this one song it's clear why The Beatles were going to succeed were other Mersey Beat bands could not. There is nothing anyone could possibly not like on this song. I mean the first song on the first Beatles album and its an all time classic. Come on! Like with just about every Beatles song, nothing is overlooked and nothing could be bettered by anyone else. McCartney's lead vocal is both raw and refined rock 'n' roll at its best. Harrison clearly worked some more on the guitar solo for this recording. It's by far his best solo on this song which use to vary considerably on other versions. Great and original backing vocals by Lennon which compliment McCartney's lead vocal so well. And of course Lennon's never to be overlooked rhythm - which constantly does get overlooked. Lennon's other great contribution to this song was to veto the 'she'd never been a beauty queen' line with 'you know what I Mean'.
Great drumming from Ringo too. It still sounds so fresh today and hasn't dated at all.
Misery
Offered to Helen Shapiro on the tour bus. It was declined by her producer Norrie Paramor so Kenny Lynch, also on the Helen Shapiro tour bus, covered it. It failed to enter the charts.
A joint composition by Lennon and McCartney, was described by McCartney as a 'hacking job'. It does clearly demonstrate formulaic writing but no worse, and certainly more original, than the songs coming out of Tin Pan Alley.
Lennon and McCartney sing in unison for the verses only to break into harmony on the word 'Misery'. George Martins piano over dub, although effective, seems somewhat out of place. A guitar part from George would have been much more in keeping. What makes the song really interesting is the underpinning rock 'n' roll rhythm guitars. They make the track punchy when it would have been so easy to just have strumming acoustic. The song benefits from being a short 1min 52 secs.
Anna
Lennon never formally recorded his favourite Arthur Alexander songs, A Shot Of Rhythm of Blues, formally with Parlophone. This is an excellent second choice. Ian Macdonald describes Lennon's vocal as 'a passionate youth grappling with a mans song'. Hmmm....through the phlegm I don't hear that at all. The early part of the song hears Lennon singing beautifully down at the lower end of his vocal range, slowly winding it up to full open mouthed tenor. There's nothing grappling about it.
Harrison does great work emulating the original piano part on his Gretcsh that has a particularly prominent and beautiful tone. Starr's drumming is nothing short of excellent as he breezes through off beats and rhythm changes so effortlessly that you don't realise he's doing it. McCartney and Harrison's backing vocals give Lennon real support to stretch out.
All in all a great track and a stand out on the album
Chains
A live favourite amongst Merseybeat bands, it gave Harrison his first lead vocal showcase. Nice use of the harmonica, probably the one nicked by Lennon from the shop in Arnhem. Lennon sounds more like Delbert McClinton on this than he does on Love Me Do.
Ian Macdonald described this song as 'out of tune' and 'lacking spontaneity'. In my view that's overly harsh. I once loaned Revolution In The Head to a very good friend. Upon returning the book his first comment was 'did he actually like The Beatles at all?' Fair point.
The song is no masterpiece but I would rather have it than not and it fits in perfectly on the album.
Boys
I'm so glad they didn't change the title of this song to Girls!
My learned colleague Alan, posed the question about this being Ringo's best recorded vocal. Well it is, clearly in my view. Ringo let's loose here and it works so well. It's a real convincing rock 'n' roll vocal, even more surprising as he does record his drums and vocal simultaneously. Even if there was the luxury of extra tracks to record his vocal separately I doubt he would have made a better job of it because he was use to singing it live.
The glorious three part backing harmonies from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison only lift the song to even greater joy. McCartney's bass is high and pulsating and really pushes the song along. Lennon doubles up on guitar with McCartney's bass line in the chorus in true R'n'B style which really bigs up the chorus. A great solo from Harrison. As I've said before, Harrison wasn't a good improviser on guitar. His solos were well thought out with always the song in mind first no matter what style of song it was. This is why, for me, he is as good as any guitar player you care to mention.
Considering this song is just a showcase for Ringo singing, it's got a lot going for it.
Ask Me Why
A great love song from Lennon. It's interesting to note that McCartney was generally more known for his love songs rather than Lennon. McCartney could also be very nasty towards women in songs, particularly in the mid sixties when he was with Jane Asher. Lennon would never have written about a woman in this way and never did. In some ways Lennon's love songs have more conviction in the lyrics than McCartney's and Ask Me Why is a perfect example.
Fabulous harmonies throughout the song and superbly fitting and understated lead guitar work from Harrison. This song must have been a real favourite of Lennon's as they regularly played it live in Hamburg and Liverpool. It can be heard on Live! At the Star Club 1962. For such a tender love song it works so well in a sweaty club.
Please Please Me
Gerry Marsdens favourite Beatles song. It's amazing to think that in 1960 The Beatles were not much thought of by other bands in Liverpool and yet by 1962 they had left every band far behind in terms of the depth of talent within a band i.e. three lead singers who could harmonise together or supply incredible backing vocals to one of the lead singers. Four great instrumentalists - as I said earlier Lennon is vastly underrated as a rhythm/2nd guitarist. He really filled that middle ground to make the sound so full. Then of course two great songwriters even at this early stage.
Lennon's stolen harmonica is to the fore again doubling with Harrison's lead guitar. The sheer power of this song is incredible. Harmonies are full on during the chorus's and middle eight. Lennon singing the main melody with McCartney holding a top E over the top. Ringo's drumming (yes it's not Andy White no matter what he says!) is tight, exciting and he really drives the band with his precision machine gun rolls.
The ascending power chords at the end of each verse line give the song a hard edge and distinctive hook (why squeeze decided to omit them on their recent effort on the recent BBC remake of the album is beyond me!)
All in all a power house classic that put them way beyond their nearest Merseybeat rivals. No wonder George Martin announced after they finished it 'Gentleman, you've got you're first number one!'
Love Me Do
It has been said Love Me Do is the greatest philosophical song ever written. Well whatever! Very simple in musical structure and lyrics but for some reason very hard to recreate musically live on stage. I mean how many bands do you honestly see tackling this one at Beatleweek.
It has a real bluesy feel to it and very unique for the time. In fact it's quite a unique song full stop. It's not particularly commercial. Lennon and McCartney well over a year prior to this bragged that they had written over 100 songs together. Complete fabrication if this was the best they could offer to George Martin at the time. Not that it's a bad song. Its a damn sight better that How Do You Do It!
Lennon and McCartney harmonise together really well on this. Very rich sounding. Lennon gets yet more use out of his stolen harmonica. Harmonica players have told me Lennon's harmonica part is really difficult to nail To emulate. The part is so confidently played. He clearly knows his way around the instrument.
Again, I have to agree with my learned colleague Al on the fact it is Ringo's tambourine that drives the song. Andy Whites drums add nothing over Ringo's version. It has to be said that the Pete Best version clearly shows his limitations as a drummer. He was great for straight, loud rock 'n roll in the pubs and clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg playing a 4 to the bar bass drum. However, when it came to the recording studio his limitations clearly showed. His version of Love Me Do from June 1962 is poor. The time keeping was all over the place and the song was laboured. It's absolutely no wonder why George Martin didn't want him on the recordings and the main reason why he was sacked.
P.S. I Love You
May be this should have been the A-side instead of Love Me Do. However Ron Richards, who was producing the session, came up with the ridiculous theory that it had to be the B-side as there had been other songs of the same name.
The song, written entirely by McCartney, shows some maturity in songwriting. No introduction just straight into the vocal is different. Lennon chimes with McCartney on certain words which adds a nice sparkle. The second middle eight is slightly uplifting. All things considered though the song is a bit tame and Lennon claims he had nothing to do with the writing of it which I can well believe.
I for one am glad Love Me Do was the A-side. So, nice one Ron!
Baby It's You
Two Shirelles songs on one Beatles album. The Boys must have thought very highly of them. The highlight of the song is clearly Lennon's lead vocal. Its sung with real conviction and passion (despite his cold). The 'cheat, cheat' backing vocal also adds a bit of venom to the song. Harrison's solo is merely doubled by George Martin on celeste. If if wasn't for Lennon's vocal this would be a fairly unremarkable track.
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Lennon wrote this for Harrison to sing. The inspiration taken from a song from Disneys Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that Julia use to sing to him.
Lennon said he couldn't have sung the song himself being too lightweight for him. I can see where he was coming from. Lennon never gave much away in terms of songs to other artists in comparison to McCartney. Anything good he was going to sing himself. In Lennon's mind he probably saw this as a bit of a throw away but obviously realised there was some mileage in the song by giving it to Billy J. Kramer.
Did Harrison catch Lennon's cold for this recording? It sounds like! It's not his best vocal by far. Its an interesting conundrum with Harrison's singing. The Hamburg and BBC recordings were he is singing a lot show him to be a really good singer live. However once The Beatles got going on tours, playing 30 minutes if that, he got less and less vocal time. As a result his live vocals suffered. Even when the Beatles toured years later performing If I Needed Someone, he really struggled there too. I think he's a great singer but it just shows you that no matter how talented you are you still have to have that frequent live exposure to singing to really make it work.
Back to the song............not the best moment on Please Please Me
A Taste Of Honey
McCartney's love of show tunes all starts here. One of the great things about The Beatles is their diversity. Some may say McCartney penchant for show tunes is a step too far. I don't agree. It's funny how these songs worked in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg with rough and ready rock 'n' rollers with guitars and drums. This and Besame Mucho seemed to fit very well amongst the fast rockers. That must surely be a testament to The Beatles than anything else.
There is a country and western feel to this song and skips along nicely but with eerie overtones. Some nice guitar arpeggios from Harrison. It's 3/4 time in the verses that changes to 4/4 in the chorus. The change is really subtle but Starr, as we will see much later, is a master of the time signature change.
A typical McCartney vocal that is reminiscent of some of his later work. Lennon and Harrison seem to be stopping themselves from laughing singing the backing vocals. Nice song.
There's A Place
Have you ever noticed that this songs has exactly the same two opening notes as Please Please Me? It does, have listen.
Possibly the best original song on the album. Discuss!
Lennon well and truly gets value out of his half inched harmonica from Arnhem.
Lyrically the song is the best on the album. This isn't a love song, it's an introspective view on feelings years ahead of its time. The 'an it's my mind' line is so cathartic. There is no song hackmanship here. It's a pure Lennon original.
Despite Lennon's cold, the harmonies between him and McCartney are awesome. McCartney clearly likes this song too as his harmony has so much fervour.
By far and away Lennon was the ultimate driving force behind the original material released by the band up until 1966. This song is a shining example of what Lennon was about to unleash on the world.
Twist And Shout
It sounds like a fairy tale. George Martin needs one more song and Lennon, voice totally destroyed, steps up with this little number. Why didn't McCartney do one as his voice was intact? Never mind, I'm spoiling the dream!
This totally sank The Isley Brothers version into obscurity. No one could have pulled this off but The Beatles. The Who's live version was embarrassing (and yet Townshend had the cheek to call The Beatles 'flipping lousy' - I love this guy too!)
One take and this masterpiece is recorded. Everyone is on top form here both vocally and instrumentally. McCartney and Harrison's backing vocals are sublime, particularly McCartney's (he was to do this to even greater effect on closing track of the next album). Starr keeps the tension right up and never drags. There is a delightful lead guitar unison between Harrison and Lennon.
In the 1980's there was a TV show in the UK called Rock School. It was a band in a studio looking at a different genres of musical styles each week. So one week it would be reggae and the guitarist would go though how to play reggae guitar, then the drummer, the bass player, keyboard player. One week they looked at vocals and as an example of perfect three part harmonies they showed The Beatles performing Twist and Shout at the Royal Variety performance. They were right. The ascending harmonies were sensational and, dare I say, orgasmic!
Beatlemania was born right there with the recording of this song.
Lastly, Lennon's vocal. Words fail me. It was beyond any singer in the world at that time, and to be honest, beyond any singer since. I think the cold added to the performance. You can here all the phlegm and shredding of vocal cords on the record. He knew this was going to be a one-off vocal performance but went for it like his life depended on it. Lennon thought he was just shouting when he talked about it later. Whether he was or he wasn't, he had just produced one of the best recorded vocals in the history of music.
At some point in the 70's (perhaps 76/77/78) my mum and dad purchased such an item (in teak). It was enormous! In the slot that housed LPs, low and behold there were some free LPs! I distinctly remember an album of western movie themes with Gun Fight At The Ok Carrol on it etc. I also remember a reggae album of Beatles songs. I think it had a silver background with The Beatles written in yellow. It was my first introduction to The Beatles and it was crap! Saying that I wish I still had the album.
When I really got hooked was 1980 when John was killed. My sister, who is 6 years older than me, went to the vigil in Liverpool. At the age of 10 it didn't mean much to me but I always remember where I was when my sister told me he was dead and that she was going to the vigil.
From that point on Beatles albums appeared in the house. Firstly a dodgy copy of the 67 - 70 album on a C90 tape. I wore it out playing Back In The USSR over and over again. Then it was a Capitol release of the 62 - 66 album on red vinyl. I seem to remember my next purchase (or rather gift!) was the Help album then closely followed by Please Please Me at Christmas.
Please Please Me album
What strikes me on hearing the album is how much they had matured in the recording studio since the Decca audition. McCartney completely over sang every lead vocal on the Decca audition. This never happened again from Please Please Me onwards. Lennon sounded considerably unenthusiastic at the Decca session. This never happened again on anything he formally recorded. Harrison's guitar work sounded so accomplished even if George Martin claims to have written a lot of George's solo's in the early years.
A lot of ill-judged comments have been made over the years about EMI being too stringent in their approach to recording techniques. Technicians in white coats placing microphones to the exact position. Balance engineers never letting a channel go into the red etc etc Its these qualities though that added so much to Beatles recordings because they were recorded so cleanly. This is exactly why the 2009 remasters work so well. No such comparison can be made with Stones, Kinks or Who recordings of the early sixties.
I Saw Her Standing There
What an opening to an album, career, phenomenon and musical legacy. Just from this one song it's clear why The Beatles were going to succeed were other Mersey Beat bands could not. There is nothing anyone could possibly not like on this song. I mean the first song on the first Beatles album and its an all time classic. Come on! Like with just about every Beatles song, nothing is overlooked and nothing could be bettered by anyone else. McCartney's lead vocal is both raw and refined rock 'n' roll at its best. Harrison clearly worked some more on the guitar solo for this recording. It's by far his best solo on this song which use to vary considerably on other versions. Great and original backing vocals by Lennon which compliment McCartney's lead vocal so well. And of course Lennon's never to be overlooked rhythm - which constantly does get overlooked. Lennon's other great contribution to this song was to veto the 'she'd never been a beauty queen' line with 'you know what I Mean'.
Great drumming from Ringo too. It still sounds so fresh today and hasn't dated at all.
Misery
Offered to Helen Shapiro on the tour bus. It was declined by her producer Norrie Paramor so Kenny Lynch, also on the Helen Shapiro tour bus, covered it. It failed to enter the charts.
A joint composition by Lennon and McCartney, was described by McCartney as a 'hacking job'. It does clearly demonstrate formulaic writing but no worse, and certainly more original, than the songs coming out of Tin Pan Alley.
Lennon and McCartney sing in unison for the verses only to break into harmony on the word 'Misery'. George Martins piano over dub, although effective, seems somewhat out of place. A guitar part from George would have been much more in keeping. What makes the song really interesting is the underpinning rock 'n' roll rhythm guitars. They make the track punchy when it would have been so easy to just have strumming acoustic. The song benefits from being a short 1min 52 secs.
Anna
Lennon never formally recorded his favourite Arthur Alexander songs, A Shot Of Rhythm of Blues, formally with Parlophone. This is an excellent second choice. Ian Macdonald describes Lennon's vocal as 'a passionate youth grappling with a mans song'. Hmmm....through the phlegm I don't hear that at all. The early part of the song hears Lennon singing beautifully down at the lower end of his vocal range, slowly winding it up to full open mouthed tenor. There's nothing grappling about it.
Harrison does great work emulating the original piano part on his Gretcsh that has a particularly prominent and beautiful tone. Starr's drumming is nothing short of excellent as he breezes through off beats and rhythm changes so effortlessly that you don't realise he's doing it. McCartney and Harrison's backing vocals give Lennon real support to stretch out.
All in all a great track and a stand out on the album
Chains
A live favourite amongst Merseybeat bands, it gave Harrison his first lead vocal showcase. Nice use of the harmonica, probably the one nicked by Lennon from the shop in Arnhem. Lennon sounds more like Delbert McClinton on this than he does on Love Me Do.
Ian Macdonald described this song as 'out of tune' and 'lacking spontaneity'. In my view that's overly harsh. I once loaned Revolution In The Head to a very good friend. Upon returning the book his first comment was 'did he actually like The Beatles at all?' Fair point.
The song is no masterpiece but I would rather have it than not and it fits in perfectly on the album.
Boys
I'm so glad they didn't change the title of this song to Girls!
My learned colleague Alan, posed the question about this being Ringo's best recorded vocal. Well it is, clearly in my view. Ringo let's loose here and it works so well. It's a real convincing rock 'n' roll vocal, even more surprising as he does record his drums and vocal simultaneously. Even if there was the luxury of extra tracks to record his vocal separately I doubt he would have made a better job of it because he was use to singing it live.
The glorious three part backing harmonies from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison only lift the song to even greater joy. McCartney's bass is high and pulsating and really pushes the song along. Lennon doubles up on guitar with McCartney's bass line in the chorus in true R'n'B style which really bigs up the chorus. A great solo from Harrison. As I've said before, Harrison wasn't a good improviser on guitar. His solos were well thought out with always the song in mind first no matter what style of song it was. This is why, for me, he is as good as any guitar player you care to mention.
Considering this song is just a showcase for Ringo singing, it's got a lot going for it.
Ask Me Why
A great love song from Lennon. It's interesting to note that McCartney was generally more known for his love songs rather than Lennon. McCartney could also be very nasty towards women in songs, particularly in the mid sixties when he was with Jane Asher. Lennon would never have written about a woman in this way and never did. In some ways Lennon's love songs have more conviction in the lyrics than McCartney's and Ask Me Why is a perfect example.
Fabulous harmonies throughout the song and superbly fitting and understated lead guitar work from Harrison. This song must have been a real favourite of Lennon's as they regularly played it live in Hamburg and Liverpool. It can be heard on Live! At the Star Club 1962. For such a tender love song it works so well in a sweaty club.
Please Please Me
Gerry Marsdens favourite Beatles song. It's amazing to think that in 1960 The Beatles were not much thought of by other bands in Liverpool and yet by 1962 they had left every band far behind in terms of the depth of talent within a band i.e. three lead singers who could harmonise together or supply incredible backing vocals to one of the lead singers. Four great instrumentalists - as I said earlier Lennon is vastly underrated as a rhythm/2nd guitarist. He really filled that middle ground to make the sound so full. Then of course two great songwriters even at this early stage.
Lennon's stolen harmonica is to the fore again doubling with Harrison's lead guitar. The sheer power of this song is incredible. Harmonies are full on during the chorus's and middle eight. Lennon singing the main melody with McCartney holding a top E over the top. Ringo's drumming (yes it's not Andy White no matter what he says!) is tight, exciting and he really drives the band with his precision machine gun rolls.
The ascending power chords at the end of each verse line give the song a hard edge and distinctive hook (why squeeze decided to omit them on their recent effort on the recent BBC remake of the album is beyond me!)
All in all a power house classic that put them way beyond their nearest Merseybeat rivals. No wonder George Martin announced after they finished it 'Gentleman, you've got you're first number one!'
Love Me Do
It has been said Love Me Do is the greatest philosophical song ever written. Well whatever! Very simple in musical structure and lyrics but for some reason very hard to recreate musically live on stage. I mean how many bands do you honestly see tackling this one at Beatleweek.
It has a real bluesy feel to it and very unique for the time. In fact it's quite a unique song full stop. It's not particularly commercial. Lennon and McCartney well over a year prior to this bragged that they had written over 100 songs together. Complete fabrication if this was the best they could offer to George Martin at the time. Not that it's a bad song. Its a damn sight better that How Do You Do It!
Lennon and McCartney harmonise together really well on this. Very rich sounding. Lennon gets yet more use out of his stolen harmonica. Harmonica players have told me Lennon's harmonica part is really difficult to nail To emulate. The part is so confidently played. He clearly knows his way around the instrument.
Again, I have to agree with my learned colleague Al on the fact it is Ringo's tambourine that drives the song. Andy Whites drums add nothing over Ringo's version. It has to be said that the Pete Best version clearly shows his limitations as a drummer. He was great for straight, loud rock 'n roll in the pubs and clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg playing a 4 to the bar bass drum. However, when it came to the recording studio his limitations clearly showed. His version of Love Me Do from June 1962 is poor. The time keeping was all over the place and the song was laboured. It's absolutely no wonder why George Martin didn't want him on the recordings and the main reason why he was sacked.
P.S. I Love You
May be this should have been the A-side instead of Love Me Do. However Ron Richards, who was producing the session, came up with the ridiculous theory that it had to be the B-side as there had been other songs of the same name.
The song, written entirely by McCartney, shows some maturity in songwriting. No introduction just straight into the vocal is different. Lennon chimes with McCartney on certain words which adds a nice sparkle. The second middle eight is slightly uplifting. All things considered though the song is a bit tame and Lennon claims he had nothing to do with the writing of it which I can well believe.
I for one am glad Love Me Do was the A-side. So, nice one Ron!
Baby It's You
Two Shirelles songs on one Beatles album. The Boys must have thought very highly of them. The highlight of the song is clearly Lennon's lead vocal. Its sung with real conviction and passion (despite his cold). The 'cheat, cheat' backing vocal also adds a bit of venom to the song. Harrison's solo is merely doubled by George Martin on celeste. If if wasn't for Lennon's vocal this would be a fairly unremarkable track.
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Lennon wrote this for Harrison to sing. The inspiration taken from a song from Disneys Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that Julia use to sing to him.
Lennon said he couldn't have sung the song himself being too lightweight for him. I can see where he was coming from. Lennon never gave much away in terms of songs to other artists in comparison to McCartney. Anything good he was going to sing himself. In Lennon's mind he probably saw this as a bit of a throw away but obviously realised there was some mileage in the song by giving it to Billy J. Kramer.
Did Harrison catch Lennon's cold for this recording? It sounds like! It's not his best vocal by far. Its an interesting conundrum with Harrison's singing. The Hamburg and BBC recordings were he is singing a lot show him to be a really good singer live. However once The Beatles got going on tours, playing 30 minutes if that, he got less and less vocal time. As a result his live vocals suffered. Even when the Beatles toured years later performing If I Needed Someone, he really struggled there too. I think he's a great singer but it just shows you that no matter how talented you are you still have to have that frequent live exposure to singing to really make it work.
Back to the song............not the best moment on Please Please Me
A Taste Of Honey
McCartney's love of show tunes all starts here. One of the great things about The Beatles is their diversity. Some may say McCartney penchant for show tunes is a step too far. I don't agree. It's funny how these songs worked in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg with rough and ready rock 'n' rollers with guitars and drums. This and Besame Mucho seemed to fit very well amongst the fast rockers. That must surely be a testament to The Beatles than anything else.
There is a country and western feel to this song and skips along nicely but with eerie overtones. Some nice guitar arpeggios from Harrison. It's 3/4 time in the verses that changes to 4/4 in the chorus. The change is really subtle but Starr, as we will see much later, is a master of the time signature change.
A typical McCartney vocal that is reminiscent of some of his later work. Lennon and Harrison seem to be stopping themselves from laughing singing the backing vocals. Nice song.
There's A Place
Have you ever noticed that this songs has exactly the same two opening notes as Please Please Me? It does, have listen.
Possibly the best original song on the album. Discuss!
Lennon well and truly gets value out of his half inched harmonica from Arnhem.
Lyrically the song is the best on the album. This isn't a love song, it's an introspective view on feelings years ahead of its time. The 'an it's my mind' line is so cathartic. There is no song hackmanship here. It's a pure Lennon original.
Despite Lennon's cold, the harmonies between him and McCartney are awesome. McCartney clearly likes this song too as his harmony has so much fervour.
By far and away Lennon was the ultimate driving force behind the original material released by the band up until 1966. This song is a shining example of what Lennon was about to unleash on the world.
Twist And Shout
It sounds like a fairy tale. George Martin needs one more song and Lennon, voice totally destroyed, steps up with this little number. Why didn't McCartney do one as his voice was intact? Never mind, I'm spoiling the dream!
This totally sank The Isley Brothers version into obscurity. No one could have pulled this off but The Beatles. The Who's live version was embarrassing (and yet Townshend had the cheek to call The Beatles 'flipping lousy' - I love this guy too!)
One take and this masterpiece is recorded. Everyone is on top form here both vocally and instrumentally. McCartney and Harrison's backing vocals are sublime, particularly McCartney's (he was to do this to even greater effect on closing track of the next album). Starr keeps the tension right up and never drags. There is a delightful lead guitar unison between Harrison and Lennon.
In the 1980's there was a TV show in the UK called Rock School. It was a band in a studio looking at a different genres of musical styles each week. So one week it would be reggae and the guitarist would go though how to play reggae guitar, then the drummer, the bass player, keyboard player. One week they looked at vocals and as an example of perfect three part harmonies they showed The Beatles performing Twist and Shout at the Royal Variety performance. They were right. The ascending harmonies were sensational and, dare I say, orgasmic!
Beatlemania was born right there with the recording of this song.
Lastly, Lennon's vocal. Words fail me. It was beyond any singer in the world at that time, and to be honest, beyond any singer since. I think the cold added to the performance. You can here all the phlegm and shredding of vocal cords on the record. He knew this was going to be a one-off vocal performance but went for it like his life depended on it. Lennon thought he was just shouting when he talked about it later. Whether he was or he wasn't, he had just produced one of the best recorded vocals in the history of music.