Weekend Music

 

On this day in 1958, George Harrison joined The Quarrymen, a skiffle/ rock band that was a precursor to The Beatles and was fronted by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  The rest, as they say, is history. It was hard choosing, but we're featuring three of our favorite Harrison compositions for The Beatles (of course, he went on to write many classics as a solo artist):  "If I Needed Someone" ("Rubber Soul" album), "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" ("White" album), and finally "Here Comes The Sun" ("Abbey Road" album) to play us out on a joyous note for the weekend.

Mid-Week Songs: An Anniversary

 

Today is the 60th anniversary (!) of the release of one of the Beatles' most popular and impactful albums, "Rubber Soul," a work that was a departure from their pop genre into folk rock and songs with increasing depth and nuance.  As with every album of theirs, it spawned numerous hits and inspired the likes of The Beach Boys (who went on to record "Pet Sounds"), and the Stones ("Aftermath"). It was also groundbreaking in that it incorporated instruments (the sitar in "Norwegian Wood") and sounds (a harpsichord-like piano bridge in "In My Life") that showed their experimentation with new genres.  Here are three songs from that album we've picked to celebrate this musical anniversary, in the order in which they appear on the album.  If you take the time to listen to the entire album, it's well worth the experience, whether it's for the first time or revisiting it.

Weekend Music Threefer

 

We're Goin' Back again 60 years to the best year in rock and roll history, 1965, for our weekend music. In the Top 10 songs this week were #10 "Do You Believe In Magic?" by The Lovin' Spoonful, #5 "Keep On Dancing" by The Gentrys, and #1 "Yesterday" by The Beatles.

"Do You Believe In Magic?" was the debut single for the future R&R Hall of Fame band;  the John Sebastian composition was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.

"Keep On Dancing" was the only single that reached the Top 40 for the band.  The version we're playing features amusing clips showing stars from contemporary 60's television shows dancing.  (How many can you identify?)

"Yesterday" needs no further introduction, as it's one of the most recorded songs in music history, and one of the most successful in terms of royalties paid.  Hope you enjoy!

Weekend Music

 

On this day in 1969, photographer Ian McMillan got up on a stepladder in the middle of Abbey Road in London and took the picture (actually 6 in all) that would become the cover of The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album:

Since it's always good to let some sunshine into our lives, George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" is our musical sunshine for today.

Weekend Music Twofer

 

The Black Keys just released a single, "The Night Before," which naturally triggered thoughts of The Beatles' "The Night Before" from the "Help" soundtrack, both songs coming in at under 3 minutes.  Musical coincidence?  We think not so.  Compare and contrast!

Weekend Music Twofer

 

LA indie band Lord Huron has a catchy new single out, "Nothing I Need," their second release after several years of touring.  

Also, we must note that 61 years ago this week, The Beatles held the top 5 places on the U.S. singles Hot 100 chart, with  No. 5 "Please Please Me,"  No. 4 "I Want to Hold Your Hand," No. 3, "Roll Over Beethoven," No. 2 "Love Me Do," and No. 1 "Can't Buy Me Love."  They also had 9 other singles on the chart that week, for a total of 14 top 100 songs.  To mark the occasion of skipping dipshit co-President Musk's $25 million failure to buy the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, "Can't Buy Me Love" is our second song today.  Enjoy!

Weekend Music

 

On this day back in 1963, The Beatles first single, "Please Please Me" was released in the US, and Beatlemania came to our shores.  From Paul McCartney's first bass notes to the interweaving harmonies to John Lennon's harmonica to the driving melody to the double entendres, this was most Americans' first exposure to an entirely new, electric and, um, pleasing musical form.  We (most of us) ate it up and wanted more.  It's still one of our favorite Beatles songs, lo these many years.  Hope you enjoy, again.

Weekend Music Twofer

 

Well, of course we were going to go with this today!  Sixty years ago tonight (February 9, 1964), The Beatles made their history- making American television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show."   They performed five songs live: "All My Loving," "Til There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There," closing with their song that was #1 at the time, "I Want To Hold Your Hand." (You can view them all here as they occurred.)  Three-quarters of the adult television viewers at the time (73 million) were tuned in, the biggest for any live television show up to that time. Here's that closing song.

 

In somewhat of a bookend, The Beatles' (mostly John Lennon's) "I'm Only Sleeping" won the Grammy Awards' Best Music Video for director Em Cooper.  It's from their 1966 "Yesterday And Today" album (released in their "Revolver" album in the UK), and happens to be one of our favorites of theirs.  Hope you enjoy.

Weekend Music -- Now And Then

 

ICYMI (how is that possible?) The Beatles have a "new" single, the just- released "Now and Then." We'll let their You Tube channel explain how this time- warping musical miracle came about:

Now and Then's eventful journey to fruition took place over five decades and is the product of conversations and collaborations between the four Beatles that go on to this day. The long mythologised John Lennon demo was first worked on in February 1995 by Paul, George and Ringo as part of The Beatles Anthology project but it remained unfinished, partly because of the impossible technological challenges involved in working with the vocal John had recorded on tape in the 1970s. For years it looked like the song could never be completed. But in 2022 there was a stroke of serendipity. A software system developed by Peter Jackson and his team, used throughout the production of the documentary series Get Back, finally opened the way for the uncoupling of John’s vocal from his piano part. As a result, the original recording could be brought to life and worked on anew with contributions from all four Beatles. This remarkable story of musical archaeology reflects The Beatles’ endless creative curiosity and shared fascination with technology. It marks the completion of the last recording that John, Paul and George and Ringo will get to make together and celebrates the legacy of the foremost and most influential band in popular music history.

It's a haunting, beautiful Lennon song, augmented by the other Beatles, and it's a great, bittersweet video. What more needs to be said?

Weekend Music -- Passings And Birth

 

April 21 is a date marking two passings and a birth. 

April 21, 2016, is the date Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson) died at the age of 57.  The highly influential singer, songwriter, guitarist and more was perhaps the preeminent musician of his generation.

April 21, 1978, is the date British folk artist Sandy Denny died at the age of 31.  A songwriter and solo singer, as well as the lead singer for Fairport Convention, Denny has been described as one of the great folk rock singers of her time.

April 21, 1967, is the date The Beatles completed work on their landmark album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  It was released a little over a month later, on May 26, going to to become the band's most acclaimed album.

Here are three of their compositions:  Prince's "Little Red Corvette," Denny's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes," and The Beatles "A Day In The Life."

Mid-Week Song: The Debut

 

Sixty years ago today, a relatively unknown quartet released their first single in the UK. The Beatles' "Love Me Do" ("b" side, "P.S. I Love You"), peaking at number 17 on their charts. When it was released in the U.S. over a year later, it became a number one hit for them, as would so many to follow. Enjoy these early scenes of the group (including in Liverpool on the Mersey River). 

Weekend Music Coda

 

Tomorrow, 55 years ago, one of the greatest albums of all time -- if not the greatest (prove us wrong!) -- took it's place at the top of the album charts, to run for 15 weeks in the U.S. and 27 weeks in the U.K.  The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" needs no further introduction or validation, as it's become a piece of the musical, cultural and art history of the 20th century and beyond. Without further ado, here's the album's coda, the John Lennon (with the middle part by Paul McCartney) composition "A Day In The Life" (also regularly ranked at or near the top of the greatest songs of all time). 

Weekend Music

 

A little nostalgia today.  The Beatles had their 13th number 1 U.S. single, "Penny Lane," on this day 55 years ago in 1967, which is perhaps why we always associated it with Spring.  Five years later, Neil Young had his one and only (so far) number 1 U.S. single, "Heart of Gold," with backup vocals by James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.  Hope you enjoy.

 

Weekend Music Twofer

 

December 3, 1965 was a red letter day in rock (especially British rock) history:  two landmark albums, The Who's first studio album,"My Generation," and The Beatles' sixth studio album, "Rubber Soul," were released in the UK.  (Both albums were released in the US in 1966 with somewhat different song lists.)  We're picking one song from each UK album, Pete Townshend's "The Kids Are Alright" and George Harrison's "If I Needed Someone" (Harrison passed away 20 years ago (!) on November 29, so pour one out for him).  Hope you enjoy.

Weekend Music

 

Tomorrow would have been John Lennon's 71st 81st birthday.  We're going to post two songs that Lennon said (quoted in the 1971 book "Lennon Remembers" by Jann Wenner) were two of his favorite compositions as a Beatle:  "In My Life," and "Strawberry Fields."  Hope you enjoy.

Weekend Music Twofer

 

Sixty years ago tomorrow, a single was released that started the rise of Berry Gordy and Motown Record Corp., up the pop charts. The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman," featuring lead singer and group founder Doris Horton, became the first number 1 pop hit for Gordy's subsidiary Tamla label (though he had several number 1 hits previously on the R&B charts).  It was sometimes the case that the producers roped in whoever happened to be available for backup vocals or as studio musicians, which is why Marvin Gaye (!) played drums on the record along with the Funk Brothers.

The Beatles (notably John Lennon) thought so highly of the recording that they released a version for their "With The Beatles" UK album a little more than two years later, in late 1963.  The Beatles' version, with Lennon's strong lead vocal and guitars replacing The Marvelettes' thumping piano, is a worthy cover of the original.  Hope you enjoy the double spin.

 

 

Weekend Musical Twofer

 

A somewhat random pairing today (maybe both with a whiff of Dylan influence?).  

On this day back in 1965, the album "Help!" was released in the U.K. (the inferior soundtrack album was released a week later in the U.S.).  It was the Beatles' fifth studio album.  A song that appeared on both the U.K. release and the soundtrack album was the John Lennon composition "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away."  Over the years it's been covered by the Beach Boys, The Silkie, and Waylon Jennings (!) among others.

Our other song is by Aussie singer- songwriter Courtney Barnett, "Rae Street," the lead single from her forthcoming album, "Things Take Time, Take Time."  Hope you enjoy.

 

 

Weekend Retro Music Twofer

First, happy birthday to a founding member of The Byrds/ Flying Burrito Brothers/ Manassas/ Desert Rose Band, bassist Chris Hillman, who turns 76 (!) today. He co- wrote "So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star" with Roger McGuinn in late 1966, supposedly as a swipe at manufactured rock groups like the Monkees.  It was included in the 1967 album "Younger Than Yesterday," features South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela, and has been covered by a host of musicians (including great ones by Patti Smith and Tom Petty).

We also want to feature a somewhat hidden gem from The Beatles, "I'll Be On My Way," a Lennon/ McCartney song that they gave to fellow Liverpudlians Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas, who released it in 1963. This is the only recording The Beatles made of it -- a tight, live version at the BBC in June 1963.  It's been remarked how it demonstrates the influence Buddy Holly had on the group, and it would be hard to argue with that after hearing it.  Hope you enjoy.

 

  

 

Weekend Music Twofer

Two weeks ago, we paired the New Zealand indie rock group The Beths with The Beatles just for the hell of it, so we're doing it again today for the same reason. "Jump Rope Gazers" is from The Beths' recent eponymous album featuring their melodic textures and fine harmonies. Also, this week back in 1964, "A Hard Day's Night" started a multi- week run on the British and American charts. So, in recognition, we're going to go with "I'll Be Back," a John Lennon composition that was written for the film, but did not appear in the film's soundtrack, only in the UK album version.  It was released in the U.S. on their "Beatles '65" album months later.  Hope you enjoy.

Weekend Music Twofer

The Beths, an indie group from New Zealand, has just released a new album, "Jump Rope Gazers," and a catchy single from that album, "Out of Sight."  (We have to admit we were attracted to the group by the name, especially when a certain Beth in the family is having a birthday this weekend.)

We're also coming back to one of our favorite "neglected" Beatles songs, John Lennon's "Revolver"-era "Rain" (and we could use a soaker in this part of the country!).  It was released in May 1966 as the B- side to "Paperback Writer."  Hope you enjoy both.