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You know them, you love them, but DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A
SECRET? Just kidding, these facts are no secret, but they may be some you’ve
never known about this sensational group. With the upcoming concert, Let it
Be! Beatles, it was only appropriate to talk about the concert and
the songs that will be heard!
For this one, I went a little crazy, studying every song and researching specific facts and stories about them! Enjoy.
The Michigan Philharmonic will be performing Let it Be!
Beatles which is a concert full of the Fab Four’s greatest hits, some
compiled into six different arrangements, two songs which will be played
individually, all being performed to create ONE night of FAB FUN!
Arrangement #1: (Bob Lowden)
Remembering the Beatles
[Eleanor Rigby; Yesterday; A Hard Day’s Night; Fool on the Hill;
Something; Please Please Me]
Album: Revolver
Written by: McCartney
About: A lonely spinster and the solitary priest who buries her. It was
the group’s first song written in the first person AND their first on the
subject of a named individual. When originally pitched to the band and
Liverpool mate Pete Shotten, McCartney originally used the names Daisy Hawkins
and Father McCartney in the songs (whhhhattt!). Shotton suggested McKenzie
after picking it out of a phonebook (a what? Holy Retro!) After that, the whole
band added a little something to the song. Starr suggested the Father was
“Darning his socks,” and Harrison came up with the infamous “look at all the
lonely people.” McCartney chose Eleanor Rigby, for Beatles’ Help! Costar
Eleanor Bron and a store in Bristol (neat!). It peaked at #1 on September 24,
1966!
Album: Help!
Written By: McCartney
About: Here’s how the story goes; McCartney woke up one morning with
the song’s music and lyrics fully formed. He thought he may have subconsciously
stole the song from someone else, and took time to perform it for numerous
people, using the phrase “Scrambled Eggs” as a placeholder until he arrived at
“Yesterday.” This song was a pivotal work for the group, with the lyrics being
something that most adults could embrace, “signaling a depth of introspection
and a loss of innocence.” (DEEP). It peaked at #1 on October 9, 1965!
Paul 2, rest of Beatles 0
Album: A Hard Day’s Night
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: On the evening of April 13, 1964, Lennon wrote “A Hard Day’s
Night,” the same day that director Dick Lester decided to name the Beatles’
first film that. Lennon wrote a majority of the songs for this album as well as
the follow-up, Beatles for Sale. (Go John!). McCartney recalls Lennon
offering to write the song, and coming back to the studio the following day
with the completed song. The lyrics were written on the back of child’s
birthday card – which is now in the British Museum in London! It peaked at #1
on August 1, 1964!
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Written By: McCartney
About: Who’s the fool? Apparently the fool is the Maharishi (Indian
guru), whose detractors dismissed him for his high-pitched laugh and constant
smile. McCartney wrote the song while visiting his father. The arrangement may
be simple, but the piece contained many overdubs. Engineer Ken Scott said it was
NOT fun to get two tape machines to line up, the original track and the flute
track were different speeds and HARD to line up! A GIANT round of applause for
KEN!
Written By: Harrison
About: One of Harrison’s best songs, which is odd since Harrison
uncharacteristically wrote it on the piano! The opening line comes from the
James Taylor song “Something in the Way She Moves.” “Something” is said to be
the second most covered Beatles’ song, after “Yesterday.” It peaked at #1 on
November 29, 1969!
Album: Please Please Me
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: The Beatles’ second single, but it almost was not that way.
Their manager wanted the group to record a teen bop written by a professional
songwriter, but John and Paul offered this song instead. To compromise, their
manager took the song, but advised them to speed it up to its known speed – and
they did. It peaked at #1 on March 14, 1964!
Arrangement #2: (Henry Mancini)
Portrait of the Beatles
[All My Loving; And I Love Her; A Hard Day’s Night; Michelle; Norwegian
Wood (This Bird Has Flown); Yesterday]
Album: With the Beatles
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: In May 1963, The Beatles were on tour with Roy Orbison and
McCartney penned the lyrics to this tune while en route to the next gig – was
the first song he ever wrote the words first! (Fun fact!). Upon arriving at the
next venue, Paul quickly found a piano backstage and picked out chords for it.
He originally wanted the song to have a country-western flare, although it is
more of a rock song, Harrison’s guitar solo gives it the twang McCartney
originally envisioned.
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| If I Fell / And I Love Her single artwork |
Album: A Hard Day’s Night
Written By: McCartney & Lennon
Album: McCartney was in love with actress Jane Asher in 1964 and soon
moved in with her and her parents, where this song was written. McCartney was
impressed with his own work and liked that he only mentions the title once
throughout the song. The Beatles attempted to use their electric guitars, but
opted for a gentler acoustic sound (good choice, fellas). It was criticized for
being to repetitious, so they added a key change!! (God bless the F sharp minor
to G minor, we got a song!)
“A Hard Day’s Night”
See above.
“Michelle”
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Album: Rubber Soul
Written By: McCartney
About: This tune was inspired by music of the fifties and originally
started as a joke, as McCartney saw some guy singing a French song at a party
he attended. McCartney performed it as a party piece with nonsensical French
lyrics, until Lennon knocked some sense into him and made it a proper tune
(Thank you John!). With the help of Jan Vaughan, a friend’s wife, who was a French
teacher, he was able to develop proper French lyrics for the song. The melody
and bass are played simultaneously and was inspired by Chet Atkins’ style of
finger-picking. Lennon suggested repeating the “I love you” in the refrain,
imitating Nina Simone’s version of “I Put a Spell on You.”
Album: Rubber Soul
Written By: Lennon
About: Lennon wrote the song while vacationing with manager George
Martin and their wives in the Swiss Alps. Martin broke his foot, causing the
group to spend most of the trip indoors. Lennon used the time to write songs
for Rubber Soul, this being one....and it was about one of Lennon’s extramarital
affairs.
“Yesterday”
See above.
Arrangement #3: (Jack Bullock)
The Beatles Remembered
[Do You Want To Know A Secret?; From Me To You; I Saw Her Standing
There; She Loves You]
Album: Please Please Me
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: Very lightweight, and perfect for the youngest Beatle, George
Harrison to sing, as it suited his innocent demeanor. Lennon was the primary
composer and wrote the tune Fall 1962, deriving the opening lines of the song
from “I’m Wishing,” a song featured in Walt Disney’s 1937 Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs. (His mama used to sing it to him when he was younger….aw!)
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| Single Cover Art, Italy |
*Was featured as a single, not included on a Beatles’ album
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: Third single written and first not to be included on an album.
It was also the first to top all of the U.K. charts and was the start of
Beatlemania! It was written on February 28, 1963 while on tour with Helen
Shapiro.
Album: Please Please Me
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: Songwriting began in fall 1962 when McCartney started working
out chords on an acoustic guitar. It was originally called “Seventeen,” and
speculated to have been written for McCartney’s then-girlfriend Celia Mortimer,
who was 17 at the time. The lyrics were completely finished a month later by
Lennon and McCartney, changing the original line “she was just 17, never a
beauty queen,” to the more suggestive “you to know what I mean,” which
McCartney loved because we don’t know what he means (Silly guy). Another fun
fact: the “one-two-three-four” count-in at the beginning of the song was added
on the NINTH take of the song, to make it seem like it was recorded live. (ok
sneaky petes)
*Was featured as a single, not included on a Beatles’ album
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: This song, was, and remains, the best-selling single in the U.K.
It was written Summer ’63 right before a gig. McCartney had the idea to write
it as an advice piece, rather than a traditional love song. The song was
finished the following day. McCartney played it for his dad who said, “Couldn’t
you sing, ‘She loves you. Yes! Yes! Yes!’?” (Should dad be getting some of
these royalties???) Like most songs, to appeal to a wider audience and meet
demand, it was recorded in German: “Sie Liebt Dich.”
Arrangement #4: (Calvin Custer)
The Best of the Beatles
[Got to Get You Into My Life; When I’m Sixty-Four; Michelle; Get Back]
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| Got To Get You Into My Life / Helter Skelter album cover art |
Album: Revolver
Written By: McCartney
About: McCartney was unsure how to go about this song – was not sure
what he wanted the overall feel to be. At first he thought he would give it a
more Motown flare, having the instruments loud with prominent harmonized vocals.
Later on, McCartney wanted to add a brass section. INTERESTING: to record the
brass section, Geoff Emerick, engineer, placed mics in the bells of the
instrument and compressed the sound through the Fairchild limiter, giving them
more of a punch and clarity, which was rarely heard on ANY recording up until
this diddy.
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| Fairchild Limiter |
Album: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Written By: McCartney
About: This was one of McCartney’s first songs he had ever written…..and
he wrote it when he was, wait for it, 16. It was never really part of the early
Beatles’ repertoire, but they would play it every now and again to kill some
time. It’s speculated Young McCartney wrote it about his own father, James, who
at the time was 64, written in a jazzier style, which would have been inspired by
the music he listened to as a child and the music his musician father....being a jazz musician.
“Michelle”
See above.
“Get Back”
Album: Let It Be
Written By: McCartney
About: Written during a loose
jam session, with the “get back to where you once belonged” line being inspired
by Harrison’s song “Sour Milk Sea,” written for Jackie Lomax (where Paul played
Bass). It was written as a parody to some racist attitudes held by some in the
UK, however, the final version of the song centers around Jo Jo and Loretta
Martin, both in the middle of transitions. Jo Jo is searching for a home and
Loretta is questioning her gender identity.
Roger Holmes, Arrangement #5:
Album: Please Please Me
Written By: Phil Medley, Burt
Berns, & Bert Russell
About: Written in 1961 under
the name “Shake It Up Baby.” It was recorded by the Isley Brothers in 1962
under the name “Shout.” To capitalize on the success, Berns retitled the track
to “Twist and Shout,” taking advantage of the popular dance craze the Twist. It
peaked at #2 on April 4, 1964.
Arrangement #6: (Ted Ricketts)
Hello, Goodbye (Songs of
the Beatles in Concert)
[Can’t Buy Me Love; Hello,
Goodbye; Penny Lane; Ticket to Ride]
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| You Can't Do That / Can't Buy Me Love cover art |
Album: Please Please Me
Written By: McCartney
About: Written at the height
of Beatlemania, this song demonstrated how fast the Beatles worked. McCartney
wrote the song in January 1964 while touring with the band in Paris, where they
had a 19-day residency. At the end of January, they recorded the song in under
an hour, in just FOUR takes! It peaked at #1 on April 4, 1964.
A number one and number two on
the SAME DAY. Madness! No MANIA, Beatlemania!
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| Hello Goodbye / I Am The Walrus cover art |
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Written By: McCartney
About: It’s about duality,
with a message to be more positive. Side note: Lennon did not like the song….AT
ALL. That or he was just a little upset this song was chosen over his song “I
am the Walrus,” which appeared on the album’s B-side (look up how an album
works, kids). This song peaked at #1 on December 30, 1967!
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| Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane cover art |
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Written By: Lennon &
McCartney
About: It was a short bus ride
around Liverpool that provided the inspiration for this song. The lyrics were
based on McCartney and Lennon’s childhood memories. The song was written and
recorded, but something was missing. The missing piece to the Penny Lane puzzle
was discovered upon Paul watching a performance of Bach’s Brandenburg Concert
No. 2 in F Major, which featured David Mason on piccolo trumpet, prompting
McCartney to add in the trumpet part. Fun Fact: David Mason was hired to
perform the trumpet flourishes and solo on this song! This song peaked at #1 on
March 18, 1967! (*Click Here to listen to David Mason talk about his experience with the Beatles).
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| Ticket To Ride / Yes It Is cover art |
Album: Help!
Written By: Lennon &
McCartney
About: This tune was a sign of
the time, symbolizing the emerging youth culture, with sexually confident women
being a recurring theme within the Beatles’ music in 1965. Here, the tune is
about a women who can’t be tied down. Interestingly, this song featured one of
the heaviest rhythms heard in rock and roll up to that time, not to mention the
pretty innovative fade-out. McCartney said they “almost invented the idea…it
was quite radical at the time.”
Arrangement #7: (Bruce Healey)
Love is All You Need (A
Tribute to the Beatles)
[All My Loving; All You Need
is Love; Blackbird; Can’t Buy Me Love; Come Together; Day Tripper; Here Comes
the Sun; If I Fell; Lady Madonna; Let It Be; Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da; Something;
Yesterday]
“All My Loving”
See above.
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| All You Need Is Love / Baby, You're a Rich Man cover art |
Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Written By: Lennon
About: The song was
commissioned by Britain and required the Beatles to write a song to represent
Britain for Our World, which was the first live global television
link with artists from 19 nations representing their countries. Lennon
responded with a message he thought would be universally understood and
appreciated. The original song was recorded with an orchestra and background
singers. Care to guess who was one of the background singers? (Answer: Mick
Jagger). It peaked at #1 on August 19, 1967!
Album: The Beatles (The White Album)
Written By: McCartney
About: This song was inspired
musically by Bach’s Bourée in E Minor, and was written as a tribute
to the U.S. civil rights movement. The blackbird of the title is meant to
represent a black woman, a song that was written from him to her, who was
experiencing the problems in the states.
“Can’t Buy Me Love”
See above.
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| Something / Come Together cover art |
Album: Abbey Road
Written: Lennon
About: This song was written
in 1969 for the campaign of psychologist and pro-psychedelics activist Timothy
Leary, who was running for governor of California at the time. Leary’s slogan
was “Come together, join the party,” from which Lennon derived the title and
theme. Leary was then imprisoned on a pot charge, so Lennon gave the song to
the Beatles.
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| We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper cover art |
*Was featured as a single, not
included on a Beatles’ album
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: It was October 1965, and the Beatles were just about to release
their album Rubber Soul, when they were told they needed to come up with
a single to accompany the album release (what..). Lennon and McCartney quickly
came up with this tune, reworking a blues number Lennon was working on earlier
that month. The song is in reference who have a “casual interest in drugs,”
hence Day Tripper. The song peaked at #1 January 22, 1965, but only for a short
while before Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” took its place.
Album: Abbey Road
Written By: Harrison
About: Harrison wrote the song while relaxing at Eric Clapton’s garden
(as one does). He took the day off from the Beatles to relax. While walking
through the garden, accompanied by one of Clapton’s acoustic guitars, Harrison
wrote “Here Comes the Sun.”
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| And I Love Her / If I Fell cover art, Italy |
Album: A Hard Day’s Night
Written By: Lennon & McCartney
About: Lennon wrote the song with the assistance of McCartney, making it one of the few ballads Lennon would ever write for the Beatles (seeing as he
liked writing those rockers quite a bit more). This song is interesting, as it
contains a preamble—or intro verse that is not repeated anywhere else in the
song. In fact, it does not even sound like the rest of the song—pretty neat. In
classic Lennon style, he wrote this song on the back of a Valentine’s card. (someone
keep this man away from Hallmark). This tune also went #1 shortly after being
released in the UK. (of course it did)
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| Lady Madonna single cover art |
*Was featured as a single, not
included on a Beatles’ album
Written By: McCartney
About: McCartney found inspiration from a boogie-woogie tune by
Humphrey Lyttleton called “Bad Penny Blues,” and drew this vocal styling from
Fats Domino. The concept of the song is taking the Virgin mother and applying that concept to the hardships faced by women raising a family and making ends meet. Here’s something interesting: unlike all the
other singles released, “Lady Madonna” was the first to not accompany an album
release….how ‘bout that! Oh, and this one also peaked at #1 on the charts…how ‘bout that x2!
Album: Let It Be
Written By: McCartney
About: This song was written during the difficult White Album sessions.
The “Mother Mary” mentioned in the song is often speculated as the holy mother,
but is in fact a reference to McCartney's own mother, Mary, who died when he was only 14.
The opening lyrics heard in this song refer to a dream in which she appears to
him. On April 11, 1970, this song peaked at the #1 spot.
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| Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da cover art, Italy |
Album: The Beatles (The White Album)
Written By: McCartney
About: The phrase “ob la di, ob la da” is a Nigerian phrase that means “life
goes on.” It was often said by McCartney’s Nigerian friend, Jimmy Scott, who was
a conga player from the London club scene. McCartney worked hard at trying to
make this song the Beatles’ next single, but it was not turning out the way he
wanted. After SEVERAL grueling rehearsals, the band ended up with three
different versions. McCartney settled for the second, which appears on this album.
“Something”
See above.
“Yesterday”
See above.
Arrangement #8: (Bill Holcombe)
“Hey Jude”
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| Hey Jude / Revolution cover art, Italy & Yugoslavia |
*Was featured as a single, not
included on a Beatles’ album
Written By: McCartney
About: In 1968, Lennon was going through a divorce with his first wife
Cynthia, and spending a lot more time with his new girlfriend, Yoko Ono. The divorce
was understandably hard on Lennon’s five-year-old son Julian. McCartney was
close to Julian and spent time each week with him. One day while driving,
McCartney came up with the line “Hey Jules, don’t take it bad,” later changing
the name to Jude. The rest is history. This song peaked at #1 on September 28,
1968!
Welp, you've reached the end. I hope you enjoyed this piece and have gained a deeper appreciation for the Beatles and SOME their songs, I know I have.
Let It Be - Beatles
SOLD OUT
Saturday, February 15, 2020
7:30 PM
The Village Theatre
Canton, Michigan
Facts courtesy of
Scapelliti, C. The Beatles: The Story Behind Every Album & Song.
Harris Publications, Inc. New York. 2015.
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