the beatles are exerting their domination by this stage. they play the fats waller classic your feets too big. now fats was good but the beatles are doing the definitive version here. macca's voice was never better. the middle bit "bah do bah dop do dah" was just a small bit in the original but macca makes it the best bit. he would remember things like this later eg the coda in ticket to ride, hala haloa in hello goodbye (tho this may be lennons idea) and at the end of cry baby cry (can you take me back where i came from). sort of little kiss-offs that only the beatles could do.
next lennon takes to the microphone for what sounds like twist and shout. however this is arthur alexander's "where have you been all my life". lennon was listening intently to this guy and its no wonder. the guy is a genius although pretty much unheard of. like anna (go to him) lennon's voice is really suited to this. like all the backing here, harrison's guitar fills and licks (which arent in the original) really add to the song. similar crucial licks would appear a few months later when the beatles were working on "she loves you". during these fills lennon can be heard "where you been brother"
paul? - oooh we're gonna hurry?
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
beatles at the reeperbahn 2
lennon lets rip into a crashing sweet sixteen.
john - "sweet little sixteen". sounds like "la rube"? or maybe "for ruby"?
to begin with, the beatles were always a great cover band. even if they didnt write their own stuff they would probably still have been the biggest band in liverpool. perhaps, thirsty for stardom, they would have released "how do you do it" as their first single. maybe taking whatever songs came their way. because they were better singers than most of the other bands (billy j, pacemakers, freddie etc) they would have got the better songs. they kept on playing shows in hamburg becoming huge in germany and europe due to their rock n roll style. anyway...
straight into the carl perkins number "lend me your comb". you can hear the 3 part harmony here. they would go on to record this one later in 64 but it failed to get on an album.
after that
paul - "afa sound? (german?) " "thank you very much indeed, thank you. Your Feets Too Big"
john - "sweet little sixteen". sounds like "la rube"? or maybe "for ruby"?
to begin with, the beatles were always a great cover band. even if they didnt write their own stuff they would probably still have been the biggest band in liverpool. perhaps, thirsty for stardom, they would have released "how do you do it" as their first single. maybe taking whatever songs came their way. because they were better singers than most of the other bands (billy j, pacemakers, freddie etc) they would have got the better songs. they kept on playing shows in hamburg becoming huge in germany and europe due to their rock n roll style. anyway...
straight into the carl perkins number "lend me your comb". you can hear the 3 part harmony here. they would go on to record this one later in 64 but it failed to get on an album.
after that
paul - "afa sound? (german?) " "thank you very much indeed, thank you. Your Feets Too Big"
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
beatles at the reeperbahn
in december 62 the beatles played their final few gigs in hamburg. a month earlier they had recorded 2 of their own compositions - please please me and ask me why. please please me would be released as their second single in the UK 11 days after their final hamburg gig on december 31st.
luckily enough somebody recorded one of these gigs which was released as the live at the star club lp. the quality is poor but the songs are great. one can only wonder what it would be like if it had been recorded with good equipment.
strangely enough, the beatles didnt perform please please me but did do the other song they recorded in november - ask me why. its an interesting choice - not to play your forthcoming single. perhaps epstein told them not to play it until it was released.
the songs on this are great. almost all of them are covers. these songs were like the beatles training ground as future songwriters. a full tracklisting along with the original performers, can be seen here - http://www.jpgr.co.uk/bls5560.html. info on the four omitted there are:
Where Have You Been All My Life - Arthur Alexander
Sheila - Tommy Roe
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You - Elvis
Till There Was You - Peggy Lee
the unreleased song - My Girl Is Red Hot could well be a ronnie hawkins or carroll bros tune. of course, this is probably the same tune with ronnie covering the carroll bros one.
the first 5 songs are standard rock n roll fare. its not till the end of the 4th song - hippy hippy shake that we hear some on stage banter. it sounds like:
john: thats a good tune!
paul: thank you my son. thank you masumba?
hard to make out. could be german either? the beatles were probably pissed by this stage. i will be trying to make out what they say in between songs for the next few days - a sort of historic document before all hell broke lose - beatlemania...
well actully its just a beatle dork thing but anyway...
luckily enough somebody recorded one of these gigs which was released as the live at the star club lp. the quality is poor but the songs are great. one can only wonder what it would be like if it had been recorded with good equipment.
strangely enough, the beatles didnt perform please please me but did do the other song they recorded in november - ask me why. its an interesting choice - not to play your forthcoming single. perhaps epstein told them not to play it until it was released.
the songs on this are great. almost all of them are covers. these songs were like the beatles training ground as future songwriters. a full tracklisting along with the original performers, can be seen here - http://www.jpgr.co.uk/bls5560.html. info on the four omitted there are:
Where Have You Been All My Life - Arthur Alexander
Sheila - Tommy Roe
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You - Elvis
Till There Was You - Peggy Lee
the unreleased song - My Girl Is Red Hot could well be a ronnie hawkins or carroll bros tune. of course, this is probably the same tune with ronnie covering the carroll bros one.
the first 5 songs are standard rock n roll fare. its not till the end of the 4th song - hippy hippy shake that we hear some on stage banter. it sounds like:
john: thats a good tune!
paul: thank you my son. thank you masumba?
hard to make out. could be german either? the beatles were probably pissed by this stage. i will be trying to make out what they say in between songs for the next few days - a sort of historic document before all hell broke lose - beatlemania...
well actully its just a beatle dork thing but anyway...
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