Beatles Archives - Page 5 of 12 - Ramblin' with Roger

R is for Rock and/or Roll

I was reading my Beatlefan magazine this month and there was a discussion of the album “The Beatles” that had a stark white cover, in contrast with the elaborately colorful predecessor Sgt. Pepper. Beatles’ producer George Martin opined that it would have made a great single album, and maybe it it would have. Though Paul McCartney famously replied, “It’s great. It sold. It’s the bloody Beatles’ White Album. Shut up.” . But what to cut?

Then Internet friend Scott actually made a pared-down list, and that has has forced me to TRY to do the same.

Understand that I heard this album in late November or early December 1968, 40 years ago, when it was brand new. I was in the basement of the Unitarian church in Binghamton in upstate New York, hanging out with Steve, who was a member of the church’s LRY (Liberal Religious Youth) group plus other friends of ours. And we listened to the whole thing sitting around in a circle. We were gobsmacked by the experience. I received the album for Christmas that year, but had to return it because the intro to Birthday skipped; this was, as I recall, a problem for a number of people, not just me.

Side one
# Title Length
1. “Back in the U.S.S.R.” 2:43
2. “Dear Prudence” 3:56
3. “Glass Onion” 2:17
4. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” 3:08
5. “Wild Honey Pie” 0:52
6. “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” 3:14
7. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (George Harrison) 4:45
8. “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” 2:43
Side two
# Title Length
1. “Martha My Dear” 2:28
2. “I’m So Tired” 2:03
3. “Blackbird” 2:18
4. “Piggies” (Harrison) 2:04
5. “Rocky Raccoon” 3:32
6. “Don’t Pass Me By” (Starkey) 3:50
7. “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” 1:41
8. “I Will” 1:46
9. “Julia” 2:54
Side three
# Title Length
1. “Birthday” 2:42
2. “Yer Blues” 4:01
3. “Mother Nature’s Son” 2:48
4. “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” 2:24
5. “Sexy Sadie” 3:15
6. “Helter Skelter” 4:29
7. “Long, Long, Long” (Harrison) 3:04
Side four
# Title Length
1. “Revolution 1” 4:15
2. “Honey Pie” 2:41
3. “Savoy Truffle” (Harrison) 2:54
4. “Cry Baby Cry” 3:01
5. “Revolution 9” 8:22
6. “Good Night” 3:11

Strategically, I suppose what to keep is of some import. One has to have one Ringo vocal. The drummer left the band during the making of the album and had to be wooed back. While selecting the song he wrote years earlier, Don’t Pass Me By, might have been more pleasing to him, Lennon’s Good Night is a more pleasant tune. Likewise one needs two Harrison songs; Guitar and Savoy Truffle are the strongest. I need to keep some, but not all of Paul’s dance hall tunes. If we keep Obladi, the reference to it in Savoy makes more sense. I suppose we’ll dump the “obvious” Revolution 9 and Wild Honey Pie. I’m also dumping Revolution 1 only because Revolution became a single.

In fact, if it had been cut down to a single LP, wouldn’t there have been another single instead? Other than the songs chosen for inclusion, I’m thinking that Glass Onion might have stood alone, with all those insider Beatles’ references, backed with one of McCartney’s pretty ballads – I’ll pick Mother Nature’s Son.
Which leaves:
Side 1
1. “Back in the U.S.S.R.” 2:43
2. “Dear Prudence” 3:56
3. “Blackbird” 2:18
4. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (Harrison) 4:45
5. “Julia” 2:54
6. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” 3:08
7. “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” 2:43
Side 2
1. “I’m So Tired” 2:03
2. “Birthday” 2:42
3. “Yer Blues” 4:01
4. “Savoy Truffle” (Harrison) 2:54
5. “Sexy Sadie” 3:15
6. “Helter Skelter” 4:29
7. “Good Night” 3:11
I’m trying to think as they might have. “Julia”, about John’s mother, wouldn’t be cut. Most of the other songs, notably “I Will”, would have shown up in other albums, either by the Beatles or solo. “Rocky Raccoon” is the cut I least enjoyed making.
Alternately, “Ob-la-di” is the single, b/w “Savoy Truffle”. but that involves perhaps a different song selection altogether.

What sayest thou?

ABC Wednesday
ROG

Why I Blog

Someone asked me to give him an example of a piece I wrote that I thought kept me sane. I replied:
It’s not that I have a particular piece I’m talking about. It’s the exercise of writing something every day. Sometimes, it’s just an Internet meme, but even that allows me to put my personal stamp on it. Moreover, I must have been doing something right on my blog [here], because the local paper invited me to write on THEIR blog.
Moreover, I’ve become such an “expert” on it that giving some advice to a business blogger, and I attended a conference in Chicago, where a colleague and I talked about Starting Your SBDC Blog (based on our experience doing THIS blog.

All I know is that, before the blog, I wanted to write and didn’t because I lacked discipline to write something that, likely, no one would see; the public nature of the blog forces me to post to it (or actually them) regularly.
***
When they recalibrated SiteMeter, they said I’d get more page views. While the number of hits has remained about the same, the number of average views per visit jumped from about 1.4 to about 2.4. Every once in a while, I look to see what articles are bringing folks to the blog. This piece on the October 4, 1987 snowstorm – 21 years ago this week – has been big the past month. My rant about the Beatles butchers has also been popular recently.
***
I went to some SEO – search engine optimization – site recently, put in my URL, and this is what it recommended:
Keyword Suggestion
Searches / month
sarah palin 668,160
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sarah palin pictures 23,370
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Now, while it’s true that I’ve talked about Sarah Palin, even before she was picked as Vice-Presidential candidate, and showed pictures of her, albeit not in a bikini, I never talked about Sarah Palin being naked. And I wrote about so many topics OTHER than Sarah Palin. I do wish I knew exactly how SEO worked.
ROG

Birthday songs

My birthday is March 7, so in honor of my unbirthday, here are the #1 Billboard songs on my birthday.
2008 … “Low” by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain – don’t know what this is
2007 … “This Is Why I’m Hot” by Mims – don’t know
2006 … “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt – even I know this one, and in fact managed to become sick of it
2005 … “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent featuring Olivia – don’t know
2004 … “Yeah!” by Usher featuring Ludacris & Lil Jon – heard this song a couple times, but wouldn’t say I KNOW it
2003 … “In Da Club” by 50 Cent – ditto
2002 … “Ain’t It Funny” by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule – don’t know
2001 … “Stutter [Double Take Remix]” by Joe featuring Mystikal – must have heard it, but not sticking to the brain
2000 … “Amazed” by Lonestar – ditto
1999 … “Believe” by Cher – classic Cher histrionics
1998 … “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion – real histrionics. And I own it.
1997 … “Wannabe” by Spice Girls – fluff. Spice Girls didn’t offend me; I just didn’t much care.
1996 … “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men – this song was number 1 for something like 16 weeks. It showed up on JEOPARDY! when I was on in 1998, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember the title. (I kept thinking One Fine Day, but I knew THAT was wrong. Category was Songs By the Numbers for $200.) When the Regis Philbin-hosted Who Wants to be a Millionaire was on, I think it was involved in a $250,000 clue. Oh, the song itself? It’s OK. I like the B2M harmonies.
1995 … “Take a Bow” by Madonna. Not remembering.
1994 … “The Sign” by Ace of Base. Annoyingly catchy.
1993 … “Informer” by Snow. Heard, don’t recall.
1992 … “To Be with You” by Mr. Big. Don’t know.
1991 … “Someday” by Mariah Carey. All of Mariah Carey’s songs from a certain period sound exactly the same to me.
1990 … “Escapade” by Janet Jackson. I like Janet actually, but this was pretty lightweight.
1989 … “Lost in Your Eyes” by Debbie Gibson – heard it, not remembering.
1988 … “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley. Actually, I’ve probably heard more often in the 21st Century than at the time. Meh.
1987 … “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. Never was a big Bon Jovi fan. Own none of their albums. It was as good a song as they did, I suppose.
1986 … “Kyrie” by Mr. Mister. Recall liking this, but I’d need to hear it again.
1985 … “Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon. It became popular to dump on the Spudwagon, but it’s no worse than that corporate rock sound of any number of songs of the era.
1984 … “Jump” by Van Halen. My fondness probably comes from David Lee Roth on the video.
1983 … “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. Classic tune. Own.
1982 … “Centerfold” by J. Geils Band. I always liked the storyline. Own.
1981 … “I Love a Rainy Night” by Eddie Rabbitt. Dopey.
1980 … “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen. Lesser Queen; still, I used to try to imitate it. Own.
1979 … “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. Anthemic. Still, I still hear Jim Carrey do Tony Clifton, singing “I Will Surveeve” in the Man on the Moon movie. Own.
1978 … “(Love Is) Thicker than Water” by Andy Gibb. Andy Gibb was born on March 5, 1958 (and died March 10, 1988). You’d think I’d remember a big hit from a fellow Piscean, especially a dead one, wouldn’t you? I really don’t.
1977 … “Love Theme from ‘A Star Is Born’ (Evergreen)” by Barbra Streisand. Like Barbra’s voice. What can I say? Oh that the movie was filmed in part at the Union College campus in Schenectady, NY, which gives it special props. Own.
1976 … “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” by The Four Seasons – guilty pleasure, for sure. Own. (n.b., I see that some people don’t believe in guilty pleasures. OK.)
1975 … “Have You Never Been Mellow” by Olivia Newton-John. Dopey song, pleasant voice. Own.
1974 … “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks. Hated this song. Its sing-songy verse, its pretentious lyrics.
1973 … “Killing Me Softly with His Song” by Roberta Flack. Saw Roberta sing this live. A fan. Own.
1972 … “Without You” by Nilsson. For some reason, when he wails “Can’t li-i-i-ive…” it always gets to me, as though he really WOULD die. Own.
1971 … “One Bad Apple” by The Osmonds. This especially annoyed me, this faux Jackson Five song.
1970 … “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel. Beautiful instrumentation, practically tear-inducing singing by Artie. Own.
1969 … “Everyday People” by Sly & the Family Stone. My first favorite Sly song. Why CAN’T we all get along? Own.
1968 … “Love Is Blue” by Paul Mauriat. A lovely instrumental. Own.
1967 … “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone” by The Supremes. I’m not much on people talking in songs. This is a rare exception. “You stripped me of my dreams…” Own.
1966 … “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by S/Sgt. Barry Sadler. I hated the politics of the song, yet had a grudging admiration for its unambiguous sincerity. It did inspire a truly dreadful 1968 John Wayne/David Janssen film that I saw at the time.
1965 … “Eight Days a Week” by The Beatles. The verse is pretty basic, but the chorus with the brief a cappella bits is nice. Own.
1964 … “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles. The chorus and verse are good energy. But it’s the bridge that really makes it work. Own.
1963 … “Walk like a Man” by The Four Seasons. I was ten at the time, and a guy singing “walk like a man” in that register just cracked me up, I’m afraid to admit. A greater appreciation came later. Own.
1962 … “Hey! Baby” by Bruce Channel. I have at least three versions of this song, but I’m not particularly remembering his take.
1961 … “Pony Time” by Chubby Checker. Only vague recollection.
1960 … “Theme from ‘A Summer Place'” by Percy Faith. Another pretty instrumental. Own.
1959 … “Venus” by Frankie Avalon. Liked this, actually, in spite of myself.
1958 … “Don’t/ I Beg of You” by Elvis Presley. Like Don’t; not remembering the other. Own.
1957 … “Young Love” by Tab Hunter. The Sonny James version of this same song also went to #1 in 1957, and I like it a lot, but I don’t know the Tab Hunter version at all.
1956 … “Lisbon Antigua” by Nelson Riddle. Don’t know.
1955 … “Sincerely” by The McGuire Sisters. Lovely harmonies. Think Andrews Sisters or Lemmon Sisters. Own.
1954 … “Make Love to Me!” by Jo Stafford. Don’t know.
1953 … “Till I Waltz Again with You” by Teresa Brewer. Don’t know.
ROG

Songs That Move Me, 30-21

30. Sixty Years On- Elton John
Just great use of strings. Too bad Elton’s vocal’s mixed too low, but the instrumentation is a fair representation of the recording.
Feeling: old.

29. The Mercy Seat- Johnny Cash
This is a nice little Nick Cave song about an upcoming execution of the protagonist, for a crime he did not commit (maybe). It is the Benmont Tench keyboards on this song, like his keyboards on Johnny’s version of Hurt, that really stand out for me. I particularly appreciates how it builds sonically. From the third American Recordings CD.
Feeling: a-feared.

28. How Cruel – Joan Armatrading.
“I heard somebody say once I was way too black
And someone answers she’s not black enough for me”
Just for that couplet there. And the piano.
Feeling: a tad ticked off.

27. A Salty Dog – Procol Harum
The sound effects, the building of the sound.
Feeling: adrift.

26. Tempted-Squeeze
Near-perfect pop song, with great background singing and that classic Paul Carrack groan.
Feeling: inappropriate.
HERE.

25. I Saw Her Again- Mamas and the Papas
This is enhanced by an accident of technology. On a greatest hits LP I had growing up, the lead vocal all but drops out, revealing the intricacy of the harmonies.
Feeling: inappropriate.

24. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow – Carole King
It’s the Mitchell-Taylor Boy and Girl Chorus that really makes this. This arrangement practically begs for a cappella singing. From Tapestry, which I played so much, I wore out the LP.

23. Rain – the Beatles.
Not sure i really liked this song on first listen. It was, “What the heck is THAT?” But later, the tape loops and steady beat won me over.
Feeling: wet.

22. Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
Not only great guitar playing, but the Merry Clayton vocal really shreds it.
Feeling: alone.

21. Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) – Melanie
I had a friend inn the music business mock me when a mutual acquaintance, a radio DJ, let her know I had requested a Melanie song from him. I protested, “But it’s Lay Down!” the clash between her sometimes homely voice and the Edwin Hawkins Singers creates such wonderful music tension.
Feeling: too tired to sleep.
or HERE.
ROG

Dealing with Stuff

Saw a couple people yesterday that reminded me about my war with stuff. There was a period, once upon a time, when I coveted stuff – new music, new books, pretty much what every good American has been trained to do. Yet at the same time, I admired people who had a better handle on stuff. I knew this couple from my former church who lived in a small house, and they had a rule that for whatever came into the house, something of equal size had to go out. Music, books, magazines were purchased, but something else had to be passed along.

This is why I have rules about playing music; if I own it and am not playing it, what’s the point? To “have”? (Whereas I’m keeping my Warner Brothers’ Loss Leaders LPs for a reason.)

Alan David Doane, noted comics blogger, and former FantaCo customer, came by my house yesterday morning and took a comics magazine-sized box of periodicals out of my house. It included early Amazing Heroes (back when it WAS mag size), about 30 Comics Journals, and various and sundry other bits of comics journalism from the early 1980s. As I looked through the box, I had a twinge of nostalgia, especially for a square-bound CJ featuring the Pinis and Elfquest. But an even stronger sensation was this: I will never read these magazines again. ADD will enjoy having them much more than I at this point. And, if he finds any FantaCo-relevant info in there, ADD will tell me, making it a win-win.

Less than an hour later, I had lunch with Mitch Cohn, who used to work at FantaCo and edited 2/5 issues of the Chronicles, Gates of Eden and Deja Vu. (Mitch says hi to Fred and Rocco.) In the course of catching up on our lives – he’s teaching English in NYC – Mitch wondered whether Tom Skulan, former FantaCo owner, still had this copy of Abbey Road purportedly signed by all four Beatles. I said no, he gave it to me for Christmas or my birthday in 1984 or ’85. Here’s the weird thing about that; I often forget that I have it. There was a show of Beatles memorabilia to which I had contributed some pieces, but the Abbey Road, which was/is NOT with my Beatles’ materials, totally slipped my mind. So,I’m thinking that I probably should just sell it. Of course, this would probably involve authenticating the signatures. The Beatles were notorious for letting their surrogates sign on their behalf. But having it to “have” it just isn’t making sense anymore.

It’s not that I’m immune to wanting stuff altogether. Sure I’d like a stereo HDTV some day. But my now 21-year-old, pre-SAP, pre-V-chip TV still works, and I’m not throwing it to the curb (probably not literally; there are rules in this city against that) for something I want but just don’t need.
***
Things that are bugging me:
*the way the US Census discounts, or more correctly, uncounts married gay couples
*this cartoon featuring Barack Obama; I think it’s racist. No, it’s not the New Yorker cover.
*and I feel rather callous about this one, but after Martha Raddatz, the ABC News White House correspondent reported on the death of former White House press secretary, who died of colon cancer at the age of 53 earlier this month, anchor Charlie Gibson thanked her, adding “I know how hard this story was for you.” Undoubtedly, some affection develops for someone one talks with on a near-daily basis, but hearing “how hard” it was for Martha, who was showing no visible signs of emotion, made me wonder how aggressively the network was in dealing with the Bush administration. (No, that’s not the ONLY thing that made me question that.) And it made Martha’s reaction part of the story, which made me uncomfortable.