Beatles Island Songs 53-44

When the Beatles held the top five songs on the Billboard charts on April 4, 1964, Can’t Buy Me Love was #1, the third Beatles #1 in a row, after I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You.


JEOPARDY! answers (questions at the end)

TV HISTORY $600: The British invaded this show in 1964 as the Beatles appeared on Feb. 9 & the Rolling Stones on Oct. 25
DON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB $400: He quit as the Beatles’ bass player to become a painter in 1961
POP MUSIC $200: Feedback was first used in pop music in this Beatles song.
20th CENTURY HISTORY $200: A book by Jim O’Donnell chronicles July 6, 1957, the day these 2 Beatles first met
’60s ROCK $100: Bob Dylan & Dion were the only 2 other rock singers on the cover of this 1967 Beatles album
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John Lennon and Jesus, 4 March 1966

Beatles Sons: Their musical histories and careers(Can you name the five Beatles sons?)
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The rules of engagement

53 It’s Only Love from Help! (UK), Rubber Soul (US). This Lennon piece is the first song on the second side of the US Rubber Soul album, and I always hear it as such.  The repackaging by the American producers caused so much confusion among US listeners that, years later, there were two box sets of four CDs each of the Capitol Records the way we Americans first heard them; Rubber Soul was the last disc on the latter collection.
52 Magical Mystery Tour from Magical Mystery Tour. The McCartney song serves the same function as the title song to Sgt. Pepper; it’s ranked higher because it’s more realized as a song, rather than a snippet. Also appreciate the changing beat.
51 We Can Work It Out from A-side of single (UK), Yesterday and Today (US). The optimistic McCartney juxtaposed with the more plaintive Lennon middle 8 (“life is very short”). Great Stevie Wonder cover of this, BTW.
50 I’m Looking Through You from Rubber Soul. I always liked Ringo on the organ of this McCartney song.
49 I Saw Her Standing There from Please Please Me (UK), Introducing the Beatles/Meet the Beatles. The count in, the handclaps. McCartney, with Lennon.
48 Can’t Buy Me Love from A Hard Day’s Night (UK, US), Hey Jude album (US). When the Beatles held the top five songs on the Billboard charts on April 4, 1964, this McCartney classic was #1, the third Beatles #1 in a row, after I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You.
47 Penny Lane from Magical Mystery Tour. I remember watching the videos for this McCartney song and Strawberry Fields Forever on a show called Where The Action Is, one of those Dick Clark shows on ABC. When it was rebroadcast, inexplicably at 8 a.m., I (cough) realized that (cough) I just wasn’t (cough, cough) feeling well enough to go to school that day.
46 Strawberry Fields Forever from Magical Mystery Tour. This Lennon song and Penny Lane were among the first prepared for the Sgt. Pepper album, but it was nowhere near ready, so the recordings became a Double A-side single. This was one of the songs that fueled the Paul is dead craze, when John says, “cranberry sauce,” but was heard as “I buried Paul.”
45 Nowhere Man from Rubber Soul (UK), Yesterday and Today (US). A most personally relatable Lennon song at the time.
44 When I’m Sixty-Four from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Yet another McCartney saloon tune, perhaps his earliest one, written when he was a teen, but the best realized. When Macca actually turned 64 in June of 2006, it was fodder in all the papers.

JEOPARDY! questions:
What was The Ed Sullivan Show?
Who was Stuart Sutcliffe?
What was “I Feel Fine”?
Who were John Lennon & Paul McCartney?
What was Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?

Beatles Island Songs, 63-54

Peter Fonda was apparently involved.


JEOPARDY! answers (questions at the end)

THEY COVERED THE BEATLES $200: Tiffany was just 17 when she hit the top 10 with a reworked version of this Beatles song
THEY COVERED THE BEATLES $400: This duo had only just begun when they covered “Ticket To Ride” in 1970
THEY COVERED THE BEATLES $600: “We Can Work It Out” worked out to be one of the songs of his 1970 album “Signed, Sealed & Delivered”
THEY COVERED THE BEATLES $1000: Written in 1966, this song was a Top 10 hit from the Beatles in 1976 & for Earth, Wind & Fire in 1978
THEY COVERED THE BEATLES $4,000 (Daily Double): This singer got by with a 1968 version of a Beatles song.
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Peacock Lennon haunts the Beatles.

Paul McCartney has written a major orchestral work for the New York City Ballet, “Ocean’s Kingdom,” to be performed on Sept. 22..

Paul Isn’t Bothered by Artists Remixing and Mashing-Up Beatles Music

5 Reasons George Harrison Might Be the Greatest Beatle, which concentrates on his post-Beatles work
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The rules of engagement

63 Tell Me What You See from Help! (UK), Beatles VI (US). Fondness for this McCartney song is the harmony over the title and the almost Latin flavor of the bridge.
62 If I Needed Someone from Rubber Soul (UK), Yesterday and Today (US). The “If” makes all the difference in this Harrisong, that and great harmonies.
61 Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Julian Lennon’s friend Lucy, about whom John wrote, died recently.
60 Love Me Do, A-side of single. The first single, simple song. McCartney sings the end parts alone because Lennon is busy playing the harmonica.
59 Tell Me Why from A Hard Day’s Night (UK & US), Something New (US). Like this Lennon song from the intro. Also reminds me of a harmony that my sister Marcia added to it in the day.
58 I Want to Tell You from Revolver. Love the intentional distortion in this Harrisong.
57 She Said She Said from Revolver. Lennon weirdness; Peter Fonda was apparently involved.
56 Hello, Goodbye from Magical Mystery Tour. It’s a simple McCartney song, but the countermelody late, and the out-of-the-blue ending makes it.
55 I’m Only Sleeping from Revolver (UK), Yesterday and Today (US). Mood set well by Lennon.
54 What You’re Doing from Beatles for Sale (UK), Beatles VI (US). Many fine elements in this McCartney song, not the least of which is the great instrumental bridge.

What is “I Saw Her Standing There”?
Who were The Carpenters?
Who was Stevie Wonder?
What was “Got To Get You Into My Life”?
Who was Joe Cocker?

Beatles Island Songs, 73-64

JEOPARDY! answers (questions at the end)

9-LETTER WORDS $400: A collection of stories, or a collection of Beatles songs
NUN SENSE $500: A convent’s top nun, she’s told to “Jump the Gun” on the Beatles’ “White Album”
___ AND ___ $400: The Isley Brothers & the Beatles sang, “Shake it up, baby”, do this
POP MUSIC $200: In 1985 this performer bought ATV, owner of much of the Beatles’ catalogue, for over $40 million

The ‘Top 10 Best Rock Bands Ever’ Are…

The rules of engagement

73 Things We Said Today from A Hard Day’s Night (UK), The Beatles’ Second Album. Love this from the intro to what I think is double-tracked McCartney hatrmony vocals.
72 Every Little Thing from Beatles for Sale (UK), Beatles VI (US). Always thought this was a cover of the Everly Brothers or Buddy Holly, but it’s McCartney in that mode.
71 Come Together from Abbey Road. The hook on this Lennon song is the instrumental that comes up even before the vocal. Strange lyrics, some apparently stolen from Chuck Berry.
70 Birthday from the white album. I had the peculiar notion at the time that this Macca/Lennon song would replace Happy Birthday as THE celebratory tune.
69 And Your Bird Can Sing from Revolver (UK), Yesterday and Today (US). Another of the Lennon songs stolen from UK Revolver.
68 I Should Have Known Better from A Hard Day’s Night. From the Lennon harmonica, a winner.
67 The End from Abbey Road. If this McCartney song were together with Golden Slumbers and Carry That Weight, it’d be about #4 on this list. As it is, a Ringo drum solo and trading off guitar solos are great.
66 All My Loving from With the Beatles (UK), Meet the Beatles (US). Among the charms of this McCartney song is the jaunty, almost country, bridge.
65 I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party from Beatles for Sale (UK), Beatles VI (US). Told you I was a sucker for Beatles VI.
64 A Taste of Honey from Please Please Me (UK), Introducing The Beatles/The Early Beatles (US). The great thing about this cover is how goes from 3/4 to 4/4 and back.

JEOPARDY! questions-
What is Anthology?
Who is Mother Superior?
What is twist and shout?
Who was Michael Jackson?

Beatles Island Songs, 83-74

When I was in high school and attempted to write songs, I essentially ended up rewriting Fixing A Hole.


JEOPARDY! answers (questions at the end)-
SONGS $500: This Beatles song begins, “Close your eyes and I’ll kiss you, tomorrow I’ll miss you”
RECORD LABELS $100: On Jan. 30, 1969, the Beatles gave their last public performance on the roof of this record company’s London offices
BANDS OF THE ’80S $100: Icicle Works formed in this city more than 20 years after the Beatles

This month is the anniversary of the Beatles’ “invasion of America.”

Meet the Beatles — For Two College Credits

The top 5 Beatles highlights of 2010

Hembeck’s Beatles page

Rain visits Good Morning America and I just happened to catch it. A review of their show in Chicago.

When The Washington Post panned the Beatles

Beatles voted best overall by Goldmine readers.

Beatles remastered stereo box wins Grammy AND Paul McCartney wins first solo Grammy award in 39 years.

The rules of engagement

83 I’m Happy Just to Dance with You from A Hard Day’s Night (UK, US), Something New (US). A Lennon/McCartney song for Harrison, and I totally believe that he is.
82 Eight Days a Week from Beatles for Sale (UK), Beatles VI. Another of the lipsynch favorites, with Lennon, assisted by McCartney and Harrison.
81 Doctor Robert from Revolver (UK), Yesterday and Today (US). When I got the American version of Revolver, which I thought was the only version at the time, only had two Lennon songs, I wondered what was wrong with John. Turns out that three songs were purloined by Capitol Records for the previously released Yesterday and Today. I never remember what UK album this song belongs on. Annoys me.
80 Blackbird from the white album. Lovely McCartney song, even if Charles Manson thought it was somehow calling to him.
79 Any Time at All from A Hard Day’s Night (UK), Something New (US). Like it from the first note. Lennon, with McCartney.
78 With a Little Help from My Friends from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. That this Lennon/McCartney song was given to Starkey is unsurprising; that it appears in the second slot was astonishing; Ringo’s contribution is usually buried.
77 Money (That’s What I Want) from With the Beatles (US), The Beatles Second Album (US). This early Motown song, co-written by Berry Gordy, was originally performed by Barrett Strong. This Lennon cover is stronger.
76 You Can’t Do That from A Hard Day’s Night (UK), The Beatles’ Second Album (US). Among other attributes, it has the line, “everybody’s green”.
75 Fixing a Hole from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. When I was in high school and attempted to write songs, I essentially ended up rewriting this song; guess this McCartney tune got stuck deep in the brain.
74 Two of Us from Let It Be. As I’ve noted, I find the album a bit depressing. So McCartney and Lennon singing this made me feel that the two of THEM were getting along better than they actually were.

JEOPARDY! questions-
What is All My Loving?
What is Apple Records?
What is Liverpool?

How Do You Sleep QUESTIONS

I might sleep for four hours, then stay in bed, feeling that I had not slept at all the latter part of the time. But I know I have.


Looking at all the Beatles and John Lennon songs, I’m reminded of the fact that Lennon mentioned the topic of sleep a few times. I’m Only Sleeping was on the Beatles’ Revolver album, though I first heard it on the US LP called Yesterday and Today. It starts off:
When I wake up early in the morning,
Lift my head, I’m still yawning
When I’m in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float upstream

Then, for the Beatles white album, Lennon writes:
I’m so tired, I haven’t slept a wink
I’m so tired, my mind is on the blink

The tone of the vicious Lennon attack on Paul McCartney, How Do You Sleep is contrasted with #9 Dream in my mind.
So long ago
Was it in a dream, was it just a dream?
I had known, yes I know
Seemed so very real, it seemed so real to me

1. How do YOU sleep at night?
2. Do you remember your dreams?

On those nights I sleep for six or seven hours straight, I tend not to remember my dreams. But on the nights I have a lot on my mind, I might sleep for four hours, then stay in bed, feeling that I had not slept at all the latter part of the time. But I know I have because the dreams are so vivid, it’s as though they were real.

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