Favourite Beatles Song Megathread

[Ousetunes 10]

Single Pigeon saw the members of Wings swap instruments (although I'm not sure what Linda swapped, if you catch my drift).

 

McCartney's solo career is littered with tracks like Single Pigeon, potentially decent songs which in their rushed nature never seemed quite finished. Without a doubt (and despite its McCartney/McCartney composer tag - or maybe because of?) McCartney needed a collaborator. True, Denny Laine helped write many a decent Wings track (including Mull Of Kintyre. He sold his half of songwriting royalties when he was in financial dire straits, something he regrets to this day) but he would never be another Lennon.

 

Thus, Single Pigeon is nothing more than a bit of throw-away jamming. Incomplete and as happyhippy says it 'misses that edge'.

 

All is not lost on Red Rose Speedway because McCartney was beginning to find his feet as a solo songwriter at this point. The album contains My Love, one of his finest compositions and I must admit to having a soft spot for Little Lamb Dragonfly. Red Rose Speedway would lead to Band On The Run (when Wings became a trio of Paul, Linda and Denny). Many rate this as Macca's finest 'solo' album (personally, I'm not one of them. It is dreadfully recorded and produced).

 

Whether McCartney would have turned to him had he been there seems unlikely but knowing Lennon would be listening in to tracks like Single Pigeon, Three Legs, Loop (1st Indian On The Moon), Sunglasses et al leads me to think he - McCartney - wouldn't have had the nerve to release such material. Then again, Lennon was recording stuff like Freda People around this time so he wasn't immune to such moments of self-gratification either.

[not wanted 10]

Have any of you come across A Toot And A Snore In '74 A bootleg with John, Paul, Stevie Wonder and Harry Nilsson playing on it.

[Celestial 10]

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill

Julia

Dear Prudence

Long Long Long

[Cols 10]

Have any of you come across A Toot And A Snore In '74 A bootleg with John, Paul, Stevie Wonder and Harry Nilsson playing on it.

 

Yes. It's pitiful isn't it. The only reunion (J & P) and they were all smashed out of their minds. Much better are the Double Fantasy sessions where Lennon was back on form and very much in charge.

[Tarquin 10]

To be honest a couple of my least favourite Beatles tracks are George's "Love you to" & "Blue jay way",both very similar in my opinion "dirges" in a droning key of C. Tomorrow never knows is a "drone" in the key of C but a completely different song;)

[cressida 1,568]

I prefer John Lennon's songs and voice to Paul McCartney, like George's 'Don't bother me', 'Love Me Do','Eleanor Rigby' can't think of my favourites at the moment

[Ousetunes 10]

To be honest a couple of my least favourite Beatles tracks are George's "Love you to" & "Blue jay way",both very similar in my opinion "dirges" in a droning key of C. Tomorrow never knows is a "drone" in the key of C but a completely different song;)

 

I actually like Blue Jay Way for its swirly backing vocals (most of which are omitted from the mono Magical Mystery Tour e.p. version, along with parts of the drumming).

 

I'm not overly fussed about Love You To but it fits in well on Revolver.

 

Regarding the drone (C in Blue Jay Way, C {mixolydian scale} in Love You To and again C - although with a strong 'pull' toward Bb whilst Lennon sings a mixolydian scale in E! - in Tomorrow Never Knows), it's interesting to see how all four Beatles were affected by this Indian approach to music.

 

In recording order, and intended for Revolver (or Beatles On Safari as the working title had it), the Beatles seemed obsessed in recording songs which stuck to their home key:

 

Tomorrow Never Knows (see above)

Got To Get You Into My Life (in G up to the refrain and part of the chorus)

Love You To (working title Granny Smith) all in key of C

Paperback Writer (whole verse in same key up to refrain and chorus)

Rain (arguable but famously discordant with a 'drone-like pull of G throughout')

And Your Bird Can Sing (another arguable contender, but note the dualling guitar riffs in E)

Eleanor Rigby (Cleverly hidden, it's mainly in Em but incorporates some sad sevenths and sixths in the 'All the lonely people' line).

 

It would appear however that after Eleanor Rigby, the Beatles' interest in the drone or pedal-tone cooled although they would return to it later.

 

What makes their approach so different however, is that with the exception of Love You To, the above songs were recorded using traditional, 'western' instruments, guitars and string sections. The effect in places is startling, none more so than in Lennon's Tomorrow Never Knows.

 

Finally, notice that all three songwriting Beatles offered tracks to be recorded in the drone style. Competition to the fore with George beginning to challenge Paul and John as a major Beatle songwriter!

[RedRocker 10]

My top 5 are

 

Sympathy for the devil

Gimme shelter

Wild Horses

Brown Sugar

Jumpin Jack Flash!!

 

Never did like the Beatles!! :D:D

[Tarquin 10]

Ousetunes

 

 

When you can spare a minute can you have a look in your copy of The "Complete scores" at the song "Dig a pony".The last note of the intial guitar riff(last note in the second bar)appears in my book as a "D" note.Surely this should be an "A" note.I thought this was a printing error at first,but it is that note in the treble clef & also in the tab transcription.Just wondered if yours was the same.The riff(as far as I remember from the Let it be album)seems to resolve back to the note of "A".

 

 

Also what's your opinion on Yoko's song "Walking on thnin ice".

[BasilRathbon 10]

Wonderwall

Roll With It

Live Forever

Champagne Supernova

Don't Look Back In Ongar

[Ousetunes 10]

Ousetunes

 

 

When you can spare a minute can you have a look in your copy of The "Complete scores" at the song "Dig a pony".The last note of the intial guitar riff(last note in the second bar)appears in my book as a "D" note.Surely this should be an "A" note.I thought this was a printing error at first,but it is that note in the treble clef & also in the tab transcription.Just wondered if yours was the same.The riff(as far as I remember from the Let it be album)seems to resolve back to the note of "A".

 

 

Also what's your opinion on Yoko's song "Walking on thnin ice".

 

Tarquin, I'll have a look at Dig A Pony tonight and let you know what I think. (And thanks for giving me something to do; Have you seen the rubbish on the box tonight?) From memory, it would make sense for the riff to land in the home key of A. Landing on D would make the note an Asus4 - something the rhythm guitar is doing throughout the verse (swinging between A and its sus4). However, hitting D at this point would not sound right with the rhythm playing an A major and Paul hitting A on his bass. But I'm saying this trying to 'picture the sound', so I could well be wrong.

 

Regarding Walking On Thin Ice, as with most of Yoko's work, I neither like nor dislike it. Some of her stuff on Double Fantasy sounds quite similar to Hazel O'Connor (Eighth Day etc).

 

Strangely, I like Born In A Prison off Sometime In New York City best.

[laura_beth 10]

1) All my loving

2) Can't buy me love

3) Get back

4) 8 days a week

5) Hello, Goodbye

 

 

These are my favourites....although it was a difficult choice as there are soooo many good songs! xx