John Lennon Singing Lead on Get Back

Posted in George Harrison, John Lennon, The Beatles, Youtube Favs on August 25th, 2011 by Willie

The Beatles are one of those bands so famous, that to the untrained ear of the average person, its hard to tell which Beatle is singing what.  Of course, such distinctions are “Beatles 101” to hardcore fans, but part of the confusion lies in the seamless harmonic blend Lennon and McCartney produced in many of their classic hits.  When they weren’t sharing a lead vocal or a song dominated by harmonies, the Beatles had simple rules about who was going to sing lead for any given song.  Normally, the principle songwriter was the logical choice for the lead.  It was very rare when these roles were reversed.  For instance, there isn’t one song that George or Ringo wrote that John or Paul sang lead on, and there isn’t one instance in the Beatle catalog of Paul or John writing a song specifically for their partner to tackle.  There were anomalies of course.  Sometimes John would write a song with melodic sections too high for him to reach, so he’d have Paul take over.  This is evident in the bridge 0f “A Hard Day’s Night,” and the choruses of “Anytime At All.”  “Day Tripper,” another John song, was almost entirely out of John’s vocal range, and so Paul becomes the dominant voice throughout the verses with John beefing up the lower harmonies and the bridge.  Despite this, John and Paul never poached each others tunes, or more exactly, they were so competitive, they wouldn’t allow it.  This came to a head during the Abbey Road sessions when John really wanted Paul’s “Oh! Darling,” but Paul wouldn’t give it up.  All this history leads to the rarity of the video I’m about to present which is a near complete performance of John Lennon singing Paul’s 1969 hit “Get Back.”  What makes this so rare and interesting is that for starters, Paul sings the lead on the record and in the live rooftop performance.  Secondly, to have John sing a Paul song with fun and relish right when they were breaking up is extremely bizarre given how their respective massive egos could barely keep them in the same room by that point.  What’s also interesting about John’s performance here is that he includes bits of lyrics that Paul originally wrote about Pakistanis taking British jobs, but later cut out due to political incorrectness.  So, with all that said, I’ve laid out this super treat of rock and roll goodness for all you to enjoy, but before you do, make sure to cast your vote for CBS’s Best Local NYC blogger, in which I’m a finalist.  Remember, if you’ve voted already, you can vote again, once every day until the contest ends on September 9th.  Just click these words to help me out, I really appreciate it!

Wait, don’t go just yet.  As a bonus I’ve included another ultra rare performance, this time its none other than George Harrison taking his shot at singing lead at “Get Back.”  He was doing as a guiding track for Doris Troy’s cover version that she was cutting for Apple in 1970.  George isn’t as intense as John or Paul, but he’s having a good time leading this funkier version of “Get Back,” plus he even tries to make up his own new melodic section at the end before he gives up.  AWESOME!

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Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Gotta Serve Somebody vs. Serve Yourself

Posted in Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Youtube Favs on August 4th, 2011 by Willie

John Lennon was really offended by Bob Dylan’s latest single, “Gotta Serve Somebody.” Dylan recorded the song for his 1979 album Slow Train Coming.  The album and the song was part of Bob’s short lived conversion to Christianity.  In his diary, John wrote, “The backing was mediocre by Jerry Wexler, the singing was really pathetic, and the words were just embarrassing.”  The Grammy people didn’t think so, they gave Dylan a huge spotlight at the 1980 awards, and let him take home the trophy for “Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male.”  In a snide retort, John wrote/improvised a funny little rant called “Serve Yourself,” a track which never got an official release.  Well, the Grammys are a joke, and always have been, and I fully understand John’s sense of embarrassment and betrayal by Dylan, but I kinda love “Gotta Serve Somebody.”  I think the message is clever enough that it extends beyond the religious into the philosophical, and it sets up an interesting battle of ideas between the two rock gods.  I always suspected that “Gotta Serve Somebody” was Dylan’s response to Lennon’s line from ten years earlier when John proclaimed, “I don’t believe in Zimmerman [Dylan’s real name for the uninitiated],…I just believe in me” from “God” (Plastic Ono Band.)  It’s Dylan rejecting Lennon’s idea of discarding all figures of worship and idolatry and claiming that in the end, whether you like it or not, you are serving something, whether it be a God, a devil, or just a concept.  Lennon disagrees, and he makes no bones about making it known, or he would have had he lived.  Anyway, here are both tracks, in all their glory.  Who do you think wins?  Dylan, Lennon, God, or the devil?  Let me know.

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The Everly Brothers and John Lennon, All I Have to Do Is Dream, Cathy's Clown

Posted in John Lennon, The Everly Brothers, Youtube Favs on July 24th, 2011 by Willie

Dreams are mysterious and crazy things.  Sometimes you’ll have a dream and have no idea of what to make of it.  Songs simply about dreams, even sort of romantic cliched ones, are sometimes enough just to trigger those feelings of the novel, the unexplained, and the otherworldly.  Such is the case with the 1958 Felice and Boudleaux Bryant penned classic, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” performed by the Everly Brothers and Chet Atkins, (on guitar.)  Don and Phil Everly, are still out there today, singing their unique brand of 50s dream rock, living legends found unstoppable by age or changing trends.  The song is an intoxicating whirlpool of perfect close vocal harmonies, and proto-psychedelic lyrics about love and dreaming.  In the performance below you also get “Cathy’s Clown,” their gorgeous 1960 hit that really ensnared John Lennon of Beatle fame in its beautiful structure.  Speaking of the Beatles, the Everlys were always listed as a MASSIVE influence on John and Paul, and all you gotta do is see the video below to guess why.  Two boys singing pop with flawless harmony as if it was second nature.  The Beatles just took that as a device and added it to their already killer repertoire of songwriting and performing mastery.  As a bonus, I’ve included a demo by John in the 70s of him trying out his own version of “Cathy’s Clown.”  It’s brilliant and sad.  Enjoy.

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John Lennon Was Wrong About Bob Dylan's New Morning LP

Posted in Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Record Reviews on July 7th, 2011 by Willie

Here is an exchange between John Lennon and Jann S. Wenner of Rolling Stone Magazine on Bob Dylan’s 1970 release New Morning, ”

WENNER:
What do you think of Dylan’s album?
LENNON:
I thought it wasn’t much. Because I expect more–maybe I expect too much from people – but I expect more. I haven’t been a Dylan follower since he stopped rocking. I liked “Rolling Stone” and a few things he did then; I like a few things he did in the early days. The rest of it is just like Lennon-McCartney or something. It’s no different, its a myth. WENNER:

You don’t think then it’s a legitimate New Morning?
LENNON:
No, It might be a new morning for him because he stopped singing on the top of his voice. It’s all right, but it’s not him, it doesn’t mean a fucking thing. I’d sooner have “I Hear You Knocking” by Dave Edmonds, it’s the top of England now.

Pretty damning stuff from John Beatle, but I understand.  John was in a revolutionary mood at the time, firmly believing that rock records should be altering people’s consciousnesses and  toppling governments.  It’s ironic because ten years later he’d release a similar record to Bob’s New Morning in the form of Double Fantasy.  Like John’s last release, New Morning was a record about escaping into the pleasures of domesticated life, taking it easy, and appreciating the little things.  New Morning was mostly written on Bob’s piano, the instrument he would retreat to when he wanted to ruminate on less socially and psychologically intense themes that would come out on his acoustic guitar.  I love this record.  When you play it, it just hums along with a sweeping peaceful energy.  John’s right about one thing, in this record, Bob left his high pitched country singing style behind in favor of his traditional folk rocking croon.  There is almost a Jim Morrison lounge like imitation going on here as Bob enthusiastically moans his way through a bunch of gospel tinged bluesy numbers.  The clearest example of this is “The Man in Me,” a boozy and rollicking celebration of romantic devotion.  This song was famously featured in the Coen Brothers fabulously funny classic film, “The Big Lebowski.”  The Coen’s apparently picked it because at the time the song was relatively obscure, and its the sort of song that only middle aged hippies like the Dude, (and my dad for that matter) would have on their mix tapes.

On the more playful side you get a cut like “Went to See the Gypsy,” a song where Bob seems to be mocking the hype surrounding some famous Las Vegas fortune teller.  It’s not about meeting Elvis Presley, as some have suggested. The straightforward storytelling on this track is very reminiscent of the minimalistic style Bob mastered on John Wesley Harding.  It’s a slow building song that just gets under you skin with repeat playings.  It’s a feeling the record gives you spades.

“Day of the Locusts,” my favorite song on the album, is a lot like “Went to See the Gypsy” in its clear cut storytelling style, but way more epic.  It’s a song inspired by Bob’s experience in receiving an honorary diploma from Princeton University and how the “singing” cicada’s spooked him.  Folk rocker David Crosby, who was with Bob at the time tells the story best, “Sara (Dylan’s wife) was trying to get Bob to go to Princeton University, where he was being presented with an honorary doctorate. Bob did not want to go.  I said, ‘C’mon, Bob it’s an honor!’  Sara and I both worked on him for a long time.  Finally, he agreed.  I had a car outside, a big limousine.  That was the first thing he didn’t like.  We smoked another joint on the way and I noticed Dylan getting really quite paranoid about it.  When we arrived at Princeton, they took us to a little room and Bob was asked to wear a cap and gown.  He refused outright.  They said, ‘We won’t give you the degree if you don’t wear this.’  Dylan said, ‘Fine. I didn’t ask for it in the first place.’…Finally we convinced him to wear the cap and gown.”  Priceless.

The last song I want to highlight is “If Not For You,” a song featured on my youtube countdown.  This track continues the steady mature romanticism that defines the record.  George Harrison famously covered the song with a lavish arrangement for his All Things Must Pass solo record, but I kinda prefer the low key presentation Dylan came up with.  Here is George and Bob taking a stab at it in the more mellow vein.

In conclusion, it’s probably a very good idea to listen to this whole record if you haven’t gotten into it ever, despite what John Lennon says.  Part of me suspects John was just projecting a hyper competitive spirit at the time.  As a newly emerging solo artist, Lennon was trying to grab some credibility real estate in the field of solo stars, and if that meant knocking Dylan a bit to make room, that was probably all the rationalization he needed.  In that same interview, he also did manage to knock the Stones, McCartney, Harrison, and all other rock artists in general outside of Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino, leaving very little room for anyone but himself to revel in glory.  Leaving John’s caustic criticisms aside, this is just the perfect Bob Dylan album to have on your playlist this summer.  It’s a hiking record, a beach record, a meadow strolling record, a real peaceful outdoorsy sonic adventure if I ever heard one.  You’d do yourself a big favor to download it, or buy it used somewhere.  Until tomorrow, cheers everybody.
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John Lennon, Instant Karma

Posted in John Lennon, Youtube Favs on May 24th, 2011 by Willie

Part 71 of my youtube countdown begins in a flash with John Lennon’s 1970 release “Instant Karma.”  “Instant Karma” is one of the fastest released songs in rock history.  John wrote it in the morning, recorded it in the afternoon, and released it ten days later.  The urgency of its release convinced karmic minded George Harrison to throw on his electric guitar.  Other Plastic Ono’s include Yoko on backing vocals, Alan White of YES fame on drums, Klaus (Revolver cover designer) Voorman on bass, and Billy Preston on grand piano.  The message of the song is awesome.  John is pleading for people just to achieve a modicum of self awareness regarding their cosmic role in the universe, and how in light of that, they should drop their petty prejudices, quibbles, and fears, and thus embrace a more meaningful existence.  It’s a beautiful message, and it rings true and instantly every time you play it.

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Ozzy Osbourne, How?

Posted in John Lennon, Ozzy Osbourne, Youtube Favs on May 22nd, 2011 by Willie

Part 69 of my youtube countdown is a funny one.  I have Ozzy Osbourne wandering around New York City with a bouquet of flowers singing John Lennon’s “How?” from Imagine. Eventually he discovers Strawberry Fields at Central Park and lays it down for John.  It’s both touching and funny as bewildered tourists and New Yorkers furiously snap pictures with their ubiquitous camera phones as Ozzy vamps about in the way that only he knows how.  Ozzy of course, is a notorious Beatles fan, and he made this video for the charity Amnesty International as a tribute for John on what would have been his 70th birthday.  The sentiment, the video, and his performance are all spot on and in a spirit that reflects John’s humor and love, and its really good, so check it out.

 

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John Lennon, Jealous Guy

Posted in John Lennon, Youtube Favs on April 29th, 2011 by Willie

For part 49 of my youtube countdown, I found an awesome clip of John talking about love and relationships before launching into “Jealous Guy,” his song from 1971’s Imagine.  “Jealous Guy,” was originally written when the Beatles were in India as “Child of Nature.”  The original lyrics were about self discovery, but the new words are about John’s real self discovery, that he was an asshole towards women most of his life.  Read any Beatle biography, and the picture one gets of John is that of a misogynist, a cheater, and a hitter.  Not a pretty portrait, especially for a guy who fronted so many revolutions for progressive social change, and not to mention, wrote some of the greatest love songs ever written.  But we all know that John was never a saint, and this clip is fantastic because you can just tell John is a more mature person, and vulnerable in a completely honest and modern way.  Enjoy.

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John Lennon, Dear Yoko (home performance)

Posted in John Lennon, Youtube Favs on April 5th, 2011 by Willie

Part 29 of my youtube countdown continues yesterday’s theme of solo Beatle acoustic performances.  In this one, we have John Lennon playing Dear Yoko at his Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island home.  The common response to seeing the video is two fold.  For starters, a lot of people have trouble believing its really John behind the hat and long beard.  Well, it’s him.  Second, people are blown away by the intimacy of this video performance, wondering if John somehow predicted the emergence of youtube.  Well, obviously he didn’t, but this rare video is a beautiful youtube gift.  Its the type of clip that justifies youtube’s existence.  The main thing that strikes me personally about this clip is the wonderful condition John’s voice is in.  One thing I’ve come to realize is that John continued to improve as a singer well after the Beatle years.  His singing on Double Fantasy is the best of his career in my opinion.  Another thing that hits me is the songwriting style of “Dear Yoko.”  It’s like a throwback to the love songs he wrote with Paul when he was 17, in its simplicity, but ironically, filled with way more innocence and vulnerability than he could ever muster at that age.

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The Dirty Mac, Yer Blues

Posted in Eric Clapton, John Lennon, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Youtube Favs on April 1st, 2011 by Willie

Part 27 of my youtube countdown rolls on with another act from the infamous Rock and Roll Circus.  This time, we have Dirty Mac.  Who is Dirty Mac?  Well, its John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards (on bass, awesome), and Mitch Mitchell (on drums direct from the Jimi Hendrix Experience.)  A super group if there ever was one, and my God, do these guys utterly rock the universe.  They are playing Yer Blues, a jam John cut that year (1968) on the White Album with the Beatles.  The Beatles, outside a few exceptions, could never really be seen playing music from this era, so this clip gives you a delicious taste of what a mind blowing experience it would have been if the Beatles toured the White Album.  Because youtube is horrible, they’ve broken up Mick and John’s hilarious intro video for the Dirty Mac, but don’t worry, I’ve included both the intro, and the searing performance.  I don’t know how else to describe the incredible majesty of these clips, so please, just sit back, hold onto your seats, and watch…over and over!

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Paul McCartney Cries Listening to John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy"

Posted in John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Youtube Favs on March 20th, 2011 by Willie

In part 20 of my youtube favorites countdown, we delve a bit into the sadder side of Beatle history with a clip of Paul McCartney reflecting on the life of his then recently deceased pal John Lennon.  Now, when most people think of Paul’s reaction to John’s death, they either think of this clip where he says rather horribly, that “Its a drag,” and nothing more.

But that’s totally unfair, as Paul was probably so stunned, that he was just rambling answers to the press in hopes to just get the fuck away from them.  For a fairer look at Paul’s feelings on the subject, we have this priceless clip.

In it, we see Paul first talk about the old days at the Cavern Club, going on about “Searchin’,” an old Coasters song.  I love his imitation of teenage John’s singing, its borderline mocking, but you could tell he really loved him.  Then the clip skips to Paul playing John’s “Beautiful Boy,” from John’s last record Double Fantasy.  Paul immediately wells up  and starts singing along.  It’s a touching moment.  I’ve read quotes about how around this era, Paul was desperate to write with John again, and it shows here.  It’s a magic bond thing Paul tried to recreate with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, and Michael Jackson, but never came close to finding.  However, I have read a lot about how the ice between the two was beginning to crack around this time, and that a reunion was inevitable.  It’s not well known, but a reunion was in the works for over a decade, as they all agreed to create the “Anthology” project long before it had a name.  They were very cognizant of managing their legacy and Beatle empire in the coming years, and John was to play a big role in it.  Why?  Because what was becoming evident was, since they broke up, the Beatles popularity and myth continued to explode, and they were consistently among, if not the top sellers in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, in all commercial music.  In fact, people don’t really understand that the reason Paul, George, and Ringo united to do the “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” singles was because they knew, had John lived, a reunion of some form or another was likely in the late 80s or early 90s.  Well, anyway, you can read more about that stuff on wikipedia’s history of the Beatles Anthology by clicking these words, but for now, enjoy this great clip, and genuine moment.

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