Showing posts with label Help. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Help. Show all posts

Friday, April 3, 2009

Ticket to Ride

One of the most interesting Beatles facts for "Ticket to Ride" is that John Lennon, the sole composer, believed that it was the first heavy metal song. If one stretches the imagination, it's possible to listen to the heavy lead and rhythm guitars and understand what Lennon was saying. It's as if the song was more of a precursor than the actual first heavy metal song. A better case for "the first" can be made for "Helter Skelter" from the White Album.

The song was recorded on February 15, 1965 at Abbey Road Studios and featured on both Parlophone and Capital LP releases of Help. It was released as a single in in the UK on April 9, 1965 and in the U.S. on April 14, 1965. Like the single "Help," the label on the 45 rpm of "Ticket to Ride" also said, "From the United Artists screenplay Eight Arms to Hold You, which was the working title for the film.

Lennon sang lead vocal, with McCartney adding harmony. McCartney played bass and the distinctive lead guitar line. Lennon played rhythm guitar and Starr drums. Harrison played electric guitar, although sources disagree as to his studio contribution. Harrison did play lead during live performances, such as the performance of "Ticket to Ride" on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965, a version which was played ridiculously fast and, like the other songs on their 1965 appearance on the Sullivan show, indicate performances not nearly as clean as their 1964 appearances (with the exception of McCartney's "Yesterday"). Lennon even fumbled the lyrics for both "Help" and "I Feel Fine," although he recovered quickly.

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Saturday, January 24, 2009

Help

"Help" is mostly a Lennon composition, with a few suggestions from McCartney. They wrote the song at John's house at Weybridge on April 4, 1965. It was released as a single on July 16, 1965 and July 23, 1965 in the U.S. and UK respectively. The single originally had "From the the United Artist's Screenplay Eight Arms to Hold You," the original title of the film. An interesting Beatle fact is that the single is a bit faster (and not quite as polished, according to some) than the album version. Lennon's intonation and emphasis on certain lyrics is different on the single, plus the lyrics of the two versions differ very slightly.

Lennon was very proud of the song and was also proud of his honesty inasmuch as he admitted years later (and frequently in interviews) that he was very insecure and literally calling out for help.

The song was recorded on April 13, 1965 at Abbey Road Studios.

Harrison and McCartney provide backing vocals to Lennon's lead. McCartney plays bass, Lennon acoustic guitar, Harrison lead guitar, and Starr drums and tambourine. On many bootlegs that contain conversation during the recording session, it is obvious that Harrison could not play the middle lead part easily. When performed live, it is also obvious that Harrison played a simpler version of the middle lead.

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