Something I never noticed before

steve_hershberger · Post by **steve_hershberger** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:58 am

The other day I was playing the "Please Please Me" CD and noticed the songs were listed as "McCartney/Lennon." I'm thinking surely this must be a misprint, right?

I've had this CD for ages - since way long before Paul wanted to change the credits for "Yesterday."

So I dug out my Parlophone LP (that I bought in the early '70's) and sure enough the credits on it are also listed as "McCartney/Lennon" too.

Anybody got ideas/theories about how or why this happened?

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 3:57 am

Steve: My take on this is that, in the early days, if Paul wrote most of a song it was McCartney/Lennon and if John wrote more it was Lennon/McCartney. It was eventually changed to Lennon/McCartney for legal reasons I believe.

drathbun · Post by **drathbun** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:33 am

You could be right but I believe "Please Please Me" is mostly a Lennon composition. He sings it and it is definitely in his genre of songs.

http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/VOL ... songs.html

steve_hershberger · Post by **steve_hershberger** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:38 am

No, ALL the original Beatle songs on "PPM" are listed as "McCartney/Lennon" - no kind of ordering the names as to who wrote most of any given song.

Seems to me (and I sure could be wrong) that I've read - in many books/articles since the "Invasion" - that they'd decided to cite them all as Lennon/McCartney songs from the very beginning of them meeting and writing originals. Which was years before they ever recorded anything.

Of course, when that first album came out, nobody really paid attention to, or could identify, any given song as a "Paul" or "John" composition - they were just "Beatle songs." Later on it was easier to tell their different styles though.

It just seemed really funny to me when I read the back of that CD. First thought was that I had a rare collector's item with a misprinted cover. And then, to pull out my LP of it, and it reads the same way... Oh well, guess I'll keep playing the lottery instead...

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:41 pm

Steve, you are correct. The songs on PPM were credited McCartney/Lennon for no particular reason. Albums subsequent were switched. In an interview ( I don't know from where it came) Paul said that their was some discussion to the order, but John got his way. Now for all you Macca bashers, he was laughing when he said it.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 1:16 pm

I too have read this Brain and I suspect that your are right on this one.

Paul has always fiercely competitive, as was John, and so the initial order may have been for a particular reason, that eventually became an agreement.

In the case of Yesterday, I'll bet he stuck to the original order.

paulv63 · Post by **paulv63** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 3:55 pm

Peter Says "I too have read this Brain"

I love when that happens.

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:14 pm

This isn't about songwriting credits, but about the song. I know the story has always been that Lennon was influenced by Roy Orbison in the writing of this one. I learned to play Please Please Me years ago. But it was only when I was jamming with friends recently, playing Rave On, that I realized that there are some very, very similar passages in both these songs, so brief that I had to play both to realize the similarities, mainly during the quick three chord run up the neck. But it made me smile. What a great influence from a great, great number.

simer4001 · Post by **simer4001** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:35 pm

Paul, I've been called a lot of things. Brain is one that I am called less frequently as others.

bosifis · Post by **bosifis** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:32 pm

Mye selfe, inkluded...Brain.
Sensearly, Brain

But seriously, I noticed on that website link-"Beatles For Sale" has "Party" stating that it was Lennon and Harrison? Um, where's JPM? I'm only being picky because it's one of my Top 5 favorite Beatle's songs...That is all...Brain

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:29 am

It would seem that I had Brian on the Brain. In this case it is quite a compliment which I am certainly prepared to let stand.

paulv63 · Post by **paulv63** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 7:02 am

One day at work, I found a name tag for a co-worker and it was etched Brain. You'd think the company that made it would have caught it. I love those little mistakes.