Head To Head: Beatles vs Rolling Stones

[admin]

The Beatles and the Rolling Stones have had an following that neither of them imagined in the beginning. I am interested in your impressions of both of these groups as they climbed the UK charts to their first number one place.

For The Beatles, their first number one hit in the UK was From Me To You on the Parlophone label entering the charts on April 27, 1963 and remaining on the charts for 16 weeks. This was an original composition.

For the Rolling Stones, their first number one hit in the UK was It's All Over Now on the Decca label entering the charts on November 7, 1964 and remaining in the chart for 11 weeks. This song was composed by Bobby Womack.

One the surface both songs were equally successful. I am interested in your comments to both of these songs and why you found one more appealing than the other. I have attached a poll so that you can vote in this head to head comparison.

[Scastles]

It's All Over Now was written by Bobby Womack, Peter. Good song though.

[royclough]

Technically It's All Over Now is better but I prefer The Beatles, back then here in UK u were either a Beatles fan or a Stones fan rarely were you both.

Alos it has always annoyed me that the records show From Me To You as Beatles first number 1, I expand on why in the article Take Or Leave It on Clough's Links so won't go over it here but in my book Please Please please Me was their first number 1.

It was also IMO a far better song than From Me To You

[winston]

I am one of the few I suppose who reallly liked both bands.

As many of you know I cut my teeth on jazz, blues and R&B. However the Merseyside sound that became known as beat music and more recently British Invasion music was very appealing to me because it was a mix of a number of influences. Many of the bands that became the backbone of that sound played stripped down versions of old standards.

The Stones stayed a little closer to their new found roots, although even they mixed things up a bit as well since they played a lot of Chuck Berry tunes along with some old standards like "Walking The Dog".

It's very hard for me to pick one band over the other. The nod really should go to The Rolling Stones because they have more or less stayed together since they began. However I will place a vote for the Beatles because they were far better writers and much more creative over their short career in my mind.

[admin]

I Stan corrected. Thanks Stan. I will correct the error on the intial post.

[beatlefreak]

According to The Complete Beatles Chronicle by Mark Lewisohn, Please Please Me (released on January 11th, 1963 - exactly three months before From Me To You) reached number one in Britain on the BBC, Disc, Melody Maker, New Musical Express and Record Mirror charts. It also reached number 2 on the Record Retailer chart.

From Me to You was never one of my favorite Beatles' songs, but Please Please Me is. Either way, my vote goes to the Beatles.

[leftyguitars]

I prefered The Beatles when I was a sprog back in the '60's, but now I like them both equally.

[Scastles]

Roy, pegged it when he said you were either a Beatles fan or a Stones fan, or at the very least, would likely prefer one over the other. I'd have to go with the Beatles regardless of the release. I also think it took the Stones four single releases before they achieved a #1 in the UK. Their second single release did get to #12 in the UK, I Wanna Be Your Man.

[royclough]

"However I digress. Here in England the “Bible” of chart statistics is “The Guinness Book Of Hit Singles” and they chose to use as their source of reference a periodical called “Record Retailer” which was basically a trade magazine. Ask anyone what “The Beatles” first number one here in England was and unless you are a pop aficionado, the answer will undoubtedly be “Please Please Me”.

However this was not the case, according to “Record Retailer” where “ ‘Please’ only made number two, yet in virtually all the other weekly “Pop” papers – it was listed as number one. The same thing happened to “Sugar and Spice""


From Take It Or Leave It - Clough's Links 2001

The man's a genius!

[sowhat]

Never been a fan of either, so my choice is driven by the fact i've been a "Beatles hater" for a while back in my teens while never been a "Stones hater". For me, a stupid girl born in late 70s, Beatles were a face of mainstream while the Stones represented different, rebellious face of 60s pop/rock music. Of course, that may not be technically correct, but that's the way i was seeing it.

[admin]

I have always like the Beatles more than the Rolling Stones, but I do like the early Stones' material.

With regard to the Head to Head: Beatles vs. Stones in this thread, I have to say that I find It's All Over Now to be more complex and unique than From Me To You. The guitar work in It's All Over Now is more intricate and I find the lyrics more interesting as well.

I find that It's All Over Now has more depth overall and it got my vote in this competition. Its raw sound is in keeping with the challenging relationship described in this track. The use of the tambourine is also cleverly used here.


IT'S ALL OVER NOW
(B. & S. Womack)

Well, baby used to stay out all night long
She made me cry, she done me wrong
She hurt my eyes open, that's no lie
Tables turn and now her turn to cry

Because I used to love her, but it's all over now
Because I used to love her, but it's all over now

Well, she used to run around with every man in town
She spent all my money, playing her high class game
She put me out, it was a pity how I cried
Tables turn and now her turn to cry

Because I used to love her, but it's all over now
Because I used to love her, but it's all over now

Well, I used to walk in the morning, get my breakfast in bed
When I'd gotten worried she'd ease my aching head
But now she's here and there, with every man in town
Still trying to take me for that same old clown

Because I used to love her, but it's all over now
Because I used to love her, but it's all over now
Because I used to love her, but it's all over now
Because I used to love her, but it's all over now

Beatles - From Me To You
(Lennon-McCartney)

If there's anything that you want,
If there's anything I can do,
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you.

I've got everything that you want,
Like a heart that is oh, so true.
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you.
I got arms that long to hold you
And keep you by my side.
I got lips that long to kiss you
And keep you satisfied, oooh.

If there's anything that you want,
If there's anything I can do,
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you.
From me, to you.
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you.

I got arms that long to hold you
And keep you by my side.
I got lips that long to kiss you
And keep you satisfied, oooh.
If there's anything that you want,
If there's anything I can do,
Just call on me and I'll send it along
With love from me to you.
To you, to you, to you.

[nick_allen]

I agree with Roy, ask anyone who was there and the first Beatles No.1 was Please Please Me. The "charts of reference" as I recall were the BBC (Alan Freeman's "Pick Of The Pops" radio show) and Melody Maker, with the New Musical Express running third. I'm not sure whether Disc or Record Mirror even existed at the time of Please Please Me(?).
Also, I've done no research at all to find out the chronology of this, but the first Stones "hit" that I recall was Not Fade Away - which, based solely on memory, I would have thought reached about No.5(?) - and I think came after I Wanna Be Your Man, and before It's All Over Now.
This thread reminds me of the "Battle of the Bands" show that used to be on Radio Luxembourg - the DJ would alternate records from two bands, and the listeners had to... well, I was going to say 'phone in', but I think in those days it would have been 'send in a postcard', and I suppose the winner was declared the following week.
Anyway, I guess it's true that our 14-year-old selves were divided into camps (Stones/Beatles, Cliff/Elvis, Elvis/Beatles, even Beatles/Gerry & the Pacemakers at one stage...) Thankfully we have now all evolved into a golden age of tolerance and appreciation of the special attributes of all, whatever their creed, colour, vocal ability or hair length, with or without ties, or turn-ups (cuffs) on their trousers.... (and who remembers that battle! )

[royclough]

The Stones had three hits Nick prior to It's All etc

Come On the first(and best in my view) made number 21
I Wanna Be Your Man made number 12
Not Fade Away made number 3 Nick, so your memory was pretty close.

The next 5 singles all made number 1, in total they had 8 number 1's.

Disc etc did exist by the way.

[admin]

The comments made by Roy and Nick are well taken with regard to the dependent measure used to determine the success of a particular song in the UK charts in the 1960s.

Given their comments, it can always be argued that whether songs were more or less successful depends on the standard that one uses to determine the position on the charts. Retail sales is but one example and its accuracy, like all measures, subject to a degree of error.

In my selection of songs I used the billboard criteria. What I tried to do was to equate the two songs chosen based on the chart position and the time in the charts. This was the first song to achieve a number one status for both groups and the time on the charts was comparable. Also, because the songs appeared in the charts at roughly the same time the method used to determine their position was essentially the same.

There is little doubt that the Beatles and Stones had different followings for a number of reasons. Of interest to me is whether the qualitative comments made here would focus more on the features of the songs than an overall preference for a group.

[royclough]

To clarify Peter's final point I would say that It's All Over Now is the better written song certainly.

Origianlly it was done by an American group called the Valentinos, a soul group I understand though I have never heard it.