Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles

Scastles · Post by **Scastles** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:46 pm

Late arrival here. How did this go from Beatles' Songwriting Secrets to an expose on marijuana? Better living through chemicals I say.

Carry on.

winston · Post by **winston** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:14 pm

You know how it is Stan, some threads you just sort of hang on for the ride as you have no idea where it's going next. Well this one is one of those.

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:30 pm

I think it started with talk of how chemicals affected Beatle songs.

Actually, I sort of agree. One of my mottos has been "Better living through advanced pharmaceuticals". Or, as a friend once put it "I will take your drugs!"

As someone with a chronic bad lower back, I'm no stranger to various pain remedies .... almost all of them legal. This is why I need some roadies!

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:18 am

There you go, Kent...that's one of the many reasons I think 'The Partnership For A Drug-Free America' is nothing but a giant load. Everyone wants to badmouth morphine until they fall off a ladder and bust their a**...As a famous songwriter once said: "Whatever gets you through the night..."

Stan, my point all along, in this thread and others, is that any serious analysis of The Beatles' songwriting has got to address the drug issue...as much as would be the case when discussing Hunter Thompson's writing. You don't have to drink whiskey to understand James Joyce, but it helps...

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:33 am

"any serious analysis of The Beatles' songwriting has got to address the drug issue"
I agree, but... well, IMO, there are some other things about the Beatles' songwriting secret that may also be discussed... call me a bore, but that's just my point of view...
Cheers,
SC.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:11 am

You are correct, madam...for example, I don't think The Beatles knew much about classical music theory until they hooked up with the oboist for the London Symphony.

Which reminds me...a few years after the breakup, Paul M. was writing **** like 'Bip Bop', and George Martin was producing The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Who's the real 'genius'?

winston · Post by **winston** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:26 am

George Martin was a huge musical influence on the Beatles. I believe that he also assisted to reinforce the structure, regimen and discipline introduced by Brian Epstein into their lives. Simply put the Beatles looked up to him.

History now records, George also contributed some great piano and keyboard parts to their music, not to mention some ground breaking recording techniques.

I suspect that in his role as an arranger, he also influenced their songwriting to some degree.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:32 am

And there's that Bach trumpet solo in the middle of Penny Lane...George M. makes a quick phone call and first chair dude's on the next train to the studio...

I understand that some people still think that's Paulie playing harpsichord in My Life...come on now, folks...

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:34 am

Artistic collaboration works both ways, though...I'm pretty sure George M. wouldn't have dropped acid if he hadn't been hanging out with them 'longhairs'...

sowhat · Post by **sowhat** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:44 am

Now that's interesting, really! (NOT that it wasn't interesting before) A "two-sided" influence band/producer... you see, some people think producers/agents/etc work FOR the band, some think they work AGAINST the bands... the truth must be somewhere in-between...

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:46 am

>>Everyone wants to badmouth morphine until they fall off a ladder

I agree... and to expand that further, I've learned first hand that there are worse things than death. Hey, I'm a wimp... when I fall off the ladder you have my permission to hook me up to the drip.

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:48 am

If you told these guys (minus Pete of course) that they'd one day be messing around with oboists and Bach trumpet solos they would have said you were daft.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:08 am

Too hilarious, and right on, Kent...by the same token, if you'd told George Martin he'd one day be messing around with scruffy, leather-jacket-wearing guitar-playing hoodlums...

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:18 pm

touche!

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:25 pm

Heck, tell those guys they'd someday be wearing flowery kaftans and love beads...