The "meaningless" song by The Beatles that upset John Lennon

[MULTIZ321]

The "meaningless" song by The Beatles that upset John Lennon.

The “meaningless” song by The Beatles that upset John Lennon

We're diving into the backstories of some of The Beatles most beloved songs, this time looking at the Paul McCartney song which upset John Lennon

faroutmagazine.co.uk

Richard

 

[Talent312]

I have to agree with Lennon. "Hello, Goodbye" was a bit of a nothing.
"I am the Walrus" was psychedelic fluff, but it was more progressive.
.

 

[Rolltydr]

The "meaningless" song by The Beatles that upset John Lennon.

The “meaningless” song by The Beatles that upset John Lennon

We're diving into the backstories of some of The Beatles most beloved songs, this time looking at the Paul McCartney song which upset John Lennon

faroutmagazine.co.uk

Richard

I like both songs but I’ve always been in Johns’ corner in the favorite Beatle contest. I have grown to appreciate Paul much more as the years have passed. At least his Beatles era music. I liked his first couple of solo albums but not much since then.

 

[DaveNV]

One of the last 45's I ever bought. "Hello, Goodbye" was all over the radio in those days. I liked both sides of the 45, but couldn't quite understand the ambiguity of "I Am The Walrus." I later bought the Magical Mystery Tour album, and things started to make more sense.

I've been a Beatles fan since the beginning, but only a periodic fan of the solo act stuff after the breakup. I think Abbey Road was about the pinnacle of their collective creativity for me. But having said that, I have a TON of Beatles music on my iTunes. Probably about equal with Steely Dan, my other most favorite group.

Dave

 

[Rolltydr]

One of the last 45's I ever bought. "Hello, Goodbye" was all over the radio in those days. I liked both sides of the 45, but couldn't quite understand the ambiguity of "I Am The Walrus." I later bought the Magical Mystery Tour album, and things started to make more sense.

I've been a Beatles fan since the beginning, but only a periodic fan of the solo act stuff after the breakup. I think Abbey Road was about the pinnacle of their collective creativity for me. But having said that, I have a TON of Beatles music on my iTunes. Probably about equal with Steely Dan, my other most favorite group.

Dave

The White Album is my favorite Beatles album but I’ve been a huge fan from the very beginning. I was 9 when they first hit in the US. My next door neighbors were a brother and sister who were 1 and 2 years older than me. In the summer of 1963 while we were out of school, all we did was listen to Beatles records. My brother who is 6 years older than me liked them too. We lived in Alabama and this was still when AM radio was king so at night, there were only a couple of radio stations that we could get in rural Alabama. We would listen to WLS In Chicago after dark when the local stations had to drop power. I think John “Records” Landecker was the nighttime DJ that we usually listened to and he spun a lot of Beatles records. Fun times.

And, of course, Birmingham’s claim to fame from the Beatles era was when a DJ from our local Top 40 station decided it was a good idea to burn all the Beatles records he could get after John made his famous remark about the Beatles being more popular worldwide than God. Not surprisingly, that guy became a staple of local conservative talk radio after music went over to the FM band.

And just for the record (pun intended), my favorite song of all time is ‘Imagine‘. Simple, sweet, to the point. “Imagine all the people living life in peace.“

 

[sun starved Gayle]

I am still annoyed I was not allowed to accompany my two older sisters to see The Beatles in Portland, Oregon in 1963 because I was “too little”. My sisters were allowed to go to the matinee show, not the evening show, because my 16 year old sister was not allowed to drive at night in the “big city“. One of my sisters still has the souvenir program for the concert.

 

[DaveNV]

I was 10 the year the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan. My older sister was completely gobsmacked over them. My hair was too curly to grow a proper Beatle-cut, so I never had the opportunity to imitate their style. (Later, Nehru jackets became the big thing, and I had a couple of those. Rather silly, now that I look back on it. )

I was living in Northwest Washington in those days, and I also listened to WLS in Chicago, but only after our local AM station went off the air at (I think) 11:00PM. If I tuned my radio dial ever-so-slightly, and turned the volume up, I could just barely hear WLS. Enough for me to think I was really tuned in (pun intended.)

Dave

 

[LannyPC]

I have a TON of Beatles music on my iTunes.

I just have the Beatles' One CD with their 20 greatest hits. I bought that about 20 years ago.

 

[Rolltydr]

I am still annoyed I was not allowed to accompany my two older sisters to see The Beatles in Portland, Oregon in 1963 because I was “too little”. My sisters were allowed to go to the matinee show, not the evening show, because my 16 year old sister was not allowed to drive at night in the “big city“. One of my sisters still has the souvenir program for the concert.

Too little? Have you forgiven your parents yet?

 

[DaveNV]

I just have the Beatles' One CD with their 20 greatest hits. I bought that about 20 years ago.

You might look into the recent remastering of some of the Beatles' best albums by Giles Martin, son of George Martin, who was the primary Beatles' Producer. They took the original masters of the records, and completely reworked them digitally, to make them sound better than ever. Absolutely worthwhile, compared to the earlier releases. You don't realize what you weren't hearing before until you hear the new versions.

Dave

 

[Brett]

I like the singles version of Revolution - it was on the "B" side to Hey Jude
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Beatles_Revolution.ogg

 

[PcflEZFlng]

Ah, memories. Growing up in the AM era, when I was in Minneapolis, we had 3 rock 'n' roll stations at night: WDGY (Minneapolis), KDWB (St. Paul), and WLS (Chicago). Could also pick up KAAY (Little Rock). During the time I lived in Los Angeles, the one we listened to was KHJ.

BTW, 1964, not 1963, was the year The Beatles first toured in the US and began American radio airplay. Their phenomenon on our side of the pond all started after the JFK assassination.

 

[Rolltydr]

Ah, memories. Growing up in the AM era, when I was in Minneapolis, we had 3 rock 'n' roll stations at night: WDGY (Minneapolis), KDWB (St. Paul), and WLS (Chicago). Could also pick up KAAY (Little Rock). During the time I lived in Los Angeles, the one we listened to was KHJ.

BTW, 1964, not 1963, was the year The Beatles first toured in the US and began American radio airplay. Their phenomenon on our side of the pond all started after the JFK assassination.

Yep, you are correct.

There are places I'll remember
All my life, though some have changed

Though I may not get the year right!

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

I like the singles version of Revolution - it was on the "B" side to Hey Jude
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Beatles_Revolution.ogg

I personally prefer the Revolution 1 version off the White album, but the lyrics sum up my view of the world perfectly right now. . . .

 

[SmithOp]

They played in my home town in 63, in the UK of course. When I arrived in US in Dec 65 it was full on Beatlemania. My dad gave me an AM transistor radio he got at Sunoco, at night I could pick up WLS Chicago in Ohio.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[wackymother]

I was 10 the year the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan. My older sister was completely gobsmacked over them. My hair was too curly to grow a proper Beatle-cut, so I never had the opportunity to imitate their style. (Later, Nehru jackets became the big thing, and I had a couple of those. Rather silly, now that I look back on it. )

I love Nehru jackets! I wish they would come back into style.

 

[DaveNV]

I love Nehru jackets! I wish they would come back into style.

By the time Nehru jackets became popular I was living in Hawaii. It was much too hot to wear one there, so I was a fashion failure from way back. I lived in flip flops and surf shorts. I wore shorts to school. If I had to put on long pants and shoes, it was some sort of a major deal.

Dave

 

[Talent312]

I'd think they must've felt awfully silly in those Sgt. Peppers costumes.
But in those days, anything they did was considered a matter of great significance.

 

[Sea Six]

John sure published his share of crap with the Plastic Ono Band.

 

[bbodb1]

Ah, memories. Growing up in the AM era, when I was in Minneapolis, we had 3 rock 'n' roll stations at night: WDGY (Minneapolis), KDWB (St. Paul), and WLS (Chicago). Could also pick up KAAY (Little Rock). During the time I lived in Los Angeles, the one we listened to was KHJ.

I can recall picking up a New Orleans AM station around that time as well (long after dark, of course). Also, a St. Louis station (was it KMOX way back then), and WJR from Detroit.

The days of AM radio........

 

[bbodb1]

I do hope the readers of this thread take some comfort in the fact that a considerable portion of the music I play as students arrive at school in the morning and are dropped off comes from the Beatles...and the many acts they touched individually over the years. The student reactions are priceless - especially as the grandparents start singing along!

 

[Talent312]

I usually ask Alexa to play "Here Comes the Sun" for my wake-alarm.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

I, too, am a long-time Beatles fan. I was in Grade 9 when they first appeared on this side of the pond on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964. Their music has been woven into the fabric of my life. I was in second-year university when the "Paul is dead" rumours surfaced and we all eagerly hunted down the clues in disbelief! Fortunately they weren't true. I have visited the Strawberry Fields Memorial in Central Park, stood outside The Dakota, and walked across the zebra crossing on Abbey Road, outside EMI studios, that forms the cover on the "Abbey Road" album.

The Beatles are still one of my favourite and most-played music groups. Some of my favourites are "Norwegian Wood", "Hey Jude", "A Day in the Life", " All You Need Is Love", "Back in the USSR", "Here Comes the Sun", "Michelle My Belle" and so many others. The last one is because I had a crush on a certain Michelle at that time!!

The year my best friend and I turned 64, our theme song became "When I'm 64" from the Sgt. Pepper's album. I remember when it came out, wondering as a teenager where I might be and what my life might have been like by the time I reached that exalted age! I now had my answer. In keeping with the album's theme, when we visited the UK later that year, I decided I was of a certain age and economic stature to probably now be considered one of the "holes that fill the Albert Hall" referred to in "A Day in the Life". We booked tickets to see the annual Royal Organ Gala while we were there. It was a wonderful evening and a fitting end to my "when I'm 64" year.

I have a fairly complete set of ORIGINAL vinyl albums right from "Beatlemania!" to "Let It Be". They are also fortunately in very good shape. When they came out with the remastered stereo CD series about 10 years ago, I went to buy a set. It was offered in two versions, the new remastered stereo series and a remastered "original" (monaural) version. The guy at the store asked if I wanted the "original" version and was a bit surprised when I said I already had the original set in vinyl!! I bought the remastered stereo set and it is great. It was also a lot easier to play in the car than my original albums!! LOL.

I was fortunate to be living in Toronto as a teenager and young adult. We had the benefit of powerhouse rock radio station CHUM-AM at 1050 on the dial. They had so many great DJs and played all the top songs 24/7. I can still remember eagerly waiting for that week's edition of "The CHUM Chart" showing the top 50 songs and the changes in position from the previous week. Their theme tune sometimes shows up on SXM 6, along with that of CKLW in Windsor, another powerhouse rock radio station in those days. Like others, I can still also remember late at night, moving the dial to find distant stations on my portable transistor radio. Stations from Chicago, NYC and even Wheeling, WV!! Memories!!!

 

[Rolltydr]

I usually ask Alexa to play "Here Comes the Sun" for my wake-alarm.

Back when I used to have to get up to an alarm, ’Hello, Goodbye’ was one of my go-tos.

 

[Rolltydr]

I, too, am a long-time Beatles fan. I was in Grade 9 when they first appeared on this side of the pond on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964. Their music has been woven into the fabric of my life. I was in second-year university when the "Paul is dead" rumours surfaced and we all eagerly hunted down the clues in disbelief! Fortunately they weren't true. I have visited the Strawberry Fields Memorial in Central Park, stood outside The Dakota, and walked across the zebra crossing on Abbey Road, outside EMI studios, that forms the cover on the "Abbey Road" album.

The Beatles are still one of my favourite and most-played music groups. Some of my favourites are "Norwegian Wood", "Hey Jude", "A Day in the Life", " All You Need Is Love", "Back in the USSR", "Here Comes the Sun", "Michelle My Belle" and so many others. The last one is because I had a crush on a certain Michelle at that time!!

The year my best friend and I turned 64, our theme song became "When I'm 64" from the Sgt. Pepper's album. I remember when it came out, wondering as a teenager, where I might be and what my life might have been like by the time I reached that exalted age! I now had my answer. In keeping with the album's theme, when we visited the UK later that year, I decided I was of a certain age and economic stature to probably now be considered one of the "holes that fill the Albert Hall" referred to in "A Day in the Life". We booked tickets to see the annual Royal Organ Gala while we were there. It was a wonderful evening and a fitting end to my "when I'm 64" year.

I have a fairly complete set of ORIGINAL vinyl albums right from "Beatlemania!" to "Let It Be". They are also fortunately in very good shape. When they came out with the remastered stereo CD series about 10 years ago, I went to buy a set. It was offered in two versions, the new remastered stereo series and a remastered "original" (monaural) version. The guy at the store asked if I wanted the "original" version and was a bit surprised when I said I already had the original set in vinyl!! I bought the remastered stereo set and it is great. It was also a lot easier to play in the car than my original albums!! LOL.

I was fortunate to be living in Toronto as a teenager and young adult. We had the benefit of powerhouse rock radio station CHUM-AM at 1050 on the dial. They had so many great DJs and played all the top songs 24/7. I can still remember eagerly waiting for that week's edition of "The CHUM Chart" showing the top 50 songs and the changes in position from the previous week. Their theme tune sometimes shows up on SXM 6, along with that of CKLW in Windsor, another powerhouse rock radio station in those days. Like others, I can still also remember late at night, moving the dial to find distant stations on my portable transistor radio. Stations from Chicago, NYC and even Wheeling, WV!! Memories!!!

Great stories! Thanks for sharing.

One of my great joys is that my daughter, born in 1984, loves the Beatles as much as I do. We were in New Orleans a couple years ago shortly after I turned 64. We went to a restaurant for brunch one morning. There was a quartet roaming the dining room taking requests and my daughter had them play ‘When I’m 64’ for me.

She is also an artist and for a couple of Father’s Day presents recently, she has surprised me with a couple of paintings of John and George. I’m pretty sure she’ll be completing the set for me in the next few years.