Tag Archives: John Lennon

The only thing you did was “Yesterday”

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Paul McCartney is reputed to have composed Yesterday in his sleep and for a considerable period afterward to have been sure that he was guilty of plagiarism.

My wife tells me that Yesterday is the song most selected as the one that songwriters wished they had written. I am not sure if that is true but it certainly has a list of accolades that supports the view and it surely ranks as one of the greatest songs ever written.

Wikipedia notes

  • there are over 2000 cover versions
  • it was voted the best song of the 20th century by listeners and music experts in the BBC 2 Radio Poll
  • both MTV and Rolling Stone voted it the best song of all time

    Beatles bible.com notes that according to the Guiness Biok of Records it is the most covered song of all time.

    So if John Lennon was correct in his sledge of Paul McCartney in How do You Sleep from the truly momentous album Imagine that

    The only thing you done was yesterday

    then that would for most people be enough.

    I was lucky enough to see Paul McCartney when he fronted Wings sing it as a solo in 1975. Just thinking about it now sends goosebumps down my spine. It was awesome! It was one of my most memorable concert moments.

    I find it incredible that apparently The Beatles were afraid it would tarnish their image if it was released as a single only being released I the UK many years later. It appeared on Help and was released as a single in the US.

    So often I hear that my favourite Beatle was John, Paul,only wrote silly love songs. Certainly the music primarily credited to John in the Lennonon McCartney partnership was sharper however MCCartney’s ability to write a pop,song is perhaps unparalleled.

    As you find yourself reflecting on The Beatles and perhaps considering who was the most talented (what a pointless task when you consider George’s list of credits and Ringo who according to Mark Lewisohn was sought after to join the greatest band of all time) is it possible to go past The Beatle who wrote Yesterday?

    • Christmas Music

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    Earlier in the week my wife said it didn’t feel like Christmas. As we discussed this further it became obvious why – a lack of Bing! That’s right, not Bling but Bing!

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    For her Christmas is synonymous with White Christmas. For me it’s pretty similar and for about a week in each year, I look forward to Christmas favourites. I actively seek them out from my own CD rack, Pandora, Spotify and on the TV. Foxtel obliged this year with their 20 favourite songs most of which were also in my favourites as well.

    So along with everyone else I thought I’d have a go at my favourite Christmas Songs.

    Band Aid – Do they know its Christmas and John Lennon’s Happy Christmas (War is Over) are my quintessential Modern Christmas Classics.

    White Christmas – Bing’s is simply the best!

    More Bing with Do you Hear what I Hear.

    I have always loved Andy William’s Little Drummer Boy although Bing and David Bowie’s version is pretty good.

    Kylie’s version of Santa Baby is a hoot! I had always assumed it was originally sung by Marilyn Monroe, but infact the originalwas sung by Ertha Kitt.

    Springsteen’s Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I remember the first time I heard it was on a very scratchily recorded bootleg in the 70s. Maybe one year I will see Springsteen at Christmas and see it sung live! Until then I will have to be satisfied by the numerous versions on YouTube.

    Mary’s Boy Child by Bony M is on my list; it’s certainly a blast from the past.

    I’m not a big Mariah Carey fan, but make an exception of her at Christmas with All I want for Christmas is You

    The Pogues A Fairytale in New Yorkis one that I have played pretty constantly in the run upto this Christmas. Whilst not in any way uplifting it is the most played Christmas a Song in Britain this century.

    Littls Saint Nick by The Beach Boys reminds me of Summer Nights at one of my close friends place.

    It used to be a family tradition that I would get a Chieftains CD at Christmas, which one year was The Bells of Dublin. A collection of Celtic songs with a Christmas theme and regularly gets a spin on Christmas morning.

    I also love Tori Amos’s Midwinter Graces with Star of Wonder my favourite.

    From an Australian perspective it’s hard to go past Paul Kelly’s How to Make Gravy .

    Pretty much everyone has had a go at a Christmas Song. In my search I found songs by Jimmy Durante, Gene Autry, Nat King Cole, The Beatles, Wings, O’55, Miley Cyrus, Rod Stewart, Destiny’s Child, Tegan and Sara, Elmo, The Muppets and the list goes on.

    I also love the traditional carols Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Come all ye Faithful but have to join the majority in saying that Silent Night is my favourite carol.

    What’s your favourite?

    Here are some other posts to get the brain flowing

    Huffington Posts – Top 20

    Forbes Magazines – Christmas Songs you’d play in February

    About.com – Top 100 Christmas Songs

    The Beatles – Boxed Set and a Book

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    A few nights ago I was lying in bed listening to Overnights on the ABC and was captivated by Rod Qunin’s interview with Mark Lewisohn the author of a new Beatles biography, The Beatles: Tune In. I lay there completely captivated by the story of the group that like so many others had introduced me to music.

    The book is the first part of a trilogy and it’s a healthy 980 pages as I found out when I went into Dymocks to buy it. I accompanied that purchase with the digitally remastered boxed set of The Beatles fourteen album set. Whilst I already owned many of the albums on CD and vinyl, I didn’t have them all, so the purchase was at least partially based on logic!

    Abbey Road was the first LP I ever bought. I remember purchasing it with money given to me by my grandparents, who seemed not so much horrified that I was buying a Beatles record but that it cost $5.20. It must have been in late 1969 or early 1970. That started a love affair with music and The Beatles.

    I am only a few pages into the book and enjoying learning about their family background and formative years. So many insights.

    Walking to work, at work, the gym and at home, I have listened to The Beatles all week focussing on the early years. The joy of it. I started with Please Please Me a couple of listens and then onto With The Beatles, and Beatles For Sale, an album I always realise is better than I remembered. From there it was A Hard Days Night and Help. I’m just loving it.

    When I started this post I didn’t plan to write about the individual songs thinking my focus would be on the the complete album. Well at least that was what I was thinking until Yesterday. It’s true classic, in its own way euphoric. Through a week’s listening to these early albums over and over again, enjoying each and everyone of them, Yesterday stands apart.

    The Beatles music in this period seems simple and not at all pretentious. Hit after Hit, Love Song after Love Song. A collection of amazing songs driven off the back of the modern era’s greatest writing partnership Lennon and McCartney.

    Whether next week is a progression to Rubber Soul and beyond remains an open question. For now it’s back to Help.

    More Prague and Less Crowds

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    I remember when we were in New York with our children that I found the crowds overwhelming. The same could be said of our first day in Prague – so many tourists. Yes, I know we are tourists too!

    My goal for our remaining time in Prague is to avoid, as much as possible, the crowds now that we have seen Prague Castle, the Astronomical Clock and Charles Bridge.

    For Day Two, we had an early start Continue reading →