In this thread I rank my favorite post-Beatles Beatles songs: 291-1. (1 Viewer)

[krista4]

Heading into the top 10 tomorrow!  We have four Paul songs, four from George, and two from John.  That seems fair and equitable. 

Update on the contest for charity shows eight songs guessed that haven't been knocked out yet; if those eight make the top 10, you've done an excellent job of predicting!  In that case, it would mean that only two Paul top 10 were missed, which would not be surprising given his breadth.  I will tell you in advance that one of my Paul top 10 that will be revealed tomorrow is nothing anyone ever would have guessed; it's a deeeeeeeeeeep track and will probably be a head-scratcher for most of you.  It's the only song on the list that makes my top 10 because of an emotional bond to the song due to a personal experience with it.  More on that when it comes up.

simey, neal, Dr. Octopus, and facook are still holding strong with three predictions left in the mix.

John 

5 votes - Watching the Wheels (simey, shuke, neal, Dr. Oct, falguy)

3 votes - Instant Karma (jwb, facook, prosopis)

Paul 

5 votes - Maybe I’m Amazed (neal, Shaft, Dr. Oct, facook, Binky)

1 vote - Band on the Run (simey)

George 

6 votes - What is Life (simey, shuke, Morton, jwb, falguy, Binky)

2 votes each - Beware of Darkness (neal, Dr. Oct); All Things Must Pass (facook, Uruk)

1 vote - Give Me Love (weasel)

 

[Binky The Doormat]

11.  My Sweet Lord (All Things Must Pass, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #5)

I'm pretty sure everyone knows as much about this song as I do, and I've already discussed the lawsuit. I have nothing interesting to add.  This is the song I referenced that I disliked for years until hit with a lightning bolt one day.  While I love it now, I still feel like the "hare krishna"s at the end go on a tad too long.

 

another one of my all-time favorites ...could listen to this over and over.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

majestic.

almost brings me to tears everytime I listen to it.

super #### Paul and John for rejecting this masterpiece - they didn't deserve it.  

It’s better this way. 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

LOVE this. It's in the 4-5-6 mix from ATMP for me along with Let It Down and one that hasn't come up yet. The Wall of Sound does exactly what it's supposed to do, and doesn't overwhelm the cool shuffle beat that George came up with. The rare song that makes you dance and think to the extreme. 

It’s a fun song!  A little too much like being at some type of hippie commune waiting to drink kool aid with Jim Jones, but still really like this one.

 

[krista4]

It’s a fun song!  A little too much like being at some type of hippie commune waiting to drink kool aid with Jim Jones, but still really like this one.

As a former employee of Kraft, I am compelled to say, "Flavor-Aid!!!"   

 

[Alex P Keaton]

12.  Isn’t It A Pity (All Things Must Pass, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #6)

There’s a bit of disagreement over how many times, but this song was undoubtedly rejected by the Beatles more than once before their breakup.  Some have said it was presented as early as the Revolver sessions (when supposedly George intended to offer it to Frank Sinatra after it was rebuffed), while others have said it first arrived during Sgt. Pepper’s or Let It Be.  The rejection during the Let It Be sessions is well documented and impossibly sad, when George plays it and says, “It can be any speed you want, really,” while the others generally ignore him.  I think we can all agree that John and Paul were insane to reject it whenever it was, right?  The lyrics are among George’s best, simultaneously grieving the loss of friendship while heralding the beauty and love of mankind in general.  While he is mourning a universal experience, George doesn’t couch this in any third-person mask – this is George grieving, deeply and openly, but bringing the listener in to the shared experience by use of “we” instead of “I.”  His rueful vocal is hypnotic and gives the sense of genuine loss and sorrow.

On the music side, this is one of the more grandiose pieces on ATMP, featuring the largest slate of musicians of any song on the record, but somehow it never sounds overdone to me.  The strings provide a compelling counterpoint to the guitar part, rising as it falls, just as the chorus and the harmonies counterbalance each other as well, lifting in joy while anchoring in sorrow.  All of this interplay makes each of the layered bits of instrumentation seem necessary to the story and deliberate in their placement, building slowly and by design to the grandeur of the song’s culmination.  Both lyrically and musically, the argument could be made that this song forms the heart and soul of the album – full, rich, and majestic, with a simple plea at its base yet grand in its hopes and vision.

By the way, I am officially claiming both versions of the song for my countdown, though linking the official version one above.  The second “reprise” version is more stripped down and lacking the majestic gospel feel.  Worth a listen, though I heartily prefer the first one.

It must have been emotionally difficult for John when he had the realization that he was unofficially the 3rd best songwriter of the group.  That must have stung.

 

[krista4]

It must have been emotionally difficult for John when he had the realization that he was unofficially the 3rd best songwriter of the group.  That must have stung.

I'll be playing the role of Binky right now.

 

[krista4]

(Except, of course, that Binky agrees with you.)

 

[Alex P Keaton]

11.  My Sweet Lord (All Things Must Pass, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #5)

I'm pretty sure everyone knows as much about this song as I do, and I've already discussed the lawsuit. I have nothing interesting to add.  This is the song I referenced that I disliked for years until hit with a lightning bolt one day.  While I love it now, I still feel like the "hare krishna"s at the end go on a tad too long.

 

The only flaw is how long they go on.  Ugh.  It’s a bit brutal.

But I truly love this song and always have, since the first time hearing it as a little kid, probably no older than 4 or 5.   I’m not religious at all, and only borderline spiritual in rare moments.  But this song gets me.  
 

Random story:  when my son was about 7 or 8, he heard me singing this song in the shower (he was in his room next door doing math) and when I got out he said “dad, I didn’t think you believed in god.  But you do?”   Gives me chills thinking about it.  When I went through a really rough patch 6-7 years ago, this was one of about a dozen songs on a constant loop in my car......

 

[Alex P Keaton]

As a former employee of Kraft, I am compelled to say, "Flavor-Aid!!!"   

Meh, close enough.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Heading into the top 10 tomorrow!  We have four Paul songs, four from George, and two from John.  That seems fair and equitable. 

Update on the contest for charity shows eight songs guessed that haven't been knocked out yet; if those eight make the top 10, you've done an excellent job of predicting!  In that case, it would mean that only two Paul top 10 were missed, which would not be surprising given his breadth.  I will tell you in advance that one of my Paul top 10 that will be revealed tomorrow is nothing anyone ever would have guessed; it's a deeeeeeeeeeep track and will probably be a head-scratcher for most of you.  It's the only song on the list that makes my top 10 because of an emotional bond to the song due to a personal experience with it.  More on that when it comes up.

simey, neal, Dr. Octopus, and facook are still holding strong with three predictions left in the mix.

John 

5 votes - Watching the Wheels (simey, shuke, neal, Dr. Oct, falguy)

3 votes - Instant Karma (jwb, facook, prosopis)

Paul 

5 votes - Maybe I’m Amazed (neal, Shaft, Dr. Oct, facook, Binky)

1 vote - Band on the Run (simey)

George 

6 votes - What is Life (simey, shuke, Morton, jwb, falguy, Binky)

2 votes each - Beware of Darkness (neal, Dr. Oct); All Things Must Pass (facook, Uruk)

1 vote - Give Me Love (weasel)

And this is me after #9 Dream came up

 

[Pip's Invitation]

The only flaw is how long they go on.  Ugh.  It’s a bit brutal.

My buddies and I call that a dwell.

Other notable dwells: 

Teenage Fanclub -- Norman 3

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists -- The Lost Brigade

 

[krista4]

OH is on a music-based (to put it mildly) message board where every month they choose a different artist and the people on the site can post covers of the artist's songs.  This month it is Paul, and unsurprisingly the music folks haven't exactly gone for the "hits" yet.  I haven't listened to any of these yet but thought it would be interesting.  I mean, the first one posted was "Darkroom" from McCartney II.   

 

[krista4]

OH is on a music-based (to put it mildly) message board where every month they choose a different artist and the people on the site can post covers of the artist's songs.  This month it is Paul, and unsurprisingly the music folks haven't exactly gone for the "hits" yet.  I haven't listened to any of these yet but thought it would be interesting.  I mean, the first one posted was "Darkroom" from McCartney II.   

OK, my amateur rankings say that you should listen to "Come And Get It" and "Heart Of The Country."  On the latter, you'll wonder why you need seven minutes of this, but trust me.  It twists and turns into something interesting and...festive.

 

[shuke]

We move inexorably toward my top 10...

15.  #9 Dream (Walls And Bridges, 1974)  Spotify  YouTube

 It was said to have come to him in a dream, including the non-singalong line “Ah! böwakawa poussé, poussé,” which had to be clarified (changed?) to indicate he was saying poussé rather than “#####,” which would have given the censors fits. 

So this is just made up words? I have a terrible ear for lyrics.  Like the worst.  I just always assumed this was some other English verse that I couldn't understand.

 

[krista4]

So this is just made up words? I have a terrible ear for lyrics.  Like the worst.  I just always assumed this was some other English verse that I couldn't understand.

I thought exactly the same thing.  I sang it for years with some English words that I thought were nonsense but at least words, something like that ended with "ah, circumstance."   

I shouldn't admit that.

But no, they're made up.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

More rock music...

24.  Art Of Dying (All Things Must Pass, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #9)

Huge.  Gigantic.  Pounding.  Spector-y.  George wrote this one beginning in 1966, inspired by The Tibetan Book Of The Dead, as a composition on the subject of reincarnation.  Listen to all that #### going on right there.  I could do without some of the Clapton-ing (other than the intro), but the rest of the music is stellar, especially Carl Radle on bass and Jim Gordon on drums.  Billy Preston takes organ duties, while Gary Wright adds the electric piano, but the coolest part to me is the tubular bells played by Bobby Whitlock.  Add in an abundance of horns playing an appropriately counter-puntal melody, and you have a great big rock orchestra in an overpowering squall.  In a good way.  Reminder, by the way, that this is the song Phil Collins played congas on until his hands bled, and then he was cut out of the final product:  story previously relayed here.  

Another big one for me. I guess I should say this alternates in my 4-7 from ATMP with Let It Down, Isn't It A Pity and Awaiting on You All. It's ridiculous how many great songs are on this album. I guess that's what happens when you have a ton of talent but the leaders of your band restrict your output for them. 

"Overpowering squall" is exactly right. There's layer upon layer of stuff going on, all of it powerful, driving and swinging -- not easy to pull off. And the Claptoning works perfectly well for me here. 

 

[krista4]

Now I'm angry with that song for making me look foolish for so long.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

More rock music...

23.  John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - Isolation (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(John #6)

I guess I should call this blues as much as it is rock.  John wasn't coy with the titles of the songs on this album - what you see in the title is what you get in the song, this one being about John's feelings of fear and vulnerability despite "having it all," feeling disillusioned with fame and believing in a way that it was he and Yoko against the world.  In an especially powerful middle eight (which was adapted from the Barrett Strong song, "Oh, I Apologize"), he laments being misunderstood by the world at large, while also understanding that other people are victims of an insane world as well.  While most of this album is musically stark, I find it especially compelling in this song, with the cold landscape of the song fitting the theme of isolation.  Voormann's bass softly loops while Ringo plays gently; it is only in that more aggressive middle eight that all of the instrumentation becomes more forceful, with John's vocals also being double-tracked and panned back and forth to give a fuller effect.  I find this one of John's most emotional and affecting vocals, rueful during the quiet verses and yelping with pain during the bridge.  

The way John sings "isolation" sounds like the loneliest damn thing in the world. 

John and George couldn't possibly have been any different in 1970, as evidenced by this song and the one that preceded it. John was alone without much accompaniment, working out his demons with only Yoko and a few others as support. George was celebrating his liberation from the Beatles by bringing in all his friends for a musical party. 

 

[krista4]

John and George couldn't possibly have been any different in 1970, as evidenced by this song and the one that preceded it. John was alone without much accompaniment, working out his demons with only Yoko and a few others as support. George was celebrating his liberation from the Beatles by bringing in all his friends for a musical party. 

Beautiful.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

More rock music...

22.  Jenny Wren (Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, 2005)  Spotify  YouTube

(Paul #9)

Perhaps I shouldn't consider this one not "well-known" - after all, it was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance - but I never hear anyone discussing it, on the Beatles channel or otherwise.  Paul wrote this in the midst of a canyon outside of Los Angeles, where he'd hoped to be inspired by the vastness of nature.  The title came from the Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend, in which Paul says "Jenny Wren is a really cool little girl who's sort of magical, who sees good in things. ... A wren is one of my favourite birds, little English bird..."  The song uses the wren as a metaphor for the tale of a girl rising out of her underprivileged background.  Could it be about She Who Shall Not Be Named?  Paul has never said it was, and I'm going to say no, because I love this song.

There are three things that launch this song so high on my list, along with the obviously gorgeous melody and the complex key changes.  First is Paul's finger-picking acoustic guitar part, which sounds a lot like "Blackbird" - I even love the sound of his hands moving along the fret board.  Second is Paul's vocal, which if you don't love the "old man" version of Paul like I do, might not be for you.  But I think he uses what he has particularly beautifully on this song, and I even adore the parts where he strains and maybe doesn't quite get there, such as on the words "you saw who we are" starting at 3:00.  The third and most important, of course, is the use of the duduk, which is an Armenian woodwind instrument Paul had heard played at the Concert for George and decided to incorporate into this song.  The trailing melody and the solo are stunningly beautiful and melancholy pieces played by Venezuelan musician Pedro Eustache, who expected that the song would then go through a lot of overdubs to add to the feel.  Instead, Paul left the song unadorned, with only the guitar and a light tom accompanying the duduk.  Paul explained that he wanted the song to sound as if it were just two friends playing together in a pub.  Two friends who happened to have a duduk along, I guess.

Hey, OH liked this one!  "That song was beautiful.  One of Paul McCartney's strengths is knowing what he can’t do.  He doesn’t shred big noodly guitar solos or do drum solos.  It’s the same with this, with singing, he doesn’t do more than he’s capable of.  He makes what another performer would seem like a liability into an asset.  It’s a fragile -sounding song about fragility, and he lets that new aspect of his voice come through."

Yep, I hear the Blackbird connection again. Every so often Paul just gets into that mode.

This is lovely and makes good use of Paul's old-man voice before it became too old. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Now I'm angry with that song for making me look foolish for so long.

I just hummed along with jibberish because I had no idea what he was singing. Turns out I was right, it was jibberish! 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

21.  John Lennon and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band - Jealous Guy (Imagine, 1971)  Spotify  YouTube

(John #5)

I should have kept a running count of the songs that were initiated during the Beatles's visit to the Maharishi in 1968.  It's incredible to think not only of the Beatles songs that arose from that visit, but those that Paul, John, and George later re-visited in their post-Beatles careers.  This one began as a song called "Child Of Nature" and was recorded during the White Album sessions, but was omitted from that album in favor of Paul's "Mother Nature's Son."  John brought it back out during the Let It Be sessions as "On The Road To Marrakesh," but again it failed to be included in the final product.  When it was re-attempted in 1971 for Imagine, the lyrics had undergone a full transformation but the melody remained.  The lyrics are not exactly a mystery, as John wasn't one to make up a fantastical world to mask his own emotions.  The lyrics are, quite clearly, about his issues with being possessive and insecure, but that he understands his equating "love" to "100% possession" is stifling and damaging.

The dreamlike melody of this song, along with John's delicate vocal, is devastatingly beautiful.  It's complemented perfectly by Nicky Hopkins's gentle, gospel-y piano.  Yoko agrees:  "Nicky Hopkins’ playing on ‘Jealous Guy’ is so melodic and beautiful that it still makes everyone cry, even now."  This song also features the most poignant whistling I've ever heard.  I'm serious; I don't understand how he managed to do that.

You said everything I would have said (other than the pre-Imagine incarnations, I had no idea about those). I'll just add that the string arrangement complements the piano and the whistling really well. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

20.  Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (All Things Must Pass, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #8)

Sir Frank Crisp was the original owner of George’s Friar Park estate and was a lawyer, scientist, and horticulturalist to whom George seemed to have felt a special connection.  George purchased the 120-room estate in 1970 when it was in disrepair, with overgrowth everywhere, no heating, no furniture or beds, leading to George and Pattie sleeping first in sleeping bags and then on mattresses on the floor.  In cleaning up its grounds, gardens, and buildings, they discovered various homilies, puns, and sayings that had been inscribed by Sir Crisp in portions of the grounds but covered up over the years, many of which made their way into George’s songs.  The grounds featured a series of man-made caves and grottos between which one could travel by boat, during which journey one would come across toadstools, gnomes, fairies, and mirrors, plus a variety of gardens including Japanese and Elizabethan, topiary, and mazes.  In the midst of all of this was a replica of the Matterhorn comprising 20,000 tons of granite.  Inside, all of the light switches were replicas of monks’ faces, and vestibules led to ballrooms adorned with cherubs led to huge hallways flanked by galleries led to…you get the idea.  Friar Park became the scene of many of George’s most positive and negative experiences in the last 30 years of his life, from important recording sessions for some of his most beloved music, to his cultivation of his love of gardening, to the attack that nearly killed Olivia and him in 1999. 

This tribute to Friar Park is a guided journey through its grounds, with the first verse rolling through the house, the second through the garden, and the third through the caves and woods surrounding the home.  The last verse approaches the people of the house, the staff who were living there.  I picture this cinematic journey much like watching the movie Russian Ark.  

The music of the song matches the bucolic atmosphere of the journey, with an ethereal double-tracked vocal and dreamy pedal steel by Pete Drake.  It’s full of many more pleasing hooks than most of the album, and while there’s some Spector-y reverb, in this case it just makes the entire effect more haunting and highlights the beautiful swirling organ and piano work by Billy Preston and Gary Wright.  This is APK’s favorite George, “Upbeat George,” and while it might not be the most complicated or rocking song on ATMP, it’s the one that makes me feel most content and at peace. 

Love the piano on this one. It also functions as a nice breather in between the intense Wall of Soundness and deep philosophizing of most of the rest of the album. 

 

[Morton Muffley]

OH is on a music-based (to put it mildly) message board where every month they choose a different artist and the people on the site can post covers of the artist's songs.  This month it is Paul, and unsurprisingly the music folks haven't exactly gone for the "hits" yet.  I haven't listened to any of these yet but thought it would be interesting.  I mean, the first one posted was "Darkroom" from McCartney II.   

Known in my house as #61.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

And now that we're at a nice round number again, I'm off to bed. 

 

[krista4]

Known in my house as #61.

WHOA.

And now that we're at a nice round number again, I'm off to bed. 

Dude, I know your commenting might be behind but I hope (and think) you're keeping up on the picks themselves, since we are doing the beginning of the TOP 10 tomorrow.

 

[krista4]

Known in my house as #61.

Wait, I had this as #60 before and "Ballroom Dancing" at #61.

 

[Morton Muffley]

Wait, I had this as #60 before and "Ballroom Dancing" at #61.

oops you are correct.  I was reading the excel row (#61) and not the rank (#60) . Damn headers!

 

[Morton Muffley]

Wait, I had this as #60 before and "Ballroom Dancing" at #61.

oops you are correct.  I was reading the excel row (#61) and not the rank (#60) . Damn headers!

And as long as you are filling out your scorecard.  Pick any 3 spots you don't have filled in and I'll tell ya what I got in those spots

 

[krista4]

And as long as you are filling out your scorecard.  Pick any 3 spots you don't have filled in and I'll tell ya what I got in those spots

Well, I want the highest ones of course.  I think we're still missing 11, 13, and 14, but there are some recent ones you haven't filled in.

 

[Morton Muffley]

Well, I want the highest ones of course.  I think we're still missing 11, 13, and 14, but there are some recent ones you haven't filled in.

Ok, here they are with my notes

11. Wanderlust: Was originally in my top ten…probably still should be.   

13 Jet: Stupid lyrics, but lots of fun

14 Band on the Run: Like it, just not a huge fan of the big 70s rock-opera stuff and this has some of that

 

[krista4]

Ok, here they are with my notes

11. Wanderlust: Was originally in my top ten…probably still should be.   

13 Jet: Stupid lyrics, but lots of fun

14 Band on the Run: Like it, just not a huge fan of the big 70s rock-opera stuff and this has some of that

Ah, Jet was one of those that you hadn't spilled yet but I posted.  I was bummed to think we had no hits on these three!  Wanderlust and Band On The Run TBD.

 

[krista4]

Ah, Jet was one of those that you hadn't spilled yet but I posted.  I was bummed to think we had no hits on these three!  Wanderlust and Band On The Run TBD.

And we had another near-miss on Jet!

 

[Morton Muffley]

Ah, Jet was one of those that you hadn't spilled yet but I posted.  I was bummed to think we had no hits on these three!  Wanderlust and Band On The Run TBD.

Am not holding out much hope on Wanderlust, but expect Band on the Run is still upcoming and yes, another near hit on Jet.

I'll leave you with one that made my top 25 (at #25) that only I love: 222

I think I like it mainly because the video helps me recognize the instrumentation and thus what is going on with the song.  That and the similarity/homage/rip-off to Dave Brubek's Take 5.  This is the instrumental I mentioned early on.

 

[krista4]

Am not holding out much hope on Wanderlust, but expect Band on the Run is still upcoming and yes, another near hit on Jet.

I'll leave you with one that made my top 25 (at #25) that only I love: 222

I think I like it mainly because the video helps me recognize the instrumentation and thus what is going on with the song.  That and the similarity/homage/rip-off to Dave Brubek's Take 5.  This is the instrumental I mentioned early on.

It's beautiful and would have been on my countdown without a doubt if it had been eligible.

 

[krista4]

By the way, I purposefully say "near-miss" because it's a phrase that irritates me.

 

[Morton Muffley]

By the way, I purposefully say "near-miss" because it's a phrase that irritates me.

ah, i hadn't even realized I was writing it differently.  wasn't trying to do that thing where you gently correct someone by parroting them with proper grammar/spelling/word choice.  honestly didn't even realize i was doing it. 

this is why I write it that way

and I just realized the irony re: "near miss on Jet!" am a little slow tonight...past my bedtime

 

[simey]

We move inexorably toward my top 10...

15.  #9 Dream (Walls And Bridges, 1974)  Spotify  YouTube

(John #3)

And…I love the hippy-dippy-dreamy feel.   I do too 

John had always been fascinated by the number nine:  

The song begins with a George-like guitar intro (purportedly at the direction of John to “play like George”) and then becomes a rich, sumptuous sonic cornucopia of strings, horns, and layered vocals.    I love that intro

 

[Shaft41]

So, being a teacher, I have dreams about school approximately 8 days a week.  Well, I had a particularly vivid one last night, but this time, I was the student, sitting in a classroom with a bunch of adults, being taught by...Paul McCartney.  The classroom was in his house, because of course it was, and I felt strongly that I was invited there, which certainly beats out getting a text message from Paul, and I remember thinking in the dream that I'd outdone Krista.  Paul was riffing on his songs and some of his techniques, but weirdly, he'd dyed his hair a really inauthentic-looking reddish-brown color.  At one point, there was a map of the island that he lived on, and there were estates of other famous people nearby, including Kim Basinger (!).  Later in the dream, I was back in my classroom, talking to my students about the trip I'd taken to Paul McCartney's house, and of course, because they're pesky youngsters, they didn't know to whom I was referring.  Thankfully, Paul himself just suddenly turned up, sitting in the 2nd row, and I was able to show him to the students in the flesh.  Awful nice of him to drop by.  

I dream about school because it dominates my thoughts most days, particularly this year, having full school days 5 days a week in person, and doing school completely differently that I've ever done it before in 25 years.  But dreaming about Paul is a testament to how much time I've spent thinking about this thread, and that's such a wonderful gift.  As we embark on the top 10, I thank you again, Krista, for bringing this to all of us with such passion, verve and joy.  I thank all the other posters for deepening my understanding of what I'm hearing and being part of the community. 

Now, I need to listen to "Goodnight Tonight" again because it fits the mood right now.  Ebullient.   

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I thought exactly the same thing.  I sang it for years with some English words that I thought were nonsense but at least words, something like that ended with "ah, circumstance."   

I shouldn't admit that.

But no, they're made up.

I thought it was French. I'm dumb.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Another song from Press to Play showed up on my Pure McCartney shuffle today, "Good Times Coming/Feel the Sun" medley. Oh boy, and I thought the Paul McCartney (with the Frog Chorus)  song that came on before this was bad.

I may have to reconsider my new "listen to Paul everyday" mantra.

ETA: the "weird" version of Coming Up to save the day.

 

[krista4]

So, being a teacher, I have dreams about school approximately 8 days a week.  Well, I had a particularly vivid one last night, but this time, I was the student, sitting in a classroom with a bunch of adults, being taught by...Paul McCartney.  The classroom was in his house, because of course it was, and I felt strongly that I was invited there, which certainly beats out getting a text message from Paul, and I remember thinking in the dream that I'd outdone Krista.  Paul was riffing on his songs and some of his techniques, but weirdly, he'd dyed his hair a really inauthentic-looking reddish-brown color.  At one point, there was a map of the island that he lived on, and there were estates of other famous people nearby, including Kim Basinger (!).  Later in the dream, I was back in my classroom, talking to my students about the trip I'd taken to Paul McCartney's house, and of course, because they're pesky youngsters, they didn't know to whom I was referring.  Thankfully, Paul himself just suddenly turned up, sitting in the 2nd row, and I was able to show him to the students in the flesh.  Awful nice of him to drop by.  

I dream about school because it dominates my thoughts most days, particularly this year, having full school days 5 days a week in person, and doing school completely differently that I've ever done it before in 25 years.  But dreaming about Paul is a testament to how much time I've spent thinking about this thread, and that's such a wonderful gift.  As we embark on the top 10, I thank you again, Krista, for bringing this to all of us with such passion, verve and joy.  I thank all the other posters for deepening my understanding of what I'm hearing and being part of the community. 

Now, I need to listen to "Goodnight Tonight" again because it fits the mood right now.  Ebullient.   

 So sweet.  
 

I'm bothered by that Paul hair color, though.

Another song from Press to Play showed up on my Pure McCartney shuffle today, "Good Times Coming/Feel the Sun" medley. Oh boy, and I thought the Paul McCartney (with the Frog Chorus)  song that came on before this was bad.

I may have to reconsider my new "listen to Paul everyday" mantra.

ETA: the "weird" version of Coming Up to save the day.

I love the frog chorus song.     Or rather, I love the video.  I almost put it on the countdown but realized it was mostly for the video.

I thought it was French. I'm dumb.

It sounds French-ish.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I love the frog chorus song.     Or rather, I love the video.  I almost put it on the countdown but realized it was mostly for the video.

It sounds French-ish.

The video is cute.

The song isn't awful (for what it is), but caught me a bit by surprise. I wasn't expecting a "Disney" type song on that shuffle. The Frog Chorus surely dominates and they seem to treat Paul like Paul and John treated George.

 

[krista4]

The video is cute.

The song isn't awful (for what it is), but caught me a bit by surprise. I wasn't expecting a "Disney" type song on that shuffle. The Frog Chorus surely dominates and they seem to treat Paul like Paul and John treated George.

I realized I was thinking of a different Paul song with a video featuring frogs.  I liked the frog chorus, but is the one I liked the best:  Tropical Island Hum.  That one also features Linda singing as a sexy squirrel.

I wasn't really going to put either one on my list, but at one point I'd planned an ---INTERLUDE--- to discuss some of these one-offs.  But I got tired of writing.  And thinking.  So much thinking.

 

[krista4]

Is 9 the number you hate?

 

[krista4]

10.  Lennon/Ono With The Plastic Ono Band - Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) (single, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(John #2)

For a person who complains a lot about Phil Spector, I sure do have a lot of his productions at the top of my favorites.  I guess that’s inevitable when he was so heavily involved in John’s and George’s early solo works.  I do hold a grudge against this song, though – his involvement in it directly led to his being brought in to the Let It Be sessions, where in my opinion he ruined a bunch of songs. 

Setting aside my unreasonable notion that a composition could be responsible for actual human actions, this gets my vaunted #2 spot on the John list because it’s freaking awesome.  OK, maybe I can break it down better than that.  First of all, it’s AN ALAN WHITE SHOWCASE!  Hmmm, doesn’t have the same ring.  But that drumming is madness and not something I’d have expected from White based on my other knowledge of him (I don’t do Yes, so I’m talking about other Beatles collaborations).  Truly phenomenal.  I wouldn’t want to rank a song so highly, though, if it were dependent upon the contributions of a non-Beatle, and this isn’t.  John’s vocal is Twist-And-Shouty goodness, absolutely shredding it.  And although I don’t believe in karma, I think the lyrics are the most interesting of his overtly political tomes, with their tongue-in-cheek “get yourself together” criticisms combined with the optimism of “we all shine on” or the exhortation that we aren’t here to live in pain and fear.  It’s a decidedly positive and communal view of where we can go, unlike the more individual directives of, for instance, “Give Peace A Chance.”  In that sense, it’s more reassuring that if we all work together as one, we could accomplish something, though this idea was presented here in a less polished fashion than “Imagine.”  The more optimistic lyrics are complemented by the upbeat vocal and accompaniment – unlike many John songs of this vintage, he sounds like he’s having fun.

The backstory of this song is crazy, with John having gone from concept to composition to recording to release in…get this…10 days.  It reached #3 on the US charts and was the first “solo” Beatle recording to sell a million copies.  It wasn’t exactly solo, of course, since George played guitar and electric piano and provided backing vocals.  George and…everyone else on the planet.  In typical Spector-y fashion, a billion and one musicians were brought in to work on the track, from mainstays Voormann, White, and Preston, to a chorus of uncredited backing vocals that included awful-person Allen Klein.  To that Spector added his usual echo and reverb effects and wanted to add strings, too, but John deemed the song complete without them, thank goodness.  I believe strings would have detracted from the raw, primal nature of the song that makes it one of my top 10.

John and Yoko did a lot of promotion for this song.  They cut off their long hair and presented it to a Black power activist as some sort of signal of a “new beginning” for 1970.  And they did a series of TV performances of the song, including this little number that features Yoko soundlessly knitting with a Kotex pad taped to her face as a blindfold.  

 

[Shaft41]

10.  Lennon/Ono With The Plastic Ono Band - Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) (single, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(John #2)

And they did a series of TV performances of the song, including this little number that features Yoko soundlessly knitting with a Kotex pad taped to her face as a blindfold.  

Now I know what my junior high principal did before getting into education:  tambourine player for John Lennon.  

 

[krista4]

9.  Paul McCartney and Wings - My Love (Red Rose Speedway, 1973)  Spotify  YouTube

(Paul #4)

OK, I realize my "deep track" isn't really deep, but I was half joking and half trying to mislead, just as I misled @Pip's Invitation by telling him (via PM, I think) that this song wasn't going to be on my countdown.  I'm sorry, GB, and I hope you'll give it another shot.  It does have a great guitar solo and a dreamy Paul vocal!  But before you guys vomit, I did mention that I had a personal connection to this one.

When I was 17, I left home for a college (Wellesley) I'd never visited in a state I'd never seen.  I really was just this naive rube from southern Indiana, terribly shy and insecure.  In my first semester, I went to a party and saw a guy, Bob, that my friends and I all thought looked just like Tom Cruise.  We were gaga.  Being this shy thing who hadn't dated much, I had no reason to think he'd be interested in me, but he was!  We dated for my entire college career, and given that none of my other close friends had long-term boyfriends during that time, he was as central to our friend group as any of us.  After I moved to NY for law school, we tried to stay together for a bit, but it just didn't work out in the end.  We kept in touch now and then over the years, not as much as we should have, but we were friendly and I always thought the world of him.

In February 2019 I received an email from his BFF during college saying he needed to talk to me.  I immediately panicked, sure that Bob had had a heart attack because he was always high-strung.  But no - in fact, my fears were realized when I learned he had died, but not of a heart attack...of the flu.  The freaking flu.

When I was going into my junior year in college, my older brother got married, and of course Bob and I were at the wedding.  During the reception, we danced to this song, and Bob sung it softly in my ear.  (He was a terrible singer, by the way.)  After that, I always considered this "our song," but it only shot up my Paul rankings after Bob died and I recalled that time with him.  RIP Bob.

 

[yoman]

10.  Lennon/Ono With The Plastic Ono Band - Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) (single, 1970)  Spotify  YouTube

(John #2)

For a person who complains a lot about Phil Spector, I sure do have a lot of his productions at the top of my favorites.  I guess that’s inevitable when he was so heavily involved in John’s and George’s early solo works.  I do hold a grudge against this song, though – his involvement in it directly led to his being brought in to the Let It Be sessions, where in my opinion he ruined a bunch of songs. 

I guess we now know what your #1 John Lennon song will be.  I too love the vocals and this is one of my favorites as well.

What did Phil Spector do to ruin songs in the Let It Be sessions? 

ADDED - I will look this up later. I remember reading something about this.