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[Hello Goodbye]

As a side note, I've heard Paul's use of French in the song referred to by Beatles biographers as both "self-conscious" and "pretentious." (Pretty sure that latter one was from Philip Norman.)

Kathy, I've learned not to take Beatles biographers seriously when they start rendering such opinions.  We can make our own minds up when it comes to either liking or disliking particular songs.

I wonder if anyone ever criticized Debbie Harry's use of French in Sunday Girl...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmeaZZpHIeM&amp;t=145s" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmeaZZpHIeM&amp;t=145s</a>

1979


Dépêche-toi, dépêche-toi et attends,
toute la semaine absent et pourtant j’attends.
J’ai le cafard, je t’en prie, viens voir
ce que ton amour représente pour moi.


 


Or Petula Clark for that matter...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhKTqdSwx2I" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhKTqdSwx2I</a>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMNa1TgS4eU" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMNa1TgS4eU</a>

 

[blmeanie]

Michelle was discussed a bit in the Hulu McCartney special recently released, 3-2-1  check it out, there was a conversation on here about it, I enjoyed it quite a bit, wasn't sure I would , thought maybe some of the same old stories we've all heard from Paul but there was plenty of new meat on them bones still.

[nimrod]

Baz
I agree with you about Michelle, I think its achingly beautiful, alongside Here There & Everywhere, and Singalong Junk.

I enjoyed That solo Michelle you posted by Bill Tykes, I really like the way this guy plays it, although I dont think he shouldve done the video with his kitchen in the background  (dig the harmonics)

https://youtu.be/hwvCnKnuk1A

Then there is the absolute master, Tommy Emmanuel.

https://youtu.be/JS8SBw5Omhk

[Moogmodule]

As a side note, I've heard Paul's use of French in the song referred to by Beatles biographers as both "self-conscious" and "pretentious." (Pretty sure that latter one was from Philip Norman.)
 

Sounds like something Philip Norman would say. I think it was him that wrote that Paul’s use of French was a transparent piece of social climbing.

Norman had a huge pro-John agenda when he wrote Shout. The rest of the Beatles were just bit players. He’s gone back on that now since he decided to do a Paul bio but it’s a bit late.

[Moogmodule]

Baz
I agree with you about Michelle, I think its achingly beautiful, alongside Here There & Everywhere, and Singalong Junk.

But it can’t be alongside Here There and everywhere and Junk. I really like those! 

[nimrod]

But it can’t be alongside Here There and everywhere and Junk. I really like those! 

Surely Moog if you listen to the above 2 guys playing it (not in French btw  ) you can dig the actual melody ?

[Moogmodule]

Oh sure. Paul never did a bad melody. And it works well like that as an instrumental

[nimrod]

Oh sure. Paul never did a bad melody.

Temporary Secretary ?

[Hello Goodbye]

Baz
I agree with you about Michelle, I think its achingly beautiful, alongside Here There & Everywhere, and Singalong Junk.

I enjoyed That solo Michelle you posted by Bill Tykes, I really like the way this guy plays it, although I dont think he shouldve done the video with his kitchen in the background  (dig the harmonics)

https://youtu.be/hwvCnKnuk1A

Then there is the absolute master, Tommy Emmanuel.

https://youtu.be/JS8SBw5Omhk

Those were done so beautifully, Kev.  Only a special melody can sound so beautiful and Paul certainly came up with one with Michelle.

Here's another master's interpretation of the song...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIob7FNSxPM" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIob7FNSxPM</a>

[Moogmodule]

Temporary Secretary ?

Paul rarely did a bad melody

[nimrod]

Those were done so beautifully, Kev.  Only a special melody can sound so beautiful and Paul certainly came up with one with Michelle.

Here's another master's interpretation of the song...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIob7FNSxPM" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIob7FNSxPM</a>

Ahh yes, Chet

[Hello Goodbye]

Temporary Secretary ?

Paul played that for us five years ago at MetLife Stadium...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdtXWLfiywU" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdtXWLfiywU</a>

He later commented that he could tell how much each song was liked by the number of cell phones lit up in the audience.   

[Normandie]

And I can't believe "Girl" was the B side of "Michelle!"    "Girl" is far superior . . .

I must rephrase this in light of the fact that all the regular posters here are musicians. I vastly prefer "Girl" to "Michelle."   

Kathy, I've learned not to take Beatles biographers seriously when they start rendering such opinions. 

I never take those sorts of statements seriously, Barry. I lose a bit of respect for biographers who insert their personal views. Part of my editorial work is to help them avoid doing so.
 

[Loco Mo]

nimrod:  You listed "It's only a Northern Song" and "It's all too much."  Both are on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack.

I admit I was never crazy about these two tunes.  But I decided to give them another listen and I actually find them to be quite interesting.

It's only a Northern Song:  3"25' - interesting for the background sounds and brass instruments.  Very psychedelic, too.  You hear John's speaking voice toward the end and at the very end.  I don't know what he was saying.  Wonder if YS was considered when George composed this.

It's all too much:  6"26' - (Jan 69) Listen to the opening guitar riffs - It makes me automatically think of the opening to "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf (Sept 68).  Could George have been influenced by MCR?  IATM is also very interesting to listen to.  The opening beats seem to consist of group claps which later transitions to Ringo's similar drum beats.  Again, there's the appearance of the brass instruments toward the closing.  Hard to understand lyrics also toward the conclusion.  The repetitive chanting of "Too much" creates an odd effect.  They sing it but conclude with speaking the chant in a very monotonous way.  Kind of reminiscent of "Block that Kick" at the end of Rev 9.  I don't know.  I think my point is that both of these songs are very interesting - I've already said that in my preface but it bears repeating.

So, I'm going to cross these two songs off my "dislike" list.  I want to listen to them again just to hear the very busy backgrounds of them both.

[nimrod]

Good points Loco, but it doesnt change my mind. I simply dont think they are good enough to be Beatle songs.
I also thing George's singing isnt great especially IOANS. IMO George wrote some very good songs, but he also wrote some stinkers.
I put these two in with Blue Jay Way.

[Moogmodule]

I don’t mind It’s All to Much and Northern Song. They aren’t great but I rank them above Blue Jay Way.

It’s all too much could have been a decent tune I think with some more work. It’s pretty much one chord the whole way through. Which he makes a lot out of but some variation would have been nice. The crazy guitar and instrumentation is fun though.

[nimrod]

I don’t mind It’s All to Much and Northern Song. They aren’t great but I rank them above Blue Jay Way.

It’s all too much could have been a decent tune I think with some more work. It’s pretty much one chord the whole way through. Which he makes a lot out of but some variation would have been nice. The crazy guitar and instrumentation is fun though.

My wife likes The Beatles a lot but once I put on a Spotify playlist, IATM came on and after about 2 minutes she said "what the hell is this tuneless racket" ? As I never play YS she'd never heard it 

[Moogmodule]

My wife likes The Beatles a lot but once I put on a Spotify playlist, IATM came on and after about 2 minutes she said "what the hell is this tuneless racket" ?

 

[Loco Mo]

nimrod: I wasn't really trying to persuade anyone to like IOANS or IATM.  I just wanted to describe what I experienced when I listened to them again.  It seems experimental to me.  The songs aren't great for singing along to.  I don't know why the Beatles allowed them a spot on an album but they did.  Maybe they realized that some of their stuff was going to be filler.  It's like an attitude that every song can't be a great one.  Even so, I still plan on listening again.  I'm fascinated by all the background "noise" or whatever you want to call it.  There's a part on one of these two songs where it sounds like George's voice was distorted and sounded like he was talking backwards briefly.  If played backwards and a clear sentence is heard, that would seem to prove that the Beatles were aware of all the presumed backward stuff they did.  I think they've denied doing that.  Of course, it's obvious at the end of Strawberry Fields so I don't know.

Moogmodule:  I'll have to add "Blue Jay Way" to my list of songs to listen to again.  Nope, I never cared for that one either.

[nimrod]

nimrod: I wasn't really trying to persuade anyone to like IOANS or IATM.  I just wanted to describe what I experienced when I listened to them again.  It seems experimental to me.  The songs aren't great for singing along to.  I don't know why the Beatles allowed them a spot on an album but they did.  Maybe they realized that some of their stuff was going to be filler.  It's like an attitude that every song can't be a great one.  Even so, I still plan on listening again.  I'm fascinated by all the background "noise" or whatever you want to call it.  There's a part on one of these two songs where it sounds like George's voice was distorted and sounded like he was talking backwards briefly.  If played backwards and a clear sentence is heard, that would seem to prove that the Beatles were aware of all the presumed backward stuff they did.  I think they've denied doing that.  Of course, it's obvious at the end of Strawberry Fields so I don't know.

Moogmodule:  I'll have to add "Blue Jay Way" to my list of songs to listen to again.  Nope, I never cared for that one either.

Tes Loco, I find the background interesting, I just think those 2 songs are quite poor. Id be amazed if John and George Martin thought they were any good...