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[Loco Mo]

As I mentioned in a recent thread, I thought it would be interesting to post a topic concerning the Beatles famous harmonies, especially in their early career.  I think this could be a wonderful topic to discuss.

For example, here's a few thoughts to consider:

1)  What's the song with the greatest harmonies they've ever done together?
2)  What's the last song they really harmonized on?
3)  Why is the early (1st half) of the Beatles career so resplendent in harmonies but not so much in the latter half of their career?
4)  Think of the closing of "Twist and Shout."  Wasn't that amazing?  It was like one - two - three as their voices fused together consecutively and in ascending tonalities.
5)  Please Please Me seems to be an excellent example in which they hit the prolonged "oooooo" sound together.  This was a song characteristic that seemed to trigger the girls screaming like crazy.
6)  Let's talk about the songs, one by one, that display those harmonies.  What's your favorite or favorites?
7)  Etc.

Thank you muchly for your input!  The Beatles harmonies were so amazing and so much the force behind Beatlemania, IMO. 

[Normandie]

Loco, I am such a huge fan of the early Beatles harmonies that I am going to have to sit on this for a bit. Interesting questions you've posted! 

[Moogmodule]

Yeah that’s a huge topic (and a good one). I’ll come back to it

[Hello Goodbye]

Yes, this is s great topic for discussion.  Thank-you, Loco.

We've discussed The Beatles' vocal harmonies in the past but usually confined to a particular song.  The Beatles managed to harmonize well early in their career as evidenced in recordings we have of them at their Decca auditions, Star Club performances, and BBC shows.  Once they were able to record at the Abbey Road studios, they were able to concentrate further on vocal harmonies as we see on the various takes we have of them that have been released.  We know that they took their vocals seriously judging by the number of dubbing and over-dubbing sessions they had for each song.

To start off the discussion, I'd like to mention my favorite (at this moment in time) Beatles harmony songs.  They occur in different phases of their career:

1. Early Cover Song Era...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWUTlM6hz0g" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWUTlM6hz0g</a>

2. Early Original Song Era...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_80s6S_7Vw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_80s6S_7Vw</a>

3.  Middle Original Song Era...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-0if-ca6CE" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-0if-ca6CE</a>

[Hello Goodbye]

4. Late Original Song Era...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL0tnrl2L_U" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL0tnrl2L_U</a>

[Normandie]

I am totally with you in regard to "If I Fell" and "Because," Barry. The harmonies are so exquisite that I have run out of adjectives to adequately describe them. 

I'm still going to have to come back to this tomorrow or the next day, just wanted to quickly inject a quick comment.

[blmeanie]

for me the harmonies conversation starts with Paperback Writer, I've described this type of performance as "their voices are an instrument that most other bands don't have the luxury of doing"

[Moogmodule]

Hard to argue with any of those choices HG.

I like their call and response ones too. Like You’re Going To lose that Girl or the pre-echo style of Help.

[Moogmodule]

To try to answer Loco’s 3rd question. The Beatles music did change incredibly from first to last. The style of harmonies that were very upfront, like Everly brothers style or girl group didn’t suit the harder modern rock of the second half of their career. But even then they still did have the harmonies.  More often they were mixed further back and perhaps positioned off centre in a stereo field, as opposed to earlier mono recordings where any vocals, lead or harmony, were going to be pretty front and centre.

But even then there were still great harmonies.  Don’t let me down,  Ballad of John and a Yoko, Something, Come Together, Dig a Pony. One of the Beatles distinctive features in the latter half was Paul’s high harmony lines over John or George’s leads. Or John doing lower counterpoint on Paul, eg Hey Jude.

[nimrod]

No 1
The bridge section on No Reply.

If I were you etcetera...

Gets me every time.

[Moogmodule]

No 1
The bridge section on No Reply.

If I were you etcetera...

Gets me every time.

Yeah that’s a great one. From the same album I always found the Middle 8 on Baby’s in Black to be basically the whole song. The song itself is not their greatest effort but when the harmonies on the middle 8 kick in it transforms it.

[Normandie]

No 1
The bridge section on No Reply.

If I were you etcetera...

Gets me every time.

Ooh, yes! I'd almost forgotten about that. That part of the song seems to physically affect me, like a tightening of the chest because it's just so beautiful. It's hard to describe, but I bet most people here know what I'm trying to express.

. . . From the same album I always found the Middle 8 on Baby’s in Black to be basically the whole song. The song itself is not their greatest effort but when the harmonies on the middle 8 kick in it transforms it.

That, too!

I'll definitely be listening to both of these on my way to my part-time job shortly.

[Normandie]

I have to quickly add one more to my super-favorite early harmonies: I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, esp. "Though tonight she's made me sad, I still love her; If I find her I'll be glad. . ." Bliss!

[Loco Mo]

Looks like there's some homework to do on this thread.  I need to listen to all the songs people are referencing here.  This will be lots of fun!  It will take some time, too, that I can find.  I'll have to ration it.

[Loco Mo]

Moogmodule.  I'm listening to "You're gonna lose that girl."  Oh man, it is so awesome.  Was it also included in the movie, Help?  I haven't see that film in so long that I can't remember.  I think it was though.

[Moogmodule]

Moogmodule.  I'm listening to "You're gonna lose that girl."  Oh man, it is so awesome.  Was it also included in the movie, Help?  I haven't see that film in so long that I can't remember.  I think it was though.

It was Loco. It has a great sequence of them doing it in the studio. Really nice clip that works as a music video in its own right. Up till Ringo falls through the floor.

[fendertele]

I'm going to nominate - Yes it is esp the anthology version I

t's probably my Favourite Lennon song. I don't think Lennon sang a song with as much emotion before or after this one  and when Paul and George come in on the second verse it literally gives me goosebumps each time.

[Moogmodule]

I'm going to nominate - Yes it is esp the anthology version I

t's probably my Favourite Lennon song. I don't think Lennon sang a song with as much emotion before or after this one  and when Paul and George come in on the second verse it literally gives me goosebumps each time.

Love Yes It Is.   

[Hello Goodbye]

Yes!  It's worth a listen to...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSIip2_RgbI" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSIip2_RgbI</a>