DM's Beatles forums
Beatles forums => Songs => Song Of The Week Series => Topic started by: Hello Goodbye on September 05, 2015, 01:51:25 AM
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Drive My Car
(http://i58.tinypic.com/k2grqb.jpg)
Paul’s song. It has a Motown bass line. He got this ‘drive my car’ thing and the ‘beep beep beep’ in the studio. I think we just threw it in.
John Lennon 1980 Playboy Interview
I arrived at the studio with this fairly good tune, but it had crappy lyrics 'I can give you diamond rings, I can give you golden rings, I can give you anything,' and John said , 'Oh!' he didn't like ithem and we had a deep sad moment. So, I said to him, 'I'll tell you what, let's have a cup of tea and a ciggie and we’ll just relax for a minute.' After that we just jollied up and I said 'I'll tell you what then, how about this girl in LA who wants a chauffeur?' And suddenly it came: 'Wait a minute: "Drive My Car!"' Then we got into the fun of that scenario: 'Oh, you can drive my car.' What is it? What's he doing? Is he offering a job as a chauffeur, or what? And then it became much more ambiguous, which we liked, instead of golden rings, which was a bit poofy. 'Golden rings' became 'beep beep, yeah.' We both came up with that. Suddenly we were in LA: cars, chauffeurs, open-top Cadillacs, and it was a whole other thing.
The Beatles: Off the Record by Keith Badman
On 13 October 1965, the second recording session for Rubber Soul, The Beatles entered EMI Studio Two at 7:00 PM and started working out the arrangement for Drive My Car.
We laid the track because, what Paul would (usually) do, if he had written a song, he'd learn all the parts for himself and then come in the studio and say, 'Do this.' He'd never give you the opportunity to come out with something. But, on 'Drive My Car,' I just played the line, which is really like a lick off 'Respect,' you know, the Otis Redding version. I played that line on the guitar and Paul laid that with me on bass. We laid the track down like that.
The Beatles: Off the Record by Keith Badman
http://youtu.be/fvlrLYumeSY (http://youtu.be/fvlrLYumeSY)
After they perfected the arrangement, four takes of the rhythm track were attempted before they got it right, the fourth attempt being the only one that made it all the way through to the end of the song. The instruments used on the rhythm track included George on electric guitar, Paul on bass (both basically playing the same part) and Ringo on drums. John sat out this rhythm track as well as the rest of the entire song. His only contribution to Drive My Car was his lead and background vocals which were overdubbed later.
http://youtu.be/Ca0tJ6V1Fj4 (http://youtu.be/Ca0tJ6V1Fj4)
Overdubs were numerous and include two tambourines from Ringo , a lead vocal track from John and Paul simultaneously, Paul on piano during the choruses, Ringo on cowbell throughout most of the song, three part harmonies from John, Paul and George during the "beep, beep" portions of the song, and Paul on lead guitar using a slide. At least two attempts at this lead guitar solo was made since a different take of this solo can faintly be heard in the background in all of the mixes that were released. This is best heard in the final two measures of the solo where Paul's slide work is noticeably different. Also noticeable is John's overdubbed "and maybe I'll love you" lines at the end of each chorus, which were probably done during the three-part harmony overdub. By 12:15 AM the next day the song was complete.
http://youtu.be/2TZRn0zNIbY (http://youtu.be/2TZRn0zNIbY)
Paul McCartney - Lead and Harmony Vocals, Bass Guitar (1963 Hofner 500/1), Lead Guitar (1962 Epiphone Casino ES-230TD), Piano (1964 Challen upright)
George Harrison – Rhythm Guitar (1961 Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster), Harmony Vocals
John Lennon - Lead and Harmony Vocals
Ringo Starr – Drums (1965 Ludwig Super Classic Black Oyster Pearl), tambourine, cowbell
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The perfect opener for Rubber Soul; and it was the opener of Yesterday And Today in US. I especially love the sound, deeper than previous Beatles records, and some instruments seem to be more present than before.
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No Beatle song has given the haters more ammo to ridicule the band then this one it seems. 'Beep Beep Beep Beep Yeah'. Lord I hate this song.
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Some superb syncopated drumming there by Ringo, Todd.
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It's a fun track to kick the album off. Lots of good instrumentation driving (truly no pun intended) the song along. Not much melody. The vocal line in the verses almost acts as another instrument. It's not their greatest songwriting achievement but the overall sound is good I think. Rubber Soul needed this track so that you didn't think they'd given up on stuff you could dance to.
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No Beatle song has given the haters more ammo to ridicule the band then this one it seems. 'Beep Beep Beep Beep Yeah'. Lord I hate this song.
Was thinking the same thing about the haters- one difference - while I don't like the beep-beep I do like the song
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Nice tune. One of their best. I even like the "beep-beeps." Just plain fun.
:)
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I like this one. Like Jim said, it's fun. A cute, lighthearted tune. Not one of my top favorites, but I do enjoy it. Our local radio station back in CNY would use the "beep-beep"s as bumpers for the traffic reports.
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Never cared much for this one I'm afraid...the poor man's "Day Tripper" (and I'm not overly fond of that one either!)
The "beep beeps" don't bother me one little bit. What does grate is that awful faux-American vocal Paul sometimes adopts. It's the same phony accent that spoils "She's A Woman" and irritates me when he shadows Ringo with it on "Act Naturally". Why not just use his proper voice?
I like the instrumental momentum and love John's "And maybe I'll love you..." phrasing, but by and large it leaves me unmoved and for such a bouncy, positive number it somehow seems to lack melody - very unusual for The Beatles.
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It's a fun track to kick the album off. Rubber Soul needed this track so that you didn't think they'd given up on stuff you could dance to.
Like mentioned above, Drive My Car kicks off the US "Yesterday And Today" Album (1/2 year later). I prefer it where it belongs, on the UK Rubber Soul LP!
Man, Capitol Records really phucked up the Beatles music as it was released! icon_mad
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I like this one. Like Jim said, it's fun. A cute, lighthearted tune. Not one of my top favorites, but I do enjoy it. Our local radio station back in CNY would use the "beep-beep"s as bumpers for the traffic reports.
WCBS-FM does that too. So does its sister station, WJRZ, down the shore...
http://youtu.be/7G4mCddMUVM (http://youtu.be/7G4mCddMUVM)
;D
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Take away the fantastic guitar/Bass motown style riff (courtesy of George)
Take away Johns very cool one liners
Take away Pauls brilliant vocal delivery
Take away Ringo's syncopated drums
and you have a very melodically poor/weak song, one which probably wouldnt have made the album if all the above parts hadnt made it great.
Definitely a circumstance where the sum of the parts is greater than the erm....
I do like it though, even the beep beeps, which they also use on a radio station in Brisbane
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What does grate is that awful faux-American vocal Paul sometimes adopts.
Nah! Paul's singing with a British accent. This is an American accent...
http://youtu.be/sfk0uMLhXqY (http://youtu.be/sfk0uMLhXqY)
Jersey Shore! icon_good
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I like this one. Like Jim said, it's fun. A cute, lighthearted tune. Not one of my top favorites, but I do enjoy it. Our local radio station back in CNY would use the "beep-beep"s as bumpers for the traffic reports.
We don't have traffic reports here because this is what constitutes a traffic jam in this part of WNY.
(http://i58.tinypic.com/wujpsy.jpg)
;D
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Definitely a circumstance where the sum of the parts is greater than the erm....
The sums holier than the parts of the grate?
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I can only agree with the more positive comments about this song - especially the greatly improved production. It's a smart, tight song.
Re the beep beeps - they go nicely with the "tit tit tits" of Girl. And Rubber Soul is full of little jokes and nods and winks and my favourite album.
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The sums holier than the parts of the grate?
the sum of the parts is greater than the bits individually, not as a whole but listened too independently of the other parts, at the same time
oh I forgot to mention the great intro and solo 8)
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Sounds like your taking away the Beatles ;D
Take away the fantastic guitar/Bass motown style riff (courtesy of George)
Take away Johns very cool one liners
Take away Pauls brilliant vocal delivery
Take away Ringo's syncopated drums
and you have a very melodically poor/weak song, one which probably wouldnt have made the album if all the above parts hadnt made it great.
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Sing it Paul!
http://youtu.be/BulwGjemU0Q (http://youtu.be/BulwGjemU0Q)
Super Bowl XXXIX
Beep beep'm beep beep yeah!
:)
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Paul's bass line...
http://youtu.be/1BwipLzpUn8 (http://youtu.be/1BwipLzpUn8)
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This was one of the very first songs of which I actually could understand the lyrics. Being that young (and Dutch) I was really happy that I could understand a song sung in English. Loved that last line: But I found a driver and that's a start. That was a victory.
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This was one of the very first songs of which I actually could understand the lyrics. Being that young (and Dutch) I was really happy that I could understand a song sung in English. Loved that last line: But I found a driver and that's a start. That was a victory.
The lyrics, thanks to John, really make the song I think. I try to imagine it as Paul originally wrote it. It would have come across pretty dire. Instead of the fun tongue in cheek innuendos and other clever lines (like the one you highlighted).
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This was one of the very first songs of which I actually could understand the lyrics. Being that young (and Dutch) I was really happy that I could understand a song sung in English. Loved that last line: But I found a driver and that's a start. That was a victory.
;D
Your English is fine, Cor. Better than for many here in the United States. Cute line. As Kevin said, Rubber Soul is full of stuff like that.
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;D
Your English is fine, Cor. Better than for many here in the United States. Cute line. As Kevin said, Rubber Soul is full of stuff like that.
I've made some progression since Drive My Car. ;D
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I always liked this song. It's lighthearted and a very catchy beat with some cleaver lyrics thrown in
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Great way to start the U.K. Rubber Soul LP ;yes
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It's time to watch The MonaLisa Twins perform Drive My Car...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKRle7mgadk# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKRle7mgadk#)
Beep beep'm beep beep yeah! icon_good
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It's time to watch The MonaLisa Twins perform Drive My Car...
Uh-oh, Barry; I'm afraid you committed a huge faux pas by posting that: There's an image of a Confederate flag in the background. The cancel-culture police are on their way. ha2ha
P.S. Love this song.
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The cancel-culture police are on their way. ha2ha
(https://i.postimg.cc/TYLYwrZp/shock-flight-smiley.gif)