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[Kevin]

WTF? Another single with jaunty harmonica, vocal gymnastics and inane lyrics that seem to contain nothing but the words "me", "you" and "love?" Talk about playing it safe.
Are these guys writing to a winning formula or what. Another song like this and they're in danger of becoming the Jonas Brothers of 1963.
I don't like Please Please Me but at least it had some balls. If their next song doesn't show something new I'm switching to the Rolling Stones.

[Bobber]

I agree. This song has never done anything for me, although I must admit that they didn't choose the b-side Thank You Girl to become the new single, which was considered. They probably needed a confirmation before really they took off. They got it: From Me To You was a hit. In hindsight, it is a repetition of Love Me Do more than Please Please Me.

[alexis]

Musically - it had a lot of great Beatle hooks! First, the harmonica - it was a fresh sound for Love Me Do/PPM, and it still was just a short while later - I recall reading that it wasn't a sound heard on the radio back then, which I guess would make it an awesome "branding" tool - "The Beatles sound!!".

Was there another great Beatle hook in the song - you bet! It had one of the ultimate ones - the John and Paul's harmonies! They are excellent as usual, not just in the verse ("...you want...", and "From Me, To You"), but also in the middle eight ("I've got arms ...").

And the middle eight!! ...It was a complete change of key, and they were blown away by it, if they said so themselves (it's been written that when they were writing it in the back of the van on the way to a gig, one of them hit a wrong chord on the guitar, and the rest was history!). It really is quite wonderful, and they liked it so much they did exactly the same thing in "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - listen to that bit, "And when I touch you I feel happy ..." to hear the similarities.

Finally, it doesn't seem at all unusual to me for a 1963 teenage love song to have the words "You", "Me" and "Love" used a lot, especially when the title of the song happens to be "From Me to You"! Remember, they were singing to their fan base - just about all their early songs could be imagined by a young girl to be sung directly to THEM. This was part of their songwriting marketing strategy. It might not appeal to some middle aged guy 50 years later, but I think their sights were set a little more short-term. Prog rock would have to wait

BTW, Kevin - why are you using this Beatles fan forum to post over and over how you don't like Beatles songs?  That's all fine and good you feel that way, but why do that here?

[BlueMeanie]

BTW, Kevin - why are you using this Beatles fan forum to post over and over how you don't like Beatles songs?  That's all fine and good you feel that way, but why do that here?

Kevin is well know for not being a particular fan of the very early stuff. I think this is a good way of having a fairly in depth discussion on each single rather than treating a collection as a whole i.e. a 'What's you favourite album' thread. Even a favourite single thread doesn't do it because it naturally goes off in too many tangents.

I think it's ok, but agree that it's very formulaic and too similar to Love Me Do. This was not uncommon for the period though. People ability to accept change in a short space of time was far less in those days. I think they were still treading water and learning their craft.

I recently watched the BBC doc containing all the stuff that comes with the new CD's. Interesting that George Martin says that as far as he was concerned singles were singles, and albums were for all the stuff that was left over. But I think there are three better songs on the first album alone than the first three singles.

I'm surprised and a little dismayed that these threads haven't proved more popular. It's the first time I've seen a forum attempt this kind of thing in separate threads. Shame the kids don't want to get involved and give us their opinion, and maybe learn something at the same time.

[Kevin]

BTW, Kevin - why are you using this Beatles fan forum to post over and over how you don't like Beatles songs?  That's all fine and good you feel that way, but why do that here?

I don't like everything they did. Their early singles don't appeal to me. They don't seem to have universal appeal to everyone else either.
And check out the contempory charts - even by the standards of the day The Beatles singles lyrics are remarkably simple. And no, I don't think lyrics necessarily need to be complicated (I have no problem with Hello Goodbye) but three in a row, all so bloody similar?  I find it hard not to accept that by this song they were writing to a formula. (or as you so amply put it, their marketing strategy. I reckon if it were a modern band doing this, say The Jonas Brothers, we would have nothing but contempt for them.) Yes these early songs are written for little screaming pant wetters - no suprise I don't find them that enjoyable. The best is yet to come.
And Alexis mate - isn't a little discussion preferable to endless threads about who's the cutest, most adorable, the best kisser, has the best eyebrows or why we love them soooo much. I'm trying to stop this forum becoming a thirteen year old girls slumber party. (no offence to those of you who get off on that,  knock yourself out, but it's not why I'm here.)
ps I can't stand I Want To Hold Your Hand either - probably for the very reasons you love it. More hooks than a Taiwanese fishing trawler. But lets save that for another day.  
I want to talk about these things. I want to undo them and start again.

[Mairi]

It's not a great song. Kind of wimpy, and not in a good way. I agree that they were definitely going for a sort of formula. I remember reading somewhere that they deliberately released songs that had the words "me" and "you" in them in order to establish a sort of connection to their record bying audience. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but it's interesting to think about.

[Kevin]

It's not a great song. Kind of wimpy, and not in a good way. I agree that they were definitely going for a sort of formula. I remember reading somewhere that they deliberately released songs that had the words "me" and "you" in them in order to establish a sort of connection to their record bying audience. I don't know how much truth there is to that, but it's interesting to think about.

I think you're right. The simplicity of their lyrics was apparently very deliberate. And I guess it worked, which means they were very clever.
(I removed a whole lot of cr*p from this)

[Yarvelling]

I should imagine that at that period of the sixties, there was a huge fanbase-in-waiting for 4 'cute' guys that sang a new type of song, and directly to them!  I was but a mere babe-in-arms then so I really don't remember too much of that hysteria! The audience was just starting to get a little more liberated than previous decades, and the newer rock 'n' roll from the US had stirred a revolution in the listeners and wannabe-performers - when the beatles hit with these early songs, it was pretty much inevitable that their sound would captivate that young female core of the audience, and yes, they did cleverly 'orchestrate' it with these songs...
Steve.

[Bobber]

isn't a little discussion preferable to endless threads about who's the cutest, most adorable, the best kisser, has the best eyebrows or why we love them soooo much. I'm trying to stop this forum becoming a thirteen year old girls slumber party. (no offence to those of you who get off on that,  knock yourself out, but it's not why I'm here.)

Bravo! Hoorah!

[Gary910]

What I find extraordinary about From Me To You, is the same thing that Paul highlights about it in the Anthology Video. The chord change at "I've got arms that long to hold you". I think it is a minor chord that it changes to. To me it makes the song and adds a richness to it.

[I_Will]

I think I like From Me To You better than Please, Please Me, not sure why though. Still, I won't put it on purposely, but I won't change the song if it happens to come on shuffle or something. I think it's rather enjoyable  (I like listening to shallow music every once and while, can't listen to deep stuff all the time!)

[Nelson_Wilbury]

.

[tkitna]

Cashing in on the ignorance of the audience in my opinion. 'From Me To You' is 'Love Me Do' only with a bit more umph and thats not a good thing. The harmonica actually detracts from the song in my opinion. Kind of aggravates me when I hear it. The song goes nowhere quick for me and I could do without it.

They chose wisely though. 'Thank You Girl' (although I like it better than 'From Me To You') is all over the place time wise and it does absolutly nothing.

[The Swine]

remember its 1963. time wasnt as fast as it is now.

[alexis]

I don't like everything they did. Their early singles don't appeal to me. They don't seem to have universal appeal to everyone else either.
And check out the contempory charts - even by the standards of the day The Beatles singles lyrics are remarkably simple. And no, I don't think lyrics necessarily need to be complicated (I have no problem with Hello Goodbye) but three in a row, all so bloody similar?  I find it hard not to accept that by this song they were writing to a formula. (or as you so amply put it, their marketing strategy. I reckon if it were a modern band doing this, say The Jonas Brothers, we would have nothing but contempt for them.) Yes these early songs are written for little screaming pant wetters - no suprise I don't find them that enjoyable. The best is yet to come.
And Alexis mate - isn't a little discussion preferable to endless threads about who's the cutest, most adorable, the best kisser, has the best eyebrows or why we love them soooo much. I'm trying to stop this forum becoming a thirteen year old girls slumber party. (no offence to those of you who get off on that,  knock yourself out, but it's not why I'm here.)
ps I can't stand I Want To Hold Your Hand either - probably for the very reasons you love it. More hooks than a Taiwanese fishing trawler. But lets save that for another day.  
I want to talk about these things. I want to undo them and start again.

Hey, Kevin - fair enough of course! It just came across as so attacking to me, I think I'm probably in an overly sensitive mood recently.

Re: the youngest generation of fans ... I'm in favor of those threads! Without them I think the forum will eventually be like one of those churches where everyone is a blue-haired pensioner and the numbers just get smaller and smaller.

Personal trivia here - I didn't even know this song EXISTED for the first 10 or 20 years of my Beatles fandom. It never appeared on an original American album, and of course I'm not old enough to remember the singles being released. I have a feeling a lot of Yanks might be have been in a similar position.

One of the main reasons I like the song is a) the middle eight, and b) like all early Beatle songs, it's fun to listen while knowing what they later evolved into. Kind of like looking at baby pictures when the kid is all grown up?!

P.S. Nelson-Wilbury ... "concept single" ... very funny, I like it!!

[Nelson_Wilbury]

.

[Kevin]

Re: the youngest generation of fans ... I'm in favor of those threads! Without them I think the forum will eventually be like one of those churches where everyone is a blue-haired pensioner and the numbers just get smaller and smaller.

Ditto. Each to their own. It can just be a mortifying to log in on a monday morning and wade through ten pages of the weekend's "recent posts" and not find one concerning music.

[alexis]

*What do you mean I'm funny?
*What do you mean, you mean the way I talk? What?
*Funny how? What's funny about it?
*You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little f***ed up maybe, but I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I'm here to f***in' amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?*

(Joe Pesci in Goodfellas)
 

Hey, how come you know more about American culture than I do? Stop that!! 

[Nelson_Wilbury]

.

[Bobber]

Ditto. Each to their own. It can just be a mortifying to log in on a monday morning and wade through ten pages of the weekend's "recent posts" and not find one concerning music.

This is very true. We're researching a way to somehow make settings for recent posts in the personal settings. Posts from the Member Mailboxes or loads of pictures can be a treasure to some members and a nightmare to others.