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Beatles forums => Songs => Song Of The Week Series => Topic started by: nimrod on May 18, 2013, 01:34:51 AM

Title: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: nimrod on May 18, 2013, 01:34:51 AM
LYRICS

Lovely Rita meter maid
Lovely Rita meter maid

Lovely Rita meter maid,
Nothing can come between us.
When it gets dark I tow your heart away.

Standing by a parking meter,
When I caught a glimpse of Rita,
Filling in a ticket in her little white book.
In a cap she looked much older,
And the bag across her shoulder
Made her look a little like a military man.

Lovely Rita meter maid,
May I inquire discreetly,
When are you free to take some tea with me?
(Rita!)

Took her out and tried to win her.
Had a laugh and over dinner,
Told her I would really like to see her again.
Got the bill and Rita paid it.
Took her home I nearly made it,
Sitting on the sofa with a sister or two.

Oh, lovely Rita meter maid,
Where would I be without you?
Give us a wink and make me think of you.



Paul McCartney wrote this as if he fell for a meter maid while she was taking his plate number. Said Paul: "I was bopping about on the piano in Liverpool when someone told me that in America, they call parking-meter women meter maids. I thought that was great, and it got to 'Rita Meter Maid' and then "Lovely Rita Meter Maid' and I was thinking vaguely that it should be a hate song: 'You took my car away and I'm so blue today' and you wouldn't be liking her; but then I thought it would be better to love her and if she was very freaky too, like a military man, with a bag on her shoulder. A foot stomper, but nice. The song was imagining if somebody was there taking down my number and I suddenly fell for her, and the kind of person I'd be, to fall for a meter maid, would be a shy office clerk and I'd say, 'May I inquire discreetly when you are free to take some tea with me.' Tea, not pot. It's like saying 'Come and cut the grass' and then realizing that could be pot, or the old teapot could be something about pot. But I don't mind pot and I leave the words in. They're not consciously introduced just to say pot and be clever." (from Beatles In Their Own Words)

IN THE STUDIO

Recording began on 23 February 1967 in Abbey Road's studio two. Eight takes of the rhythm track were recorded, with George Harrison and John Lennon on acoustic guitars, Ringo playing the drums and Paul on piano. Take eight was the best, and onto this McCartney added his bass part.

The next day his lead vocals were taped, following which Lovely Rita was left until 7 March. On that day the song's distinctive backing vocals and sound effects were recorded. Led by John Lennon, The Beatles made various groaning, sighing and screaming noises, played paper and combs, and added some cha-cha-chas for good measure.

The paper and combs can best be heard immediately before the line "When it gets dark I tow your heart away". The Beatles' assistant Mal Evans was sent to collect paper from Abbey Road's lavatory. Stamped with the words, "Property of EMI", the paper was threaded into hair combs and blown, giving a kazoo-like effect.

On 21 March George Martin recorded the song's piano solo. It was recorded with the tape machine running at 41¼ cycles per second, and was mixed at 48¾ cycles. This made the solo much faster and higher pitched than it had been during the recording.

As with the backing vocals, the piano was plastered in tape echo, and also varispeeded to give a honky-tonk effect.

Geoff Emerick;

I used to try out funny things in odd moments and I discovered that by putting sticky tape over the capstan of a tape machine you could wobble the tape on the echo machine, because we used to delay the feed into the echo chamber by tape. So I suggested we did this using a piano sound. The Beatles themselves couldn't think what should go into the song's middle eight and they didn't really like my idea at first, but it turned out fine in the end because of the effect. It gave the piano a sort of honky-tonk feel. In fact, Paul asked me to play the solo when I made the suggestion but I was too embarrassed.


PERSONNEL

Recorded: 23, 24 February; 7, 21 March 1967
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick

Released: 1 June 1967 (UK), 2 June 1967 (US)

Paul McCartney: vocals, piano, bass, comb and paper
John Lennon: backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, comb and paper
George Harrison: backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, comb and paper
Ringo Starr: drums, comb and paper
George Martin: piano
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Hello Goodbye on May 18, 2013, 02:05:01 AM
Paul sings the "aaaaaahhs" at the beginning of this song the same way he does them in A Day In The Life.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Hello Goodbye on May 18, 2013, 02:05:26 AM
 ;D
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Klang on May 18, 2013, 10:17:56 AM

Never liked it much at first. Now it's one of my faves from the album. Funny how that changes.

 :)

Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: blmeanie on May 18, 2013, 01:31:36 PM
Paul sings the "aaaaaahhs" at the beginning of this song the same way he does them in A Day In The Life.

Funny, I thought the opening ahhhhhs were John on Rita? ;D
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Hello Goodbye on May 18, 2013, 09:05:57 PM
Funny, I thought the opening ahhhhhs were John on Rita? ;D

 ;D
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Hello Goodbye on May 18, 2013, 09:11:43 PM
Lovely Rita (The Beatles) vocal track. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHGPQq84cp4#)


A Day in the Life (The Beatles) vocal track. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI-5SDVqax8#)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: nimrod on May 18, 2013, 10:02:49 PM
Funny, I thought the opening ahhhhhs were John on Rita? ;D

Barry has an obsession with 'oohh's'  and 'aaahhh's' :D

thanks for posting those though Baz mate...

Its Paul on Rita but on A Day In The Life, I initially thought John, then I decided it was paul,, now Im thinking its John again ?!?

Its probably Mal Evans :P
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Hello Goodbye on May 18, 2013, 10:41:52 PM
Its Paul on Rita but on A Day In The Life, I initially thought John, then I decided it was paul,, now Im thinking its John again ?!?

Found my way upstairs and had a smoke and somebody spoke and I went into a dream...Paul draws a breath and sings...Ahhhh ahhhh ahhhh ah.....etc.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: nimrod on May 18, 2013, 11:13:20 PM
I really like this song, always have

It has a special place in my life

One of my memories as a 15 year old, I was sat in our kitchen with my mum, the radio was on and the dj announced this is a song from the new Beatles LP (Pepper) and played Rita, I loved it straight away and when I hear it it takes me back to that day.

Great bubbly, happy song !
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: tkitna on May 19, 2013, 12:36:51 AM
One of my favorite Beatle songs. Probably a top ten song from them actually and easily my favorite on Sgt. Peppers. Nice toe tapping song with a little story behind it. It makes me happy everytime I hear it. Proves that Paulie could write and sing some psych tunes too. I cant think of one bad word to say about this song. Awesome in every aspect.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: nimrod on May 19, 2013, 01:11:54 AM
One of my favorite Beatle songs. Probably a top ten song from them actually and easily my favorite on Sgt. Peppers. Nice toe tapping song with a little story behind it. It makes me happy everytime I hear it. Proves that Paulie could write and sing some psych tunes too. I cant think of one bad word to say about this song. Awesome in every aspect.

News just in......

Theres a song that Todd isnt sick off.....

:D
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Hello Goodbye on May 19, 2013, 01:23:27 AM
(http://i44.tinypic.com/zwkec3.jpg)


I like this song.  But my favorite on the album has always been Fixing A Hole.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Hello Goodbye on May 19, 2013, 01:26:46 AM
Paul McCartney - Lovely Rita (Belo Horizonte, Brasil, 2013) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWRDk6apu90#ws)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Hello Goodbye on May 19, 2013, 01:30:24 AM
Isolated bass for you, Kev mate...


"Lovely Rita" Isolated Bass (The Beatles) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ6C3NerD0s#ws)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: nimrod on May 19, 2013, 02:15:52 AM
excellent :)
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Klang on May 20, 2013, 12:24:08 PM

As with so many songs on 'Pepper,' it was completely unique, unlike anything else I'd heard before at the time. It was as if they were inventing a new kind of music. And they were. Amazing.

 :)

Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Dcazz on May 20, 2013, 03:27:47 PM
([url]http://i44.tinypic.com/zwkec3.jpg[/url])


I like this song.  But my favorite on the album has always been Fixing A Hole.
I agree!
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Dcazz on May 20, 2013, 03:34:07 PM
I also like the clanky guitar. Reminds me of The Word a little bit!
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Kevin on May 20, 2013, 05:01:45 PM
Sorry - never really liked it. Actually to me one of the "embarrassing" Beatle songs. It's just bit too jokey. I don't mind humour in songs - you couldn't be a Beatle fan if you did - but this just doesn't work for me.
Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: Klang on May 20, 2013, 10:12:13 PM

This discussion led me to have a listen to all of 'Pepper' once again today. It was indeed a leap into...something else.

 :-*

Title: Re: Song Of The Week - Lovely Rita
Post by: nimrod on May 20, 2013, 10:34:31 PM
As with so many songs on 'Pepper,' it was completely unique, unlike anything else I'd heard before at the time. It was as if they were inventing a new kind of music. And they were. Amazing.

 :)



well said klang, I thought so too