DM's Beatles forums
Beatles forums => Songs => Song Of The Week Series => Topic started by: nimrod on December 16, 2012, 10:57:33 PM
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Time for a new one folks :)
I always thought this song was influenced by The Beach Boys stuff (later confirmed by george Martin), with all the harmonies going on, it tells a little story of a guy who wants to write for a living.......the track was recorded between 13 April and 14 April 1966.
"Paperback Writer" is marked by the boosted bass guitar sound throughout, partly in response to John Lennon demanding to know why the bass on a certain Wilson Pickett record far exceeded the bass on any Beatles records. This changed with the "Paperback Writer" single.
"'Paperback Writer' was the first time the bass sound had been heard in all its excitement," said Beatles' engineer Geoff Emerick in Mark Lewisohn's book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions. "To get the loud bass sound, Paul played a different bass, a Rickenbacker. Then we boosted it further by using a loudspeaker as a microphone. We positioned it directly in front of the bass speaker and the moving diaphragm of the second speaker made the electric current."
The background vocal harmonies at the beginning of the third chorus are provided by Lennon and George Harrison who sing the title of the French nursery rhyme "Frère Jacques" in several slow incantations. These harmonies occur at a little over one minute into the track.
British disc jockey Jimmy Savile claims that he was present when, backstage after a show, the inspiration hit for writing the song. According to Steve Turner’s book “A Hard Day’s Write,” “John had been principal writer of the Beatles’ last five singles and so it was generally agreed that it was Paul’s turn to come up with something. Savile recalled John asking Paul what he was going to do because there were only a few days left before they were due to record. ‘Paul told him that one of his aunts had just asked if he could ever write a single that wasn’t about love,’ remembers Savile. ‘With that thought obviously still in his mind, he walked around the room and noticed that Ringo was reading a book. He took one look and announced that he would write a song about a book.’”
“We always try to do something different,” related McCartney back in 1966. “The idea’s a bit different. Years ago, my Auntie Lil said to me, ‘Why do you always write songs about love all the time? Can’t you ever write about a horse or the summit conference or something interesting?’ So, I thought, ‘All right, Auntie Lil.’ And recently, we’ve not been writing all our songs about love.”
With these ideas implanted in his mind, Paul travelled out to John’s Kenwood home for a songwriting session. “You knew, the minute you got there,” Paul relates, “cup of tea and you’d sit and write, so it was always good if you had a theme. I’d had a thought for a song and somehow it was to do with the Daily Mail so there might have been an article in the Mail that morning about people writing paperbacks. Penquin paperbacks was what I really thought of, the archetypal paperback.” Since the “Daily Mail” was a regular feature in John Lennon’s home (being the inspiration for “A Day In The Life” the following year), McCartney revealed in a 2007 interview that he had, previous to this writing session, read an article about an aspiring author in the magazine (possibly British novelist Martin Amis) which may have gotten him going in that direction. However, Paul insisted years ago that “there’s no story behind it and it wasn’t inspired by any real-life characters.” Not specifically nor consciously anyway.
“I would often start thinking away and writing on my way out, and I developed the whole idea in the car,” McCartney remembered, “I came in, had my bowl of cornflakes and said, ‘How’s about if we write a letter: ‘Dear Sir or Madam,’ next line, next paragraph, etc?” In his book “Many Years From Now,” he explains further: “I arrived at Weybridge and told John I had this idea of trying to write off to a publishers to become a paperback writer, and I said, ‘I think it should be written like a letter.’ I took a bit of paper out and I said it should be something like, ‘Dear Sir or Madam, as the case may be…’ and I proceeded to write it just like a letter in front of him, occasionally rhyming it. And John, as I recall, just sat there and said, ‘Oh, that’s it,’ ‘Uhuh,’ ‘Yeah.’ I remember him, his amused smile, saying, ‘Yes, that’s it, that’ll do.’ Quite a nice moment: ‘Hmm, I’ve done right! I’ve done well!’ And then we went upstairs and put the melody to it. John and I sat down and finished it all up, but it was tilted towards me, the original idea was mine. I had no music, but it’s just a little bluesy song, not a lot of melody.”
George Martin went on record to describe the “contrapuntal statements from the backing voices – no one had really done that before” and admitted that The Beach Boys were “a great inspiration” with regard to this song. With “Sloop John B” just entering the British charts and The Beatles being just given a preview of the entire “Pet Sounds” album, the trademark Beach Boys harmonies were emulated for “Paperback Writer.”
There is some dispute over who played what on "Paperback Writer". In the November 2005 issue of Guitar Player magazine, Paul McCartney claims to have played the song's famous opening riff on his Epiphone Casino guitar, and photos from the song's session seem to verify this claim. McCartney is also widely credited for the song's iconic bass line, but photos from the session show George Harrison playing a Burns Nu-Sonic bass, not an electric guitar. Whether or not Harrison recorded a bass line for "Paperback Writer" that was later removed and retracked by McCartney remains unclear.
Paul McCartney – lead vocal, bass guitar
John Lennon – backing vocal, rhythm guitar
George Harrison – backing vocal, lead guitar
Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine
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one of my all-timers, love the backing vocals as an instrument in the own way. Never knew the history of the louder bass, thanks for digging that up. Interesting.
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It sounds much better in mono to me. The bass is centered and powerful instead of way over in the right channel in stereo.
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I love this song. The lyrics were not very special, but musically was one of their best of their whole career. I remember how impressed I was with the multiple vocals the first time I heard the song.
About the bass, when I listen to Byrds albums from 1965 and compare them to Beatles recordings from that year there's a clear difference in the prominence of the instrument. Maybe the Fab Four noted that, because I know they listened to the Byrds at least that year.
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One of my favorites. If its not a top 5 song for me, its a top 10 for sure by the Beatles. The drums are what really gets it for me. Ringo ends his roundhouse fills on the rim and that just blows me away. At first I thought it might be a mistake by him as we all hit the rim once in awhile, but he does it again later in the song. I've said it before, but how do these guys think of these things sometimes? This song pops. Love the harmonies, bass, and guitar too. Great tune.
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It sounds much better in mono to me. The bass is centered and powerful instead of way over in the right channel in stereo.
Right!!
The Beatles - Paperback Writer (Mono) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-Oe1d1jeE#)
A little psychedelia at 1:35
This song made my summer in 1966!
Frère Jacques!
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Right!!
The Beatles - Paperback Writer (Mono) ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD-Oe1d1jeE#[/url])
A little psychedelia at 1:35
This song made my summer in 1966!
Frère Jacques!
Play it LOUD!
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I do!
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Always!!
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Here's the way we first heard it in the United States...
The Beatles - Paperback Writer - 45 RPM - ORIGINAL MONO MIX (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_EgRXGp6aY#ws)
...in glorious MONO!
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How it evolved...
The Beatles Paperback Writer studio takes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU0VbAf4e3o#)
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Love it.
8)
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Play this song up full bore while driving - AWESOME!!!
The lads were influenced too by the louder guitar sound that Jimi was producing. And i think they were starting to write a one note type of song which would eventually lead to TNK
One of the Beatles best souunding tracks and in my top 5 of all time
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(http://i45.tinypic.com/r77pqs.jpg)
Promo films...
The Beatles- Paperback Writer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu8EkGlQr4I#)
The Beatles - Paperback Writer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k_gffDCuYE#)
The Beatles Paperback Writer (2009 Stereo Remaster) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e3DA-Uctvw#ws)
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Hey, Kev. I like this song!
;)
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Here's the way we first heard it in the United States...
The Beatles - Paperback Writer - 45 RPM - ORIGINAL MONO MIX ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_EgRXGp6aY#ws[/url])
...in glorious MONO!
there may be someone watching this that is wondering what that odd contraption is...
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Hey, Kev. I like this song!
;)
;D
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(http://i54.tinypic.com/33crj10.jpg)
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Play this song up full bore while driving - AWESOME!!!
That's what I do! A fantastic song, and definitely one that must be turned UP.
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British disc jockey Jimmy Savile claims that he was present when, backstage after a show,
What exactly was he doing there?
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Is that really Paul playing the lead intro? If it is bummer, no wonder George didn't want to be in the band anymore. I still like the song but wish Paul had more charity twords his freind George.
I remember one thing fans didn't like back in 66 was the echo effects on the vocal. They thought it was gimmicky!
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Although I always knew this song it wasn't until I saw the promos on YouTube that I fell in love with it. Then I finally heard the frère jacques lines and that really did it! There's just so much going on in it with the vocals and the great bass line. And I agree; it begs to be turned up!
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Although I always knew this song it wasn't until I saw the promos on YouTube that I fell in love with it. Then I finally heard the frère jacques lines and that really did it!
Frère Jacques!
The Beatles - Paperback Writer (Vocals Only) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfXScPjZu8#)
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Frère Jacques!
The Beatles - Paperback Writer (Vocals Only)
Sounds like someone came in a little early, @1:50, LOL. I listened to this several times, willing my brain not to fill in the spaces but it never worked! It's fun to listen to these.
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Frère Jacques!
The Beatles - Paperback Writer (Vocals Only) ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfXScPjZu8#[/url])
Very cool~ Did you noticed Pauls swollen mout and broken teeth? I think it was a motor bike accident. Also, at about 1:50 I think I hear a false early start from Paul.
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Very cool~ Did you noticed Pauls swollen mout and broken teeth? I think it was a motor bike accident. Also, at about 1:50 I think I hear a false early start from Paul.
Don't know.
http://wgo.signal11.org.uk/html/content/p.htm#pw (http://wgo.signal11.org.uk/html/content/p.htm#pw)
Someone clears his throat at 0.59.
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One of my (many) favorites! Interestingly, Geoff Emerick's account of Paul first presenting this to the band is wildly different than what's been posted here. Emerick says Paul came into the studio, sat at the piano, and said something like "Gather 'round boys, and have a listen to our next single!" I'm paraphrasing a bit here, but Emerick goes on to say how John shoots a jealous sideward glance at Paul, how he felt threatened because he of course wanted to write the singles, etc etc.
While I think his book is interesting and informative on the technical aspects of the recordings, it is very obviously biased towards Paul. The way he presents Ringo is just awful, too.
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I remember Geoff Emerick's account of Paul introducing "Paperback Writer." Didn't John come in with "Rain" that same day?
And I agree with you BLEEN, Emerick's book was great, but the bias toward Paul was 'way too clear for my taste.
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One of my (many) favorites! Interestingly, Geoff Emerick's account of Paul first presenting this to the band is wildly different than what's been posted here. Emerick says Paul came into the studio, sat at the piano, and said something like "Gather 'round boys, and have a listen to our next single!" I'm paraphrasing a bit here, but Emerick goes on to say how John shoots a jealous sideward glance at Paul, how he felt threatened because he of course wanted to write the singles, etc etc.
While I think his book is interesting and informative on the technical aspects of the recordings, it is very obviously biased towards Paul. The way he presents Ringo is just awful, too.
The best think that happened to John was Paul and the best thing that happened to Paul was John, they needed each other, I think Geoff & George Martin always will big up Paul much more than John
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I remember Geoff Emerick's account of Paul introducing "Paperback Writer." Didn't John come in with "Rain" that same day?
Hi Normandie. Rain isn't mentioned as being presented the same day, but GE does say that the same recording technique was used for the bass track, in which he used a speaker as a mic!
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Hi in bill Harry's book "bigger than the beatles" He describe's a story about a beat poet called Royston Ellis that want's ! to become a paperback writer and maybe that's what inspired the song i will have a look and get more info ok page 107/108 and that he may be the person that put the A into beAtles
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Deconstructing Paperback Writer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQRbktCpWQk#ws)
(http://i54.tinypic.com/33crj10.jpg)
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Bee Gees - Sing Beatles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETeeWJUQk-w#)
Paperback Writer starts at 3.13
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The Cowsills Paperback Writer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vYsE-SRHeI#)
The Cowsills 1969
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Punch Brothers - 'Paperback Writer' - Neighborhood Theatre (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vk-PSqC3WI#ws)
The Punch Brothers 2011
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Pickin' On Series - Paperback Writer (Beatles cover) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfkcLbhN_p4#)
(http://i48.tinypic.com/2rcq4v7.jpg)
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The Cowsills Paperback Writer ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vYsE-SRHeI#[/url])
The Cowsills 1969
Good cover. I haven't heard any cowsills stuff since I was a kid!
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Good cover. I haven't heard any cowsills stuff since I was a kid!
The Cowsills did a nice When I'm Sixty-Four too...
When I'm Sixty-Four - The Cowsills (featuring Susan Cowsill) HD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsMTqyiGl88#)
There's a thread on The Cowsills here, Dave: The Cowsills (http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=12782.msg287490#msg287490)
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The Cowsills did a nice When I'm Sixty-Four too...
When I'm Sixty-Four - The Cowsills (featuring Susan Cowsill) HD ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsMTqyiGl88#[/url])
There's a thread on The Cowsills here, Dave: The Cowsills ([url]http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=12782.msg287490#msg287490[/url])Susan was cute, tweaking Mikes and the other guests cheeks!
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:laugh:
Pickin' On Series - Paperback Writer (Beatles cover) ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfkcLbhN_p4#[/url])
([url]http://i48.tinypic.com/2rcq4v7.jpg[/url])
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:laugh:
I reckon y'all like that, huh? How's about some Strawberry Fields Forever...
Pickin' On Series - Strawberry Fields Forever (Beatles cover) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5D1oD7syJQ#)
(http://i48.tinypic.com/2rcq4v7.jpg)
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I reckon y'all like that, huh? How's about some Strawberry Fields Forever...
Pickin' On Series - Strawberry Fields Forever (Beatles cover) ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5D1oD7syJQ#[/url])
([url]http://i48.tinypic.com/2rcq4v7.jpg[/url])
Shucks! Thats a good'un!
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Shucks! Thats a good'un!
Then you should like this too, Dave. And it's the whole album...
Chet Atkins - Chet Atkins Picks On The Beatles - 1966 - Full Album (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAenRUDNf6E#)
Chet Atkins Picks On The Beatles 1966
(http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn120/uncacreepy/chetline.jpg)
(http://pixhost.me/media/images/page1&2.jpg)
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Chet Atkins plays The Beatles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bajxt02h8#)
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Chet Atkins plays The Beatles ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bajxt02h8#[/url])
he makes it look so easy! I really liked the Lady Madonna!
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he makes it look so easy! I really liked the Lady Madonna!
He's sweep-picking at 2:36 Not too many people can do that.
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John also appeared to be using new equipment on this recording - he had the Gretsch guitar and the WEM Fuzz pedal at his disposal.
(http://www.gretsch-talk.com/forum/attachments/gretsch-discussion-forum/3290d1246227515-pics-rock-celecbritys-playing-gretsches-john-lennon-gretsch3-6120.jpg)
(http://www.thecanteen.com/nusonic2.jpg)
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He's sweep-picking at 2:36 Not too many people can do that.
No, he's certainly a true pioneer! One of the best!
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The B-52s recorded Paperback Writer for a Buick TV commercial in 2004...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdHW9tULHM# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdHW9tULHM#)
This happens to me every time I walk into Barnes and Noble. ;D
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The B-52s recorded Paperback Writer for a Buick TV commercial in 2004...
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdHW9tULHM#[/url] ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdHW9tULHM#[/url])
This happens to me every time I walk into Barnes and Noble. ;D
I love the B-52's and have never heard this before. Thanks Barry. Awesome version.
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I love the B-52's and have never heard this before. Thanks Barry. Awesome version.
You're welcome, Todd. I love it too.
And apparently John Lennon loved the B-52s too: A Beatle, a Rock Lobster, and how John Lennon got his mojo back (http://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/a-beatle-a-rock-lobster-and-how-john-lennon-got-his-mojo-back/)
Six months before his 1980 assassination, John Lennon took his four-year-old son Sean on vacation to Bermuda while wife Yoko Ono ran the family business back home in New York. For nearly five years, Lennon’s guitar had hung, unstrummed, on a wall above the couple’s bed. He canceled his subscription to Billboard, learned how to bake bread, and became a househusband and stay-at-home dad for Sean.
In Bermuda, an assistant dragged the reclusive ex-Beatle to Disco 40. Upstairs, a DJ was spinning the club’s namesake musical genre. But the downstairs bar was dedicated to New Wave, where “Rock Lobster” by The B-52’s was playing.
“I said, ‘That’s Yoko!,’” Lennon recalled that fall in an interview with the BBC. “I thought there were two records going at once or something. Because it was so her. I mean, this person had studied her. I thought, ‘Get out the ax and call the wife!’ I called her and I said, ‘You won’t believe this, but I was in a disco and there was somebody doing your voice. This time, they’re ready for us!”
Lennon and Ono had discussed the idea of recording together again, creating an album as a team. After his trip to Disco 40, the musical floodgates opened and in short order, Lennon wrote “(Just Like) Starting Over,” “Woman,” “Watching the Wheels,” “Beautiful Boy,” and others. He would play them on the phone to Ono, who would go off and write a response song and play it for him in a subsequent phone call. This is how Double Fantasy’s “heartplay” he said/she said theme emerged.
The ex-Beatle’s introduction to “Rock Lobster” has its own chapter in an imaginative interactive new iPad app, John Lennon: The Bermuda Tapes, directed by Michael Epstein and Mark Thompson as a benefit for WhyHunger. The project was overseen by Ono. The fascinating app sheds new light on Lennon’s burst of creativity in Bermuda that led to the couple recording Double Fantasy and its follow up, Milk and Honey. For the app, the surviving B’s Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson, and Fred Schneider granted interviews discussing the origins of that iconic guitar part Ricky Wilson originated for the hit song and Cindy’s homage to Yoko at the song’s end. Schneider, back in town to host tonight’s A Not So Silent Night Karaoke Dance Party benefit for AID Atlanta at the Midtown W, got his first look at the app over the weekend.
“This is just amazing,” Schneider said. “Yoko had asked us if we would do the interviews and of course we said yes. Until just now, I had never heard the original audio of John talking about this. Of course, we had heard the story over the years but I’d never heard the actual interview with him. We had been big fans of Yoko’s since the early ‘70s. I loved her books, her art ideas, the minimalism and all that. To have her embrace us and have John embrace what we were doing was amazing. And he’s right. Cindy was doing an homage to Yoko on “Rock Lobster” for sure. We didn’t hear the Bermuda disco story until much later. I think it was inspirational for him to learn that Yoko had so many fans and was considered so influential by many of us.”
December 17, 2013 Richard L. Eldredge
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The B 52's version of Paperback Writer just sounds like a pale inferior copy to me (with slight leanings towards the Chipmunks).
The only thing I like by them (and their only real hit) was Love Shack which fortunately has no Yoko influence whatsoever.
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The B 52's version of Paperback Writer just sounds like a pale inferior copy to me (with slight leanings towards the Chipmunks).
The only thing I like by them (and their only real hit) was Love Shack which fortunately has no Yoko influence whatsoever.
Eh, just sounds like a B52's cover to me in which it is. I love Cindy Wilson and Kate Piersons voices. Roam was another big hit for them.
My favorite- (What the hell, I posted it live from the 1990 tour since I went to see them that year)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN-4_ZBB5IE# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN-4_ZBB5IE#)
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Nothing remotely Yoko about Bushfire. That's the only nice thing I can say about it.
Love Shack was number one in three countries. Roam wasn't number one anywhere.
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I love Cindy Wilson and Kate Piersons voices.
Their voices are perfect together.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxkXjsji9k# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxkXjsji9k#)
Candlestick Park 1966
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXilwLSnF6I# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXilwLSnF6I#)
Cologne 2011
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Love Shack was number one in three countries. Roam wasn't number one anywhere.
Who gives a rats ass if Roam didn't hit #1 anywhere. It was still a hit. By your standards a song has to be a #1 before it can be considered a hit?
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Who gives a rats ass if Roam didn't hit #1 anywhere. It was still a hit. By your standards a song has to be a #1 before it can be considered a hit?
You said "Roam was another big hit for them." You should have added "in the USA".
In the UK Love Shack was number one and Roam was number 17. The big hit was the former.
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Paperback Writer charted again in the UK in early 1976. Pan's People danced to it on TOTP...
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3kkahw (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3kkahw)
8 April 1976
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y7czyKyeWk# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y7czyKyeWk#)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-R7JX3mIVM# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-R7JX3mIVM#)
(http://i65.tinypic.com/f3w5f7.jpg)
Epiphone Casino
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmML4GhihVk# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmML4GhihVk#)
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9d/cc/35/9dcc353f21412e29555e4148335223d7.jpg)
Hofner 500/1 Bass
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvkICbTZIQ# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvkICbTZIQ#)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3kkahw (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3kkahw)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWmbxoK5mA# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCWmbxoK5mA#)
The Strangers 1966
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Rx9s_KjY8# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Rx9s_KjY8#)
The Sweet 1974
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdHW9tULHM# (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdHW9tULHM#)
The B-52's 2004
(http://www.themusichall.org/assets/uploads/images/13_11_b-52s_event.jpg)