DM's Beatles forums
Beatles forums => Songs => Topic started by: Kevin on April 06, 2010, 09:13:44 AM
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Okay. No denying Something is a great song. Gosh, even Frank said so. And The Beatles version makes a great album track. But as a single I think it gets lost on the radio. It gets swallowed up by the songs on either side. It has no whoomph, no immediacy. And I have to put that down to George's weedy vocals. His voice just isn't good enough for a big song like this. When I compare to Shirley Basseys version (which leaps out of the radio) it makes me think it ain't the song that's wrong.
Come Together is good. It sounds very modern to me, and could just as easily have been a 70's single (a lot to do with Mr Martins production.) It has a very late night feel about it.
All in all, I don't think this single combo deserved to get to #1 (which it didn't.)
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a george song and a john song both . . . . . . . . . stolen by paul
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both of those basslines should be charged for murder
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in all fairness - george's solo on something is -maybe- his best
and john's lyrics/delivery on come together have his tongue in cheek humor/self referencing nonsense wordplay at their best !!
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....................... and ringo hits it out of the park twice
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Something is excellent. One of the great ballads in pop history.
Come Together is cool. I think it's especially that great bassline that makes this song so good. I agree that it sounds modern. It sounds like something that could be released today and not even be considered retro.
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Just want to make it clear I think Sometghing is a great song. Just don't think it made a good single.
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Yeah, Something is a wonderful song but I don't really see it as a single. Come Together on the other hand is very single-y. Great guitar licks on that one. Very catchy.
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(http://www.rarebeatles.com/photopg3/cd5sing/cd15916.jpg)
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All in all, I don't think this single combo deserved to get to #1 (which it didn't.)
I think the reason this single wasn't #1 in UK (it reached #4) was that it was released about a month after the releasing of Abbey Road, so the buyers already had both songs in the LP and didn't need the single.
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I think the reason this single wasn't #1 in UK (it reached #4) was that it was released about a month after the releasing of Abbey Road, so the buyers already had both songs in the LP and didn't need the single.
Maybe. But plenty of artists get #1 singles off already released albums. Could also be that it just wasn't good enough
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Maybe. But plenty of artists get #1 singles off already released albums. Could also be that it just wasn't good enough
It always depends on many factors, in most cases the singles help to sell albums, but at that point the Beatles didn't need that to sell Abbey Road and many copies were already sold when the single came out. I think people in UK preferred to buy the album. But it also depends on the radio air-play, and maybe the single wasn't very strong there. By the way, the single was #1 in US, where it was released almost at the same time than Abbey Road.
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I think Something is a wonderful song, but maybe not the best option for a single. George's other song from Abbey Road is the better single I think. I never cared much for Come Together, despite Pauls fabulous bassline. Nonsense lyrics -but maybe that's due to me not being a native speaker- and a monotonious sound.
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I remember once hearing that the lyrics for "Come Together" were sort of about each of the Beatles in some way, I don't know if that is true or not, like George and Ringo were the first two and John and Paul were the last. :
Here come old flattop he come grooving up slowly
He got joo-joo eyeball he one holy roller
He got hair down to his knee
Got to be a joker he just do what he please
He wear no shoeshine he got toe-jam football
He got monkey finger he shoot coca-cola
He say "I know you, you know me"
One thing I can tell you is you got to be free
Come together right now over me
He bag production he got walrus gumboot
He got Ono sideboard he one spinal cracker
He got feet down below his knee
Hold you in his arm yeah you can feel his disease
Come together right now over me
He roller-coaster he got early warning
He got muddy water he one mojo filter
He say "One and one and one is three"
Got to be good-looking 'cause he's so hard to see
Come together right now over me
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^It was discussed here a while ago. I'll try to dig it up.
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^It was discussed here a while ago. I'll try to dig it up.
From here: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=5685.msg130138#msg130138 (http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=5685.msg130138#msg130138)
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George`s number 2 after While My Guitar Gently Weeps for me!
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For both of these songs it's the MUSIC that does it for me, not the lyrics or the vocals. Paul's bass kicks major ass in both tracks, and I really enjoy Ringo's drumming on the both of them as well. And I adore the string arrangement on Something. Hats off to Sir George for his production on both songs.
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I absoulutely love Something. It's definately one of my favorite songs, and I can listen to it over and over again without getting sick of it. Come Together.. hm.. I used to really like this song, I think I got a little burnt out on it because of it being one of the first Beatles songs I heard. I'm sure in a few months or so it'll be back up there in my favorites.
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'Something' is a great song, but like Kevin said, I just wish somebody else would have sang it. Its a ballad and to get anything out of it, you better have a set of pipes, and sadly, George does not. His weak voice makes the song drag even more for me. Again, i think its a wonderful tune, but I usually end up skipping it because it bores me.
'Come Together' is just OK in my book. The usual John gibberish with a guitar riff and a strong bass line. If theres any saving point for me at all is that Ringo came up with one of the most well known drum licks in the history of modern music on this tune. Nevertheless, I could care less if I ever heard the song again.
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'Something' is a great song, but like Kevin said, I just wish somebody else would have sang it. Its a ballad and to get anything out of it, you better have a set of pipes, and sadly, George does not. His weak voice makes the song drag even more for me.
What do you think of Frank Sinatra's cover?
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What do you think of Frank Sinatra's cover?
I love Frank, love the song, hate his cover. The song arrangement gets dumbed down to Frank instead of Frank rising up for the song in my opinion. Frank was older then anyways and I dont know how much of his voice was still there.
Heres a cover from Elvis. Yeah, the arrangements a little different, but see how easily Elvis handles it? Hardly any effort at all and he could have gone a lot bigger. Thats the type of voice the song needs in my opinion.
Elvis Presley - Something - STEREO - ( Hawaii Rehearsal Concert 1973 ) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz-_S-v2p6s#)
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Shirley Bassey's Something. Again, what a BIG voice can do to this song.
Shirley Bassey - Something (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmjwFYWNlO0#)
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Heres a cover from Elvis. Yeah, the arrangements a little different, but see how easily Elvis handles it? Hardly any effort at all and he could have gone a lot bigger. Thats the type of voice the song needs in my opinion.
Elvis Presley - Something - STEREO - ( Hawaii Rehearsal Concert 1973 ) ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz-_S-v2p6s#[/url])
I love Elvis, I think he had the greatest voice ever and it's a thrill to hear him do a Beatles song, but I definately prefer George singing it. George sings it like he means it, Elvis sings it like he's waiting for a bus.
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Shirley Bassey's Something. Again, what a BIG voice can do to this song.
Yeah, thats a MUCH better example than what I posted. Thats what i'm talking about though.
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After hearing Presley's and Bassey's versions, I still think George's version is miles better. While some may call George's singing and arrangement "weedy", I call it intimate, romantic, and on the middle eight, passionate. Bassey's version is sung with more gusto, but it comes off as just another impersonal, generic love song, as opposed to George's version, which I could almost imagine him singing directly to cherished lover (Pattie supposedly, although he later changed his story). Elvis's is even worse, as it has no soul at all, and he repeatedly screws up the lyrics as well. I'll take George's version any day.
EDIT: Missed the second page. Joost's comment is spot on.