DM's Beatles forums
Solo forums => John Lennon => Topic started by: Buttmunker on October 26, 2007, 03:33:21 AM
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I love this song, which I consider a gift from John from heaven, as he had been dead about four years when it was released.
This was recorded as a demo by John in order to give over to Ringo Starr. However, John died before this happened.
The song is beautiful, and quite produced. Sounds like more than a demo to me.
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Its probably my favorite of Johns right after 'Mind Games'
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Great song- i dont reckon it would have been Ringo's cup of tea...
Quite surprised its a demo....
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I mean, it really sounded finished! So finished that I'm surprised it wasn't on the Double Fantasy album.
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I love this song, which I consider a gift from John from heaven, as he had been dead about four years when it was released.
I'd rather see it as a cash-moment from Yoko.
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I'd rather see it as a reminder of what we lost.
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Is this the song "Nobody told me there'd be days like these ..."?
If so .... I didn't realize, had forgotten, it hadn't come out with Double Fantasy. I always thought it was a great finished song!
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Its probably my favorite of Johns right after 'Mind Games'
I've always liked "Watching the Wheels go Round" also.
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This is a great song, and talks about his U.F.O. experience.
It doesn't sound like a demo, thank God.
It was recorded in 6 & 8 August 1984, so easly would be included on Double Fantasy.
:)
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It was recorded in 6 & 8 August 1984, so easly would be included on Double Fantasy.
:)
Excuse me?
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It was recorded in 6 & 8 August 1984, so easly would be included on Double Fantasy.
The messiah has risen!
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Hello Buttmunker. You branded Paul's solo career as soft rock. I'd be interested in the catagory you'd place this little gem? All in the name of good conversation of course. (you're labels do fascinate me.)
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Unfortunately the version on 'Working Class Hero' is strangely instrumental. It sounds like a jam in a rehearsal studio with poor sound quality. It does though, sound like it would have benefited from being given to Bruce Springsteen.
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Unfortunately the version on 'Working Class Hero' is strangely instrumental. It sounds like a jam in a rehearsal studio with poor sound quality. It does though, sound like it would have benefited from being given to Bruce Springsteen.
:)
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Hello Buttmunker. You branded Paul's solo career as soft rock. I'd be interested in the catagory you'd place this little gem? All in the name of good conversation of course. (you're labels do fascinate me.)
For the name of good conversation (that's a first), I'd consider "Nobody Told Me" the pinnacle of 80's rock. It blended seamlessly with the likes of Hall & Oates, Toto, and Quarterflash. The thing about it is, unless someone pointedly told you it was John Lennon, the listener wouldn't have guessed it to be so. Okay, maybe that's bullsh*t, but I'm telling you here and now that it was perfect for the time it was released in 1984. It was obviously recorded five years earlier (1979-80), but it doesn't sound dated. It has a fresh, funky-rock sound.
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Hmmm, I've never really related it to 80's rock, but I suppose it was (although I see no comparison whatsoever to Hall & Oates, Toto, or Quarterflash and I like all three of those bands a lot).
I always thought of it as a song that would have been perfect for Ringo or even a comparison to 'The Ballad Of John and Yoko' except this song was good.
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For the name of good conversation (that's a first), I'd consider "Nobody Told Me" the pinnacle of 80's rock. It blended seamlessly with the likes of Hall & Oates, Toto, and Quarterflash.
Bless. Personally, I'd put Paul's "Arrow Through Me" as much closer to Hall and Oates than Lennon ever got, but there you go. And Toto - ????
The pinnacle of eighties rock?? Surely you jest. In a competion with acts like REM, The Smiths, The Pixies, The Cure, Husker Du.......???? Or are we talking the pinnacle of bland easy-on-the-ears FM rock, in which case you may have a point. But even then he's got to fight off The Police, U2, Simple Minds, Bowie....
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I now realise that my headphone jack was faulty, so I couldn't hear the vocals. Still sounds like a Springsteen song in the making though!
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Still sounds like a Springsteen song in the making though!
That's exactly what I thought. And there was no rocker more successful than Springsteen during the 80s.
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A good example of Lennon's songwriting
and "playing with words":
Everybody's smoking and no one's getting high :-)
Everybody's flying and never touch the sky
Everybody's talking and no one says a word
Everybody's making love and no one really cares
Always something happening and nothing going on
There's always something happening cooking and nothing in the pot
Everyone's a winner
and no one seems to lose.
Everybody's flying and no one leaves the ground
Everybody's crying and no one makes a sound.
Everybody's smoking and no one's getting high
Everybody's flying and never touch the sky
There's Ufo's over New York and I ain't too surprised.
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
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I reckon this one was unfinished,when listening to it again last night i noticed that john didnt have his distinctive vocal 'effect' while singing(the usual double track/heavy reverb etc),but still its sounds really fresh.I also noticed(being a studio geek) a fault in the guitar track around 1.17,it misses a beat.
But apart from that,i love the track.Id love to know the whole story of how much John got finished before he died.I feel the bit where he shouts 'roll' is missing something,id imagine he would have had a killer lick in there somewhere instead of a more strum-like guitar track on there.......anyway
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I feel the bit where he shouts 'roll' is missing something,id imagine he would have had a killer lick in there somewhere instead of a more strum-like guitar track on there.......anyway
That's my favourite part of the track! 8)
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Speaking of 'Nobody Told Me', I wonder who drummed on that song? Its sure sounds like Newmark but there was two other drummers and I havent found the definate answer yet.
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What is it about Beatles, and their early solo output? They never seem to credit session musicians. I've got plenty of albums from the 60's and early 70's that have session musicians credited. Why can't they?
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They want to make it tough on everybody I suppose. I'm with you though Blue, just break down the songs for us and we wouldnt have to complain.
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^ And we wouldn't have to type so much!
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I think this one was just a few hours worth of work away from being finished.
I like the words, but I can easily imagine John deciding after it was declared finished to throw it away and declare it not worthy. The lyrics somehow never flow in a way that John had a knack for. Still better than many songwriters best efforts.
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I like the words, but I can easily imagine John deciding after it was declared finished to throw it away and declare it not worthy. The lyrics somehow never flow in a way that John had a knack for. Still better than many songwriters best efforts.
This sums it up in my opinion. I think I like the song because its fun and doesnt take it self seriously. John and Paul could write these kind of tunes on a daily basis. I also like the message. We all have bad days. I thought it was an absolutly perfect song for Ringo.
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PI1MxAKKEAQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI1MxAKKEAQ)
I found a great video of Noobody Told Me. I guess you could call it a pre-demo to the other demo.
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Whatever happened to good ol Buttmunker?
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Whatever happened to good ol Buttmunker?
Or the most prolific of mods, Geoff?
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Bless. Personally, I'd put Paul's "Arrow Through Me" as much closer to Hall and Oates than Lennon ever got, but there you go. And Toto - ????
The pinnacle of eighties rock?? Surely you jest. In a competion with acts like REM, The Smiths, The Pixies, The Cure, Husker Du.......???? Or are we talking the pinnacle of bland easy-on-the-ears FM rock, in which case you may have a point. But even then he's got to fight off The Police, U2, Simple Minds, Bowie....
REM, The Smiths, The Pixies, The Cure, Husker Du were all good bands, but not mainstream like John was.
Maybe REM in the 90's, and the Cure a little bit, but they were no where near as famous as Lennon was.
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i don't know about the cure being a less than famous band...everybody enjoys them...i think they are doorish....r e m is good too...i think john would have liked them...
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I think Lennon would have eventually recorded with Frank Black, Kurt Cobain, and Thom Yorke.
Imagine the possibilities....
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I like the lyrics and the vocal , i would have given Ringo Cleanup Time and put this on Double Fantasy instead.
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I'm amazed this mediocre song has managed 3 pages of posts!
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I'm amazed this mediocre song has managed 3 pages of posts!
Eh, its still one of my favorites although I know where your coming from. No masterpiece for sure, but the light hearted tone of the song is the allure for me. John didnt have a lot of them and even this one is negative in its own aspect.
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I think Lennon would have eventually recorded with Frank Black, Kurt Cobain, and Thom Yorke.
Imagine the possibilities....
I`ve read that Brian Ferry from Roxy Music wanted to collaborate with John. So maybe they would have recorded something? In 1981 Brian recorded Jealous Guy.
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REM, The Smiths, The Pixies, The Cure, Husker Du were all good bands, but not mainstream like John was.
Maybe REM in the 90's, and the Cure a little bit, but they were no where near as famous as Lennon was.
So many things to say.
I'm very impressed that only nine months into the eighties Lennon managed to produce the pinnacle of that decade's mainstream rock.
Prior to John's death Double Fantasy failed to make even the top ten in the UK or the US and was sliding down the charts. This makes it unclear that whether prior to MDC's intervention the world at large regarded that any pinnacle was being reached, or indeed whether Lennon was particularly popular.
Elvis was an exceptionally popular artist in the seventies (maybe the most successful solo act in terms of chart action?? ), mostly propelled by renewed interest following his untimely death. Does this then mean that some of his seventies work is the pinnacle of that decade's music?
Mind you, isn't eighties mainstream music generally regarded as bland, overly slick, soulless radio fodder, generally regarded as the nadir of rock's short life? In that case you may have a point, though I'm not sure that being top of that rather turgid pile is something John would have been particularly proud.
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So many things to say.
I'm very impressed that only nine months into the eighties Lennon managed to produce the pinnacle of that decade's mainstream rock.
Prior to John's death Double Fantasy failed to make even the top ten in the UK or the US and was sliding down the charts. This makes it unclear that whether prior to MDC's intervention the world at large regarded that any pinnacle was being reached, or indeed whether Lennon was particularly popular.
Elvis was an exceptionally popular artist in the seventies (maybe the most successful solo act in terms of chart action?? ), mostly propelled by renewed interest following his untimely death. Does this then mean that some of his seventies work is the pinnacle of that decade's music?
I remember DF being sympathetically received at the time, though you could read between the lines. Too much Yoko. At least Paul kept Linda further in the background, even if she was in his band.
The Elvis thing never ceases to amaze me. People seem to forget that 99% of his output was total pants.
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Just found this in the Times:
The problem is that by dying young, and going the way he did, Lennon removed himself from all criticism. No matter that much of his solo work was poor. His last album, Double Fantasy, was a bit of a stiff until its success was ensured by his becoming one too. The godawful Imagine stopped being something Lennon might have nightmares about after too much cheese and became an anthem, voted the finest song in pop music, ever, if you didn
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I remember DF being sympathetically received at the time, though you could read between the lines. Too much Yoko. At least Paul kept Linda further in the background, even if she was in his band.
The Elvis thing never ceases to amaze me. People seem to forget that 99% of his output was total pants.
Though it means nowt, I remember a review of the time saying Yoko's input was far more now and relevant than anything of John's. I don't blame Yoko for DF being so dissapointing. John's contributions are mediocre at best. Next time in the newspapere library I'm going to dig out some pre-Dec 8 reviews to see waht people thought of it before they all went insane.
I think you'd need a psychology degree to understand the Elvis thing. I was going to say the connection goes deeper than the music, but his fans seem to have a genuine affection for his work. And he does have a mighty voice.
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I remember DF being sympathetically received at the time, though you could read between the lines. Too much Yoko. At least Paul kept Linda further in the background, even if she was in his band.
The Elvis thing never ceases to amaze me. People seem to forget that 99% of his output was total pants.
But how do you really feel about it? :)
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I'm amazed this mediocre song has managed 3 pages of posts!
Not like it's "The Present" thread, or anything! :)
I do remember being horribly disappointed in Double Fantasy' s radio plays at the time ("Woman" made me gag, seemed like it was aimed right from the get go at the elevator riding crowd market). I did like the vibe of "Watching the Wheels", but from what I'd heard off the rest of the album, even that wasn't enough to make me buy the album after John died. Especially with Yoko on the cover, bleahhh!
I kind of like this song ("Nobody Told Me"). It's got nice word play to make his point (which I imagine to be that he's kind of sitting back and watching everyone run around doing their chicken dances through life, understanding - even if they don't - that it all won't really amount to much of anything in the end - along the lines of "Watching the Wheels", or even "Nowhere Man" and "Fool on the Hill").
He's done lots worse IMO!
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Just found this in the Times:
The problem is that by dying young, and going the way he did, Lennon removed himself from all criticism. No matter that much of his solo work was poor. His last album, Double Fantasy, was a bit of a stiff until its success was ensured by his becoming one too. The godawful Imagine stopped being something Lennon might have nightmares about after too much cheese and became an anthem, voted the finest song in pop music, ever, if you didn
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Double Fantasy does get a lot of flack and hell, it deserves it. In hindsight though, I believe if you scrap off Yoko's garbage and add John's 'Milk And Honey' songs, it becomes the best album he's ever done.
Purely my opinion though.
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I would throw Yoko out of the album. This experiment with adding her songs to John`s was a failure. John was into experimenting with letting Yoko sing, and unfortunately Paul followed him with letting Linda play.
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I would throw Yoko out of the album. This experiment with adding her songs to John`s was a failure. John was into experimenting with letting Yoko sing, and unfortunately Paul followed him with letting Linda play.
Pauls experiment was never quite so disasterous though.
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I agree, but I remember listening to Wings in the '70s and just cringing when she sang harmony.
I never could tell if she was flat/off-key, or if it was just the quality of her voice.
"Cook of the House" off "Speed of Sound" seems to stick out in my memory, but it has been a while ...
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I agree, but I remember listening to Wings in the '70s and just cringing when she sang harmony.
I never could tell if she was flat/off-key, or if it was just the quality of her voice.
"Cook of the House" off "Speed of Sound" seems to stick out in my memory, but it has been a while ...
tAAYIWa_HN4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAAYIWa_HN4)
d5sybEeyDZ8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5sybEeyDZ8)
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Yes, the whole John & Yoko and Paul & Linda thing is silly. And Paul seems more at fault for copying John, and at least Yoko had some credentials in her chosen field.
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tAAYIWa_HN4 ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAAYIWa_HN4[/url])
d5sybEeyDZ8 ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5sybEeyDZ8[/url])
Hey Jimmy, thanks for posting those! Now, I won't have to sneak a listen to that song on "Wings at the Speed of Sound" to see if it was actually better than I remembered it! ;)