Welcome Back To Fitzy’s Way-Back Sound Machine’s Music Blog. Today we set the Way-Back dial to 1964 thru 1970. I am going to share with you My top 12 favorite Beatles songs, and I hope you share your favorites with me as well. We all know about the Beatles unless you were born in the last 5 to 10 years, So I will not even go over the history besides it is safe to say the Beatles helped make Music what it is today.
It is extremely hard to pick favorite songs from the Beatles, because they were such an eclectic group from the early years of Rock and Roll as well as they were a strong influence in the “Free Love” generation and into both the Korean war (some call it the Korean Conflict, I call it a war) and the Viet Nam war ( Some call this a Police Action I call it a war) years. That being said and political views a side here are my top 12 favorites, in no particular order of course. I hope you enjoy them as well.
If you don’t have these songs in your personal music library you can download them or you can listen and see the Videos for free by heading over to my youtube Channel and click on the Play list #7 - The Beatles to hear all these songs. www.youtube.com/user/fatdog14 feel free to leave feedback here and on the youtube site. Next time we tune the Way-Back dial to Classic Rock Songs in Movies. See you next time.
“Love Me Do" - was The Beatles’ first ever single, P.S I Love You was the "B" side. When the single was originally released in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1962, it peaked at No. 17; in 1982 it was re-promoted (not re-issued, retaining the same catalogue number) and reached No. 4. In the United States the single was a No. 1 hit in 1964. It is off of the Please Please me Album
“Please Please Me" - was the 2nd single released by The Beatles in the U.K., and the 1st to be issued in the United States. It was also the title track of their 1st Album, which was recorded to capitalize on the success of the single. John Lennon was once quoted as saying this was his attempt to write a "Roy Orbison" song. Ask me way was the "B" side of the original release. The single was released in the UK on 11 January 1963 and reached #1, The single, as initially released with "Ask Me Why" on the "B" side, failed to make much impact in the U.S., but when re-released in the U.S. in January 1964 (this time with "From Me To You" on the "B"side), it reached #3 on the Hot 100.
“Eight Days a Week" - released in December 1964 on the Beatles for Sale album. The song was released as a single only in the U.S. in February 1965, becoming a #1 hit (their seventh). The "B: side was "I don’t want to spoil the party". The single release in the US was the result of DJ’s playing the song from imported copies of the Beatles for Sale album as an exclusive since it was not included on the album’s US counterpart “Beatles ‘65, nor was the “B” side. Later, it and the “B” side made a US album appearance on “Beatle VI. Although it was a big U.S.hit, the group did not think highly of the song (Lennon called it “lousy”) and they never performed it live. McCartney only played it live on his 2013 “Out There Tour”.
“Dear Prudence" - It was released as the 2nd track on their 1968 double-disc album entitled "The Beatles", commonly known as The White Album. The subject of the song is Prudence Farrow, actress Mia Farrow’s sister, who was present when They went to India to study with Mahatishi Mahesh Yogi, but don’t let that sway you from giving this song a chance. This song has countless covers from the year of it’s release all the way up to 2010, and was one of the biggest hits for Siouxsie and the Banshees.
“Day Tripper" - released as a Double "A" side single with " We can work it out". Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the"Rubber Soul" album. The single topped the U.K.charts and the song peaked at #5 in the U.S. on the Hot 100 in January 1966.
“Yesterday" - was originally recorded for their 1965 album "HELP!". The song is one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded music as stated by The Guinness Book of Records. It hit #1 on many music chart lists in many countries, and it only hit #8 in the U.K.
“We Can Work It Out" - was released as a "Double "A" side" single with "Day Tripper"", the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release. Both songs were recorded during the "Rubber Soul" sessions. The song reached #1on both sides of the Atlantic, the Beatles’ fastest-selling single since "Cant buy me love". It has sold 1.39 million copies in the UK.
“Getting Better" - It was recorded for the 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band". I find me just stopping whatever I am doing and just listening to this one.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - written by George Harrison, it was first recorded by The Beatles in 1968 for their Double Album known as The White Album. The song features a lead guitar solo by Eric Clapton, although he was not formally credited on the album. was ranked #136 on Rolling Stones list of “Top 500 Greatest Songs of all times”, #7 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time, and #10 on their list of The Beatles 100 Greatest Songs.
“The Long and Winding Road" - a ballad written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon-McCartney. was the 10th track on The Beatles’ Let It Be album. It became the group’s 20th and last #1 song in the United States in June 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet while all four remained alive. "The Long and Winding Road" was listed with "For You Blue" as a double-sided hit when the single hit #1on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1970.
“I’ll Follow the Sun" - was released in 1964 on the Beatles for Sale album in the United Kingdom and on Beatles ‘65 in the U.S., but was written long before that year: a version recorded in 1960 can be found in the bootleg record You Might As Well Call Us the Quarrymen. One reason they didn’t use the song on their previous albums was because it wasn’t tough enough for their leather-jacketed early image. By the time they did record it for their fourth LP, the rhythm had changed from a rockabilly shuffle to a gentle cha-cha. Ringo Starr kept the beat by smacking his palms on his knees.
“Let It Be" - released in March 1970 as a single, and (in an alternate mix) as the title track of their Let It Be album. At the time, it had the highest debut on the Hot 100, coming in at #6. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band. Both the Let It Be album and the US single “The Long and Winding Road” were released after McCartney’s announced departure from and subsequent break-up of the group. The song is #3 in the top 100 Best Beatles Songs list. “Let It Be” won Academy Awards in 1971 in the Original Song Score category as a part of documentary film Let It Be. It also won Grammy Awards for “Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a TV special”. For me personally it keeps the memory of My Best friend Justin Dilks alive in my mind and in my heart.
