The Beatles were required in 1965 once more, to deliver two albums of new
material. What nowadays would be not only unthinkable, but also would
imply a certain lack of quality in many of the songs, turned out for The
Beatles wonderfully, releasing in 1965 not only Help! but also Rubber Soul. What for many Beatles fans
is their favourite album, was a result of quite hurriedly composition and
recording. In just three months the fab Four completed a solid, innovative
and even fresh album.
If we consider that only a couple of months passed between the release of
Help! until the beginning of sessions for Rubber Soul, we have to admit
that something strange happened between both albums to produce the evident
change of style. Rubber Soul is often regarded as the bridge between Help!
and Revolver, between the classic Pop and the experimental
"self-conscious" period. The truth is that during the summer of 1965,
George and John were introduced to LSD, and this was to mark much of The
Beatles music for quite a while. The album cover was once again
innovative, and a reflection of early drug experimentation by The Beatles.
The name of the album, seems now to have a clear origin in Paul. As heard
in the Anthology 2 Paul says at the end of
I'm Down "plastic soul man, plastic soul" The phrase was coined by
black musicians referring to Mick Jagger and probably refers in general to
white musicians playing soul... but not for real.
Although both Paul and John were quite in a hurry when writing songs for
Rubber Soul, the final result doesn't reflect so. John addmited having
even "borrowed" some lyrics, and however, The Beatles had time to keep
experimenting with new instruments, and for the first time in their
career, with variation of tape speed while producing a song. George Martin
described it as "the first album to present a new, growing Beatles to
the world. For the first time we began to think of albums as art of their
own, as complete entities"
- Rubber Soul
- Recording Dates October 12th - November 15th, 1965
- Release Date: December 3rd, 1965
McCartney
John:Tambourine and Lead Vocal
Paul:Lead Guitar and Lead Vocal
George:Bass Guitar and Backing Vocal
Ringo:Drums
An impressive song by Paul, which he wrote almost all by himself. However,
he remembered this song as the only one he got stuck on, and when he told
John that the chorus would go "I can give you golden rings, I can give you
anything, Baby i love you"... John just thought it was crap. In a few
minutes the song had the car twist with its beeps and a handful of
possible double meanings. Paul regarded later the song as one of the
"funny numbers" in Rubber Soul.
Working Title:This Bird Has Flown
Lennon
John:Acoustic Guitar and Lead Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Backing Vocal
George:Sitar
Ringo:Finger Cymbals, Tambourine, Maraca
John wrote Norwegian Wood (This bird Has Flown) during a skiing holiday in
St. Moritz (Switzerland) according to Turner, while Harry affirms that it
was at Kenwood with George. Certainly a Beatles classic nowadays, the song
had a certain impact at the time for being the first time that a sitar
appeared on a western music record. The instrument was brought, naturally
by George and it was double tracked for the song. The song has often
been subject of study for beatlemaniacs due to its vague meaning. It is
quite clear now, that John was writing about a true infidelity, and did
soften the end of the song ot hide it from his wife Cynthia. Discussion
usually deals on John burning the apartment down (an idea apparently
suggested by Paul) Specially remarkable are Backing vocals by Paul and
Ringo's rythm track, far away from his sure drum beat.
McCartney
John:Tambourine and Backing Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar, Piano and Lead Vocal
George:Lead Guitar and Backing Vocal
Ringo:Drums
(Mal Evans:Hammond Organ)
This McCartney song is another personal favourite. The oooh-la-la-la-las
by John and George are a delicious touch to a song that has more in it
than it apparently seems at first sight. Mal Evans is credited in the sleeve to play Hammond Organ, listen carefully to the "A" note played throughout the second verse and the fade out. Even more curious than that is the song's tempo,
steadily going slower throughout the whole number. Although this hasn't
been documented before (at least to my knowledge) I personally have timed
parts of the song and what my ear semt to be guessing at first is true.
Ringo slows down the song!!! And the effect achieved by doing so is just
perfect, the oooh-lalalas getting longer and Paul's voice sounding even
more anxious. Finally I'd like to highlight the "No i wouldn't no I
wouldn't" Backing by John before the verse is started again. A jewel of
Beatles composition.
Lennon
John:Acoustic Guitar and Lead Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Lead Vocal
George:Lead Guitar and Lead Vocal
Ringo:Drums
For us lovers of Beatles harmonies, Nowhereman, together with Because and
Yes It Is is a gift from heaven. John wrote this 3-part Harmony song while
at Kenwood. After trying to get any song at all composed, John laid down
and just imagined himself as a real Nowhere Man, sitting in his
nowhereland. The song would be a beautiful a capella song as the beginning
reveals, and you can even try it out for yourselves, for the right channel
in the Stereo version features only vocals. Once again Beatles
Oooooh-la-la-las are right on the spot.
Working Title:Won't Be There With You
Harrison
John:Tambourine and Backing Vocal
Paul:Fuzz Bass and Backing Vocal
George:Lead Guitar and Lead Vocal
Ringo:Drums, Maracas.
One of the two Harrison songs in Rubber Soul, saw the apparition of the
newly invented fuzz bass guitar played by Paul. Paul didn't seem to like a
lot the sound of the new bass, since he didn't use it again until 4 years
later. The song is probably one of the weakest in the record, and yet it's
a good song. George commented in "I Me Mine" that the song sounded as if
it was about someone... but he couldn't recall who... probably the
government.
Lennon
John:Rythm Guitar and Lead Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar, Piano and Lead Vocal
George:Lead Guitar and Backing Vocal
Ringo:Drums and Maracas
George Martin:Harmonium
The Word is Love! This fine song by John was a prelude of what was to
come. It definitely sounds like the predecessor of a Summer of Love
anthem, and although very different in their music, the message is not far
apart from "All You Need is Love". Thanks to a brilliant sound provided by
a repetitive guitar backing, the steady piano and the high pitched
harmonies, John transmits the enthusiasm of the word "love". John told
Playboy that it was a song about "getting smart". "It's the
marijuana period, it's the love and peace thing. The word is "love",
right?"
McCartney
John:Acoustic Guitar and Backing Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Lead Vocal
George:Acoustic Guitar and Backing Vocal
Ringo:Drums
One of The Beatles best known songs for the general public, and probably
also one by which they judge the total output of the group. The truth is
that Paul hit the spot again with this song. Within a month of being
released there were 20 covers of the song made, and the number later
reached 700 worldwide. The number had started out as a parody Paul did of
some french songs sung at a party he attended. When finally ancouraged by
John he put real words to it, he decided it should have some real French.
He asked Jan Vaughan, a french teacher married to his friend Ian Vaughan
to suggest him with a 2 syllable french name and a rhyme... and she came
up with "Michelle, ma belle" and later translated the other french line in
the song. The song hit number 1 in France as well, despite Paul's probable
lack of a proper French accent.
Lennon
John:Acoustic Guitar and Backing Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Backing Vocal
George:Lead Guitar
Ringo:Drums and Lead Vocal
This was a Lennon composition from early Beatles days. The truth is that
as release date was getting closer, the group needed more songs to
complete the album. Ringo didn't have yet his usual number, and so What
Goes On was recovered for Rubber Soul. They had previously tried to record
it on March 5th 1963. The song was given a new middle eight by Paul and
Ringo (who was given a composer credit for the first time) and recorded in
a single take with overdubs. The number is a country style song, with
superb harmonies by John and Paul. Once asked about his real contribution
to the song, Ringo said "about five words"
Lennon
John:Acoustic Guitar and Lead Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Backing Vocal
George:Acoustic Guitar and Backing Vocal
Ringo:Drums
This song has become a Beatles classic through the years, and yet it was
written by John under pressure, since the LP deadline was quite close. The
lyrics according to John arenot about any girl in special, but a dream
girl. However that's just the most obvious reference in the song. As john
later admitted, the line ".. a man must break his back to earn his day of
leisure..." was a direct reference to the Christian church, and specially
with this thought which John didn't share. The backing vocals by Paul and
George are nothing but the word "tit" being repeated contionuously. The
song is totally acoustic. A fuzz guitar was recorded by George, but wasn't
mixed onto the record. The final solo has a quite strong reminiscence of
Greek music.
McCartney
John:Acoustic Guitar and Backing Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Lead Vocal
George:Lead Guitar and Tambourine
Ringo:Drums, Hammond organ
When Paul wrote this song, he was living in a small room at the Asher's
family home in London. however, Jane Asher, his girlfriend, had just moved
to Bristol continuing her acting career. Paul during those days had a
quite selfish attitude towards women, said "you're leaving... well, I'll
get someone else then". Ringo is credited with playing the
Hammond Organ in the album sleeve, and although in some sources it is resported missing, it can be heard after "...you're not the same" hitting the 2 short chords previous to George's guitar (a kind of beep-beep).
Lennon-McCartney
John:Lead Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Backing Vocal
George:Lead Guitar
Ringo:Drums
George Martin:Double Speed Piano
John had decided to write a byographical song almost a year before he did
In My Life. He started the song as a long poem, in which he related a bus
trip from Menlove Avenue, where he lived, into dowtown Liverpool. Places
such as Penny Lane and Strawberry Field were mentioned. However, these
lyrics didn't sattisfy John, who discovered they were somehow boring. He
then got the words we all know, about the places he remembered and the
friends, dead andliving (he was talking about Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete
Shotton) Although John remembered Paul having written the middle
eight, Paul recalls having written the complete melody based on John's
lyrics. The solo secion was left blank, and later featured a baroque style
solo by George Martin. The curious sound evoking that of a pianoforte was
achieved by recording the piano and then playing it at double speed. John
thought of In My Life as his "first major piece of work" The lyrics are
featured on a wall in the site of the Cavern Club
Lennon-McCartney
John:Tambourine and Lead Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Lead Vocal
George:Lead Guitar
Ringo:Drums and Maracas
Wait is one of those fill up numbers by The Beatles. The song was recorded
for Help! but was discarded back then. Only a
month away from Cristmas, on November the 11th, the Beatles added a tone
pedal guitar, maracas and some vocals on the 5 months old Wait to complete
Rubber Soul.
Harrison
John:Tambourine and Backing Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Backing Vocal
George:Lead Guitar and Lead Vocal
Ringo:Drums
George Martin:Harmonium
George referred to If I Needed Someone, as one of he many melodies one
gets from playing around with the D Chord. ALthough it certainly os a
quite simple song, the personal Harrison touch wich would be
characteristic of later songs can already be heard in this song. The
number was inspired on two songs by The Birds: "The Bells of Rhymney" and
"She Don't Care About Time"
Lennon
John:Acoustic Guitar and Lead Vocal
Paul:Bass Guitar and Backing Vocal
George:Lead Guitar and Backing Vocal
Ringo:Drums
The last song of Rubber Soul was the first one to be recorded. It was
probably placed last on side B because John Lennon hated it. The reason
for it was mainly having used two lines from a song once sung by Elvis
"Baby Let's Play House" The truth is that the song is musically more than
correct, and to be honest, although John used the "I'd rather see you dead
little girl, than to be with another man" he gave it a more literal
meaning, making of it almost a comic number.
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