"Magical Mystery Tour"

Song: “Magical Mystery Tour”

Album: (Not Released on LP)

Written primarily by McCartney (from an idea mostly conceived by McCartney), “Magical Mystery Tour” is the title song to the double EP and TV film, but it was never released as a single like the themes to other Beatles’ films.  “Mystery Tours” were common and popular in Britain when the Beatles were young, and the “Magical Mystery Tour” takes the concept a step further, adding a magical, surreal (likely drug-influenced) dimension to it. 

The song was recorded in April and May 1967, just days after the final sessions for Sgt. Pepper’s. The song wasn’t even complete when their new session began so much of the early time in the studio was spent hashing out the rest of it. 

While never released on an LP in the U.K., the EP was stretched to LP-length in the U.S. by adding five previously released singles (including both “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” from the double A-side).  The LP version was later released in both the U.S. and U.K. on CD.

The original six-song double EP (released in the U.K.) was received much better than the film was, but most critics consider the “Magical Mystery Tour” song itself a pleasant but inconsequential entry in the Beatles canon. 

"Penny Lane"

Song: “Penny Lane”

Album: (Not Released on LP)

Recorded during the Sgt. Pepper sessions, McCartney’s “Penny Lane,” along with “Strawberry Fields Forever,” was part of a double A-side single released in February 1967. Lennon and McCartney used to catch buses for Liverpool’s city center at the Penny Lane junction—such a common terminus at the time that many of the buses roaming the city displayed PENNY LANE. Smithdown Place (near the bus terminus) was a popular attraction for Beatles’ fans making a pilgrimage to Liverpool, and city officials had to replace stolen street signs displaying “Penny Lane” constantly until they decided to paint street names on neighborhood buildings. Ultimately, more “theft-resistant” signs were installed in 2007.

Neither song was released on a British LP by the group, but they were both included in the U.K.’s double EP soundtrack “Magical Mystery Tour” and on the U.S. LP of the same name. George Martin said that he believed pairing “Penny Lane” with “Strawberry Fields Forever” resulted in the greatest single ever released by the Beatles.

“Penny Lane” was recorded during December 1966 and January 1967 at Abbey Road. David Mason’s piccolo trumpet solo, for which he was paid about 27 pounds, was done in a mock-Baroque style. The original US single mix of the song had an additional trumpet flourish, but was quickly replaced by a version omitting it. The few copies that had already been sent to radio stations (with the additional trumpet passage) are among the most valuable Beatles collectibles.  

 

"Can't Buy Me Love"

Title: “Can’t Buy Me Love”

Album: A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

While in Paris for a series of concerts at the Olympia Theater in January 1964, the Beatles booked studio time to record (reluctantly) new German-language versions of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and “She Loves You,” having been told that their records would never sell in large numbers in Germany if they were in English. They had extra time in the Paris studio after these tracks were recorded so the band also worked on McCartney’s new tune, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” making it the only Beatles’ English-language song recorded outside the U.K.   Paul’s final vocal, however, was overdubbed in February at Abbey Road, and the backing vocals were removed, making it the first Beatles’ single without their characteristic harmonies (and their sixth single overall, B-sided by “You Can’t Do That”).

Paul was often asked about the song, finally pressed by journalists in 1966 to reveal its “true” meaning.  He said that you can interpret it in almost any way you want, but he insisted it was not about prostitution.

The clip below is from the Beatles Shea Stadium performance.  “Everybody clap your hands and sing along.”

"You Can't Do That"

Song: “You Can’t Do That”

Album: A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

“You Can’t Do That” is a John tune through and through—he even recorded the guitar solo. It’s perhaps sexist and paranoid, but it’s also personal, and it reflects John’s love for R&B. Written for A Hard Day’s Night, the song was cut from the film but included on the album. It was also considered for A-side release until Paul wrote “Can’t Buy Me Love” (for which it ultimately became the B-side). 

The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in February 1964. It was the first recording released in which George used his Rickenbacker 360 Deluxe electric 12-string guitar (only the second one ever made), which had been presented to him in New York while the band was there for The Ed Sullivan Show. The guitar was his go-to instrument on A Hard Day’s Night, and its signature chiming sound influenced musicians like Roger McGuinn, who would later form The Byrds.

"Love Me Do"

Song: “Love Me Do”
Album: Please Please Me (1963)

Released in October 1962 (B-sided by “P.S. I Love You”), “Love Me Do” was the first Beatles single, peaking at number 17 in the U.K. and number 1 in the U.S. (but not until 1964). It’s a song that fits the model of early Beatles lore well: McCartney wrote it while skipping school at 16 (John contributed the middle eight) probably putting it down in a notebook with “Another Lennon-McCartney Original” scrawled atop the page (as was their practice at the time). It was originally envisioned as an Everly Brothers-style harmonizing piece. And they do harmonize on “please,” but because John couldn’t sing and play the harmonica (a major fixture in many of their early tunes), Paul took the solo “love me do.” The harmonica was originally overdubbed (so John could sing the line, too), but it was too loud and overpowering in the final recording so John instead played it while Paul sang.

The song was first recorded in June of 1962 with Pete Best on drums. It was recorded again in September with Ringo, as producer George Martin did not like Best’s drumming. But Martin wasn’t happy with Starr’s drumming either, and the Beatles recorded the song a third time (again in September) with session drummer Andy White (with Starr playing the tambourine—so the Ringo and White versions can be easily distinguished by the presence or absence of a tambourine). The Starr version was the one first issued as a single, but the White version was used for Please Please Me and most other releases of the song. The Pete Best version was not released until 1995’s Anthology 1 volume.

Aside from just his pickiness about the drumming, Martin was not yet impressed with the songwriting prowess of the newly signed Beatles (who were picked up primarily for their charisma). He selected this as their first single because he didn’t feel they had any better material at the time. But the band really wanted to record their own song for their first single, which was unusual at the time, especially for a new artist. And Martin probably deserves the credit for giving them a shot.

The original master of “Love Me Do” from the first September session (with Ringo as drummer) no longer exists. Two-track session tapes for singles were often erased after being mixed down to a master so its no surprise the original tapes are gone, but the master was lost at some point, too. EMI probably wasn’t too concerned about it as the later recording (with White) was the master used for most releases of the song. But in the early 1980’s, a new master was struck from a mint 45 from a private record collection and has been the “official” master ever since.

"Let it Be"

Song: "Let it Be"
Album: Let It Be (1970)

"Let It Be" was written by McCartney during a tumultuous period while recording The Beatles (The White Album), following a dream Paul had about his mother (who died of cancer when he was fourteen). The Mother Mary line in the song refers to her (Mary McCartney), and he’s said that she told him, in the dream, “It will be all right, just let it be.”

The song was not recorded, though, until January of 1969, during the even more tumultuous Get Back sessions.  “Let it Be” was the final single released by the Beatles (in March 1970) before McCartney announced his split from the group.  An alternative mix also appeared as the title track on the Let it Be album (renamed from Get Back), which was released later in 1970, after the Beatles had parted ways.

George overdubbed two guitar solos--recorded April 1969 and January 1970--for the song, which were added to the original January 1969 take. The intention was that they’d both be used in the final track, but instead, the first was used for the single release, and the second was used in the original album release. Backing vocals were added in January 1970, including those sung by Linda McCarney, which is her only known contribution to a Beatles song. 

Phil Spector remixed the song in March 1970 for what would become the Let It Be album, augmenting some of Ringo’s drumming (including adding a delay to the high hat), stripping out the backing vocals (except on the first chorus), and adding a more prominent orchestral arrangement. In short, he overdid it. It was remixed again for the 2003 release of Let It Be…Naked, in which much of Spector’s excess is removed, especially (to Ringo’s satisfaction) the delayed drumming effects, leaving Starr’s more natural, stripped-down drumming.  

“Let it Be” was well-received critically, and is frequently cited as a fan favorite. Additionally, it won both an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score) and a Grammy (for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special) for the Let It Be film in 1971.

"Nowhere Man"

Song: “Nowhere Man”

Album: Rubber Soul (1965)

One of my all time favorites, “Nowhere Man,” which is notable both for being one of the first Beatles’ songs to have nothing to do with romance and for being an early example of John’s philosophically-influenced songwriting, was recorded in October 1965 and appeared on 1965’s Rubber Soul LP, as a U.S. single in 1966, and in 1968’s Yellow Submarine film.

George and John played identical “sonic blue” Fender Stratocaster guitars (John on the verses and George on the solo) on the tune, and Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison all shared the three-part vocal harmony.

Many, including Lennon himself, believed the song was about John—either feeling lost about what song to write next for Rubber Soul, or feeling generally out of place in the universe.  Dr. Who fanatics, on the other hand, have a different theory, suggesting the song is about the series’ title character—a human-disguised alien that travels through space and time, heading nowhere in particular, always trying to save the universe.

The video below is from a performance of the tune in Japan.