Mixtape Madness #7: John Paul George Ringo Mix

According to the novel High Fidelity the making of a good mix tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. Furthermore, a good mix is never finished. You never know when you will come across a song that changes the dynamic of the mix you just completed. There is a litany of intricacies to crafting the ideal mix no matter what the mix’s intended purpose should be. This feature is merely a guide on the cosmic highway of mix making, and while experienced, the writer does not claim to be an expert.

John Paul George Ringo Mix

EDITOR'S NOTE: The write up below is taken from a gift for a twelve-year-old who was just discovering the Beatles. It was intended to expand their knowledge of the band, their music, and guide them to other classic bands. It is for that reason that the voice presented in this article differs from the norm here at the What.

This is a mix of songs by the Beatles, both as a band and as solo artists after the band broke up in 1970. You’ll notice that musicians like Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, and others performed a lot with the Bealtes after they broke up. What a lot of people don’t know is that many of those musicians played with the Beatles before they broke up too. This list will have plenty more fun facts like that to accompany the great music that the Beatles made. Enjoy!

1. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite – The Beatles (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band)

         John Lennon wrote this song mostly on his own, although he did find a little help from his friend Paul. The song is based on an antique poster advertising a circus that Lennon bought while filming a promotional video for “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Eddie Izzard performed a funny version of the song for the movie Across the Universe.

2. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison (All Things Must Pass)

            George Harrison performed this song for his first solo album, which came out right as the Beatles were breaking up. Harrison wrote the song for Billy Preston (a keyboardist who played with the Beatles at their last concert) to use. Harrison was sued over this song because it sounded too similar to a song by the Chiffons called “He’s So Fine.”

3. It Don’t Come Easy – Ringo Starr (Single)

            This song was Ringo’s first single after the break up of the Beatles, and it was actually written about the break up. George Harrison co-wrote the song with Starr and played guitar on the track. Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills, and Nash also played guitar for this recording.

4. Band on the Run – Paul McCartney & Wings (Band on the Run)

            Paul McCartney wrote this song with his wife, Linda. It’s about a band being imprisoned and then escaping. A really cool cover version of this song was done by the Foo Fighters in 2007.

Weekly Top Five - 9.Dec.10

In  High Fidelity, the characters compare their top fives in a variety of categories. Being big fans of both the film and novel, we here at the What bring you our Weekly Top Five, a feature focused on five fantastic things that you should become familiar with.

John Lennon Songs

 

Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the night John Lennon was taken from this world, far sooner than he should have been. Several media outlets acknowledged this sad anniversary with tributes and commemorations, perhaps done best by Pierre Robert at WMMR. With Lennon's catalog far too diverse and impressive to narrow down to a top five list, today we present the top five John Lennon songs we heard yesterday.

5. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) - This Beatles track from Rubber Soul was written mostly by John about having an affair. Norwegian Wood refers to the cheap style of pine used in many English flats at the time, which he would've seen plenty of when going home with any number of girls. George Harrison elected to play the sitar for this song, giving it its distinct sound.

4. Watching the Wheels - In the 1970's Lennon was often criticized for not doing anything. People felt he was crazy (or just lazy) for not continuing to capitalize on his success and fame by recording and touring more frequently. His response was to pen this song about how content he was spending time at home being a family man.

3. Instant Karma! - This song was written and recorded on the same day and released just ten days later, a rare speed in the record industry. Though it was released by the Plastic Ono Band, it was prior to the break up of the Beatles and George Harrison actually played electric guitar on the track.

2. A Day in the Life - Considered by many to be the greatest Beatles song ever composed, "A Day in the Life" is the perfect example of the Lennon/McCartney partnership. The haunting delivery of the story of a man who committed suicide by Lennon and the chipper presentation of a man getting ready for work blend together much like Lennon and McCartney did themselves, only to crescendo into a chaotic musical explosion at the end.

1. Imagine - At different times Lennon referred to this as the best thing he ever wrote or just another song. Regardless, its influence is undeniable. It actually projects a v ery strong message, but as Lennon remarked, Imagine is "anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic, but because it's sugar-coated, it's accepted."