# Does this song by 70's band America sound like the Beatles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [June 11, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050 "2021-06-11T14:56:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/41 "2021-06-14T14:07:38Z")
Could be that wasn’t the only song they “performed” on that TV appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/42 "2021-06-14T14:12:27Z")
I never considered that-Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/43 "2021-06-14T14:42:49Z")
A “Beatles-inspired” thread would be incomplete without reference to The Spongetones: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_vtgMMt3fOI/maxresdefault.jpg "THE SPONGETONES "Here I Go Again" (1983)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vtgMMt3fOI) ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/44 "2021-06-15T12:52:01Z")
> [@Keith1](#): > > The Knickerbockers sounded like The Beatles. That’s an interesting twist they do at the start: the chord riff goes from the dominant 7th to the root, but the rythmn they do it in is pretty much identical to the 4th-to-5th riff at the beginning of “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. So it starts out sounding familiar, but then doesn’t (as soon as they go to the real 5th chord). If it were a little less obvious, it would be very good songwriting. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/45 "2021-06-15T13:12:17Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The melody sounds _so darn familiar_ but I can’t point to a specific Beatles song. It just has that warm Beatles feeling. > > Do you get the same reaction? Which Beatles song does this sound like The opening chord progression is tickling your memory of “Something In The Way She Moves”. Then the piano style shifts over to John Lennon in his solo years. For examples of that rhythm, consider “Imagine” or “Instant Karma”. Those plonking quarter-note block chords. For example of the harmonies I’m talking about, consider Lennon’s #9 Dream, or any number of his piano-oriented solo output. IMO, Lennon was mediocre as an instrumental melodic/harmonic composer, and compensated by adding more modulation and oddball stuff like diminished minors, yet his vocal harmonies stuck fairly tight to standard Western-style voice leading (as if he never got fully acclimated to writing alone). It’s uncomplicated but very distinctive. It was his style up until the end, and Sean Lennon took it up after him. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/46 "2021-06-15T16:34:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I remember when this aired on the radio. I always thought it was The Beatles. It took awhile to remember its America. > > But why? Is it the chords? It starts with a bar of A, one bar Amaj7, and then a bar of Em7, Dm7. The maj7 chord is very distinctive. It was used a lot in the 60’s. The two minor 7th chords in the 3rd bar are so pretty. I love playing this on the piano. In the early 70’s Carole King and Elton John used the major 7 chord a lot, but I don’t remember the Beatles doing so, at least not often. However, yeah, the move from A major to A minor and the sprinkling of out-of-key chords… harmonies like this would fit very well into side two of Abbey Road. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/47 "2021-06-15T17:47:01Z")
> [@K364](#): > > In the early 70’s Carole King and Elton John used the major 7 chord a lot, but I don’t remember the Beatles doing so, at least not often. I might be off, but this chord always immediately says to me “hi, I’m John Lennon, and on a good day I can write accompaniment almost as good as Paul McCartney.” As I said above, have a listen at “Imagine” and “Something In The Way” and “#9 Dream.” I’ll probably think of more in the shower. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/48 "2021-06-15T18:11:33Z")
Something in the Way inspired a lot of the 70’s soft rock sound. I didn’t realize Lennon played piano on Imagine. But, I should have recognized his unique style. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/49 "2021-06-15T18:38:35Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Something in the Way inspired a lot of the 70’s soft rock sound. That is true in the general sense, but also in the specific sense that it is _exactly the same chord progression_ as the song in your OP, similar rhythm and tempo as well. > [@aceplace57](#): > > I didn’t realize Lennon played piano on Imagine. But, I should have recognized his unique style. To my knowledge, Lennon composed and played all of the music he released in his solo career (except of course for Yoko’s timeless classics that appeared here and there). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/50 "2021-06-15T18:44:27Z")
Also the part at the end of “and who do you think you are girl, to lead me on this way” almost sounds like it’s just about to segue into “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” Actually, other parts of the song remind me of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” too. That whole B section sounds reminiscent of the B section of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/51 "2021-06-15T19:14:04Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I didn’t realize Lennon played piano on Imagine. But, I should have recognized his unique style. Well he did, or did he? 🙂 There is a famous video - the making of Imagine that shows Lennon playing piano. But there is also Nicky Hopkins just barely in the frame shadowing him. I suspect the final mix had both pianos but emphasized Hopkin’s when it was prominent, as in the intro. Anybody know for sure? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/52 "2021-06-15T19:39:26Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > To my knowledge, Lennon composed and played all of the music he released in his solo career Composed? Mostly, although he did record a [“covers” album](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27n%27_Roll_(John_Lennon_album)). Played? Not in the sense of playing all the instruments himself. But you may be right that he played _on_ all the music he released; I don’t know offhand. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/53 "2021-06-15T19:39:31Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > > BTW, why bring a musical instrument out on stage if you aren’t even going to _pretend_ to play it? > > Hey, if you don’t even have a mic, ya gotta give the guy something to do with his hands. Gotta give it to those 60s/early 70s TV shows that were so shameless about it being all lip synch. …and, the sort of related, [I Feel Fine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrAV5EVI4tU), featuring Richard Starkey on Exercycle. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/54 "2021-06-15T19:42:25Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > …and, the sort of related, [I Feel Fine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrAV5EVI4tU), featuring Richard Starkey on Exercycle. [He’s only so-so on the umbrella.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_ZzBGPdqE) ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050/55 "2021-06-15T20:17:14Z")
I hadn’t seen that before. Very nice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-song-by-70s-band-america-sound-like-the-beatles/944050.md?page=2)