Driving home from work late last night and this song pops up on the radio. I haven’t heard it since it first came out back in 1985, so I hit Wiki for a quick run down, which mentions the political ties and the Insane Clown Posse cover…but not one mention of what I found most interesting about the song-all the Beatles references. Here is a link to the lyrics: Sly Fox - Lets Go All the Way Lyrics | Lyrics.com
Am I the only one seeing these links to various songs from the Fab Four?
Never thought about it before, but you’re right, there do seem to be a lot of Beatles references there.
I don’t recall ever hearing the song, but going by the linked lyrics, I see one clear Beatles reference (“eight days a week”), and maybe a few more that are a lot more tenuous (“work it out,” “yeah yeah yeah,” “apple core”). But a lot that isn’t. Although “California dreamers” could be a Mamas & the Papas reference.
I said at the time the song was current, that if the Beatles were still around, that is what they would sound like. The Beatles would have evolved musically, just like 80s Stones isn’t the same as 60s Stones.
I now despise the 80s Beatles.
Well, remember, by then John had gone into self-imposed isolation and Glen Campbell was lead guitarist. And they added Phil Collins as keyboardist.
We had a thread here not too long ago about songs that sound like other songs and someone mentioned this one reminds them of I Am the Walrus. I don’t recall what reason they gave but I don’t think it was the same one I was expecting, which is that the . . .cadence(?) of some of the lines is similar:
“Yellow matter custard” and “Sitting with the thinker” are kind of similar for instance. Not what the OP is referring to but it kind of goes along with it.
I thought exactly the same thing years ago when I first heard the song.
I do recall pausing on the “8 days a week” line and thinking, “hey, Beatles”. But I put it down to the ubiquity of Beatles fingerprints in pop culture in general, and assumed SlyFox was seasoning their song with some of that baggage. Maybe I give them too much credit. Cynical me looks at the artificial musician pairing and sees producers slapping tried and true lyrics together and going heavy on the Beatles juice.
Worst episode of Sliders ever.
One…
If the Beatles had gone metal (well, hard rock) by 1980… (scroll down and play “Hold Your Hand All Night Long”)
(This being mid-April, also check out “Thank You Taxman”)