When I was younger, I listened to a lot of Beatle songs on the radio and records…sometimes unknowingly.
Many people can play a melody called Heart and Soul (at least the right-hand part) on the piano. I recognized the tune, but never knew its name or the lyrics. Someone offered to play me Heart and Soul on the piano. What I expected to hear was the beautiful piano line during the instrumental breaks of George’s * Give Me Love* because of the lyrics. What I got was that four-chord left-hand-rockabilly Heart and Soul.
Needless to say, I was disappointed.
I also thought Let It Be was a hymn. We had sang it right after a hymn one night at Christian youth camp, and I thought it was just a very well-written hymn. I couldn’t find it in my church’s Baptist Hymnal, so I asked the music minister where I could find it. I thought it might have been a Catholic sort of hymn, mentioning “Mother Mary”. He may have just recently stopped laughing about that.
Goodbye, George. I do hope I can tell you my stupid little stories to you in person someday.
Mine isn’t exactly a memory of George, but of a picture of him. In a book about rock and roll, the title of which escapes me, there is a candid shot of George with the lads, that looks uncannily like Mr.zoogirl did around the time I met him. We had the book for a while, and used to freak out friends by telling them Mr zoogirl once jammed with the Beatles. Since Mr zoogirl was actually in a band, most of them bought it for a few minutes at least!
One of my first memories is of seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I was only four, and the show is kinda hazy, but what I remember so well is sitting on my swingset the next day and singing “She Loves You” at the top of my lungs!
When I was a young school lad, somewhere around the late 70’s, I had heard of The Beatles, of course, but not having delved much farther than “Love Me Do” and “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, I was that much of a fan. I fancied myself something of a more intillectual music fan.
Then on a school sports trip someone lent me their copy of The White Album, which I vividly recall listening to, losing myself, huddled down in a school bus seat, in my own little world of musical enlightenment. I begged to borrow the tape, and became an ardent fan. Which really sucked for me, timing-wise, because I think that was only a few months before John Lennon was shot.
But what I remember the most is this: I listened to the first part of the tape and was instantly impressed with what I was hearing. Knowing only what I knew about The Beatles, I did not expect it. The two tracks that really made me think I’d hit the musical jack-pot were While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Piggies, expecially Piggies. I never expected to hear that sort of humor, and satire. I loved it.
Another interesting George observation: In trying to learn to play guitar, I tried to learn a lot of Beatles songs. George, by far, employs much more intricate theories and complicated chords than Lennon or McCartney ever did. But I really felt it as a natural way that he wrote. Evidence, in my opinion, of he genius.
All Things Must Past is still one of my favorite songs. Sage words with a haunting performance. What more could one ask for.
I remember being over at my uncles house and watching MTV on cable. He probably wasn’t thrilled with me just sitting on the couch watching videos, but then Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” video came on (with George and Ringo appearing - I don’t belive they actually played on the recording though :(). My uncle, who normally didn’t get too excited over MTV or anything else at that point - saw it, and yelled “That’s half the Beatles!” Seeing him get sort of excited over music sort of removed a barrier between us. Up until then, he was just sort of an old grouch in my view.
I guess I was too young then to appreciate why he was so thrilled to see George and Ringo on TV together again…now I’d give anything to see that myself.
I’m pretty much the designated DJ in our house. Being ten years older than my wife and having grown up during the era when classic rock was being created, it’s up to me to educate little lieu in the ways of someone other than Neil Diamond and Yanni.
So last night we’re having a Harrison/Beatlefest, playing all the songs he’s written throughout his career. I’m listening to the end of Dark Horse and about to put Something on when I feel something tap against my leg. I look down and almost immediately feel an upwelling of tears.
My year old daughter has picked up a piece of wooden fruit from across the room, carried it over to me, paitently tapped me on the back of the leg and holds up for my inspection… an apple.