Not too sure if you would call this mocking, but in “Call up the instigator” (Spelling?!), I noticed that there is a lot of Beatlesk features to the not so Tom Pettyish song.
First, the bass line throughout the song is remarkably similar to “Rain” A song that, despite an obvious attempt at another great song, has little lyrical appeal and way too much bass for my standards. Secondly, “We’ve got to come together sooner or later, cause the revolutions here. And you know that it’s right. And you know that it’s right” Hmm,
‘Come Together’,‘Revolution’ and the over use of the same line in one part of the song. As Lauryn Michaels said it," We’ll pay you 3000 dollars for just 3 songs. You can play She loves you, yah, yah, yah. There’s 3 right there" Anyone else see something there in that little instrumental solo?! I know I did. Well, I think I’ll leave it at that. Maybe he DID do it on purpose and I didn’t know. Maybe I’m just crazy. Maybe both. What do you have to say?
Its just an homage to the Beatles, I’m sure Tom is a big fan as I’ve heard references in other songs. There’s tons of Beatles references in pop music, well maybe not that frequent anymore. Now Oasis, well that’s a shameless rip-off.
Tom Petty didn’t write that song. The original artist is a one-hit wonder group called Thunderclap Newman, and the song “Something in the Air” was on their album Hollywood Dream. Tom Petty might have covered the song, I suppose, but I haven’t heard it.
I doubt the song was intended as a Beatles parody / tribute. Sure, the song uses the words “revolution” and “together,” but the song came out in 1969, and my guess is MOST songs from that year would have “revolution” or “together” somewhere in their lyrics.
Tom Petty didn’t write that song. The original artist is a one-hit wonder group called Thunderclap Newman, and the song “Something in the Air” was on their album Hollywood Dream. Tom Petty might have covered the song, I suppose, but I haven’t heard it.
I doubt the song was intended as a Beatles parody / tribute. Sure, the song uses the words “revolution” and “together,” but the song came out in 1969, and my guess is MOST songs from that year would have “revolution” or “together” somewhere in their lyrics.
Yeah, yeah, it was a cover. The original is also on the soundtrack to “The Magic Christian”, starring Peter Sellers & Ringo Starr, and it’s MUCH better, IMHO.
McCartney’s “Come & Get It” is also on that one, as covered by Badfinger.
The movie doesn’t seem to have much of a point, but it does have that late '60s / early '70s vaguely psychedelic meloncholy ambiance to it. And cameos by John Cleese & Graham Chapman.
Tom Petty is definitely a Beatles fan. That’s why he plays a Rickenbacker guitar. John almost always played one, so, to get a similar sound, Petty got one.
Though Tom Petty is certainly a Beatles fan (he worked with George Harrison in the Travelling Wilburries, you’ll recall), his primary influence was the Byrds. He’s always emulated Roger McGuinn’s 12-string Rickenbacker sound, wrote “American Girl” as a tribute to McGuinn (who liked the song so much, he covered it himself), and regularly performs Byrds covers (like “Feel a Whole Lot Better” on the “Full Moon Fever” CD).
The movie doesn’t seem to have much of a point, but it does have that late '60s / early '70s vaguely psychedelic meloncholy ambiance to it. And cameos by John Cleese & Graham Chapman.]]]
It has a point all right.
And it was, you can pay a cop to eat a parking ticket, but you can’t prevent people from taking a cruise.
And then there’s that melancholy feeling that comes from seeing Yul Brynner sing female lounge lizard, only to reveal the bitter bald truth. Oh no! Oh yes!
Vaguely psychedelic has nothing to do with it.
Spoof of the times, is what it was.
After all, who in the hell would adopt Ringo Starr?
Oh, only Peter Sellers.
I see now.
A bit of trivia about “Something in the Air” The bass player on the song is listed as Bijou Drains. It is actually Pete Townsend. Jimmy McCulloch later joined "Wings. The song was originally released on the album “Hollywood Dreams” and later on it was featured on the soundtrack for “The Magic Christian.”
Keith