Chuck HinsonSECRETS THEY DIDN'T WANTCHA TO KNOW ...
September 19th 2008 08:23
The Beatles, natch, were the masters of rock ... but, to a degree, also of a bit of deception. For example, many of us dug the last track, side 2, of their intro LP on Capitol, Meet The Beatles.
It wasn't the Beatles! At least, not per se. The song was actually recorded by John and Ringo -- Lennon was on overdub, Ringo on drums and producer George Martin on piano! That's all.
Oh ... and for you stateside cats who dug Love Me Do, you're hearin' JPG&A at their (A?? Oh ... it's for Andy White) best. Y'see, George Martin didn't think much of Ringo's abilities (remember, they'd just canned Pete Best), so he called in a session drummer for this song -- and put Ringo on the tambourine ya hear. But, though it's the one we hear stateside, the last take of the session -- the one where Andy took a break and Ringo stepped up to the kit -- is the one released in the UK!
While Jim (now Roger) McGuinn did play his famous Rickenbacker while recording the lead vocals, the other instruments were played by session musicians Larry Knechtel, Jerry Cole and Hal Blaine. Three of the other Byrds (Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and David Crosby) did sing back-up, however.
NOW YOU'LL KNOW: Leave it to yer Uncle Relic to do the dirty work, huh?? First of all, let's get rid of that word "allegedly". They, in fact, were from England! The lead singer/rhythm guitarist was Jackie Lomax, and, along with lead guitarist Chris Huston and drummer Bugs Pemberton, had been part of a popular UK band called The Undertakers. When they finished a tour of the US in 1965, they decided to stay in the US. Their "get-up" and name was actually an attempt to distance themselves from their past.
(btw, Lomax went on to sign with Apple Records, do a respectable solo album and also some work with George Harrison).
Now, in case ya missed it, I'm gonna run the biggest secret of the Invasion bands in the next ish. But, for now, that's all the time I have (geez ... it's already 4 in the AM here in RockTown!). So, until tomorrow, remember:
If you've got rockin' pneumonia and the boogie-woogie flu, ya just gotta have ... the FEVERR!!
See ya on the flip side ...
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