The Long And Winding Road
Call me slow, but I just figured out why I never used to be that keen on The Long And Winding Road but how recently I’ve come to like it — and even find it quite emotional.
It’s not just because I’m getting old.
It’s because for years all I had was the original version from Let It Be, and now I have the revised Let It Be — Naked version (as well as a similar version from Anthology 3).
What’s the difference? The originally released one, as much as any song on the album, has Phil Spector’s “Wall Of Sound” thing happening, with loads of noise piled on top of the band… choir, harp, brass, orchestra, the full bit.
And it ruins it. Any emotion in Paul McCartney’s vocals is completely lost. It sounds like some dull cabaret jingle or something.
In fact I see now, this text on Wikipedia:
Paul McCartney in particular was always dissatisfied with the “Wall of Sound” production style of the Phil Spector remixes, especially for his song “The Long and Winding Road”, which he believed was ruined by the process.
Yep.
Some songs need a certain rawness for the emotion to come out properly. The live version of WPA’s For A Short Time is another that springs to mind. Cover it up too much, and the performance loses its impact. (That song tugs at the heart strings for other reasons.)
If you’ve only heard the Spector version of Long And Winding Road, I highly recommend you check out the stripped-down one if you get the chance. (Unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be available on iTunes.)
Update: Ah, found it:
Someone else has uploaded the Spector version too.
Tags: music, The Beatles
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Butterfly ball (Love is all)
My recollection is this clip used to pop up on the ABC when they had five minutes to fill.
Nowadays they’d probably just run a bunch of promos and adverts for the ABC Shop.
The song is actually called “Love Is All”, from The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper’s Feast.
I can’t make it along, but I believe Clare and Fahad’s wedding this weekend will use the music during the service — they were looking for some cheery music for the recessional. Very catchy. Almost appallingly catchy. Hope the wedding goes well guys, congratulations!
Tags: Butterfly Ball, friends, weddings
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Happy Gravy Day
(There are several versions of this song on Youtube. I like the versions with his full band, but this one — which appears to be with Uncle Bill — is excellent.)
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John Lennon 1940-1980
John Lennon died thirty years ago yesterday. He was as old then as I am now.
It would have been the following day, thirty years ago today, when the news broke in Australia. I remember getting home from school and switching the television onto channel 9, probably to watch Skippy or The Curiosity Show. A news flash came on.
When I spoke to my mum at work a little while later on the phone, I don’t think she believed it.
Who else remembers where they were?
Oh no, it’s a Bon Jovi tram
Oh no, help me. Since seeing this I’ve had the chorus to “Livin’ on a prayer” going around in my brain.
Mind you, maybe the words “Oh, we’re half way there” are appropriate for a tram trip.
Tags: advertising, Bon Jovi, trams
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The power of music
(My blogging is likely to be a little sporadic for the next week or two. I’m sure you can work out why.)
Music can often be very powerful at capturing an emotion, a feeling, a memory.
After that post a couple of months ago about songs on a theme, here’s another theme that’s become relevant to me since three months ago today.
The Living Years, by Mike and the Mechanics. I sometimes hear this one in shops and so on. It’s peppy enough that for most of the song you can ignore the story of it, but if you listen closely, they’re quite moving.
Tank Park Salute, by Billy Bragg. I found this one emotional enough when I first heard it, years ago. I find the lyrics incredibly powerful. To be honest I haven’t wanted to listen to it since my dad passed on.
No doubt there are other songs on this theme out there, though I can’t think of any others I know well.
A different theme, but due to family circumstances both when I was growing up, and in my adult life, Weddings Parties Anything’s Father’s Day is also one that resonates very powerfully with me.
The Bootles!
This clip is to promote the new Goodies DVD, due out next week.
I love the shot at about 1:10.
Tags: DVDs, The Beatles, The Goodies
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Dire Straits
Gave the kids a laugh by showing them the state-of-the-art (for 1985) 3-D computer graphics in the Dire Straits: Money For Nothing video clip.
Also good, the Calling Elvis clip, featuring the band as Thunderbirds… and the actual Thunderbirds too.
All this was sparked by picking up Brothers In Arms the other week on CD, and putting it on high-rotation on my iPod. (Last time around, if I recall correctly, I had it on cassette.)
Tags: cassettes, CDs, Dire Straits, music
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