(1) People say we got it made don't they know we're so afraid, isolation. we're afraid to be alone Everybody got to have a home, isolation.
(2) Just a boy and a little girl trying to change the whole wide world, isolation. the world is just a little town everybody trying to put us down, isolation.
I don't expect you to understand after you caused so much pain, but then again, you're not to blame, your [sic] just a human, a victim of the insane.
(3) We're afraid of everyone afraid of the sun, isolation the sun will never disappear but the world may not have many years isolation.
As Released by John Lennon (1970)
People say we got it made Don't they know we're so afraid? Isolation We're afraid to be alone Everybody got to have a home Isolation
Just a boy and a little girl Trying to change the whole wide world Isolation The world is just a little town Everybody trying to put us down Isolation
I don't expect you to understand After you've caused so much pain But then again, you're not to blame You're just a human, a victim of the insane
We're afraid of everyone Afraid of the sun Isolation The sun will never disappear But the world may not have many years Isolation
50 Top Gear 1 I'm A Loser VG r 11/17/64 a 11/26/64 2 (Chat) 3 Honey Don't E 4 She's A Woman E 5 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby E 6 I'll Follow The Sun E
7 (Chat) 8 I Feel Fine E
51 Saturday Club 9 Rock And Roll Music G r 11/25 a 12/26 10 (Chat) 11 I'm A Loser* VG * same as 11/26 12 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby* E Top Gear 13 I Feel Fine* E 14 Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey E 15 She's A Woman* E
51a Sat Club/Top Gear 16 I Feel Fine VG
recording session 17 She's A Woman E
52 Invite You To Take 18 Ticket To Ride (short) G A Ticket To Ride 19 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby G r 5/20/65 a 6/7/65 20 I'm A loser G 21 (Chat) 22 The Night Before G 23 Honey Don't G 24 Dizzy Miss Lizzy E 25 She's A Woman G 26 Ticket To Ride (long) VG
Who knows how long I've loved you? You know I love you still. Will I wait a lonely lifetime? If you want me to, I will.
For if I ever saw you I didn't catch your name But it never really mattered I will always feel the same.
Love you forever and forever Love you with all my heart Love you whenever we're together Love you when we're apart.
And when at last I find you Your song will fill the air Sing it loud so I can hear you Make it easy to be near you For the things you do endear you to me - aah You know I will - I will.
48 Top Gear 1 Top Gear Spot r 7/14/64 a 7/16/64 2 Long Tall Sally E 3 Things We Said Today E 4 A Hard Day's Night E 5 And I Love Her E
6 I Should Have Known Better G 7 If I Fell P 8 You Can't Do That P
49 From Us To You 9 From Us To You P r 7/17 a 8/3 10 Long Tall Sally G 11 If I Fell G 12 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You G 13 Things We Said Today G 14 I Should Have Know Better G 15 Boys G 16 Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey G 17 A Hard Day's Night G 18 From Us To You P
49a From Us To You 19 From Us To You P recording session 20 From Us To You P 7/17 21 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You P 22 I Should Have Known Better P 23 I Should Have Known Better P
Wings (sometimes referred to as "Paul McCartney and Wings") was a rock group formed in August 1971 by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. The group was the only "permanent" group that any of the former members of the Beatles joined after their break-up. During its life, Wings had 12 top-10 singles (including one #1) in the United Kingdom and 14 top-10 singles (including six #1s) in the United States. All 23 singles credited to Wings reached the U.S. Top 40 (and one single, Junior's Farm/Sally G, reached it with each side). Of the nine albums credited to Wings during the group's life, all went top 10 in either the United Kingdom or United States, with five consecutive U.S. #1s.
Wings was noted for its personnel changes as well as its success. The only three members in all of the different versions of Wings were McCartney, his wife Linda, and ex-Moody Blues guitarist and singer Denny Laine. In less than a decade, Wings had three different lead guitarists and four different drummers.
History
As the Beatles were breaking up in 1970, McCartney was working on his debut solo album, McCartney. Backing vocals were provided by his wife, Linda, whom he had married the previous year. McCartney had insisted from the beginning of their marriage that his wife should be involved in his musical projects, so that they did not have to be apart when he was on tour. On his second solo album, Ram, McCartney added select outside musicians, including drummer Denny Seiwell, who had to perform in a secret audition for Paul and Linda before being chosen.
First lineup (1971–1973)
In August 1971, Seiwell and guitarist/singer Denny Laine joined Paul and Linda McCartney to record Paul's third post-Beatles project on Apple Records. The result was Wild Life, released December 7. It was the first project to credit Wings as the artist. In an attempt to capture the spontaneity of live performances, five of the eight songs on Wild Life were first takes by the band. However, the record left music critics cold.
The band name is said to have come to McCartney as he was praying in the hospital while Linda was giving birth to their second child together, Stella McCartney. Paul McCartney recalled in the film Wingspan that the birth of Stella was "a bit of a drama"; there were complications at the birth and that both Linda and the baby almost died. He was praying fervently and the image of wings came to his mind. He decided to name his new band Wings.
In late 1971, McCartney added ex-Spooky Tooth guitarist Henry McCullough, a native of Northern Ireland, to the line-up of Wings and returned to touring, mounting an impromptu tour of U.K. universities and later a tour of small European venues (with the group driving around in a van), playing no Beatles numbers. In February 1972, Wings released a single called "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," a response to the events of Bloody Sunday. The song was banned by the BBC for its anti-Unionist political stance and only mentioned in chart rundowns on BBC Radio 1 as "a record by Wings." Despite its limited airplay, it reached #16 in the United Kingdom, as well as #1 in The Republic of Ireland and #1 in Spain.
Partly in reaction to the ban, Wings released a children's song, "Mary Had a Little Lamb," as its next single, which surprisingly reached the Top 10 in the United Kingdom. However, Wings followed that with November 1972's "Hi, Hi, Hi," which was again banned by the BBC, this time for its alleged drug and sexual references. The B-side, "C Moon," was played instead. The single made it into the Top 5 in the United Kingdom and the Top 10 in the United States.
In late 1972, Wings was re-christened Paul McCartney and Wings for the 1973 album Red Rose Speedway, which yielded the first U.S. #1 Wings hit, the romantic ballad "My Love". One possible reason for the renaming was that two songs on this album had been recorded by Paul, Linda, and Denny Seiwell during the Ram sessions; Denny Laine added backing vocals to one of these songs, but Henry McCullough was not on either. Among the unreleased songs recorded by Wings during the extensive sessions for this album (which stretched over seven months and two continents) was the Linda composition "Seaside Woman", which was finally released in 1977 (although credited to "Suzy and the Red Stripes").
Near the end of these sessions, in October 1972, Wings recorded the theme song to the James Bond film Live and Let Die, which reunited McCartney with Beatles producer/arranger George Martin. The uptempo song, released as a non-album single in the summer of 1973 (immediately after "My Love"), became a sizable worldwide hit and has remained a popular part of McCartney's post-Wings concert performances (often accompanied by pyrotechnics). That same year, McCartney released his first American TV special James Paul McCartney, which featured extensive footage of Wings but was savagely criticized by noted rock journalist Lillian Roxon.
After a successful British tour in May-June 1973, Wings went right into rehearsals for the next album. However, Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell left the band in August, at the end of rehearsals, leaving the McCartneys and Laine to cut what turned out to be Wings' most successful album, Band on the Run, at EMI's primitive 8-track recording studio in Lagos, Nigeria. The album went to #1 in both the United States and United Kingdom and spawned three hit singles: the rockers "Jet" and "Helen Wheels" (originally included on the U.S. album only) and the title track—a suite of movements recalling side 2 of Abbey Road. It also included "Let Me Roll It", which was seen as an affectionate impersonation of John Lennon's vocal style, and "No Words," the first song released by Wings that was co-written by Denny Laine (all Wings releases to this time were either Paul and Linda compositions or cover versions). Band on the Run enjoyed very positive critical reception and did much to restore McCartney's tarnished post-Beatles image among critics.
Second lineup (1974–1978)
After Band on the Run, Jimmy McCulloch, former lead guitarist in Thunderclap Newman and Stone the Crows, joined the band. The first Wings project with McCulloch was McGear, a 1974 collaboration between Paul and his younger brother Mike McGear, with session musician Gerry Conway playing drums. Warner Bros. Records chose not to play up the "Wings" angle in its marketing for McGear, and the album sold poorly. However, the sessions also generated a single credited to McGear's group The Scaffold, "Liverpool Lou," which became a top-10 hit in the United Kingdom.
Shortly thereafter, Geoff Britton joined Wings on drums, and the first recording session with this full lineup was held in Nashville, where the band stayed at the rural farm of songwriter Curly Putman Jr. The trip was memorialized in the 1974 non-album single "Junior's Farm", backed with a straight country track entitled "Sally G," the group's last release on Apple Records. In a rare occurrence, both sides of the single separately reached the Billboard Top 20 in the U.S. During these sessions, Wings (with guest musicians Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer) also recorded a single that was attributed to The Country Hams entitled "Walking in the Park with Eloise," a song written years before by Paul's father James. At the end of 1974, Paul McCartney's contract with Apple expired, and the band returned to just being named Wings.
Wings started recording sessions for its next album in London in November 1974, then moved to New Orleans to complete Venus and Mars (1975), the first release from the group on MPL Communications, distributed worldwide by EMI (Parlophone in the United Kingdom, Capitol in the United States). The album topped the charts and contained the U.S. #1 single "Listen to What the Man Said," which also featured Dave Mason of Traffic on guitar and Tom Scott on saxophone. When the Venus and Mars recording sessions moved to New Orleans, Britton quit Wings and was replaced by Joe English. Like Denny Seiwell before him, English won the job at a secret audition before McCartney. McCulloch co-composed (with former bandmate Colin Allen) and sang one song ("Medicine Jar"); Laine sang lead vocals on a McCartney song ("Spirits of Ancient Egypt"); Paul composed and sang the rest.
In the Autumn of 1975 Wings embarked on the Wings Over the World tour, starting in Bristol, which took them to Australia (November), Europe (March 1976), the United States (May/June), and Europe again (September), before ending in a four-night grand finale at London's Wembley Empire Pool. For this tour, added to Wings' stage act was a horn section consisting of Tony Dorsey, Howie Casey, Thaddeus Richard, and Steve Howard on horns, brass, and percussion.
In between, Wings recorded Wings at the Speed of Sound, which was released at the end of March 1976, just prior to the U.S. leg of the world tour. It represented a departure from the prior Wings template in that each of the five primary members of the band (including Linda and Joe English) sang lead on at least one song, and both Laine ("Time to Hide") and McCulloch ("Wino Junko", again with Colin Allen) contributed songs. However, the two U.S. #1 singles, "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'em In", were both written and sung by Paul. Four of the album tracks were played in the 1976 portion of the tour, which also included five Beatles songs. Laine sang lead vocals on several songs (including his old Moody Blues hit "Go Now" and Paul Simon's "Richard Cory"), and McCulloch on one ("Medicine Jar"), emphasizing that Wings was more than just Paul McCartney's backing band. One of the Seattle concerts from the American leg of the 1975–76 world tour was filmed and later released as the concert feature Rockshow (1980). The tour also spawned a triple live album, Wings over America (1976), which became the fifth consecutive Wings album to reach number 1 in the U.S. Joe English, Jimmy McCulloch, Linda & Paul McCartney and Denny Laine (l. to r.) during 1976 Wings Over the World tour.
After the world tour, and following the single release of a live version of "Maybe I'm Amazed" in early 1977, Wings took a break. Later in the year, the band started recording their next album in the Virgin Islands, but the sessions were interrupted by Linda's pregnancy and then by the departures of both Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English. McCulloch, who joined The Small Faces, had difficulty handling the rock'n'roll lifestyle, ultimately dying of a heroin overdose in 1979. English joined Chuck Leavell's band Sea Level and later founded the Christian-oriented Joe English Band.
Undeterred by their departure, Wings released the already-completed McCartney-Laine ballad "Mull of Kintyre", an ode to the Scottish Mull of Kintyre coastal region where McCartney had made his home in the early 1970s. Its broad appeal was maximized by a pre-Christmas release. It became a massive international hit, dominating the charts in Britain (where it was Wings' only #1 single), Australia and many other countries over the Christmas/New Year period. Ultimately, it became one of the biggest selling U.K. singles of all time. However, it was not a success in the United States, where the B-side "Girls School" received most of the airplay but barely reached the Top 40.
The core trio of Wings then released the album London Town in 1978, a collection that sometimes included McCulloch and English. Much of the album had been recorded before the departures of McCulloch and English, but only pictures of the remaining trio appeared on the album. It was a commercial success, although it became the first Wings album since Wild Life to not reach #1 in the United States (peaking at #2). London Town featured a markedly softer-rock, synth-based sound than prior Wings albums. Laine co-wrote five of the album's songs with McCartney and sang two of them. "With a Little Luck" reached #1 in the United States and #5 in the United Kingdom, but "I've Had Enough" and "London Town" were commercial disappointments in both countries.
Third lineup (1978–1981)
Later in 1978, lead guitarist Laurence Juber and former Elton John drummer Steve Holley joined the band, restoring Wings to touring strength. In 1979, McCartney signed a new record contract, leaving Capitol, the company he had been with since he was a Beatle, in the United States and Canada and joining Columbia Records, while remaining with Parlophone/EMI in the rest of the world. Influenced by the punk and New Wave scenes, Wings abandoned its mellow touch and hired former Apple engineer Chris Thomas to help in the production process. The result was a somewhat less polished sound. This new version of Wings first released the disco-oriented single "Goodnight Tonight", backed by "Daytime Nighttime Suffering", which reached the top 5 in both the United States and United Kingdom. However, the subsequent album Back to the Egg, which was not favorably received by critics, sold disappointingly, at least when compared to its immediate predecessors. Still, it went platinum in the United States. It contained the Grammy-winning song "Rockestra Theme", the result of an October 1978 superstar session with members of Wings, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, among others. Two other singles were culled from the album, but both performed poorly on the charts. One album song ("Again and Again and Again") was composed and sung by Laine; the rest were Paul's.
During much of 1979, Wings was inactive as McCartney worked on a new solo album (McCartney II) without the band. In November and December 1979, Wings performed its final tour of the United Kingdom, once again adding the horns and brass section consisting of Tony Dorsey, Howie Casey, Thaddeus Richard, and Steve Howard. This tour climaxed with a massive "Rockestra" all-star collection of musicians in London in aid of UNICEF and Kampuchean refugees. Also during this tour, a live version of the McCartney II track "Coming Up" was recorded in Glasgow and became Wings' sixth and final U.S. #1 hit (as well as the last Wings single, although once again credited to Paul McCartney and Wings) the following year.
Plans for a new Wings world tour were abandoned when Paul McCartney was arrested for possession of about 7.7 ounces of marijuana at Tokyo airport on 16 January 1980. Other Wings members were questioned but not charged. Although McCartney was released from jail after 9 days, on 25 January, he was deported from Japan. As a result, the Japanese tour was canceled along with other short-term plans for Wings.
During 1980, Wings continued to demo some more tunes, and some work was done on a never-released "cold cuts" album of previously unreleased songs. Finally, in October 1980, Wings returned to the studio to record demonstration versions of a number of songs for its next album. However, following the murder of John Lennon in December 1980, Paul McCartney was unable to continue with the sessions, and Wings went into hiatus. When McCartney restarted the project on 2 February 1981 as a solo album to be dedicated to Lennon, Juber and Holley left Wings, although Denny Laine continued as part of what became the Tug of War sessions, which ended on 3 March. Finally, on 27 April 1981, it was announced that Laine also had left the group, and that Wings had disbanded. McCartney claimed that the band "parted in a friendly way."
Potential reunion
In March 1997, former Wings members Denny Laine, Laurence Juber and Steve Holley did an impromptu "Wings" reunion at a BeatleFest in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This was not a planned event, and no further reunions were intended. However, ten years later, in July 2007, Laine, Juber and Denny Seiwell (excluding Paul McCartney, who was not interested in participating) reunited for one show at a BeatleFest in Las Vegas. They performed Wings classics including "Band on the Run," "Mull of Kintyre" and "Go Now." According to one report, Laine said that the three are discussing plans for a reunion tour.
Legacy
Unlike other post-Beatles projects such as the Plastic Ono Band, Wings was more than just a backing band for an ex-Beatle. Both Denny Laine and Jimmy McCulloch wrote songs, and Laine, McCulloch, Joe English, and Linda McCartney all contributed lead vocals. However, Paul McCartney was unquestionably the band's leader and star. Every song on a single credited to Wings was at least co-composed by Paul, and the only three songs to appear on Wings singles that weren't sung by Paul were all B-sides: "I Lie Around" (Denny Laine, flip of "Live and Let Die"), "Cook of the House" (Linda McCartney, flip of "Silly Love Songs"), and "Deliver Your Children" (Laine, flip of "I've Had Enough").
The success of Wings was a vindication for McCartney. His early home-grown solo output, which often featured simpler songs and less lavish production than The Beatles received from George Martin, often was dismissed by critics as "lightweight" next to the more serious nature of his former bandmates' solo output after the breakup. But, by 1975, John Lennon's solo career had been put on hold following the birth of his son Sean, and he stopped recording. A year later, George Harrison had all but retired from performing live (although not from recording). Ringo Starr was living in L.A. and he was still recording and writing, but his success was intermittent. As the leader of Wings, however, McCartney continued to tour regularly and to enjoy hit singles and albums the world over. By 1980, even Lennon was envious of Wings' (and McCartney's) continuing success, which largely inspired Lennon's own comeback that year.
In addition to its own output, Wings recorded several songs which ended up on non-Wings albums. The solo albums of three former Wings members feature songs performed by Wings. Three tracks written by Denny Laine appear on Laine's 1980 solo album Japanese Tears: "I Would Only Smile" from the Red Rose Speedway sessions; "Send Me the Heart" (a Laine/McCartney composition) from the Nashville sessions; and "Weep for Love" from the Back to the Egg sessions. Laurence Juber's song "Maisie", also from the Back to the Egg sessions, appeared on his album Standard Time. After Linda McCartney's death, a compilation of her songs entitled Wide Prairie was released that featured six Wings songs written by Linda: the Suzy and the Red Stripes' songs "Seaside Woman", recorded in 1972 during Red Rose Speedway, and "B-Side to Seaside", co-written by Paul and recorded in 1977 during London Town, as well as "I Got Up", again co-written by Paul and recorded around the time of the McGear sessions (before Geoff Britton joined Wings), "Wide Prairie", recorded during the Nashville sessions, "New Orleans", recorded during Venus & Mars, and "Love's Full Glory", recorded in 1980 after the Japanese fiasco. Wings also backed Paul's brother Mike McGear on the McGear album, as well as Mike's band The Scaffold on the single "Liverpool Lou" and the B-side instrumental "Ten Years After on Strawberry Jam".
During its life, Wings had 12 top-10 singles in the United Kingdom and 14 top-10 singles (including six #1s) in the United States. All 23 singles credited to Wings reached the U.S. Top 40 (and one single reached it with each side). Wings had only one fewer #1 single in the United States than John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr combined in their post-Beatle careers. Of the nine albums credited to Wings at the time, all went top 10 in either the United Kingdom or United States, with five consecutive U.S. #1s. (Ironically, the only Wings album not to reach the U.S. Top 10 was Wings Greatest.)
Wings' 1977 single, "Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls School" is still the biggest-selling non-charity single in the United Kingdom (although Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" sold more, its sales include a reissue in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust), and it ranked fourth in the official list of best selling singles in the United Kingdom issued in 2002.
In June 2007, Apple's higher-quality iTunes Plus was released, featuring albums from EMI. Among the albums included were the nine original albums from Wings. As of 4 June 2007, Band on the Run was the third most downloaded album from iTunes Plus.
Wings are sometimes the subject of satirical reference; the more pop-friendly style of the band has attracted tongue-in-cheek comparisons with The Beatles. Steve Coogan's comic creation Alan Partridge naturally admires Wings, referring to them as "the band The Beatles could have been." In the Simpsons episode "Burns' Heir," a cult deprogrammer states that he "did get Paul McCartney out of Wings" to which Homer replies, "You idiot! He was the most talented one."
Personnel
During its ten-year lifespan, Wings underwent numerous personnel changes and was twice reduced to its core Paul-Linda-Denny trio. (Listings for 1978 to 1981 do not include the members of Rockestra, a "rock orchestra" supergroup including Wings that can be heard on the albums Back to the Egg and Concerts for the People of Kampuchea.)
Line-ups 1971-1972
* Paul McCartney - vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar * Linda McCartney - vocals, keyboards * Denny Laine - vocals, guitar, bass, piano * Denny Seiwell - drums, percussion
1972-1973
* Paul McCartney - vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar * Linda McCartney - vocals, keyboards * Denny Laine - vocals, guitar, bass, piano * Henry McCullough - guitar, vocals * Denny Seiwell - drums, percussion
1973
* Paul McCartney - vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar, drums * Linda McCartney - vocals, keyboards * Denny Laine - vocals, guitar, bass, piano
1974-1975
* Paul McCartney - vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar * Linda McCartney - vocals, keyboards * Denny Laine - vocals, guitar, bass, piano * Jimmy McCulloch - vocals, guitar * Geoff Britton - drums, percussion
1975-1977
* Paul McCartney - vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar * Linda McCartney - vocals, keyboards * Denny Laine - vocals, guitar, bass, piano * Jimmy McCulloch - vocals, guitar * Joe English - vocals, drums, percussion
1977-1978
* Paul McCartney - vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar, drums * Linda McCartney - vocals, keyboards * Denny Laine - vocals, guitar, bass, piano
1978-1981
* Paul McCartney - vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar * Linda McCartney - vocals, keyboards * Denny Laine - vocals, guitar, bass, piano * Laurence Juber - vocals, guitar * Steve Holley - vocals, drums, percussion
45 From Us To You 1 From Us To You G r 2/28/64 a 3/30/64 2 You Can't Do That G 3 Roll Over Beethoven VG 4 Till There Was You VG 5 I Wanna Be Your Man G 6 Please Mr. Postman G 7 All My Loving VG 8 This Boy G 9 Can't Buy Me Love VG 10 From Us To You G
46 Saturday Club 11 Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby P r 3/31 a 4/4 12 I Call Your Name P
13 I Got A Woman VG 14 You Can't Do That P 15 Can't Buy Me Love P 16 Sure To Fall VG 17 Long Tall Sally G
47 From Us To You 18 From Us To You G r 5/1 a 5/18 19 Whit Monday To You G 20 I Saw Her Standing There G 21 Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey P
22 I Forgot To Remember To Forget G 23 You Can't Do That P 24 Sure To Fall P 25 Can't Buy Me Love P 26 Matchbox P 27 Honey Don't (John) P
40 Easy Beat 1 I Saw Her Standing There G r 10/16/63 a 10/20/63 2 Love Me Do G 3 Please Please Me G 4 From Me To You G 5 She Loves You G
41 Ken Dodd Show 6 She Loves You P r 10/9 a 11/3
42 Saturday Club 7 All I Want For Christmas r 12/17 a 12/21 NA All My Loving 8 This Boy G 9 I Want To Hold Your Hand G 10 Till There Was You VG 11 Roll Over Beethoven VG *from 10/5 12 She Loves You* G Sat Club 13 Crimble Medley G
43 From Us To You 14 From Us To You G r 12/18 a 12/26 15 She Loves You G 16 All My Loving G 17 Roll Over Beethoven G 18 Till There Was You VG 19 Boys VG 20 Money G 21 I Saw Her Standing There G 22 Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport G 23 I Want To Hold Your Hand VG 24 From Us To You G
44 Saturday Club 25 All My Loving G r 1/7 a 2/15 26 Money G 27 The Hippy Hippy Shake G *From 12/21 28 I Want To Hold Your Hand* G Sat Club 29 Roll Over Beethoven G 30 Johnny B. Goode G 31 I Wanna Be Your Man G
(1) I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink - no-no-no.
(2) I'm so tired, I don't know what to do I'm so tired I wonder should I call you but I know what you would do
(3) You'd say I'm putting you on but it's no joke - it's doing me harm because I can't sleep - I can't stop my brain - you know it's 3 weeks and I'm going insane and I'd give you all I've got if you gimme little peace of mind.
As Released by the Beatles (1968)
I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink No, no, no.
I'm so tired, I don't know what to do I'm so tired, my mind is set on you I wonder should I call you But I know what you would do.
You'd say I'm putting you on But it's no joke, it's doing me harm You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane You know I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind.
I'm so tired, I'm feeling so upset Although I'm so tired, I'll have another cigarette And curse Sir Walter Raleigh He was such a stupid get.
You'd say I'm putting you on But it's no joke, it's doing me harm You know I can't sleep, I can't stop my brain You know it's three weeks, I'm going insane You know I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind.
I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind. I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind.
There are a lot of people around the world now trying to promote world peace. Why do you think that you can succeed where they have so far failed?
That's like saying why bother keeping on Christianity because Jesus got killed. We don't think people have tried advertising before. Pretend peace is new 'cause we've never had it. So you start advertising it: . . . Sell, sell, sell.
Are there any similarities between where the Beatles were during the Cavern days and this peace campaign now?
We do consider that we're in the Cavern stage; you know, we haven't got out of Liverpool with this campaign. And we've got to break to London and then America. I feel exactly the same as I did then about the Beatles as I do about peace and what we're doing now. But I don't care how long it takes, and what obstacles there are. We won't stop.
Was there any one incident that got you into the peace campaign?
Well, it built up over a number of years, but the thing that struck it off was a letter we got from a guy called Peter Watkins, who made a film called The War Game. It was a long letter stating what's happening - how the media is controlled, how it's all run, and it ended up: "What are you going to do about it?" He said people in our position and his position have a responsibility to use the media for world peace. And we sat on the letter for three weeks and thought it over and figured at first we were doing our best with songs like "All You Need Is Love." Finally we came up with the bed event and that was what sparked it off. It was like getting your call-up papers for peace. Then we did the bed event.
Is it true that you were planning on going to Biafra a short while back?
Yeah. At the time, Yoko was pregnant and we decided not to go and she had a miscarriage. Then we thought and thought about it. But we're scared to go somewhere where it's happening. 'Cause we don't want to be dead saints or martyrs. I'm scared of going to Vietnam and Biafra and, until I'm convinced that I can do better there than I can do outside of it, I'll stay out of it. I'd go to Russia, but I'd think twice about China.
YOKO: I think we did a lot of good for Biafra when John returned his M.B.E.
Let's see. If anybody thinks our campaign is naive, that's their opinion and that's okay. Let them do something else and if we like their ideas, we'll join with them. But until then, we'll do it the way we are. We're artists, not politicians. Not newspapermen, not anything. We do it in the way that suits us best, and this is the way we work. Publicity and things like that is our game. The Beatles' thing was that. And that was the trade I've learned. This is my trade, and I'm using it to the best of my ability.
But what is the point of having a vote for peace?
Why do people have those Gallup polls? If we get a vote from around the world with millions and millions of kids that want peace, that's a nice Gallup poll. We can wave those figures around. That's all. It's a positive move; all we want is a yes.
Will the Beatles play at this festival?
I'll try to hustle them out. Maybe I'll get on two of them, or something like that. I got George on the other night for UNICEF in London. I can't speak for the Beatles because I'm only me. But if I can get them, if I can get Elvis . . . I'll try. I'll try and get all of them.
Do you think the festival could be something like the recent Stones affair in California, where some people died?
The Stones' one was bad. I've heard a lot of things about that concert. I think it was just a bad scene. It won't be like that here. I think they created that either subconsciously or whatever, and that is the result of the image and the mood they create. I think if you create a peaceful scene, you stand a better chance. We have six months to prevent that sort of thing; the Stones thing was done overnight.
How soon can the world reach a state of peace?
As soon as people realize that they have the power. The power doesn't belong with Mr. Trudeau, Mr. Wilson or Mr. Nixon. We are the power. The people are the power. And as soon as people are aware that they have the power, then they can do what they want. And if it's a case of they don't know what to do, let's advertise to them to tell them they have an option. They've all got a vote. Vote for peace, folks.
Don't you think your long hair and your clothes may put old people off in your pursuit of peace?
I understand that. Many people say, "Why don't you get a butch haircut and a tie, suit?" and the thing is, that's what politicians do. We just try to be as natural as possible. Now, how many members of the public are gullible to politicians, with the nice picture of the family, the dog and the whore on the side? Now, I could do that, but I don't think people would believe it. That's the politicians' way, but youth certainly doesn't believe it anymore.
Have you ever thought of taking your ideas to someone like Henry Ford?
When we get a bit organized. You see, what we didn't want to become was leaders. I believe in that Wilhelm Reich guy who said, "Don't become a leader." We don't want to be the people that everyone says, "It was your fault we didn't get peace." We want to be part of it. It's like people said the Beatles were a movement; but we were only part of the movement. We were influenced as much as we influenced. And John and Yoko refuse to be the leaders of the youth movement for peace. That's dictatorship. We want everybody to help us. And then, if it takes time for this kind of news to get through to Henry Ford or Onassis or anybody like that. When we get something functional happening and a few people that aren't John and Yoko, we can approach from that angle. We can then say we've got so much money, will you double it? 'Cause we know they all do charity for whatever reason.
Do you believe in God?
Yes, I believe that God is like a powerhouse, like where you keep electricity like a power station. And that he's a supreme power, and that he's neither good nor bad, left, right, black or white. He just is. And we tap that source of power and make of it that we will. Just as electricity can kill people in a chair, or you can light a room with it. I think God is.
Don't you worry about being identified as a father figure?
I believe that leaders and father figures are the mistake of all the generations before us. And that all of us rely on Nixon or Jesus or whoever we rely on; it's lack of responsibility that you expect somebody else to do it. He must help me or we kill him or we vote him out. I think that's the mistake, just having father figures. It's a sign of weakness; you must do the greasing yourself. I won't be a leader. Everybody is a leader. People thought the Beatles were leaders, but they weren't, and now people are finding that out.
What, in brief, is your philosophy?
Peace, just no violence, and everybody grooving, if you don't mind the word. Of course, we all have violence in us, but it must be channeled or something. If I have long hair, I don't see why everybody should have long hair. And if I want peace, I'll suggest peace to everyone. But I won't hustle them up for peace. if people want to be violent, let them not interfere with people who don't want violence. Let them kill each other if there has to be that.
Are there any alternatives?
You either get tired of fighting for peace, or you die.
Don't you think the Peace Grease may be a substitute for the massive problem young people are having with drugs?
With, the liquor problem is even worse. I think the drug problem is a hang-up and a drag, but if we hadn't had methedrine, and all the rest of it, the ones that are going to go through that trip would have been alcoholics. Everybody seems to need something in the way society is; because of the pressure. So it would have been alcohol or something. The problem isn't what they're on, it's what made them go on whatever they're on.
The best antidote for drug taking and liquor is hope, it seems to me. You're giving young people hope.
The only time Yoko and I took heavy drugs was when we were without hope. And the only way we got out of it was with hope. And if we can sustain the hope, we don't need liquor, hard drugs, or anything. But if we lose hope, what can you do? What is there to do?
John, would you have achieved that hope without the success of the Beatles?
The Beatles had nothing to do with the hope. This is after; I mean, the Beatles made it four years ago and they stopped touring and they had all the money they wanted, and all the fame they wanted and they found out they had nothing. And then we started on our various trips of LSD and Maharishi and all the rest of the things we did. And the old gag about money and power and fame is not the answer. We didn't have hope just because we were famous. You see, Marilyn Monroe and all the other people, they had everything the Beatles had, but it's no answer. So John and Yoko had the same problems and fears and hopes and aspirations that any other couple on earth does, regardless of the position we were in and regardless of the money we had. We had exactly the same paranoia as everybody else, the same petty thoughts, the same everything. We had no superanswer that came through Beatles or power. In that respect, the Beatles were irrelevant to what I'm talking about.
Getting back to how it started, how did you and Yoko initially find ground for this campaign?
Both Yoko and I were in different bags, as we call it. But both had a positive side - we were singing "All You Need Is Love" and she was in Trafalgar Square, protesting for peace in a black bag. We met, we had to decide what our common goal was, we had one thing in common - we were in love. But love is just a gift, and it doesn't answer everything and it's like a precious plant that you have to nurture and look after and all that. So we had to find what we wanted to do together - these two egos. What they had in common was love; we had to work on it. What goes with love, we thought, was peace. Now we were thinking of all this, and planning on getting married and not getting married and what we were going to do and how we were going to do it and rock & roll and avant-garde and all that bit, and then we got that letter from Peter Watkins. And it all started from there.
1. My Bonnie (2:41) (German intro) 2. My Bonnie (2:41) (English intro) 3. When The Saints Go Marching In (3:18) 4. Why (2:58) 5. Cry For A Shadow (2:23) 6. If You Love Me Baby (2:53) 7. Sweet Georgia Brown (2:04) (overdubbed changed lyrics) 8. Sweet Georgia Brown (2:00) (original version) 9. Nobody's Child (3:54) 10. Ain't She Sweet (2:11) 11. Like Dreamers Do (2:34) 12. Money (2:22) 13. Till There Was You (2:58) 14. The Sheik Of Araby (1:40) 15. To Know Her Is To Love Her (2:34) 16. Take Good Care Of My Baby (2:26) 17. Memphis, Tennessee (2:20) 18. Sure To Fall (2:01) 19. Hello Little Girl (1:38) 20. Three Cool Cats (2:23) 21. Crying, Waiting, Hoping (2:00) 22. Love Of The Loved (1:50) 23. September In The Rain (1:53) 24. Besame Mucho (2:38) 25. Searchin'(3:02)
THE ROAD TO FAME 1961-1962
On the Beatles first trip to Hamburg in 1960, as John, Paul, George, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe, they jammed with Tony Sheridan at the Top Ten. The following year they found themselves backing him professionally, although Sutcliffe attended the sessions he did not actually participate. Whilst working with Sheridan at the Top Ten they were seen by Bert Kaempfert, Polydor's producer. Immediately aware of their potential he subsequently signed them for a one year contract for the princely fee of around 300 DMarks each and on 22/23 June 1961 they recorded their songs in an infant's school hall (the Friedrich Ebert Halle) in Hamburg. The four Beatles and Tony Sheridan taped these songs together, "My Bonnie"; "When The Saints Go Marching In"; "Why"; "Nobody's Child"; "Take Some Out Insurance On Me Baby" and "Sweet Georgia Brown". But Kaempfert gave the Beatles the chance fo record two tracks on their own. "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry For A Shadow", although it was "My Bonnie" and "The Saints" that were subsequently released in Germany in August 1961.
Whilst "Love Me Do" is generally considered to be the groups debut, in fact "My Bonnie" is chronologically months ahead. Arguably it is the most pivotal recording the group ever made. Different versions of "My Bonnie" have been released, over the years, but the two versions on this CD include the original intro's in both English and German by Tony Sheridan, omitted in later versions. In versions officially released of "Sweet Georgia Brown" new guitar and drum parts were added to the record in an attempt to make the original sound more like the Beatles of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" fame. The original version without overdubs is rarely heard but is included here. A similar fate occurred with "Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby", with the added complication that Sheridan's vocal of the evil swear-word "goddamned" was removed. "Ain't She Sweet" underwent the same process before it was released in July 1964. The flipside of that single "Nobody's Child", although it wasn't overdubbed, they chopped it down from almost four minutes to three. Here on this CD you have all the tracks as they were originally recorded by the Beatles without, any of the overdubs or other alterations.
Epstein became the Band's manager in 1961 and did his best to persuade, cajole and generally twist the arm of Decca's A & R chief, Dick Rowe, to sign his boys. On I January 1962, some four days before the English release of "My Bonnie", the Beatles auditioned for Decca, their first for a major U.K. record label. As history records they were turned down. These auditions however are included in this CD for you to make your own judgments and for the first time reproduced at TRUE SPEED.
Hear for yourself in the best quality real sound and true reproduction the Beatles as they really were. Judge for yourself, the impact that this new Band was going to have in the 60's and the musical history they were about to embark upon.
35 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 1 From Me To You P r 8/1/63 a 9/3/63 NA I'll Get You 2 Money P 3 There's A Place G 4 Honey Don't (John) G 5 Roll Over Beethoven G Pop Go The Beatles+ NA Lucille (not broadcast) NA Baby It's You (not broadcast)
36 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 6 Too Much Monkey Business VG r 9/3 a 9/10 7 Love Me Do G 8 She Loves You G 9 I'll Get You G 10 A Taste Of Honey VG 11 The Hippy Hippy Shake VG Pop Go The Beatles+
37 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 12 Chains VG r 9/3 a 9/17 13 You Really Got A Hold On Me VG 14 Misery VG 15 Lucille VG 16 From Me To You VG 17 Boys VG Pop Go The Beatles+
38 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 18 She Loves You* G r 9/3 a 9/24 19 Ask Me Why VG 20 Devil In My Heart G * from 9/10 21 I Saw Her Standing There G PGTB 22 Sure To Fall G 23 Twist And Shout G Pop Go The Beatles+
39 Saturday Club 24 I Saw Her Standing There E r 9/7 a 10/5 25 Memphis E 26 Happy Birthday Saturday Club E 26 I'll Get You E 27 She Loves You E 28 Lucille E
30 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 1 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down VG r 7/16/63 a 8/8/63 And Cry Over You 2 Cry, Waiting, Hoping VG 3 Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey G 4 To Know Her Is To Love Her VG 5 The Honeymoon Song VG 6 Twist And Shout G Pop Go The Beatles+
31 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 7 Long Tall Sally G r 7/16 a 8/13 8 Please Please Me G 9 She Loves You VG 10 You Really Got A Hold On Me VG 11 I'll Get You VG 12 I Got A Woman VG Pop Go The Beatles+
32 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 13 She Loves You G r 7/16 a 8/20 14 Words Of Love G 15 Glad All Over G 16 I Just Don't Understand G 17 Devil In Her Heart G 18 Slow Down P Pop Go The Beatles+
33 Saturday Club 19 Long Tall Sally P r 7/30 a 8/24 20 She Loves You P 21 Glad All Over P NA Twist And Shout NA You Really Got A Hold On Me 22 I'll Get You P
34 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 23 Ooh! My Soul P r 8/1 a 8/27 24 Don't Ever Change G 25 Twist And Shout G NA She Loves You 26 Anna P 27 A Shot Of Rythm And Blues G Pop Go The Beatles+
here in some stranger's room late in the afternoon what am I doing here at all? ain't no doubt about it I'm losing you
Somehow the wires have crossed communications lost can't even get you on the telephone just got to shout about it I'm losing you
here in the valley of indecision I don't know what to do I feel you slipping away I feel you slipping away I'm losing you
you say you're not getting enough but I remind you of all that bad stuff so what the hell am I supposed to do? just put a band-aid on it and stop (the) bleeding now
I know I hurt you then but hell that was way back when and well, do you still have to carry the cross don't want to hear about it I'm losing you
As Released by John Lennon (1980)
Here in some stranger's room Late in the afternoon What am I doing here at all? Ain't no doubt about it I'm losing you I'm losing you
Somehow the wires got crossed Communication's lost Can't even get you on the telephone Just got to shout about it I'm losing you I'm losing you
Well, here in the valley of indecision I don't know what to do I feel you slipping away I feel you slipping away I'm losing you I'm losing you
Well now, you say you're not getting enough But I remind you of all that bad, bad, bad stuff So what the hell am I supposed to do? Just put a band-aid on it And stop the bleeding now Stop the bleeding now
I'm losing you I'm losing you Well, well, well
I know I hurt you then But hell, that was way back when Well, do you still have to carry that cross? (drop it) Don't want to hear about it I'm losing you I'm losing you Don't want to lose you now Welllllllll! So long ago
24 Saturday Club 1 I Got To Find My Baby VG r 6/24/63 a 6/29/63 2 Memphis VG 3 Money P 4 Till There Was You P 5 From Me To You G 6 Roll Over Beethoven G
25 The Beat Show NA From Me To You r 7/3 a 7/4 7 A Taste Of Honey P 8 Twist And Shout P
26 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 9 That's All Right (Mama) G r 7/2 a 7/16 10 There's A Place G 11 Carol VG 12 Soldier Of Love VG 13 Lend Me Your Comb VG 14 Clarabella VG Pop Go The Beatles+ NA Three Cool Cats (not broadcast) NA Sweet Little Sixteen (not broadcast) NA Ask Me Why (not broadcast)
27 Easy Beat 15 I Saw Her Standing There P r 7/17 a 7/21 16 A Shot Of Rythm And Blues P 17 There's A Place P 18 Twist And Shout P
28 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 19 Sweet Little Sixteen G r 7/10 a 7/23 NA A Taste Of Honey 20 Nothin' Shakin' VG 21 Love Me Do P 22 Lonesome Tears In My Eyes VG 23 So How Come No One Loves Me VG Pop Go The Beatles+
29 Pop Go The Pop Go The Beatles+ Beatles 24 Memphis VG r 7/10 a 7/30 25 Do You Want To Know A Secret? G 26 Till There Was You VG 27 Matchbox G 28 Please Mr. Postman G 29 The Hippy Hippy Shake VG Pop Go The Beatles+
Original Manuscript (1970)
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