The Beatles. Collectively and individually they were the soundtrack of my youth. From the moment I first heard I Want To Hold Your Hand coming from the speaker of my Dad’s Studebaker and She Loves You from my transistor radio, both courtesy of WSJS in Winston-Salem, I was, like the rest of my generation, hooked for life.
But what can be said about the Beatles that hasn’t already been said in a hundred television specials and a thousand books? They were four brilliant young men, not only musical geniuses, but gifted also with boundless intelligence. That intelligence is on easy display in their early interviews, where they effortlessly tie their interviewers in knots, and bounce quips right and left skewering anything and everything with gleeful abandon.
That brilliant whimsy could also turn up in their music. While most of their songs are brilliantly crafted masterpieces, and as familiar to our ears as our mother’s voice, they could also come up with some truly inspired whimsy.
This song, You Know My Name, (Look Up The Number), first appeared on the B side of the single Let It Be on March 6th, 1970. I first heard it a few months later and was instantly transfixed. It was so…different, and yet still so amazingly catchy. It has since reappeared on various Beatle Collections, but for the most part the song has remained in obscurity. It is impossible to listen to it without feeling both their musical genius, and their wonderful irreverence for convention. Paul McCartney has called it his favorite Beatles track, and all four of them recalled the recording sessions for this song fondly. The Alto Sax is courtesy of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.
And so here they are, as you probably have never heard them before: The Beatles, at their whimsical best.
As a lifelong Beatles fan, I discovered this song very late in the game when I bought the Past Masters album (which I bought mainly for the song “Rain” – I already had most of the others). What a gem! It’s the funniest thing they ever did, and the humor of it reminds me of Monty Python. I’m not sure what that means, though. Is it a sign of the times, or is it something veddy British? It’s worth a long-form post of it’s own.
Yes Walt! Monty Python is exactly what comes to mind. As I’m sure you know George was a great friend of the Monty Python crew and was Executive Producer of the Python movie Life of Brian. Thanks for commenting!
Well, what do you know?
I think someone should have pointed out and credited that one of the vocals near the end had to be that of Commander McBragg of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame, in a very rare singing appearance. I am sure that his natural modesty kept him from being identified on the track at the time, though he was obviously inebriated if they got him singing.
Half the fun Phil is in identifying the voices. Which Beatle is speaking which part. Paul is easy, because he starts crooning, and he follows John. I would bet your Commander McBragg is Ringo.
Thanks for commenting! And by the way, I LOVED Rocky and Bullwinkle. That cartoon was brilliant on so many levels.
*laughing* I’ve actually never heard that before! I’m surprised.
Hello Professor! I’ve enjoyed reading your wisdom and comments here. Thanks for commenting!
Mr. Kevin! I’m honored. I’m usually saying all sorts of dadblamery.
That you are, sir, that you are.
Kevin, you did an outstanding work on that first blog post. How will you top that? 😀
With a top hat and a cherry, I hope. I know: twas really bad.
More likely with an umbrella.
With a sword.
What sort of sword?
An Umbrella Sword!
Like Mary Poppin?
She didn’t have one, did she?!
She had one that flied and had a duck(?) on it.
But still, that’s rather girlish.
That sounds sexist.
I suppose so. Nick tells me there’s nothing wrong with it.
Sheesh. Blaming Nick. Next you’ll be blaming MM.
And he’ll wallop me!
More than likely he’ll send Schwarz.
Which would be worse…
Grinning….
Stick around. He’s got a million of them! 😉