THE BEATLES: Their songs that were inspired by songs of other groups..

Currently reading:

The Beatles Lyrics - Edited by Hunter Davies



Lots of 'sources' facts, rumor and details in that book.

 

Talking of the ska section in "I Call Your Name", there's this:

Elvis - "Don't Ask Me Why" (from King Creole)



Kind of a similar feel to the middle section - maybe it is a Louisiana thing in this case?

Not exactly a particularly original progression but I wonder if Donovan would prick his ears up hearing the start of the original Harrison demo?:

Dononvan - "Hampstead Incident"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7dZ3QcUNWM

Not saying they are the same - just a partial similarity (of a well worn progression and its variations).

Strong Arthur Alexander influence on John's early songs (melody, chords, structure and singing style)

"All I've Got To Do" and "Not A Second Time" borrow heavily from "Anna (Go To Him)" and "Soldier Of Love".

 

Not sure which came first, but the sitar at the beginning of "Love You To" has always reminded me of the sitar in Donovan's "Three Kingfishers."

 

Thanks, I wasn't being argumentative. You gave me just what I wanted, namely a reliable source (John, from an interview) for the approx date of origin of the song.)
So, it is indeed an interesting coincidence. Thanks again.

 

Donovan recorded "Three King Fishers" in 'May 1966' according to this:

http://www.sabotage.demon.co.uk/donovan/session.htm

Harrison's tune was recorded in April - Donovan could well have heard it before it was released in August (not that there is much similarity other than the use of a sitar in a similar setting).

Edit: Just looked up "As I Recall It" and it was recorded nearly a year before Paul recorded "Honey Pie":

 

How about his Kinks' song - sped up for - And Your Bird Can Sing?

http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/2010/06/kinks-influence.html

 

Wow, indeed!

 

"Here, There, and Everywhere" was inspired by Pet Sounds. "Please Please Me" was originally written in a slow tempo inspired by Roy Orbison. George Martin suggested they pick up the tempo. I've always wished Roy Orbison had covered the song in a slow tempo.

 

I always thought Dylan's "4th Time Around" was a parody of "Norwegian Wood."

 

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And the Dillards covered "I've Just Seen a Face" on their great Wheatstraw Suite.

 

Cross pollination. McGuinn was inspired by Harrison's electric 12-string guitar leads in A Hard Day's Night and Harrison wrote "If I Needed Someone " as a tribute to the Byrds. McGuinn covered the song many years later.

 

I've always thought the "Sun Sun Sun" line in "Here Comes the Sun" was derived from the repetition of the word in "I Live for the Sun" by the Sunrays (written and produced by Murry Wilson).

 

Which is how John got roped by Berry's publishers into recording more Berry songs, leading to the Rock 'N' Roll album.

 

Specifically:

New Jersey Turnpike in the wee wee hours
I was rollin' slowly 'cause of drizzlin' showers
Here come a flat-top, he was movin' up with me
Then come wavin' by me in a little' old souped-up jitney​

Read more: Chuck Berry - You Can't Catch Me Lyrics | MetroLyrics

 

So? Never heard of time travel?

 

Also, on the 3rd Royal Guardsmen album with the weird little skits that preface the songs, one of the skits contains a crowd noise sound effect that the Beatles later used in "Revolution 9." Probably one of those public domain studio sound effects tapes.
Never really noticed the similarity of "Airplane" song and "Ob-La-Di", but I hear it now. There's also a similar melodic and chordal progression in the old English folk song "Round and Round the Village."

 

John said a lot of mean and quite frankly, untrue things about Paul. He himself admitted as much. I took everything John said about Paul with a grain of salt.
There was a lot of jealousy because of Paul's post Beatles success. But deep down he loved Paul more than he would have ever admitted.

 

You know it's quotes like that from John that make me question his basic decency as a person. I don't care whether or not he liked Let it Be or hated the song. That's just personal preference. But to outright lie, to knowingly tell a reporter that Paul lifted the idea for the song from Simon & Garfunkel's song -- when John knew that Let it Be was written and recorded first -- is just an incredibly lousy thing to do. Good lord, was it really that important for John to diminish his partner's reputation? And people only seem to care if John forgave Paul. They never seem to wonder how on earth Paul forgave John for that sort of purposeful sabotage.

Malicious doesn't even seem to cover it. So very disappointing to read stuff like that about John. I don't know that I believe John "loved" Paul at all. I see very little evidence for that.

 

I've just stumbled over the guitar intro of Cliff Richard's Move it - and I find exactly the same notes (with a different rhythm) in Paul's "Let me roll it" as well as in Lennon's "Beef Jerky".

 

I was recently listening to the 2CD Ravi Shankar compilation below, which I borrowed from the library and no longer have in my posession. I instantly recognized the intro to "Love You To" clear as day in one of the songs on this 2CD set. Not sure which song came first, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this is just a common musical passage in Indian music.

 

I agree, I think so too.

Thank you

 

The Beatles covered Move It on The Get Back Sessions

 

I always thought I heard a connection between Cathy's Clown and Please Please Me: