Let It Be by The Beatles

Well, what can you say about The Beatles that hasn't already been said?
For that reason, i'll presume that you already have a good idea about the history of probably the biggest and most famous band in the world? If you don't, then you're probably either too young, or have been living in the wilderness for most of your life.

"Let It Be" was released on 6th March 1970 and unsurprisingly went to number 1 in the UK charts and stayed there for 3 weeks. It was the last proper single release before The Beatles finally split up. The B Side is "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number).
"Let It Be" does, of course, come from the album of the same name, released in May 1970.

The single version is a different mix to that on the album. In fact "Let It Be" has now been released in several different versions, apart from these two. There are also versions from the "Let It Be... Naked" album and also on the "Anthology" series of albums.

As with all later releases by The Beatles, "Let It Be" was on the "Apple Records" label.

One of the beauties of old vinyl records, is that there was the possibility of having different artwork on either side of the actual record. Releases on the Apple label were a good example of this and "Let It Be" is no exception. As can be seen from this image of the flip side:

Apple Records was a part of the wider "Apple Corps"  group. The name is apparently meant to be a pun. Maybe this is why the B Side shows an image of an apple core?

As you can see from the photo above, i didn't actually buy "Let It Be" until 21st November 1974. It was the 147th vinyl single that i ever bought.
As i've mentioned before, i wasn't able to buy many records until 1974, due to the financial constraints of being a young teenager. I started work in July of 1974 and my record buying days then started in earnest.

Although i didn't buy records by The Beatles when they were together as a band, i was certainly aware of them. Who wasn't? In fact they were one of the first bands that i can ever remember seeing on the tv.
I don't know what the song was and suspect that it would have been one from fairly late in their career, maybe even "Let It Be"? But, i do remember seeing them on the BBC show "Top of the Pops". A tv show that i've mentioned here before and one that was essential viewing for any discerning tenager back then.
I also remember seeing Jimi Hendrix on Top of the Pops too.

One of the reasons that seeing The Beatles sticks in my mind though, is because i vividly recall my father moaning about the length of the bands hair! He probably then added something about them all needing a damned good haircut too.
This comment obviously had little effect on me, as only a few years later i had grown my hair even longer than The Beatles had had it on that day.

In common with many other people, The Beatles have always been a favourite band of mine. Right up there in the Top 10, if not Top 5.
Their music has been a constant throughout my life, possibly more so than any other band i can think of. After all, their first release "Love Me Do" came out in 1962, when i was just 4 years old. I have in some ways grown up with them and their music. It is still as popular and influential today as it has ever been. Both to myself and to the wider world.

The Beatles aren't remembered as the biggest band in the world for nothing though.
They existed as a record producing act for only 8 short years, if you discount all the subsequent compilations and re-issues that is. That is sometimes a hard statistic to take in.
But, those records still resonate today and are still bought in huge quantities and for very good reason too. And it's not just us older fans upgrading from vinyl to CD, or mp3 either. There have been whole new generations of Beatles fans throughout the past few decades and i know of many young people who still listen to and are influenced by The Beatles right now.

I still play those records regularly myself and they still sound as good as they ever did. In fact, listening to songs by The Beatles often makes me wonder if any band will ever top what The Beatles acheived? Personally, i don't think that will happen.
The Beatles were the right band, in the right place at the right time and they made full use of that. Obviously, there was also the small matter of having two brilliant songwriters amongst them and another just waiting in the wings for his own moment to shine. And let's not forget the part played by Brian Epstein and George Martin either.

But, due to the way that world has changed since 1962 and especially due to the advent of the digital age and all that it brings, i'm not sure that The Beatles could happen in quite the same way today?

Just think what we might be missing out on because of that?

PS: As if to reinforce the influence and effect that The Beatles still have today, i have just come across this article.

I Know What I Like - Genesis

Over here in the UK, there has been much said and written recently about the supposed return of Prog Rock. There is even a new magazine dedicated to all things Prog. A sure sign of a perceived revival if ever you needed one.

I'm not sure that Prog Rock ever really went away though. I personally think that it was just having a bit of a rest and biding its time, waiting for the right time to rise once again, capes and all.
It can't be denied though that there do seem to be far more bands, which could be classed as Prog Rock, around at the moment.
I've even noticed this trend in local music. Even if the local band might not class themselves as Prog, elements of their sound certainly hark back to that era.

All of which takes me way back to 1973 and the release of "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)", (Don't forget the wardrobe), the first ever hit single from the band Genesis. The song reached number 21 in the UK charts in April 1974, even though it had been first released in August 1973. Hence the 1973 date on the record label.

I can see from the record sleeve that i bought the single on 8th June 1974.
At that time, just before i left school and started work, i could only afford to buy records periodically. I often used to buy singles that had left the charts and had then been put into the "bargain bin", therefore being sold at a reduced price. I remember a girlfriend of mine at the time commenting on how i always seemed to buy one single a week and always one from the bargain bin.
The fact that i bought this single and at that time, suggests that it was a favourite of mine.

"I Know What I Like" came from the Genesis album "Selling England By The Pound", which was released in October 1973. It reached number 3 in the UK album charts.

I was still a schoolboy at the time of the songs release and do remember hearing it on the radio.
I can still recall having a conversation about the song with my, then, next door neighbour. We were both of the same age, had similar tastes in music and would often discuss songs, or bands that we'd heard on the radio, or seen on the tv.
"I Know What I Like" was one of those songs, partly because of my friends older brother. He was an intelligent guy and had commented on the songs rather odd lyrics. Any song with the lyrics "Me, i'm just a lawnmower, you can tell me by the way i walk", is bound to grab the attention of a teenager i think?
But, it was the line, "There's a future for you in the fire escape trade. Come up to town", that grabbed my friends brother's attention. He seemed to think it referred to burglary and who am i to argue.
Does anyone know what that song is really about? I wouldn't be surprised if even Peter Gabriel himself couldn't fully explain it.

Genesis were at that time, signed to the Charisma label. One of many great, long lost record labels from that time and one that even included Monty Python on its books.
As with so many record labels back then, the artwork of the label itself was interesting to look at and instantly recognisable. Charisma featured, as you can see above, a drawing of the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit, all from Alice In Wonderland.

We often moan about the loss of record cover art since the emergence of the CD and now the mp3 and quite rightly so. The album sleeves of Genesis albums from this period being a good case in point. But, what is often overlooked is the artwork that used to be on the labels of the actual records themselves, such as Charisma's.

Something else that is now missing are the little messages and comments scratched into the vinyl itself. In the run out groove, between the playing surface and the label, were often to be found bits of writing. On "I Know What I Like" the A Side has "Porky knows why he likes Trishy" and the B Side has "Peko Melo" written into the vinyl.
These were done by George Peckham, also known as "Porky". His messages can be found scratched into the vinyl of countless singles and albums from the 1970's.
If you still own any vinyl from that time, go and have a look through your collection. You never know what secret messages might be lurking there.

As for Genesis.... well, we probably all know about the success that they went on to have. Much of which was possibly kick-started by this very first hit single and the subsequent media exposure that it gave the band.
After Peter Gabriel left Genesis in 1975, the band started to reinvent themselves and went on to have even greater success, especially during the 1980's. This is quite possibly because they moved away from Prog Rock and started writing more commercially sounding music?

Genesis are one of those bands that i've never had a big love affair with. Yes, i liked that early music of the Peter Gabriel era, but i'm not sure how much of it i would listen to now? And the later, more commercial, period i can either take, or leave.
As with many bands from that time, i bought some of their earlier albums, including "Selling England By The Pound". But i sold them during the great album clearout of the 1980's. Many of us did the same thing back then, often to our eternal regret. Only to start buying many of them, all over again, on a new fangled CD.

I did buy other Genesis singles during my youth and still have "The Carpet Crawlers" and "Counting Out Time" amongst my much reduced collection.
Another of their records that i used to own is an early single called "Happy The Man", complete with a picture sleeve, which was released in 1972 and didn't bother the UK charts at all.
How i came to own it is a story for another day, but that single is now quite a rarity.
Unfortunately, i sold it some years ago, albeit at a reasonable profit.

During the, previously mentioned, big vinyl clearout i spotted an advert in a record collecting magazine asking about "Happy The Man" and offering to buy any copies for the princely sum of £15. I thought this was a good offer and duly sold my copy. As i've already suggested, this was a pretty good return on my "investment" at the time.
I know you're ahead of me here, but i've since seen the same "Happy The Man" single, complete with picture sleeve, offered for sale for at least £80! Who knows, it might even have been my copy?
Makes you sick doesn't it?

I have often regretted selling many of my old vinyl albums and singles. But, i've regretted selling that one more than most and for obvious reasons too.

Walk On By by The Stranglers

I thought it would be rather appropriate if my next blog post in this series celebrated the work of Hal David, who died a few days ago.
Hal David, for the uninitiated, was the songwriting partner of Burt Bacharach. Hal David wrote the lyrics for many very well known songs during his long career, including "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" and "Do You Know The Way To San Jose".

I was originally thinking of including a different single by The Stranglers when i first composed a mental list of records to talk about here. My first thought was to use their first ever single "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)", which i own and which got to the heady heights of number 44 in the UK charts in early 1977.
Maybe i'll get around to that one day?

But, due to the death of Hal David, i thought i'd include this single instead. It has always been a favourite of mine anyway and i love the way The Stranglers covered this classic song and really made it their own.

As you might be able to see from the photo above, i got this single free with The Stranglers 3rd album, Black And White. The 'Black and White' album was released in May of 1978 and got to number 2 in the UK album charts. It was their 3rd album release in 18 months! Can you imagine a band doing that now, except as a kind of gimmick?

The "Walk On By" single was given away free with the first 75,000 copies of the album and is in white vinyl. The A Side of the single is "Walk On By" itself and the B Side included two tracks, "Mean To Me" and "Tits".
 
"Walk On By" was originally a hit single for Dionne Warwick , for whom it was written, back in 1964 and reached number 8 in the UK charts.

Giving away free singles with albums was something that The Stranglers had done before and was done by other bands at that time as well. It was obviously a marketing ploy to get fans to rush out and buy the album as soon as it came out, in the hope of getting that freebie. Thereby increasing the chances of a high chart position the next week.
Limited edition coloured vinyl, or picture sleeves on singles were done for exactly the same reason. Some things you just can't replicate with an mp3 can you?

When i bought The Stranglers first album 'Rattus Norvegicus' in April, 1977, the first 10,000 copies also came with a free single. I own that one as well and who knows, that may feature here at some time too as there is a personal story behind that album.

During the earlier days of Punk Rock, The Stranglers often got a bit of a bad press. Partly, i think, because of the age of some of the members and also because their music did hark back, at least partially, to earlier days. They were even compared to The Doors at times, i seem to remember. They were also accused of playing too well and treated with suspicion by some.
The content of some of their lyrics didn't help them at times either.

Personally, i liked them as soon as i heard them. Maybe because they reminded me of bands that i was listening to anyway? So, i was buying their records from the moment they came out and continued to do so until the turn of the decade when their music went downhill, in my opinion anyway.
I still own many of those early vinyl singles. But, as is so often the case, not the albums.

I first heard about The Stranglers when i read an article in Sounds magazine around 1976. I can't be sure of the year, but the article and the bands name, stuck in my mind. It was comparing the way that two very different bands toured in the UK at that time. The two bands were Deep Purple and The Stranglers. I suspect that i remember the article because Deep Purple were a favourite band of mine and were still huge back then.
I remember that The Stranglers spoke of how they were travelling around the country to gigs in an old ice cream van. A far cry from the way that Deep Purple were travelling!

I saw The Stranglers live twice. Both times in 1977 and both times in Liverpool. And thereby hangs a tale and one to be told at a later date.
The first gig was at the famous 'Eric's' club on Sunday 19th June 1977. 'Eric's' was famously situated in Matthew Street, opposite where 'The Cavern Club' had stood. It was a great venue and one that i visited several times in 1977 and 1978.

The 'Eric's' gig actually took place on the Sunday lunchtime. The Stranglers played two shows at 'Eric's' that day. The second being in the evening. I remember that i couldn't go to the evening show as i had to catch a train back home that same afternoon.
The story at the time was that The Stranglers should have played the Empire Theatre in Liverpool that day. But, due to all the furore at that time over the Sex Pistols song "God Save The Queen", that gig was cancelled and replaced with two at 'Eric's' instead. This was right at the time of The Queens silver jubilee celebrations and many people were a little bit touchy.
I know where i would rather have seen The Stranglers and i'm very pleased that i got what i wanted. I remember it as being a good gig, although a little bit strange. After all, it was a Sunday lunchtime. Not the sort of time you expect to see a major Punk band in a small underground club.
One song from this gig that sticks in my mind was "London Lady" which includes the lyrics, "Have you ever been to Liverpool?" I seem to remember the crowd singing along to that bit.

My second Stranglers gig was on 14th October 1977, this time at Liverpool University. This was during the tour for The Stranglers 2nd album 'No More Heroes'.

All i can say about this gig is, what a difference a few months make.
Whereas the gig at 'Eric's' had been an intimate and very enjoyable affair, the gig at Liverpool University was a very different experience.
Punk Rock had become far more mainstream in those few months and the clothes worn by many in the, far bigger, crowd reflected this. I even saw girls using kettles as handbags!
There was also a hint of violence in the air at all times. Something that was missing at 'Eric's'. Sure, Punk music was aggressive and crowds could often be boisterous. But, there's a huge difference between being boisterous and being violent. Unfortunately, this was the shape of things to come at many Punk gigs in the coming months and years.

1977 was a pivotal year for many people and for many reasons.
As i've mentioned in another one of these posts, it certainly had an effect on me as well. 1978, when "Walk On By" was released was just a continuation of that.
The Stranglers played a part in all of that for me. They were the first Punk band that i saw live and one of the first whose music i bought and played. And i'm still happily playing that music today.
Maybe, i'm still a rebel at heart?

Stuck In The Middle With You by Stealers Wheel

"Stuck In The Middle With You" by the Scottish group Stealers Wheel reached number 8 in the UK charts in May 1973. It also got as high as number 6 in the U.S Billboard Hot 100 in the same year and sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
"Stuck In The Middle With You" was originally released on the bands self titled album in October 1972 and was produced by legendary songwriters and producers Leiber and Stoller.

Stealers Wheel were effectively songwriters Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan, who then worked with other musicians. Apart from working with Stealers Wheel, Joe Egan hasn't really had any other success. But, of course, Gerry Rafferty went on to have huge success in the late 1970's and early 80's with songs such as "Baker Street". Baker Street reached number 2 in the U.S Charts and number 3 in the UK.
Gerry Rafferty was also well known for being in a Scottish folk band called The Humblebums, which included amongst its members the future comedian Billy Connolly.

Stealers Wheel were by no means a one hit wonder, although none of their other singles, or albums, ever matched the success of "Stuck In The Middle With You'. Although i never bought any of their albums, i did used to own future hit singles "Everything Will Turn Out Fine" (1973) and "Star" (1974). I did have another single called "Late Again", which i still think is a great song, if you ever get the chance to hear it.

One of the things that i like about "Stuck In The Middle With You" and indeed other single releases on the old AandM record label from around this time, is the design on the sleeve.
I have no idea where the idea for the knife and fork design came from and what the thinking was behind it. But, i still think it looks great today.
My theory, for what it's worth, is that vinyl records were sometimes referred to as "platters" and a platter can also be a plate. Hence the knife, fork and plate design? The background even looks a little bit like a tablecloth, something that i've only just noticed!

Looking at the cover, i can see that i wasn't the first person to own this record.
There are two dates written onto the sleeve. One of them, 1st July 1974, was the date that i bought the record. But, there is another date, 9th June 1973, written in the top left hand corner of the sleeve. That date has been crossed out, probably by myself. I suspect that this was the date when the previous owner bought "Stuck In The Middle With You"? The date corresponds to when the single was in the UK charts after all.

Although, i honestly can't remember who i bought this single from, if indeed i did buy it. It may well have been a gift? I am pretty sure though that i got it from the older brother of a school friend of mine.
I know that i still have a few singles that i acquired from this friends brother. So, i suspect that "Stuck In The Middle With You', is another one.
My friends brother had the biggest collection of vinyl records that i'd ever seen at that time. Myself and a few other friends used to regularly go around to their house after school, when the brother was at work and rifle through his record collection. Playing singles, but mainly albums that caught our eye, or that we'd heard about, but had never actually heard.
It was like a mini voyage of discovery and a musical education too.

You have to remember that back in the 1970's and even beyond, it wasn't that easy to hear new music. There were few places where new music could be heard. In the UK there were far fewer tv and radio stations than there are now. It was pretty much the BBC or nothing.
For rock music fans, there were some shows on Radio 1 that catered for that genre of music, or for songs that weren't already a hit, but not many. TV was even more limited, with only The Old Grey Whistle Test really catering for non Pop music fans.
In these days of MTV, Commercial Radio and the Internet, it is very easy to forget that things were once very different for vinyl hungry music fans. Now, some people moan that there is just too much choice. You can please some of the people some of the time, but.....

"Stuck In The Middle With You" has always been a favourite song of mine, from right back when i first heard it in 1972.
Like most people who knew the song, including i suspect Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan themselves, i was very surprised when the song re-emerged in 1992 in Quentin Tarantino's movie Reservoir Dogs.
I've never actually seen the whole of the movie and have never watched THAT scene in which "Stuck In The Middle With You' is included. So, i'm not sure of the impact that it had at that time.

What i do know though, is that being featured in Reservoir Dogs showcased the song to a whole new audience, 30 years after its original release. It's amazing how often that happens, but i think it happened for a very good reason.
As i've mentioned before, many of those songs from the 1970's still sound great today. 'Stuck In The Middle With You' is certainly one that does and i expect people will be listening to it for many more years to come.

Sadly, Gerry Rafferty died on 4th January 2011 from liver failure, mainly as a result of his alcoholism.
At least his songs live on.