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John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
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5 May 2011
1.23am
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PennyLane
Sitting singing songs for everyone by the mountain stream
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While working on Nevermind, Kurt needed to do overdubs on his vocals on the song I think In Bloom. He didn't want to. So Butch Vig, the producer, told him that John used to do overdubs on his vocals, Kurt complied.

The power of a-hard-days-night-john-2

Well we all shine on like the moon, the stars, and the sun.

5 May 2011
1.27am
mr. Sun king coming together
Nowhere Land
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Cobain certainly had great music taste (Lennon, Neil Young). But, let’s discuss that in the Nirvana thread in ATN .

As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

5 May 2011
4.08am
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GniknuS
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Zig I heard that comment in the documentary as well but I’m not sure how much I believe it. Perhaps in some of their earlier recordings he played a flat d, but I would be pretty shocked if he continued to tune his guitar that way as they progressed because you’d be able to tell. I know he played a few songs in flat tuning, or down a semitone, two examples would be I’m Only Sleeping and Across The Universe . But you can hear the difference, listening to the Anthology version of I’m Only Sleeping , those guitars just have a different sound to them.
But I agree that John might have preferred the piano, particularly in his later years. I’ve been listening to a lot of his later demos and he was turning into quite a nice piano player.
The thing about John is that he was a songwriter first and a guitar player second, as opposed to Hendrix or Clapton who were guitar players first. So Johh studied songs, but I would seriously doubt he ever took the time to really break down the Johnny B Goode riff or something like that. That’s a huge difference because learning what those old blues guys did helps tremendously when trying to put your own solos and riffs together. I’m reminded of the performance where John plays with Chuck Berry and Chuck sort of yells at John to solo, but you can see that Johh is just sort of in awe of Chuck.
Anyway, sorry this is a long post, but I just think there’s a huge difference in certain guys playing because certain guys really put in the time and I don’t think John really did in terms of playing lead. He was a fantastic rhythm player who will never get the credit he deserves because rhythm guitar is the least heralded of all positions which is a shame because it’s not as easy as people think.

I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine

5 May 2011
11.37am
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Zig
The Toppermost of the Poppermost
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Great post, Gnik. I enjoy reading your opinions on John's music.

In regard to that Berry / Lennon footage, I remember noticing the same thing. If memory serves (I swear this is no pun) I believe the Elelphant's Memory Band backed him on that one as well. It was on the Mike Douglas Show, right? 

*off to You Tube*

To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.

6 May 2011
5.27am
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mithveaen
Sitarday's room
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I heard I found out lyrics… oh boy. (Yeah I know very bad pun)

 

He really threw his darts towards George with that about Old Hare Krishna and Paul. It seems he was very pissed off when The Beatles broke up. a-hard-days-night-paul-10

 

Anyway I love it… I just love it. I like to call these songs dirty raw John. a-hard-days-night-john-2heart

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……

Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

Beware of Darkness… 

6 May 2011
5.45pm
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Joe
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According to Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain wrote About A Girl after listening to Meet The Beatles! on repeat for most of a day.

Oops, just saw that RedLennon posted the same fact in the Nirvana thread. Oh well, whatever…

Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs

Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!

7 May 2011
12.36am
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skye
AZ
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It's new to me. Funny how I can hear it now.

Ad hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!

19 May 2012
8.10pm
GeorgeTSimpson
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I think John Lennon /Plastic Ono Band is okay, I’m not a real Lennon fan, I like McCartney and Harrison much more, but after Imagine it’s I think my favourite album by John (in fact my favourite on is Live in Toronto but I think that doesn’t really count). I just think that some songs are a bit boring. But one thing I don’t understand: Why did John Lennon /Plastic Ono Band so bad in the charts, I mean just #6 and #8, I mean Imagine , McCartney and All Things Must Pass did all much better. And it is also liked very much by critics. Can anybody tell me why it sold so badly?

Once there was a way to get back homewards. Once there was a way to get back home; sleep pretty darling do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby

19 May 2012
9.27pm
Ben Ramon
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GeorgeTSimpson said
I think John Lennon /Plastic Ono Band is okay, I’m not a real Lennon fan, I like McCartney and Harrison much more, but after Imagine it’s I think my favourite album by John (in fact my favourite on is Live in Toronto but I think that doesn’t really count). I just think that some songs are a bit boring. But one thing I don’t understand: Why did John Lennon /Plastic Ono Band so bad in the charts, I mean just #6 and #8, I mean Imagine , McCartney and All Things Must Pass did all much better. And it is also liked very much by critics. Can anybody tell me why it sold so badly?

McCartney did better because it was the first album to be released after the Beatles’ breakup, and I think people were drawn by the allure of the “album by the man who officially quit the Beatles.” All Things Must Pass probably did better on the strength of “My Sweet Lord ” being the lead single, and also because people wanted to see more of George after he proved himself to be a great songwriter on Abbey Road . Also, the general public opinion at the time was that John was an avant-garde nutcase.

SHUT UP - Paulie's talkin'

19 May 2012
10.55pm
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meanmistermustard
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Along with the avant-garde reputation John had created, the thought that Yoko might be on the album may have harmed sales (i think every Lennon b/side had been a Yoko track up to that point). Was a single released to promote John Lennon /Plastic Ono Band, cant think of 1.

"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)

19 May 2012
10.59pm
mr. Sun king coming together
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Mother in the US – UK went single less.

As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

20 May 2012
11.28am
GeorgeTSimpson
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Yeah that’s probably the cause why it didn’t do well in the charts.

Once there was a way to get back homewards. Once there was a way to get back home; sleep pretty darling do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby

20 May 2012
2.31pm
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meanmistermustard
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Hearing Mother on radio cant have been a great promotion to get people to go out and buy the album. I love the song but can see folks hearing that and thinking right, wheres the nice Macca album?”

"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)

20 May 2012
2.37pm
mr. Sun king coming together
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I didn’t have the bells or the extended fade – they did make it more radio friendly, but Love should have been released.

As if it matters how a man falls down.'

'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.

20 May 2012
2.52pm
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meanmistermustard
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That crappy edit that was on Legend? Remember would have made a good radio promo single with that beat that pushes the single on. Tho there arent many commercial singles you could pull apart from Love.

"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)

20 May 2012
3.53pm
Ben Ramon
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meanmistermustard said
Hearing Mother on radio cant have been a great promotion to get people to go out and buy the album. I love the song but can see folks hearing that and thinking right, wheres the nice Macca album?”

This is very true- regardless of the artistic and experimental worth of the music, commercialism and catchy pop is what will sell (although Mother does have a great melody). This is illustrated perfectly by McCartney’s records consistently selling well despite a lot of people dismissing it as lightweight stuff. I’d imagine Plastic Ono Band was only bought by muso’s and Beatles fans.

SHUT UP - Paulie's talkin'

26 May 2012
1.25am
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Long John Silver
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Great, great record, best solo Beatles album. I see none mentions “Look At Me ” which is a very underrated song.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.

28 May 2012
9.51pm
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vonbontee
Northern Ontario, and in Von Bontee's mind
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Regarding the non-commercial nature of “Mother ” as a single: What makes it even more hilarious is that Apple in the USA apparently used Yoko’s “Why” (from her POB LP) for the B-side! Which, if you’ve never heard it, surely makes this one of the most hair-raisingly uncommercial singles ever. 

GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty. 

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https://rateyourmusic.com/~Myo.....Von_Bontee

28 May 2012
11.16pm
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meanmistermustard
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I dont think many if any of the Yoko b-sides proved beneficial to sales, doubt many bothered to flip the single over to check what it it was.

I once put on Listen, The Snow Is Falling and promptly turned it off, cant stand her voice. Its a struggle to get thru the 68 & 69 christmas messages, that part of bungalow bill & Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)

29 May 2012
12.18am
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Long John Silver
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meanmistermustard said
I dont think many if any of the Yoko b-sides proved beneficial to sales, doubt many bothered to flip the single over to check what it it was.

I once put on Listen, The Snow Is Falling and promptly turned it off, cant stand her voice. Its a struggle to get thru the 68 & 69 christmas messages, that part of bungalow bill & Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

The worst part is when she starts screaming like a monkey :(.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.

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