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4.53am
4 April 2010
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I’ve heard this so many times (even from John himself 
) but I don’t really believe that it’s the first metal song. While it does have the distinctive metal properties (hardcore bass line, thrash drums, scorching guitar) but it’s just not the first. What I believe to be the first is The Who’s “The Ox” (written by John Alec Entwistle). It was recorded sometime late 1964 and released about a year later. What do you guys think? Anyone else have a different opinion on what the first metal song could be?
"The best band? The Beatles. The most overrated band? The Beatles."
5.03am
13 November 2009
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It’s all subjective. It depends on your opinion of what “metal” is. I say Helter Skelter is the first heavy metal song and I know I’m not the only one who thinks that. Others say it’s the Kinks’ You Really Got Me, but I think that’s more hard rock than heavy metal.
5.07am
4 April 2010
Offline To anyone else reading this: Listen to The Ox. It could very well be the most thrashiest metalist song ever made. It’s freaking amazing how distorted everything is. I would say that if Helter Skelter was recorded with Paul on his Hofner it wouldn’t be the rock image we know today. The Ox is more thrash in my opinion.
"The best band? The Beatles. The most overrated band? The Beatles."
9.44am
I’d agree it’s subjective. But The Ox sounds pretty bluesy to me, in the same vain as the Yardbirds Stroll On (something I’d also consider early heavy metal.) Stroll on was originally Train Kept a-rollin by Johnny Burnette way back in 1956. The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Metallica all did versions of this song.
Frankly, I think the first song considered by critics to be “true” heavy metal (as in the one that inspired all others after) was Wild Thing by the Troggs.
But when one starts getting down to small nitty-picky details of whom influenced whom and when, well a lot of things just aren’t always that well defined, unless it’s a case of massive undisputed change in pop music direction (e.g., a bona fide Sgt. Pepper , etc.)
1.26pm
13 November 2009
Offline I agree with Thomas. You could say that something came before this heavy metal song and something came before that and something came before that… There’s no definite point where hard rock became heavy metal, if there is even a difference anyway.
8.11pm
27 February 2010
Offline I think that we can’t talk about heavy metal with bands or songs prior to Black Sabbath…
I'd like to say "thank you" on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition.
John Lennon
2.18am
“I think that we can’t talk about heavy metal with bands or songs prior to Black Sabbath…”
I agree with you except I’d say there were prior influential songs (Wild Thing, Helter Skelter , Born to Be Wild’s “heavy metal thunder,” etc.) Bands and songs are somewhat different. Heavy metal is basically an offshoot of blues-based hard rock and Black Sabbath is certainly the first or one of the first heavy metal bands, but also Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Interestingly, part of Sabbath’s unique sound was due to the way Tony Iommi tuned his guitar as he had lost the tips of two fingers in an accident. That changed the way he played and experiemented.
I really don’t think Ticket To Ride was a heavy metal song. It was maybe a song where some said “yeah, I like that sort of new Beatle sound” and experimented more, but it’s not heavy metal to my ears.
4.03am
1 May 2010
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Although I heard when I was a teen some bands like Led Zeppelin or Metalica or Def Leppard (I was never a huge fan) I can’t imagine Ticket To Ride as a metal song because of the chorus at the end.. the “My baby don’t care…” the guitar is great but that . I dunno….. 
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…
12.12pm
13 November 2009
Offline mithveaen said:
Although I heard when I was a teen some bands like Led Zeppelin or Metalica or Def Leppard (I was never a huge fan) I can’t imagine Ticket To Ride as a metal song because of the chorus at the end.. the “My baby don’t care…” the guitar is great but that . I dunno…..
To me the ending sounds the most heavy metal – the high-pitch singing and heavy drums and guitar. The song was a bit tame really to be called heavy metal. If they had played it dirtier, it would probably be more metally.
4.19pm
1 May 2010
Offline 
McLerristarr said:
To me the ending sounds the most heavy metal – the high-pitch singing and heavy drums and guitar. The song was a bit tame really to be called heavy metal. If they had played it dirtier, it would probably be more metally.
Actually it’s the line of “My baby don’t care”. if the line were “The hell with my baby” or something like that. … I can’t imagine a metal band singing that….or what I think a metal band should sound.
Umb…… I think I’m saying nonsense. I’ll be back to my Sitarday room and listen to some Metallica or Led Zepellin LOL!!
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…
7.23pm
13 November 2009
Offline Sitarday? I hope that was intentional. I might use it. 
Ad hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!
7.50pm
27 February 2010
Offline mithveaen said:
McLerristarr said:
To me the ending sounds the most heavy metal – the high-pitch singing and heavy drums and guitar. The song was a bit tame really to be called heavy metal. If they had played it dirtier, it would probably be more metally.
Actually it’s the line of “My baby don’t care”. if the line were “The hell with my baby” or something like that. … I can’t imagine a metal band singing that….or what I think a metal band should sound.
Umb…… I think I’m saying nonsense. I’ll be back to my Sitarday room and listen to some Metallica or Led Zepellin LOL!!
Hey, did you never hear of Beatallica? They’re hilarious!
I'd like to say "thank you" on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition.
John Lennon
9.23pm
1 May 2010
Offline Marcelo said:
Hey, did you never hear of Beatallica? They’re hilarious!
No but I will! Thanks!
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…
11.36am
13 November 2009
Offline skye said:
Sitarday? I hope that was intentional. I might use it.
It’s from Yellow Submarine , innit?
1.24pm
13 November 2009
Offline That sounds about right. Funny what jokes stick with you.
Ad hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time! So much to know!
3.33pm
13 November 2009
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skye said:
That sounds about right. Funny what jokes stick with you.
Very true. My dad says “They do do dough don’t they” a lot but he didn’t even realise it was a line from Yellow Submarine ’til he watched it again after so many years. For me, the joke that I always remember is Ringo’s line from Help ! “Well, you know, I thought… I thought she was a sandwich, ’til she went spare on me hand.”
Slightly off topic though. Although, perhaps it could be a new topic…
4.52am
1 May 2010
Offline McLerristarr said:
skye said:
Sitarday? I hope that was intentional. I might use it.
It’s from Yellow Submarine , innit?
Yes!!
I love that whole scene, George’s introduction and the car… I know it’s not George but I always say “It’s all in the mind” or “Your nuts the pair of ya” 
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…
3.23pm
31 March 2008
Offline
I’m not sure anyone other than John Lennon , or people quoting him, have ever seriously claimed it was the first heavy metal song. Lennon did like to make grandiose claims about his own music, though quite often they didn’t turn out to be quite true.
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7.09pm
27 February 2010
Offline Joe said:
I’m not sure anyone other than John Lennon , or people quoting him, have ever seriously claimed it was the first heavy metal song. Lennon did like to make grandiose claims about his own music, though quite often they didn’t turn out to be quite true.
Maybe John didn’t think that one of his songs being the “first metal song” was something to be proud of… I would be of that opinion.
Anyways, I said previously that “no metal before Black Sabbath” and maybe that’s incorrect: listening to Iron Butterfly “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, I would think that that was the first heavy metal riff. So, maybe metal is an branch that grow from psychedelia.
A bad trip, in fact.
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OudisI'd like to say "thank you" on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition.
John Lennon
3.26am
22 May 2012
Offline No one mentioned Blue Cheer? Most critics claim that Summertime Blues by Blue Cheer is the first heavy metal song. Steppenwolf coined the term in Born to be Wild: “Heavy Metal Thunder”. Any self respecting metal-head will tell you that Black Sabbath were the first heavy metal band. Obviously, like any other genre of music, metal grew from what came before. Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, Hendrix…these are all major influences on the groups that became “metal”. If you ask me I think that Helter Skelter is a major contender for the first heavy metal song. Macca wrote it in response to a Who (never-heavy) song that was nowhere near as heavy as the article about it claimed it was. Helter Skelter is noisy and loud. The guitars are distorted as hell! The vocal is a screamer! The bass is nasty! The drums are half-timed and bashed out nicely. The lyric is abstract and ominous in a way that bemoans metal. I mean, come on…the song inspired a series of murders. That’s pretty metal. And not just any murders, the Manson Family murders. Those crimes alone have inspired hundreds of metal bands over the years and this song inspired those crimes. Ozzy Osbourne said that The Beatles inspired him to join a band so you wouldn’t have Sabbath without The Beatles. There were several songs on The White Album that were proto-metal. Revolution (the single) was proto-metal itself. But, Helter Skelter was The Beatles at their heaviest for sure. If any Fab track is to be called the first metal song than it’s gotta be Helter Skelter !
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