What a great Paul McCartney song. I didn't realize this was a McCartney song. I knew the Mary Hopkin recording. Wikipedia:
To assist Hopkin in learning the song, McCartney recorded a solo demo at his home, 7 Cavendish Road, London, in February 1969.... To better match Hopkin's voice, the key was raised from C major to E major.... For the recording, Hopkin sang and performed acoustic guitar, while McCartney played bass guitar... The song was never officially released by either the Beatles or Paul McCartney, although bootleg recordings exist of McCartney's original demo of the song, recorded for Mary Hopkin. The international online magazine PopMatters has published McCartney's demo along with critical commentary expressing a preference for the composer's version over Hopkin's rendition.I agree. Here's Hopkin's version for comparison.
ADDED: I just ran across this video by accident and loved it. I'm sorry I did not notice that the post title might make people think Paul is dead.
ALSO: I put up this post on November 9th, the anniversary of the day in 1966 when Paul (supposedly) blew his mind out in a car.
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36 comments:
Recently on a drive across the West I listened to the six-CD set Beatles Anthology again, without interruption, and the overwhelming impression was that everything Paul McCartney wrote and sang was beautiful -- and he could sing anything.
Holy crap, I thought he died.
Paul is dead?
Petty of me, but I couldn't help thinking of the reputation of British dentistry while watching her..
Good song though.
Back in THE DAY I was a big Beatles fan, but I've never been particularly a fan of any individual Beatle. Nice song, though, but it's no Norwegian Wood.
Well - yeah. His version is better. But listen to Ray Charles' version of "Let it Be" and you'll never want to hear the original track again.
"Holy crap, I thought he died."
I'm genuinely sorry. I didn't think of that.
When there is a death I want to blog about, I usually write: Goodbye to X. That would not be in quotes. That's my standard way to put it.
On more alarming, more deeply felt occasions I write: X has died (as in: Prince has died!).
When I blog about a death because it's interesting for reasons other than my attachment to the person, the post might begin with a quote from the obituary or something about how the person died.
Yes I had to check Google news to confirm he's still with us.
On a better note: He is an incredible song writer.
The title of the post was "Goodbye". Can't imagine why we all thought he had died.
Meanwhile, Mary Hopkin's Twitter page sends a greeting to those who don't appreciate her version:
Mary Hopkin says Hallo
But Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead, correct?
I can personally attest that in the fall of 1969 some of the best minds at Yale Law School devoted a lot of time and energy into analyzing Paul's putative death. If that brainpower had been applied to legal studies, who can say how much better off the country would be by now?
Paul's getting a little old isn't he? 70 or 80 something?
There are tons of celebrities over 75 that should be "kicking the bucket" soon
There are tons of celebrities over 75 that should be "kicking the bucket" soon
And younger ones whose careers suddenly die.
It seems like a lot of our "power elite" unlike us average folk, are living forever.
Doris Day, Carl Reiner, Dick van Dyke, and Kirk Douglas are still alive. Eastwood, Hoffman, Pacino, MacLaine and Beatty, Fonda, Redford, Michael Kaine, Duvall, and Hackman are still going strong.
Not to mention Jimmy Carter and Bush.
@Rob, Yale being Yale, consider the possibility that the country is that much better off because that brainpower was not being applied to legal studies.
Holy crap, I thought he died.
Please. Everyone knows McCartney died fifty years ago.
I knew that Badfinger had Beatle money, and production assistance. I didn't know Mary Hopkin was a Beatle's promotion. I suppose there are others.
madAsHell said...
I knew that Badfinger had Beatle money, and production assistance. I didn't know Mary Hopkin was a Beatle's promotion. I suppose there are others.
James Taylor for one.
Cilla Black (Priscilla White).
Peter and Gordon.
Wanted to hate the song, but couldn't.
It is insidious and catchy.
Blogger surfed said...
Well - yeah. His version is better. But listen to Ray Charles' version of "Let it Be" and you'll never want to hear the original track again.
Didn't need Ray Charles to feel that way ...
Thanks for this post. It is nice to hear Paul singing without any "correction" and (tho he is my least favorite Beatle), he does have a very nice voice. And for others who like non-Beatles versions -- I recently re-watched the Woodstock movie Richie Havens and Joe Cocker. (Of course you have to first write a song that others want to cover -- appreciate Lennon-McCartney for this.)
The first time Imheard the song Imthought that it sounded like a McCartney song.
She looks kind of bored and/or irritated in the clips of her with McCartney showing her how to sing the song.
Wow. I think the Ray Charles version of Let It Be is nowhere near as good as the original. But then I rarely like remakes of any songs better than the original.
Typical McCartney: saccharine.
Speaking of which not dead:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-hillerman-dead-magnum-pi-actor-was-84-1056800
Thank you. Marvelous.
Mary Hopkin is good but she's no Yoko Ono.
Sir Paul Update: If people learned Sir Paul was dead from this blog they would have to be some of the most media sheltered people on planet earth.
Best version of Goodbye is by the Brooklyn group Lucius.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU4XwY2x83E
Customer: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint. 'Ello, Miss?
Record promoter: What do you mean "miss"?
C: (pause) I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to register a complaint!
RP: We're closin' for lunch.
C: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this British Pop Idol what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.
RP: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Wood. What's,uh...What's wrong with it?
C: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!
RP: No, no, 'e's uh, he's resting.
C: Look, matey, I know a dead British Pop Idol when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.
RP: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable pop idol, the Norwegian Wood, idn'it, ay? Beautiful lyrics!
C: The lyrics don't enter into it. It's stone dead.
RP: No, no, no! 'E's resting!
C: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the cage) 'Ello, Sir Paul McCartney! I've got a lovely fresh teenie bopper for you if you show...(owner hits the cage)
PR: There, he moved!
C: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the cage!
PR: I never!!
C: Yes, you did!
PR: I never!!
C: (yelling and hitting the cage repeatedly) 'ELLO PAULIE!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call!
(Takes pop idol out of the cage and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)
C: Now that's what I call a dead musician.
PR: No, no, no, 'e's stunned!
C: STUNNED?!?
PR: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Woods stun easily.
C: Now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That pop idol is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged world tour.
PR: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.
C: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that? Look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?
PR: The Norwegian Wood prefers kipppin' on its back! Remarkable artist, id'nit, squire? Lovely melodic patterns!
C: Look, I took the liberty of examining that pop idol when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the first place was that it had been NAILED there.
(pause)
PR: Well, o' course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that pop idol down, it would have muscled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its legal counselors, and VOOM! Off to transcendental consciousness sessions in Jubbulapore.
C: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this British pop idol wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!
PR: No no! 'E's pining!
C: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This pop idol is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the studio floor 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! He's fuckin' snuffed it!..... THIS IS AN EX-POP IDOL!!
(pause)
PR: Well, I'd better replace it, then.
(he takes a quick peek behind the counter)
PR: Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're right out of British Pop Idols.
C: I see. I see, I get the picture.
PR: (pause) I got a Björk.
(pause)
C: Pray, does it sing
PR: Not really.
C: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!?
PR: Well! I never wanted to do this in the first place. I wanted to be... A LUMBERJACK!
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