Just how are hit tunes written anyway? How do they come into being? Do the writers deliberately set out to write a commercial success? Where do they get their inspiration? Do they stick to a tried and true formula? Do they always collaborate with others?
These are questions that I heard Paul McCartney explore in a recent podcast. He mentioned that he wanted to debunk the idea that had been going around that he and John Lennon hated each other. That the Beatles trademark songs were always listed as written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney only because of a copyright contract. People had said that they never really collaborated.
What Paul actually said was that they regularly collaborated, especially in the early days of the Beatles. One or both of them would come into the recording studio with ideas for songs, but they were never fully formed. As a band, they took the ideas, worked them out, expanded them, added rifts, fixed lyrics, and recorded the songs sometimes within just a few hours from start to finish. As their musicianship grew, their ideas became more mature, but they still counted on each other as well as their producer to help the songs come into being.
One thing he said, really resonated with me. Paul said that unlike other bands of their day, they DID NOT stick to one tried and true model when writing songs. That's why each of their songs is so unique. Paul himself was very interested in all types of music and did a lot of study of various styles. So did the other members of the band. They enjoyed infusing their songs with the influences they were studying -- African rhythms, British Musical Hall, Church Music, Baroque string quartets, Middle eastern instrumentals and modal patterns, avant guard music, ideas that became acid rock and many more styles.
Paul tells a cute story about one song that he has to modify a bit now if he uses it in a show. He gets embarrassed if people think that the song was written about being high on drugs. He explains that "No, it's about being high on LIFE --- I have grandchildren now!"
My brother practically made me become a Beatles fan. I was only 7 when we first saw the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. Since then, I still have a soft spot for a good Beatles tune. Here is a list of Beatles songs I have made into Easy Piano Solos. Enjoy!
All You Need is Love from the Magical Mystery Tour 1967
Yesterday from Help! 1965
Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da from the White Album 1968
I Will from The Beatles 1968
Eight Days a Week from Beatles for Sale 1964
Here There and Everywhere from Revolver 1966
And I Love Her from A Hard Day's Night 1964
Eleanor Rigby from Revolver 1966
One thing he said, really resonated with me. Paul said that unlike other bands of their day, they DID NOT stick to one tried and true model when writing songs. That's why each of their songs is so unique. Paul himself was very interested in all types of music and did a lot of study of various styles. So did the other members of the band. They enjoyed infusing their songs with the influences they were studying -- African rhythms, British Musical Hall, Church Music, Baroque string quartets, Middle eastern instrumentals and modal patterns, avant guard music, ideas that became acid rock and many more styles.
Paul tells a cute story about one song that he has to modify a bit now if he uses it in a show. He gets embarrassed if people think that the song was written about being high on drugs. He explains that "No, it's about being high on LIFE --- I have grandchildren now!"
My brother practically made me become a Beatles fan. I was only 7 when we first saw the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. Since then, I still have a soft spot for a good Beatles tune. Here is a list of Beatles songs I have made into Easy Piano Solos. Enjoy!
All You Need is Love from the Magical Mystery Tour 1967
Yesterday from Help! 1965
Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da from the White Album 1968
I Will from The Beatles 1968
Eight Days a Week from Beatles for Sale 1964
Here There and Everywhere from Revolver 1966
And I Love Her from A Hard Day's Night 1964
Eleanor Rigby from Revolver 1966
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