First Listen Beatles - From Me To You and Thank You Girl (Hip Hop Fan Reacts)

[@lawrencesmith6536]

You nailed it man. I was there. We went from JFK in November to Beatles arriving in early Feb. It really changed the mood of most kids I knew

[@SpaceCattttt]

The Beatles were VERY popular long before they came over to you, you know. You were late to the party.

[@browsman2328]

Yes the Beatles were popular in England before they crossed the pond but when they came to the states they hit the big time.

[@SpaceCattttt]

@@browsman2328 Only because they were popular in Europe first.

[@stevevasell429]

One of the things that has always attracted me to the beatles music since i 1st saw (& heard ) them in 1964 is their generally positive feel in much of their music. I will also add that be patient as to their lyrical and (mostly ) musical simplicity as by the time " Beatles for Sale " emerged their evolution in both realms really starts to take off.

[@ricardo_miguel13]

yes thats where their folk/Dylan era starts that goes over Help to Rubber Soul

[@1967PONTIACGTO]

these early Beatles songs are so MUSICAL.... they had their finger on the pulse of a beautiful sound... in "Thank You Girl" it's in those delicious "Oh, Oh's"... I predict that at some point in the very near future it is going to hit you HARD how great these early songs are.... how original, inventive, catchy pop tunes were literally pouring out of John and Paul the way oil pours out of a gusher... the sheer number of wonderful melodies they invented in the space of a few short years is astonishing to me almost 60 years later

[@the_tone7167]

On "From Me to You," the switch up to the minor 7th chord during "I've got arms that long to hold you" has been citied by McCartney as a major break through in their song writing style. And also, these early songs were written "eye to eye" by Lennon and McCartney in the same room. That's not often the case in later years, when often one would come up with main song idea with the other finishing it off with a chorus/verse or middle eight (bridge) or offering lyric and note suggestions.

[@debrabeck9630]

Thanks for noticing Paul’s bass work, as well as their incredible harmonies.

[@fan123casual8]

Great work! Keep it up. The “evolution you’re waiting for will definitely come, and that’s a big part of the fun of listening to the Beatles catalog. It’s rather amazing the sheer volume of material they created in just over seven (yes, seven) years of recording as a group. And the great distance they traveled (musically) from where they started to where they ended up, in such a short amount of time.

[@dougsusie2319]

I love these early records, Johns vocals are so raw and emotional. Simple lyrics but his voice just drives it all home and Paul's backing vocals softens or balances it all out. These two were just meant to be together, the perfect duo in every aspect. Greatest ever! George Martin felt that what made them such a great pair was because John was the eternal pessimist and Paul was the eternal optimist. Think about that one for a moment, what a great take on the two. This was almost a magical pairing. Like sugar in strong black coffee or honey in a strong cup of tea. Peace ❤

[@JackW467]

They're both perfect, and beautiful to me

[@shemanic1]

I was born in 1951 & rationing finished in 1955, so yes by the early 60's the youth wanted less austerity & began to look outward & thanks to bands like the Beatles, we were rewarded & the Hippy revolution was just around the corner.

[@musicaficionado2974]

I am so glad you are back. For a moment I thought you had given up. Stay the course, my brother!

[@thomastimlin1724]

These songs were such fun, fun stuff...Ringo was a perfect metronome and fill-in the phrases where needed drummer. He was on top of, slightly ahead of the beat driving the song, yet not sounding like he was ahead of the band and tempo. YES!!!! You nailed it, the hopeful spirit, exactly!!!

[@brockmiles6597]

You are not reaching, you are spot on and amazingly insightful about a time long before you were even imagined. I did live through it and the soul of the world was bruised and bleeding after the Kennedy assassination, far more than 911. The Beatles were the tonic the world needed.

[@donaldlococo954]

When I was 10, From Me to You was my favourite Beatle song. Considering how many were out at the same time, that is saying a lot. In the week of April 4, 1964 they held the first five positions on the US charts. Can't Buy Me Love, Twist and Shout, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Please Please Me. First and only time ever done by an artist or group.

[@RadCenter]

One reason letter-writing was a popular theme in the 1950 and 1960s was that so many young men were overseas fighting in Vietnam, waiting for letters from their wives and girlfriends back home.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Grew up on the Beatles. I’m sure it doesn’t translate to the present but to us older folks it hits down to soul.

[@robertmarlow255]

Very interesting listening to a young person's take on what I lived through; spot on for getting the optimistic lyrics.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

I'm only just starting the reaction but great observations is always but I definitely have to remind you that it's not just that they chose that as a Trope, letter-writing, that was the mode of the day. That was what we had. That was our email. But it was not only asynchronous it was with long delay times and lots of difficulties. Even in the fifties people writing about trying to send a letter to somebody to get their attention. The letters were the way it happened back then.

[@Blue-qr7qe]

You won't understand the Beatles without hearing the music of the Everly Brothers. From Wikipedia: The music of the Everly Brothers influenced the Beatles, who referred to themselves as "the British Everly Brothers"[64] when Paul McCartney and John Lennon went hitchhiking south to win a talent competition.[79] They based the vocal arrangement of "Please Please Me" on "Cathy's Clown".[80] McCartney also referred to 'Phil and Don' in the lyrics to "Let 'Em In" from the 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound.

[@jeffmartin1026]

The non-LP singles have some true gems among them. I'm glad you are looking into these. They are in their "are they just a flash-in-the-pan" stage with these songs. It will be another couple of LPs before the writing talent begins to expand and flower. Early/mid/late Beatle era songs are all solid on their own, but each year sees them take another step (or leap) forward.

[@nthdegree1269]

Joyful enthusiasm ... incredibly powerful and energetic music, that was the Beatles. It's also the sound and the blend of these magnificent voices

[@joegurto]

Remember that it took us 6 years to hear the entire beatles catalogue. The Beatles guided us through our adolescence and beyond openning our eyes to new, unique, and beautiful musical experiences. We waited with anticipation, wondering what they would come out (up) with next.

[@MsAppassionata]

Don’t forget that George also often contributed to the harmonies too.

[@reinacarbetta388]

“From Me to You” was their first #1 in the UK. 💙

[@Uetti]

She Loves You will impress you even more!

[@jeanmyers1787]

As someone who was about eight years old when Beatles became famous they passed me by. As a teenager I was so into soul and Tamla Motown which was imported into U.K. and played in discos and can honestly say I thought David Ruffin of Temptations had best voice ever. As 17 year old I had a boyfriend, John, he picked me up from sixth form in school and told me we were going over to his Uncle Jim’s (who I’d met before). We reached the house and there was a land rover in the driveway, John said looks like we’ve got visitors from Scotland (did I mention John’s surname was McCartney), I was in my school uniform when we walked in and there was Paul and Linda. I probably looked like a goldfish that had been hit by a stun gun but can I just say how lovely Paul made me feel, he was interested in what I was studying, particularly English. I met them several times after that, Paul’s brain was like a sponge, he was highly intellectual and we had discussions on my favourite poet, Gerald Manley Hopkins.

[@JohnOttawa]

what's great about Beatles is that it's the type of music because of lyrics that you can have a party with everyone standing around in the kitchen ... holding a beer and singing together.

[@JohnOttawa]

One of my favorites is.... You can't do that

[@natashka8880]

You are so insightful, especially for someone new to Beatles tunes. I've been listening to the lads for nearly fifty years, and consider myself an expert. But with each new song, you mention a detail I never knew/never thought of before. Thanks! It's a real treat to watch someone hear them for the first time. Like being in a time machine. I wish, wish, wish I could hear a Beatles track anew. Hard to remember what that feels like. Watching you gives a bit of that.

[@PeterBuwen]

You indicated it: without WWII, rock 'n' roll and rock music could not have existed. For two reasons. You named the first: the desire or hope for a peaceful, happy future. But the second reason is perhaps even more important: for the first time in human history, almost all young(est) men worldwide were emancipated - on the one hand those who were drafted during the war, but above all those who had to grow up without a father. The generation without a father was the first youth generation that demanded self-determination and tried to take their lives into their own hands. With both positive and negative consequences. Music is one of the positive.

[@elisaabolafia9542]

Well put Peter ❗

[@PeterBuwen]

@@elisaabolafia9542 Thank you. 🙂

[@Isaac-vl3bf]

Things start to change with Help! album but then especially Rubber Soul

[@dennydowling2169]

One thing that kept the Beatles more interesting was the fact that they had 5 different vocalists, John, Paul, George, Ringo and the synchronized combination of John's and Paul's voices. Of course, the last voice ultimately did not last too long as they began to write and sing more independently after the early years.

[@Darkkfated]

I'm so excited for you to get into their next album - while they don't totally lose the hit-machine, boy-band vibe completely, their songwriting gets SO much more interesting. And while a LOT of their songs continue to be "boys loves girl" at their heart, they start throwing in much more interesting twists to it (A Hard Day's Night, And I Love Her, I Should Have Known Better, Can't Buy Me Love). You're in for a treat; while I love their later psychedelic stuff as much as the next guy (probably more), there's a certain something in the Hard Day's Night era that I always want to come back to.

[@sarahfullerton6894]

Exactly. If someone asked me what my favorite Beatles song were, I would ask them, "On what day?" It's quite impossible to choose, because each song is so amazingly different! There are a few songs that aren't my favorites, but they are still catchy, and original. (I'm talking about, perhaps 3 or 4 songs!!!)

[@Darkkfated]

@@sarahfullerton6894 Haha, your favorite Beatles song changing depending on the day/your mood is soooo accurate. Is it Got To Get You Into My Life? Yesterday? And I Love Her? Elanor Rigby? ...Paperback Writer? I can never settle on one because they're all amazing in different ways that speak to you in different moments.

[@sarahfullerton6894]

@@Darkkfated , right on! And when I hear each song, it takes me back, and I am happily singing along. It always surprises me when I hear that a person older than 30 has never heard a Beatles song, period. I am glad when that person discovers the amazing variety, beauty and cleverness of Beatles songs!

[@raymondcrispin945]

They were never a boy band ..The phrase boy band started in the nineties

[@jnagarya519]

Yes -- back and forth between Liverpool and Hamburg, when they were moving around a lot, resulted in many "letters" songs, and "travel" songs.

[@heavenlysonshine]

Remember dude, there was no email, no cell phones, etc. when these were written, just postal mail. Writing letters was a very common theme in pop music at the time. 2 of their best tracks of all time! I like the simple bops. JFK assasination occured in Nov. '63

[@johnniekight1879]

Del Shannon who toured with them Released From Me To You as a single in July of '63. First American artist to do so.

[@lisahaverluk4037]

So many more please 😊😊😊 come on... strawberry fields forever..tip of the iceberg ❣️❣️❣️

[@michaelbeckwith6177]

I'm an old Beatles fan and I'm "Glad all over" that you can appreciate the early stuff and they were a breath of fresh air coming to the states a few months after the JFK assassination with much hope and joy and love!! Some people on YT say the Beatles began with "Rubber Soul" but that's hogwash EVERYTHING The Beatles released were great and I'd even say a lot of the early stuff had more energy than the later stuff!! I'm not saying the earlier stuff was better but different!!

[@davidtolan582]

It was such a leap in their songs from 64 to 65. Smokin weed probably had something to do with it.

[@jnagarya519]

The John and Paul harmony is US country. Perhaps "Everly Brothers". But it's their own.

[@richardrobinson4020]

I would say more that they were simpler times in '63. By Nov 22 times turn darker. And continue to turn darker year by year. At first their music reflected their times, first hopeful and then darker. Eventually their music became a significant element itself. The darker times generated both darker music and the more hopeful tunes to counteract the times. In the early years though, just reflecting simple times and the zeitgeist of simple songs.

[@chitownlee]

1965 is when things started evolving. A lot changed that year especially when Dylan went electric.

[@kennethbarber438]

and turned them on to weed...

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

In the early days it was do you like The Beatles or The Stones? The difference was The Beatles wanted to hold your hand and The Stones wanted to get your knickers off! The Beatles had that innocent allure that hit young girls straight in the feels. "Thank you girl" is very Buddy Holly-esque who was a huge influence on them. I notice Syed, whenever you listen to The Beatles you always have a smile on your face. The Beatles make you feel happy, that's their magic. Your reactions are spot on.

[@cuebj]

Except the Beatles had done all that already and were, in fact, far tougher from a far tougher part of the UK and had performed for vast numbers of hours in far tougher environments with far more ladies in those tough areas of UK and Germany. Everyone knew that what you saw of the Beatles was the cleaned up tip of a very big iceberg.

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

@@cuebj Absolutely, yes. BUT the perception of cuddly Beatles, pick your favourite one was very different, early on, than how the Stones were seen. Moptop mania. Obviously all that changed with time.

[@SM-jg8fr]

They were Yin and Yang -- the light and dark side of pop music. "Good Day Sunshine" and "Here comes The Sun", vs. ""Paint it Black" and "Sympathy for the Devil". We needed both of them.

[@alphajava761]

The Beatles influence is timeless, The Stones music is timeless. That's the difference between these bands for the most part, for me. The Stones have had more rotation and get more rotation on my playlists than The Beatles over time. The Beatles songs are great time capsules but somehow The Stones from Beggar's Banquet onward became timeless imo because The Stones got away from the British invasion sound with Beggar's and started to find their own unique sound at that point. I think The Beatles started to find 'their unique sound' with the Help album, but they never could escape being branded the British invasion sound even though they broke away from it in the mid 60s. The Beatles seemed to be 'the' 'British invasion sound' no matter what they did in their later catalog because they got pigeon holed with it from the start. I tend to like darker music so it all comes down to personal tastes also. The Beatles have some dark and very dark songs too but they are more in a solemn rhythm. Whereas The Stones can be solemn as hell and then just in your face with the darkness.

[@MrDiddyDee]

The Beatles image was carefully guided by their manager, Brian Epstein, he was the one who put them in tailored suits and wanted a clean image that was more marketable and to his own personal taste. Before Epstein they wore leathers and had a rock'n'roll look, and did all the drink and drugs and groupie stuff the Stones would be notorious for later. Whilst The Beatles debauchery was kept under wraps, The Stones manager capitalised on promoting the exact opposite for his band. Clearly it worked.

[@mitchmitchell80]

You are not reaching. You are correct! My 14 year old told me so! LOL! He knows pretty much everything about the Beatles

[@mikefetterman6782]

This is an early written Lennon tune in the style of one of his heroes, Buddy Holly (thank you girl).

[@lsbill27]

I think a case can be made that their early vocals and harmonies were better early on, not by much but a little. This can be explained by the fact that they weren't together as much later on and tended to write songs together much less often. Their early compositions were strong but the music was simpler and had less detail and variation.

[@davidlauder-qi5zv]

The dominant voice on From Me to You is John Lennon's. And the Beatles individually were born early in WW2 (Lennon, for example, was born in 1940), not after the war.

[@GlenMaderos]

I feel for you man, there’s a good few albums to wade through before they start getting real creative. But people are clearly digging it, so don’t go changing.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Regarding who's singing What in the harmonies and high parts and low Parts yeah it's a good general rule of thumb that Paul was singing the high part and John the low part, but if you want to dive into a bit more musical depth, one reason that they were so good was that in there very early days and to be fair this was more common in the music idiom at the time, and that's the idea of Crossing Harmony's so it's one thing to learn how to sing above or below somebody at a good interval that fits the mood of the song because they're always lots of choices, but Crossing Harmony's means that you can move up and down above below and beneath and just move it around as befits the song. And they were so excellent that even as very young men.

[@teej0813]

Generally, John sang the low vocals, George the middle, and Paul the high parts. George's contributions are vastly underrated, but IMHO it was Paul's pure tenor that made the Beatles harmonies so, so good. Another thing they did often was to double the lead vocal. As I listen to From Me To You, it sounds like Paul joins John on 'If there's anything..." then Paul jumps up to the high harmony on '... that you want.' It was a unique way to double-track the lead vocals before technology (multi-track recorders) made double-tracking by the same singer easy. Of course, it required two singers to mimic each other perfectly. John and Paul did it very well.

[@fredrikdepomian4216]

Double tracking was fairly usual and John hated his voice so he wanted double tracking anyway to make his voice sound fatter. John and Paul often sang the entire song together with Paul doing the high parts.

[@danielk2829]

While similar style (for now) the next two singles really took them up a notch (She loves you and I want to hold your hand). Interested in your take on the B sides to these. Once you get the hards day night and Beatles for sale albums, the writing lifts a few notches. Then explodes over the next few.

[@scottlbroco]

I'd say that your observation about JFK is among your most astute, Syed. The Beatles were indeed the light for the world after the darkness of JFK's assassination. The Beatles had 8 long years of playing clubs and touring Europe before they became the biggest "overnight success" story the world has ever seen. They remain to this day the biggest band EVER, and even though I'm first and foremost a fan of the second biggest band ever, the Rolling Stones - I love the Beatles, too. The Beatles did many things first. The first music artists to completely dominate the singles charts and album charts, and the first music artists to fill stadiums. They also improved in some way with each successive album. However, as uplifting as their earliest tracks were for that time, they didn't really become great imo until their 5th album "Help". By then, Lennon and McCartney weren't just good songwriters, they were excellent, and the band - with George Martin, became the standard in creating songs. By their 7th album, "Revolver" their genius was inarguable. This is quite a ride you've begun, one I took myself many years ago, years after the Beatles had disbanded. So far, I think you admire the Beatles more than you like them, but that will change as their music grows more complex and f***ing brilliant!

[@alphajava761]

I'm glad you're exploring their earliest catalog. It needs to be heard by new ears but it's not my groove. The Beatles don't catch on with the me until the Help album.

[@bobguitarlearner8007]

please don't cut off the song at just the moment key changes occur. These changes are key to their song writing

[@SK-lk3iu]

Yes, I was gonna say that the bridge & movement to their next verse is always important, even tho it seems sensible to stop between verses.

[@philowens7680]

And that key change to a minor key was novel for rock and pop. Very important part of the song. The Beatle's middle eights are very effective.

[@bobguitarlearner8007]

by stopping it right there you totally miss the effect. Managed to catch 2 of the 3 changes with the stoppage and broke the effect.

[@philowens7680]

I agree. I don't think we'd have heard of the Beatles if Kennedy hadn't been shot. They broke the US "depression"

[@VarikM]

not a reach at all to associate the positivity in these early songs with how it was received. And the idea of the post war atmosphere. Remember too the nuclear threat, the ominous beginnings of the so called "space race" and the cold war at the time. Fun listening to some of these with you. Thanks! :)

[@marrkhicks]

Great commentary

[@johndavids4780]

Th early Beatles songs were all fun songs. What else can you want from music? Message? Later. Lets have fun first.

[@barryshepherd1533]

Awesome

[@RJ-oy7cq]

These song s are just great simpicity woprks of art/entertainment and timeless great songs...that you don't quite see that is not on the songs but you--it's more your limitation, you too stuck in a time. Not all early Beatle songs are timelessly great but these 2 are.

[@RJ-oy7cq]

"songs are just great simplicity works of art"

[@Pseudonym-aka-alias]

George Martin…..He should’ve produced the Let It Be album, imo🤔

[@bobbybrettel5422]

Another trick was coming to a quick stop....then a quick pick up of the tune

[@AndyLeMaitre]

Sounds like echo has been added for some reason. Great reaction though!

[@SpaceCattttt]

Hopeful spirit? Sure, but the Beatles became popular in the spring of 1963 and JFK wasn't assassinated until November of that year... I think it's more accurate to say that the band brought some colour into the world after the dreary WWII.

[@sahewins]

I'm a long time Beatles fan, but I don't remember this first song at all.

[@debjorgo]

It was the second track on The Beatles' Second Album, if you're a US-er. With I'll Get You, it was one of the two "Oh Yeah" Beatle songs.

[@James-lk2sg]

Thank You Girl is def a pretty obscure tune.

[@bobguitarlearner8007]

@@James-lk2sg and honestly not one of their best

[@ricardo_miguel13]

@@bobguitarlearner8007 except ringos drumming

[@dalejohnson4256]

Yes: Paul did the higher parts. George couldn't hold those high notes.

[@paulascott5701]

I don't think any of them were 21 years old here. Ringo may have been 21. There is very little "engineering", they would have sounded just like this live.

[@martinealaplaya7441]

. . . it seems to me that you forget that each song had to be calibrated to play on the radio between two commercials! are you intentionally ignoring this enormous constraint? and yet, the Beatles composed each time a perfect jewel of two minutes and thirty seconds! who else can do that these days?

[@garyarnett1220]

You skipped George's "Do You Want To Know A Secret" on the album, and skipped it again.

[@susanfisher5342]

Too much talking!

[@JeffreyWalker-lq3ci]

You talk too much

[@rikurodriguesneto6043]

thank you girl might be the most annoying beatles track

[@ricardo_miguel13]

except ringos drumming