The Beatles, I’ll Follow The Sun - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction / Excerpts

[@richardfehlmann4593]

Delightful ... that's such a fitting word to describe this song. Wonderful to follow your explanations on the chord sequence. Paul had an instinct for these beautiful chord progressions already at 16! A bit sadness in the song adds wonderfully to this tune. And the guitar solo just adding the melody works here so well, as you said ... it sits so naturally in the song. Really a superb balance. Thank you for this fine first listen, I enjoyed it very much. I'm looking forward to the next one from this album 👌😃

[@celinhabr1]

It's one of the most underrated Beatles songs & one of my favorites, Paul was/is brilliant.

[@stevenhiscoe7717]

What you will learn going forward is that Paul became a master of melody. He speaks of a time when George Martin tried to encourage him to learn to read music but he says that he couldn't get on with it. Personally I think that his musical instincts were up there with the best.

[@steveleblanc7983]

One of the reasons for The Beatles going back to older songs they skipped was exhaustion. Having to make two albums and four singles a year, making a movie, constant touring, television appearances, press conferences etc. was catching up on them. Look at the album cover to show their weariness.

[@papercup2517]

Indeed - the album title 'Beatles for Sale' says it all, along with the relatively dejected and vulnerable demeanour of the previously apparently endlessly upbeat foursome. George's later line from a Travelling Wilburys song summed up the mood quite well: "overexposed, commercialised, handle me with care." I still remember as a very young teenager buying the BfS album and feeling rather let down by it, expecting to experience the usual exhilaration/uplift and not really getting it. At that age, I had no concept of what they might be going through, and why the music might have changed. It took a few years before I forgave them and really listened to, and bought another Beatles record (entirely missing Revolver, et al!) which was Sergeant Pepper, a full 3 years after it was released! Since I was a very mature by that time (17!) I immediately fell back in love and have been an avid Beatle fan ever since... 😀

[@jnagarya519]

All "Beatles" songs made one want to hear them again and again.

[@-R.Gray-]

The harmonies seem to reflect the influence of the Everly Brothers. When Phil Everly died, Paul said that in the early Beatles days, he would be Phil, and John would sing the Don Everly part.

[@mikegraham4255]

For sure and at 23:55 I hear Buddy Holly.

[@LeeKennison]

I really like this song, it is amazing that Paul wrote this at 16, with the Beatles later putting their special touch on it. Looking forward to you discovering some more of Paul's beautiful melodic songs. This sounds very much in the style of the 60s folk groups like Peter, Paul, and Mary. Great insight on how the melody and chord progression work together to make this so smooth. Certain well known songs like "Here Comes the Bride" make great references for our ears recognizing different intervals (the 4th in this case). Ringo does provide some light unobtrusive percussion here. A very enjoyable and informative reaction.

[@BumblebeeElectron]

Wonderful as always, Amy. I hope you will look into Joni Mitchell's music. I suggest starting with "A Case of You". But she has many masterpieces.

[@MarkTitus420]

One of The Beatles goals in the recording studio was when recording a new record, they wanted it to sound completely different from the previous one. Please Please Me and Let it Be sound like they could be from two different worlds; as was the 60's in general. If you look at pictures of people in 1960 and compare it to 1969, they also look like people from two different worlds.

[@Inverse_to_Chaos]

1967 was really the turning point, with moustaches, longer hair, colourful uniforms, and lots of acid.

[@davidmckenzie420]

I was hoping you'd listen to this one. I fell in love with it as a teen, and was happy to learn the guitar parts.

[@marysweeney7370]

I always enjoy your analyses of the Beatles songs - which are my favorites as a life-long Beatles fan. I wondered if you might consider doing a in-depth discussion at some point about Lennon McCartney vocal harmonies, like an overview of their early music focused on their singing. You may have remarked here and there on their vocals, but perhaps I didn't hear it. Going back and listening to these old songs has really made me hear their vocal harmonies afresh and I am amazed at how wonderful they are. Sometimes in some songs their voice are such an amazing blend. I think that without John and Paul 's vocals the songs wouldn't sound half as good as they do. That is the magic of the Beatles.

[@davegrant7819]

I hear Lennon’s influence all over the ‘and now the time has come’ middle eight (he sang the harmony line). The chords and words were changed from a 1960 home recording they made, it prefigures his descending harmonies and chords he wrote for classics like ‘nowhere man’ and ‘we can work it out’.

[@Uetti]

Nope, the chords are exactly the same if you listen closely. They changed the middle eight's melody line and lyrics, but the chords underneath are exactly the same as in the 1960 home tapes. The rest of it is identical (It only changes in pace and word delivering to fit the new slower arrangement)

[@davegrant7819]

@@Uetti you’re right, both have Dm Fm C C7 (transposed to the released version). Very beatlesey and similar to nowhere man chords. So Lennon for the harmony line

[@XFLexiconMatt]

The 'Beatles For Sale' album had a few gems, this song predates 'Yesterday' by almost six month's, but here is real development.

[@ErikMCMLXV]

There is percussion in the song. I’ve read both that it’s Ringo tapping his knee and that he’s tapping a case or box. It sounds like a cardboard box on the recording, but whatever he’s doing, he’s not playing drums. Using such minimalistic percussion while a full drum kit was available was kind of experimental in a way.

[@thomassharmer7127]

That second chord in the verse sounds right and makes sense as a diminished 7 (C, F#, A, D#/Eb - the recording is in the key of C). It's quite sophisticated for a 16 year old, but Paul was familiar with a lot of older songs through his dad, and The Beatles played lots of jazz standards when they were in Hamburg. So whether he knew the formal names of chords and sequences or not, you're right that he had very deep musical instincts from the start.

[@bradparnell614]

The bass in Beatles songs start to get more and more complex as Paul gets more influenced by Motown great James Jamerson, one of the most inventive bass players in popular music.

[@Moonie804]

A lovely, lovely song! 💖

[@julian65886]

What you have discovered is that a timeless melody is everything when composing.

[@richardfehlmann4593]

Cool, I love this song ... I'm eager to watch now 👌😃

[@justmoose6534]

Hi Richard!

[@richardfehlmann4593]

@@justmoose6534 Hello Mike, welcome 🖐😃 It's a cool place to be for us Beatles fans 👍🏻😃

[@julian65886]

I'II Follow the in is among my top 5 Beatle songs. A short song leaves you wanting for more.

[@jcxz100]

It's an F7 (i.e. an Eb not D#). Rock (and jazz and blues) will often go from IV chord with added minor 7 back to the I chord (sort of mixing a bit of minor tonality into the otherwise major progression). Actually that may be more common than the V7 to I of other music styles.

[@EddieReischl]

Yup. McCartney writes these tunes that get stuck in your brain, and then you find yourself humming them while you are doing some chore, or doing some woodworking in the basement, etc. He is a great natural melody writer. After you mentioned the ascending fourths, the first song that popped into my head was "Oh, Christmas Tree", even though it's only the first bit.

[@KevinORourke25]

Rick Beato in pearls and without the confusing terminology.

[@mr-mysteryguest]

I like rick but he's always flogging books, lessons, whatever...

[@elizabethh1804]

A little over a year ago, I had the opportunity to visit Liverpool (I'm American, so it was no small trip). Paul's childhood home on Forthlin Road is owned by the National Trust, and I got to stand in that parlor and look out the window that teenaged Paul saw the light streaming in through. (John's childhood home is also owned by the National Trust.)

[@charlesberton2581]

This song is a big fav with me. Thanks, Ann.

[@beholdmessiah6526]

Please do not miss No Reply, Baby’s in Black and Rock n Roll Music. Thanks

[@ricardo_miguel13]

She came to No Reply later after many comments, but left out the other two I also would have liked, especially the first one.

[@peterblood50]

I always got the idea that the singer was in a relationship that he/she saw heading for the rocks. It wasn't there yet but the inevitability of the breakup was easily apparent. So, since he/she could see the storm clouds gathering and not wanting to go through the emotional trauma of it, he/she jumped ship so to speak, and was moving on to an emotionally calmer and sunnier place far from the gathering storm. ✌

[@loosilu]

I think you are absolutely correct, but maybe not in the way you thought! Paul had a very strict dad, who he adored. I think this song is about 16 year old Paul breaking away from his dad to make his own way.

[@loosilu]

He probably didn't understand it at the time. It was decades before he understood Yesterday was about his mother

[@vonVile]

Amy, I can't believe you skipped over the great song "No Reply", which is the first track.

[@stevenmeyer9674]

I agree

[@thefowlyetti2]

they aren't released in order, at least the videos. Maybe she listens in order and they released at different time, im sure she will cover no reply.

[@vonVile]

So far, it feels like track order. "I'm A Loser" is track 2 and "I'll Follow The Sun" is 5.

[@ricardo_miguel13]

On patreon (even if you are not subscribed), you can already see a lot more songs, and she really finished Beatles For Sale without it. I wrote it under many youtube videos and on her twitter account as a small complain and now as the last track she did react to it!

[@actionic135]

She's done "No Reply" and several others on Patreon not yet on YT and is releasing them here once a week. So you will see the "No Reply" reaction in a few weeks. "I Feel Fine" has also been done, and hopefully "She's a Woman" will not be skipped.

[@fennynough6962]

A whimsical tune, with a hippy vibe of pure Sunshine! 🌞 The Beatles; [SINGNATURE]: Barbershop, (vocal, & musical quartet), harmonicly chimes in here! 🎶

[@matty1953565962]

Great analysis! The chord progression for the verse (V, IV7, I, II7...) is a little unorthodox, but it makes perfect sense given the melodic sequence in fourths. It's interesting; some of Brian Wilson's songs (Don't Worry Baby, God Only Knows) are also built on melodic sequences rather than standard chord progressions. Pretty sophisticated for kids who had never taken a music lesson! I suspect that John Lennon came up with the descending harmony part in the B section. He always managed to temper Paul's sweetness with such sad little touches.

[@EnglishVeteran]

I still have the LP (Vinyl of course) I bought on release 😊

[@Accam570]

McCartney is an excellent singer and as a Beatle, had a four octave vocal range.

[@daveman_50]

No drums, but apparently Ringo tapped his hands against his knees. You can hear a steady quarter note pulse, like a foot tapping.

[@PaulBrown-kg3qw]

You are really warming to the task now

[@OuryLN]

The final lyrics seemed to be inspired by the Dell Shannon song, “Keep Searchin”

[@jerryhelm7848]

Amy, just another great piece. If you crank this up I think you can hear a highly damped kick drum setting the tempo. It probably has a pillow stuffed inside, by the sound of it, with the bass rolled off..

[@yes_head]

There are songs like this that crop up throughout the rest of the Beatles' history. Songs that would have fit fine on any of those early albums but for whatever reason never did. This is one. 'Michelle' is sort of one. 'I Will' is definitely one.

[@fromchomleystreet]

Classical functional harmony doesn’t always apply in pop music influenced by the blues. In classical functional harmony, a minor seventh on top of a major triad suggests it has dominant function, as the V chord of either the key we’re currently in, or else a new key to which the chord itself is about to pivot us. But in the blues, minor sevenths tend to appear on ALL major triads, without having any particular functional reason to be there. It just makes them sound more “bluesy”. So you don’t really have to account for the minor seventh created by the vocal melody hitting a D# over the F chord. It doesn’t in any way change F’s status as the IV chord. It’s still a plagal cadence, it’s just a bluesy one. That said, if one was to analyse it functionally… Rather than wanting to resolve down a semi-tone to become the third degree of the tonic chord (as a minor seventh does on a chord that we experience as a V chord), a minor seventh on a chord we interpret as a IV chord wants to resolve UP a semi-tone to become the third degree of the tonic chord. This is especially the case when it follows the fifth chord, because of the chromatic voice leading imbedded in the three chords: In this case, the fifth of the G chord (D), followed by the minor seventh of the F7 chord (D#), followed by the third of the tonic chord C (E), form an ascending chromatic line cliche, which lends a certain inevitability to it all leading back to C.

[@frankylaseure2641]

Another call for the song "Travel" by The Gathering, the TG25 live version. "I wish you knew your music was to stay forever".

[@davidrauh8118]

Actually John sings the first line and Paul answers with the second including the title. And of course they both sing on the bridge.

[@papercup2517]

This is such a lovely little song, one I've always liked. I'm so looking forward to hearing your analysis! Having said that, I have to say I've been mostly disappointed and a little puzzled by the particular songs chosen to analyse here on YT (unfortunately I can't afford to subscribe to the alternatives). As a lifetime Beatles fan, for me they seem to have been amongst the worst/ least interesting ones from their overall stellar catalogue. Meanwhile SO many beautiful, precious gems have been passed by. (I feel exactly the same about the Queen selections, for which there are fewer copyright restrictions to help explain.) I guess my taste is just very different from Vlad's!

[@carstenhohmann2955]

Simply attractive & more❤

[@michavandam]

- What a nice idea to think that some words are left unspoken because the guitar takes over four bars of the verse! - In a way, the easy going "I'll Follow the Sun" is a forefather of "Who Needs You" by Queen. - 32:05 There's no drum kit on this, but there is subtile percussion.

[@ЕвгенияТолокнова-г7ю]

I really hope you’ll listen to No Reply 😢

[@johnsilva9139]

I guess these are posted out of order. "I'm a Loser" was posted last week as #31 of The Beatles 150 series and today this is called #28.

[@RoderickCairns]

I think this is the type of song Paul would have been too embarrassed to offer to the group a couple years earlier. John, in particular, likely would have sneered at. They might have shed the black leather jackets by '62, but they still carried the mentality and self-image that came with them. It took the influence of the 60s folk revival to make them comfortable with their own gentle side.

[@michavandam]

I think the guitar intro is I - IV - I and I think Paul McCartney, rather confusingly, starts singing on the V. From there, like in the Blues, he descends to IV-with-an-added-minor 7, and only then he sings a few notes on the I ("to see I've g-"), only to immediately rise to the II-with-a-major third. All in all quite confusing. It wasn't obvious for me to find the chords on my guitar. I really had to play the record to get what he was doing. Had it been a true Blues song, then the harmonic changes would have been easy to understand (there are tons of Blues that start on the V). But since this sounds like a sweet Everly Brothers kind of Pop tune, I dindn't readily identify the Blues changes. Just an example of how the early Beatle songs weren't simple at all.

[@michavandam]

31:13 There are many, many covers of "I'll Follow the Sun". Here are some that take the song, as Amy suggests, to a slightly more tropical area: - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6TalZuOlMSff5Y - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWnEZaqGf7aLpKs - kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGLWd36PmNeHiMU - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ22ioWNe7d7bac Funnily enough, this cover is more like Paul McCartney's original 1960 Quarrymen home recording: - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5DMhJuciclleKM The Quarrymen: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHy9pXiOm6dmsLc

[@rewquioprewquiop]

Forgive my ignorance, I haven't watched all the Beatle reacton project videos...but I hear you say that you are going album by album. If you haven't addressed it already, I hope that you include the very powerful singles that were released between albums...but are generally considered stronger Beatle material...but were not included on the album. The chronological approach to Beatle material is great. I just hope you don't neglect some of the important early material due to their absence from the albums. I do so enjoy these videos and yours is the only that makes me even close to considering joining on patreon. I am a shameless cheapskate!

[@ZosoLU]

Hi Amy, are you planning to release the 7 tracks left on Side 4 of The Wall? It seems like we are getting Queen and Beatles all the time now and that album reaction has been going over a year on your channel.

[@MsAppassionata]

You know, I’ve heard people play most of each Beatles song, but they talk over it or stop it periodically. You might want to consider that approach rather than cutting the song completely. Just my suggestion.

[@alsino1982]

Siempre me ha parecido esta canción como Silvio Rodríguez cantando en inglés.... Bueno, él reconoce la admiración por los cuatro de Liverpool

[@davidrauh8118]

Again do not pass up I Feel Fine and She's A Woman. The corresponding single to this album. In England they didn't always put singles on albums. But the U.S. did. Consequently the first 7 albums in England were reconfigured into 12 albums in America. Also, the British albums usually had 14 tracks to our 11 tracks. Please react to No Reply as well. Thanks

[@stevenhiscoe7717]

I Feel Fine was one of my favourites. Waiting and anticipating a Beatles song was incredibly exciting back in the day. I can't imagine any artist creating the same excitement today.

[@eggman7527]

I really like your strategy for taking on the Beatles chronologically, but--since you're not playing the songs on the video, it might be worthwhile to do say 3 songs in one video. You could even directly compare them to one another. Just a thought. Love your channel!

[@sleeplessstar7969]

Please react to more Evanescence: -Lacrymosa & The End Of The Dream (Synthesis Live) -Lost In Paradise -Far From Heaven -Good Enough (Synthesis Live) -Speak To Me (Synthesis Live)

[@MikeytheGeek7711]

I love this song. I wish I could have actually heard some of it. I understand that you're trying to keep your channel from getting shut down, but if I can't hear the part of the song that you're talking about, there isn't much point. 😕

[@bengerson7064]

John was at least as good as Paul at inventing melodies that followed the rise and fall of speech, for example his "She Said She Said."

[@peterolbrisch8970]

No reply is the best song in this album.

[@ryban1001]

Great song. Very innocent. There is a tape of a 1960 rehearsal floating around where the band plays this song. Much different vibe. Do a KZbin search. You may find it.

[@StanEngland]

"this need to part" - rather like Freebird, without the three guitar extravaganza.

[@macfunkey]

It was instinctive to Paul McCartney to use an F7 because he listened to the blues.

[@MichelleSanGiorgio]

Unfortunately it's been completely blocked now 😢

[@trane5270]

The song is sung alternatively as a solo (Paul), a unison (added by John) and the two harmony part ("And now the . . .) --which I think is that wonderful icing in the cake missing and sung by John. But only reading Geoff Emerick's description as the sound engineer who sat at the recording, I learned that George Martin's participation was far greater than credited. For instance that wonderful harmony was written by him! And it rings true, if one compares earlier, Hamburg versions of this song . . . they are quite disappointing. Paul's singing is raunchy, almost skiffle style, in short: pure crap. Yeah, thanks George Martin!

[@julian65886]

When I play the verses on the guitar I go from G to F7. The F doe not sound right

[@braudabo]

Did you skip the banger “Rock’n’Roll Music”? The best track on "Beatles For Sale". Can't really be in a series like this.

[@BigSky1]

Hardly the best song on the album.

[@braudabo]

@@BigSky1 It's a kick ass rock'n'roll track. The original compositions on this album, apart from "I'm a loser", "8 days a week", and "No reply", are at best mediocre by Beatles standards, which was also due to the incredible hecticness of Beatlemania in 1964.

[@BigSky1]

@@braudabo I’ll Follow The Sun and Every Little Thing are not mediocre. You have a very warped sense of what is and what is not good. Rock n Roll Music is a very average Chuck Berry song. There is nothing special about it apart from the fact that it is played with a sense of urgency and gusto by the band. Also it is a cover version and as such does not show their progression as a band.

[@braudabo]

@@BigSky1 Yes, good. "I'll follow the sun" is quite okay. "No reply" I had already counted it among the better ones. The development also includes the covers. It is through them, that the Beatles became what they are. The night-long playing of these tracks, which they later actually made their own in most cases, was, what shaped their profile in the first place, the recognition of their own possibilities as rock'n'roll musicians, the basis of everything, that was to come. Until one day, in 1965, they covered something for the last time, as their “basic training” was now complete. Furthermore, they presented almost all of the covers with respect and enthusiasm. And "Rock'n'Roll music" is Rock'n'Roll music at its best and a spectacular vocal performance from Lennon and a hot driving piano from him, George Martin and McCartney. "Every little thing" is melodically reasonably attractive, lyrically, at least for me, not very attention-grabbing and the song becomes a bit silly due to the two drum beats inserted during the hook. Nonetheless, I know Yes covered this thing. But it was always kind of a mystery to me...

[@Sanctified57]

Very creative brilliant song writing, and catchy tunes, but very limited musicians

[@davegrant7819]

Oh dear! To my ear, the score IS wrong, in exactly those simple introductory chords. C - C(sus2) - F - C. Even simpler, no hint of a G (V), kind of modulating to the key of G for the verse, then F7 hinting at Fm7 and back to C but then D (V). Tonally ambiguous, strange and effective.

[@stertim]

Okay I'm going to ask an obvious question...well two really. First, since original Beatle music is blocked here, why don't you use the myriad of tribute band renditions that are out there and you can actually play? Say, like the David Bennett Piano channel. Secondly(and I'm sure you have answered this before) why do you wear the same sweater/blouse on every video?

[@JoseArbuluOficial]

There is this early version of the song by the time they were the Quarrymen kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHy9pXiOm6dmsLcsi=Z0yAVw3JsFNkYiqF

[@jacquescousteau217]

Remember this was 1964. By 1965 the Beatles blew the doors down in respect to what this band was capable of in such a short period of time. The second chord is a diminished seventh ( F# ) …

[@charlesberton2581]

How come KZbin doesn't bother others who react to Beatles' music while they harass you, Ann? This cat listens to the Beatles all the way through with no interruptions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2aommCbra2qoqMsi=5Y1dA7xtgPLEqozL

[@Palimbacchius]

Sorry, but this is pointless. A shame, since I really enjoyed your discussion of "She's Leaving Home.'

[@Winterfell1066]

Are you really telling us.... you have never heard this song by the Beatles?

[@Accam570]

With modern technology, people are easily able to live in their own little bubble, only hearing the music they choose to hear.

[@ricardo_miguel13]

@@Accam570 this is maybe the 110th most popular Beatles song, not everyone knows 100+ Beatles songs, especially it was never a single

[@Accam570]

@@ricardo_miguel13 Yes, most people wouldn't know this. But there are many people who can't name any songs by the Beatles.

[@Winterfell1066]

Or Savoy Truffle.@@Accam570

[@Winterfell1066]

Good point.@@Accam570

[@emilianopadillajr525]

Too much talking

[@ericwalmsley6836]

I'll be so glad when you've finally exhausted the Beatles and Queen catalog ...

[@ericwalmsley6836]

@@johnbyrnes7912 I don't think either of them deserve the level of coverage they've had. There's a world of sounds, so why stay in one little corner.

[@BDRickMC]

Your videos are worthless if we can’t hear the actual song

[@agitatedmongoose]

Copyright. It's only the Beatles material so far. All her other videos we hear the song.

[@peterhughes8699]

Not one of the Beatles 150 best songs imo. I would have culled this one from a 150 list myself :)

[@ristovirtanen6396]

Expected you to notice the horrible tritonus diabolicus the devil’s interval in the second bar!😱 But nothing found…😳🙁 Not a single comment!😣😞