Tell Me What You See – 2 of Swords (Lennon/McCartney) Help!, 1965 “Tell Me What You See” was recorded for the movie Help!, but the song was rejected by the film’s director Richard Lester for not being strong enough. The Beatles still decided to include it on the film’s soundtrack. Years later, Paul admitted it…
Blue Jay Way – 7 of Cups (Harrison) Magical Mystery Tour, 1967 Depending on personal taste, “Blue Jay Way” could be described as a psychedelic masterpiece or one of the most dreary songs in the Beatles’ catalogue. The song was George Harrison’s contribution to the Magical Mystery Tour movie and album, released at the end…
What Goes On – 5 of Cups Lennon/McCartney/Starkey Rubber Soul, 1965 As the Beatles neared the end of recording their sixth album, Rubber Soul, they needed a vocal contribution from Ringo. So they pulled out “What Goes On”, a song written by John many years earlier, when the band were still called The Quarrymen. John…
Every Little Thing – The Lovers (Lennon/McCartney) Beatles for Sale, 1964 Paul initially had high hopes for his new composition “Every Little Thing”, thinking it might be the Beatles’ follow up single to the smash hit “A Hard Day’s Night”. But after playing it for manager Brian Epstein he had to admit it “didn’t have…
Martha My Dear – Page of Cups (Lennon/McCartney) The Beatles (White Album), 1968 Paul McCartney had no intention of writing a song about his three-year-old sheepdog when he sat down to write “Martha My Dear”. But it just happened that way. As he described it later, the song was intended as a creative exercise, testing…
Please Please Me – Knight of Wands (McCartney/Lennon) Please Please Me, 1963 As soon as the Beatles finished recording their second single, “Please Please Me”, producer George Martin confidently proclaimed they’d just made their first number one. He was proven correct. It was the song that launched Beatlemania in their native UK, and as the…
Good Morning Good Morning – 4 of Cups (Lennon/McCartney) Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967 During the months before recording Sgt. Pepper, John Lennon spent a lot of time sitting around in his luxurious suburban estate. Ever since being a teenager, his daily schedule had been dominated by the demands of being a Beatle.…
No Reply – 3 of Swords (Lennon/McCartney) Beatles For Sale, 1964 The Beatles’ fourth album opens on a surprisingly gloomy note. The first track of their first three records all featured a high-energy rocker to set the mood for what was to come. And in its own way, “No Reply” sets the mood for Beatles…
Good Night – The Star (Lennon/McCartney) The Beatles (White Album), 1968 The Beatles’ self-titled album is by far their longest and most varied. Listening to it all the way through is like experiencing a journey through all manner of musical styles and dimensions of the psyche. And in the end, the White Album comes to…
I Feel Fine – 2 of Cups (Lennon/McCartney) Released as a single, 1964 Available on Past Masters “I Feel Fine” was one of the Beatles’ biggest singles, reaching #1 all over the world in late-1964. By the time of its recording, the Fab Four were looking for innovative ways to expand their sound. So they…