As I recall this song was released as a Beatles recording written by Lennon/McCartney.

In reality, it was just John and Paul on the actual record with Paul playing drums.


Would this be the start of Lennon's solo career?

Yes on the first two lines.
No on the third as McCartney never played on any Lennon solo material as far as I'm aware of except maybe Free as a Bird if you count that.

Lord, no.

The interplay between the two of them on that record is pure Lennon/McCartney.

Start of Lennon’s solo career? No. It’s a definite Beatles number, recorded during a period when they frequently didn’t record together as a full band.

The start of Lennon’s solo career came with Give Peace a Chance (actually credited as Lennon/McCartney for a while, if not still now) and Cold Turkey. Both of which were recorded whilst the Beatles were still a half-active band.

What? No George on the Spanish sounding guitar?

"No Anchovies, Please"

Actually, Lennon's first solo outing would be Two Virgins, whether it is music or not is often debated.
Give Peace A Chance was released July 1969
Cold Turkey released Oct. 1969 (a great live version can be found on Sometime in NY City, with Billy Preston, Keith Moon and George Harrison)

Paul has the distinction of releasing the first solo disc while in The Beatles, the soundtrack for Family Way in 1967,(though many don't think of this as a solo disc, as it is only music from the film with no vocals)
Next would be George's Wonderwall in 1968, also from a film, but some vocals, and the backing track for The Inner Light was cut during these sessioins, which was the B side of Lady Madonna (Wonderwall is the first release on Apple)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-10-01 05:55 by whitem8.

Elmo Lewis Wrote:
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> What? No George on the Spanish sounding guitar?

Nope. Just the two of them.

That's Beatle John on guitar.

Yup! John on acoustic and slide
Paul on bass, drums, and piano

They went solo in '65 before that theu wrote some songs together

__________________________

Well I guess the first solo song would be Yesterday. McCartney is the only Beatle to play on it.

Thanks! I never knew.

terraplane Wrote:
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> Well I guess the first solo song would be
> Yesterday. McCartney is the only Beatle to play on
> it.


And the only one who wrote it as far as I know.

MacPhisto Wrote:
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> terraplane Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Well I guess the first solo song would be
> > Yesterday. McCartney is the only Beatle to play
> on
> > it.
>
>
> And the only one who wrote it as far as I know.


Yes, that is correct. He says he heard the melody in a dream and upon waking wrote it down.

Lennon has said 'Across The Universe' came to him in a dream with full lyrics & melody. Pretty amazing when they write them in their sleep.

The track credits on the Ballad of John & Yoko are:

Lennon-lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars

Mccartney- Backing vocals, bass, drums , percussion


Mccartneys backing vocals are terrific !

It is a fantastic song. Great autobiographical lyrics from John. Nice to hear him step out on a bit a lead guitar as well as he only played lead on a few tracks:
Get Back, You Can't Do That, & Revolution to name a few. As well as the jazz/swing solo he plays on the White Album track (name which escapes me at the moment)

terraplane Wrote:
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As well as the jazz/swing solo he plays on
> the White Album track (name which escapes me at
> the moment)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-10-01 14:57 by Svartmer.

Dont forget his lead work on "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" great !

Yes. That was a great one as well as his lead guitar part in The End.

John plays lead on "Get Back" as well.

loog droog Wrote:
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> John plays lead on "Get Back" as well.


Unfortunately he did. He was never that good when it came to bending notes. Can´t understand why George didn´t do the soloing on that one.

Never knew that John is playing solo in The End. Great heavy rock moment.

Didn't know Paul was on drums.

Paul also played drums on two or three tracks on the White Album, when Ringo for a couple of weeks left the band. Back in the USSR was one of the songs.

John on voval,acustic guitar, el guitar and percution.
Paul vocal, bass, drums, piano and marcas.
No other musicans.
Recordefd april 14. 1969

John also play lead in You Can´t do That, the first solo in Long Tall Sally. Too much Monkey Bussiness and many more from the "Live at The BBC" double CD"

"I´m not technically good but I can make it howl and move"JL.

Lennon played lead on "Get Back" because Harrison had walked out on the group when they were rehearsing the song-- I always thought his lead on that was terrific--think it would have been an entirely different song with George playing lead---

And Lennon's lead playing on "The End" is only a part of it-- all three Beatles( Mccartney, Harrison, Lennon) take turns playing lead on that one-- you can pick out their individual styles a mile away-- Lennons is the rougher, more distorted solos--good stuff

One of Brians favorite songs along his last days, his last gf writes in her book.

NumberOneStonesFan Wrote:
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> Yes on the first two lines.
> No on the third as McCartney never played on any
> Lennon solo material as far as I'm aware of except
> maybe Free as a Bird if you count that.


That's true but Ringo played drums on Instant Karma

Two Virgins was a lot of noise imho

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - may have been the "official" solo album but I prefer to think Live Peace In Toronto 1969 was the "unoffical" solo album by John.

As for the original topic George was on holiday and Ringo was filming "The Magic Christian" and John was in a hurry to make the recording so he summoned Paul and the two of them recorded the song.

Hmm. Trying to imagine what the lyrics of this song would have been if the title were:

- The Ballad of Mick and Bianca
- The Ballad of Keith and Anita
- The Ballad of Bill and Mandy
- The Ballad of Charlie and Shirley