Without wishing to wind up the obsessives: a song came up on shuffle today while I was out walking. I hadn’t heard it for ages. It struck me that, with a different voice; the arrangement, melody, instrumentation and “bit at the end” could be The Beatles in disguise (cf. the rumours about Badfinger).
Anyone agree/strongly disagree? Any other contenders?
Song in question is in the comments! Anyone guess correctly before looking?
You know…. I was all set to pour scorn on your Beatles comparison, but I gave this a good listen and I actually found myself agreeing with you. The interplay of the bass, drums and piano all sounds very Abbey Road, and while it maybe doesn’t quite reach top tier genius Beatles level of melody it’s very reminiscent of the kind of stuff George was writing around ’69-’71 (and almost touches Paul for inventiveness).
Where it differs from the Beatles is in the guitar (too fuzzy and glam), the brass (too cheesy) and the running time (the Beatles would have faded this out after three minutes). And the lack of a harmony vocal.
It surprised me too, Arthur – but there it was!
Also the piano – not the way Paul would have played
Or George Martin
Lest we forget, Slade were the biggest thing in British music after the Beatles. Noddy’s voice is purposefully miked up to sound like Lennon’s; Jim Lea couldn’t resist a Macca-like trill on the bass; and like you say the production here recalls Phil Spector’s work on All Things Must Pass. There’s no end of invention on all the post-glam Slade records – from funk to country-folk – though they did find the form hard to transcend commercially. Even the later cheesy anthems have a certain Mull of Kintyre-like quality. Definitely the band the Beatles could have been.
I think T.Rextasy was first by about 12 months.
I thought for a moment the board was going to see its first ever Klaatu thread…
There’s still time…
Calling occupants…..
It sounds like The Beatles because in the film they were playing the rise and fall of a 60s group. Tricky to pull off as it needed to be convincing enough for the viewer to think: “Yep, I can see that being highly regarded/The Beatles”.
It’s why Flame is a natural bed-fellow to That’ll Be The Day and a much better film than Stardust, where the over-blown music, meant to convey importance (i.e. “This guy is as big as The Beatles”) is lousy.
Unsurprisingly, the great unwashed largely turned their back on Slade’s greatest four minutes.
Why do they always do that?
One huge negative though – Noel Gallagher reckons it.
Even a stopped clock etc…
Oof, I don’t know, I’m quite partial to Stardust. Yes, the music is overblown and ridiculous, but I thought that was the point? Or maybe I’m being too generous to it. I always felt it was a cynical look and how ridiculous and self-important the pop business got as the stars started getting pretentious and the money flowed far more than was healthy. It’s quite a brutal comedown when he comes through the other side, and I think the last ten minutes of the film remain startlingly bleak and ahead of its time.
I thought it was great fun, and “That’ll be the day” too. In the concert sequence you get a split second glimpse of my mate’s sister for whom I nursed an unrequited crush for most of my teenage years.
Bad finger and Klaatu would make the list, as would lumps of the ELO catalogue (particularly 10538 Overture with it’s Dear Prudence-esque riff)
Without becoming a Slade appreciation thread I think they repeat the “Beatles-echoes” trick on another In Flame track Summer Song (Wishing You Were Here)
Feel free – nowt wrong with a Slade appreciation thread!
Well there’s this.
Perhaps a bit “on the nose”, Hubes? Although you have a point…
How Long by Ace. Even the guitar break is Harrisonesque.
I have to disagree Tig. The Fabs never did that smooth grooving, and George wasn’t a feel player at all. He was an off by heart man, very well structured and melodic but couldn’t improvise which is clearly what’s going on here.
I agree. Quintessential 70s soft rock. More soul-y.
Gilbert O’Sullivan – Alone Again (Naturally)?
On release, the UK reviewers said how Beatlesy this was. Acoustic guitars, slide lead – and produced by George Martin
See also I Need You
(OK, maybe there’s a bit of Crosby Stills and Nash in there too)
Any ELO, obviously, but this one is Lennonesque. Sweet Is The Night.
Tranquillity – Nice And Easy
Very close Tiggs.
Always thought this sounds like a lost Beatles song. Maybe Macca and George trading licks in the guitar solo.
What was it, Twang? I’m getting the Black Screen of Unavailable Doom – I get that a lot, don’t know why…
Squeeze – mussels from a shell.
From the Nuggets compilation (released 1972 so meets the criteria)
Knickerbockers- Lies
Here’s a guy who was once known as a “one-man Beatles” – Emitt Rhodes, with something from 1973, “Shoot the Moon”
Terrific talent – that retrospective of his work is one of the best I’ve ever bought. I found him first through his song ‘Tame The Lion’ which appeared on a litle budget compo called ‘Spirit Of Rock (The Probe Family Sampler)’ that I bought in 1972. He released 4 albums in the early 70s, but that run was followed by a very, very long silence. Many years later he put out one final album, ‘Rainbow Ends’ in 2016, which is a beauty.
By that time I could afford to consider catching up with his back catalogue, but his material was all in the ‘lost treasure’ category, costing zillions second-hand.
And then this came out. What a superb body of work.
After Pete Ham died, the remaining members of Badfinger went on to form The Dodgers.
Out of the many Beatles influences on Crowded House, I always thought this song was/is the Fabbest.
This forum has an interesting discussion on the subject, and the first comment gratifyingly concurs with the above.
https://www.frenzforum.com/topic/most-beatle-esque-ch-song
Here’s two from Germany. File under: Klaatu Tribute Bands.
Scoff if you wish, but I hear lots of Beatley influences in Horslips mid 70s music – the harmonies, the counter melodies, the ‘ensemble sound’ (rather than focused on virtuoso instrumental stuff) etc. They were big fans, even recording a tribute 45 in 1976, ‘Come Back Beatles’, under a fake name.
Here’s one that’s particularly Fab Macca circa Abbey Road to my ears. Imagine it replacing ‘Maxwell’s Ghastly Nonsense’.
Slightly off track @colin-h but I own this album (and really like it) but have no idea if it’s representative of their, erm, oeuvre as I haven’t heard anything else by them. Somehow I imagine it to be their commercial album.
And you’d be right in that view! In short, albums 1972-76 is their prog-ish Celtic-rock period; 1977-78 (Aliens & Man Who Built America) is the US-focused FM rock period; 1979 (Short Stories, Tall Tales) is influenced much more in sound and style by tight, lean British New Wave than ‘big’ US radio rock. The last album, The Belfast Gigs (1980), unites it all back under the Celtic-rock umbrella.
Thank you! I’m encouraged to investigate a bit more now.
Not mid 70s but this B—les song could have been a McCartney leftover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7uSyTZN0xk
Whole album is great.
The Pleasers were a weird affair. A Beatles tribute band but playing original songs. They appeared on kids TV every now and then in the 70s.
Instant Karma popped up somewhere on social media and I thought apropos this thread that certain Slade hits aren’t so far away from that banger. Never thought about that before.