Beatlemania is making a comeback with the upcoming release of the Beatles edition of Rock Band and the welcome announcement that the band's remastered catalog (CDs only) set to hit store shelves in the fall. The digitally remastered CDs will enable fans to gain new appreciation for not only the most well-known singles, but some buried album tracks as well. What would a fantasy “deep Beatles cuts” compilation look like? The following list highlights just some of many Beatles songs that deserve more attention. Note that I'm including only original, officially released songs, as their many covers and bootlegs would merit separate columns.
“There's A Place” (Please Please Me): This song highlights the Beatles' gorgeous harmonies, again reflecting the Four Freshman and even The Beach Boys. While Ringo Starr's uptempo drums and John Lennon's harmonica keep the tone light, the lyrics suggest quiet introspection. The lyrics suggest that this place exists within the mind. “In my mind there's no sorrow/Don't you know that it's so/There'll be no sad tomorrow,” they sing, so when the narrator is “low” and “blue,” he can retreat to some place in his mind. Among relatively conventionally-themed love songs like “Please Please Me,” “Love Me Do,” and “P.S. I Love You,” “There's A Place” definitely stands out for its more psychological subject matter.
“Yes It Is” (Past Masters Volume One): Did the Beatles listen to the Four Freshman's complicated harmonies? This little-played track suggests that the answer is yes. Listen to this beautiful ballad with headphones to fully experience the band's harmonizing artistry. Their vocals emphasize the sadness pervading the song, with the narrator begging his new love not to wear red, for “red is the color that my baby wore,” which reminds him of “all the things we planned.” Along with “Baby's in Black,” “Yes It Is” may be one of the darkest songs that the Lennon/McCartney team ever penned.
“No Reply” (Beatles for Sale): Anguish, anger, feeling betrayed: “No Reply” runs the emotional gamut. This tune kicks off the album, effectively setting the overall sober tone. The song begins on a relatively quiet note, with Lennon crooning over acoustic guitar and a shuffling beat. But a cymbal crash and escalating voices signal emotional turbulence: “I saw the light!” the band exclaims, illustrating the narrator's realization that his girlfriend is seeing another man. Those strong voices emphasize angry sentiments, the volume increasing on lines like “I nearly died” and, of course, the title phrase. Lennon allows some raspiness when singing “that's a lie,” dramatizing the narrator's despair. Again, the lyrics exemplify the group's growing sophistication and willingness to explore darker themes in their songwriting.
Article comments
1 - Josh Hathaway
There are some excellent choices here, Kit. I've always loved the harmonies on "Yes It Is" and I have a soft spot for "I Will."
Let me throw one of my "lesser" knowns out there: "Things We Said Today." That's not one you hear every day and it's one of my favorite McCartney cuts.
2 - JC Mosquito
This will likely open up an extra large can o' worms, so here's my contribution before things go nutty - Cry Baby Cry.
Good call on your picks, Mr. O'T, especially There's a Place.
3 - Kit O'Toole
Yes, it was very difficult to pick the "lesser-known" cuts, and both of you bring up equally great ones. It will be interesting to see what other readers suggest.
JC--glad you liked the article! Actually, it's Ms. O'T--but don't worry, I get that all the time. I know "Kit" can be a guy's name, too. ;)
4 - Karen Stoessel
Hey Kit: And who could pick deep cuts...and the best ones yet? Aren't they all great? Whatever appears in the sets will be great to have...again...in our collection. My personal "deep cut?" Would have to be I'm Down. Remembering hearing Paul's gut-wrenching screams sent me into a full-blown tizzy! Thanks Kit and look forward to getting this pack in the fall!
5 - Glen Boyd
I think I'd have gone with "The Night Before" from Help! Otherwise, great choices here.
-Glen
6 - JC Mosquito
Ouch! My apologies, K. Should've read your bio. It's just all this pre-Beatlemania (part II) is makin' me silly. Or perhaps sillier.
7 - zingzing
"no reply," i think, is one of the great beatles tracks. such a strange song, it moves through a variety of moods and musical situations like an early version of "happiness is a warm gun" or, dare i say it, "good vibrations."
as good as the beatles ever got, that.
8 - Al Sussman
Well, the concept of there being "deep cuts" in the Rolls-Royce of pop music catalogs is a bit of a stretch. The solo catalogs of the individual Beatles have many songs that could be considered "deep cuts". Nonetheless, "Yes It Is", "I Need You", and "I Will" are among my very favorite Beatles songs, deep cuts or not.
9 - JC Mosquito
BTW - any idea of the retail price of the 9/9/9 reissues?
10 - Kit O'Toole
Thanks for commenting, everyone. Yes, it was hard to choose "deep cuts," but I tried to avoid singles that had recently (or ever) been performed live, or are played a lot on the radio.
JC--I haven't heard anything about prices yet, although I'm assuming I'll be dropping a fair amount of money come the fall. ;)
11 - Marco Antonio
I made, some time ago, a Beatles' compilation named "The Beatles cult sparks" with the followings tracks: 1-Sexy Sadie; 2-Oh! Darling; 3-Hey Bulldog; 4-And Your Bird Can Sing; 5- I Call Your Name; 6-Slow Down; 7-Think For Yourself; 8-I'm Only Sleeping; 9-Helter Skelter; 10-Yer Blues; 11-You Know My Name (Look Up The Number); 12-Rocky Racoon; 13-Tomorrow Never Knows. These songs are not present in any film, single, or best of. I think them all are deep cuts.
12 - Kit O'Toole
Cool list, Marco! I love "Slow Down," but couldn't include it on my fantasy compilation because it isn't a Lennon/McCartney or Harrison composition--it's a cover of a classic R&B tune by Larry Williams. "You Know My Name" is an interesting choice. ;)
13 - rob
There are countless album tracks that could be included in a deep cuts selection, and this is not surprising because the Beatles put as much quality into every album track as they did their singles releases - " a lesson for other artists" as Tony Barrow commented on the Beatles For Sale cover notes. Can I nonetheless add "In My Life", "You Like Me Too Much", "It's Only Love", "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", "It Won't Be Long" "Every Little Thing", "What You're Doing" and "I Wanna Be Your Man" for starters.
14 - woody lifton
Kit,
I would like to invite you to post this story in our Share Your Beatles Story section @
Woody
15 - Maureen
You'd have to know the Beatles would motivate me to my first online comment, Kit! Agree with your earliest choices, and echo the one contributer who includes "In My Life", my alltime favorite Beatles song.
16 - Brad
Kit,
Great list of songs from you and the readers. Most of the songs mentioned would be on my list, so instead of repeating, I will add these gems: "Any Time At All" and "I'll Be Back" from my favorite album "A Hard Days Night" (these will be great in stereo!);"I'm Looking Through You" from "Rubber Soul", "Not A Second Time" from "With the Beatles", "She Said She Said" from "Revolver", "It's All Too Much" (the ultimate guitar feedback song) from "Yellow Submarine" and "Mother Nature's Son" from the "White Album".
Incidently, the Beatles performed "Things We Said Today" while on tour. "There's A Place" I always thought of as a rare gem because it was not officially available in this country until released on cd in '87. Capitol Records removed it and "Misery" from the Parlophone album "Please Please Me" when they made it into "The Early Beatles" for release in this country. I always thought they cut 2 of the best songs.
17 - Reverend Flash
Actually, another reason why 'Slow Down' shouldn't count is because it was a charted US hit single, reaching number 25 in Billboard in mid 1964.