Who are some artists who influenced this recording? What are some examples?
Who are some artists who influenced this recording? What are some examples?
DIRECTIONS:
- Listen to the recording of the tune by clicking the attached mp3 file. This will open the recording in a new window or tab. Listen and follow along with the listening guide in the book.
- Read the liner notes below.
- Read the information “What to Listen For”
- Respond to the Rate-A-Record/Questions by clicking on the assignment link and then click on on the button “Write Submission” (to the right of Text Submission) to record your response. Do not use the comments field.
I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles
The Beatles began their existence as the Quarrymen, one of the thousands of British youth groups playing skiffle music—a combination of country blues, Dixieland jazz, and American folk music that became wildly popular in the United Kingdom in 1957-58. After the skiffle craze waned the lads shifted their focus to rock and roll and rockabilly.
The Beatles played gigs wherever they could get them, many at the Cavern Club in their hometown of Liverpool. The owner of the Cavern had a friend who booked rock and roll acts into clubs in Hamburg; through this connection the group secured residencies at clubs in the Reeperbahn, the city’s red light district. There the boys were required to play seven to eight hours a night, six days a week; as a result they mastered a great deal of material by artists like Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, the Everly Brothers, and Little Richard. They also learned to fake their way through requests, modifying songs they knew into approximations of tunes they didn’t. During the Hamburg years the personnel of the group shifted. Bassist Stu Sutcliffe was fired, as the rest of the group thought he wasn’t very good; Paul McCartney, who had never played bass, figured he could do just as well. Drummer Pete Best was likewise jettisoned, and for some time the Beatles made do without a drummer; it has been posited that the aggressive rhythm guitar parts heard in early Beatles songs are relics of this period.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney began writing songs together fairly early in the band’s existence, sitting “eyeball to eyeball” and hashing out lyrics, melody, and basic arrangements. As a natural songwriting team, they normally finished one song per working session, and met regularly, even on tour, to increase their original repertoire. While originally this caused problems—English record executives weren’t used to new groups bringing their own material into the studio—in short order it became standard operating procedure, and groups that couldn’t provide their own songs were considered a liability.
In 1963 no British band had ever achieved great success touring in the United States. The Beatles told their manager, Brian Epstein, that they refused to go to the states until they had a chart-topping record. “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” a Buddy Holly-esque composition that also borrowed Little Richard’s falsetto shout, tight Everly Brothers harmonies, and peppy Motown handclaps, did the trick.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR:
Driving tempo driven by the drum set – backbeat groove/figures on snare drum – hand claps
Importance of vocals/harmonies
Refrain or hook that appears over and over – high level of “ear germ” effect – (i.e. tune/hook gets stuck in your head)
Guitar sounds
Another great example of an AABA song with a partial reprise (AABABA). Also note the emphasis on the hook or refrain! Masterful song construction here.
RATE-A-RECORD/QUESTIONS TO ANSWER:
Who are some artists who influenced this recording? What are some examples?
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