Balarama Music

Beatles Countdown #99 – I’m Down

Feb 25

Doug1960s little richard, paul mccartney, the beatles No Comments

Clocking in at 99 is the first B-Side of the countdown from the Help! album: “I’m Down!” Man, depression never sounded so fun before or after I first heard this song.

Like number 100, the song was primarily written by Paul McCartney and is probably one of The Beatles’ best rock songs from the time period. You know, before they went and changed the definition of “rock music.” With the twelve-bar blues format and the stop/go verse styles, it’s an obvious homage to Little Richard and many of his hit songs. The Beatles toured with Little Richard most of 1962, the same year their first single was released, and the members have always spoken of how influential that tour was on them. According to them, he taught the band a lot about stage presence as well as the correct technique in performing his songs which they took to heart and made their own. “I’ve Got A Feeling” ring a bell? The Beatles idolized Richard so much that they recorded one of his signature songs, Long Tall Sally, before A Hard Day’s Night and John Lennon attempted to out-do the master by doing his song a whole step higher.

The song was recorded during the Help! sessions in the same session as “I’ve Just Seen A Face” & “Yesterday” which, to me, just stick out like a sore thumb. Even though it didn’t make the cut for the album, Paul McCartney wished for it to be the A-Side as he and John Lennon always had a rivalry to see who would get the lead part of the single. For obvious reasons (a freakin’ movie named after the song), “Help!” was chosen as the lead single. “I’m Down” was relegated to near obscurity as it didn’t even appear on any Beatles album until 1976′s US-only compilation Rock ‘n’ Roll Music before finally being released properly on 1988′s Past Masters that showcased a lot of hidden gems from the band.

The song itself seems to be just a vent of frustration of being depressed and it being no laughing matter. It features some of The Beatle’s signature call-and-response singing that they used so frequently early on in their career. After a jaunty solo by George Harrison and before the fun breakdown of the song, there’s actually a fun solo bit with John Lennon on keyboard which was actually his first use of that instrument on any Beatle recording. John was so excited to play it for the song that he played the instrument with his elbows famously at Shea Stadium and on The Ed Sullivan Show. Hell, the band loved it so much that they used it as a concert closer for the last year they toured together. For that reason alone, whoever picked out the song listing for the Help! album and left this classic off was certifiably crazy!

Before I wrap this up, I did want to give you a bit of cool information. This song was actually the first song Aerosmith ever recorded & their demo version of it is what got them a record deal in the first place. They eventually included a cover of the song on the album Permanent Vacation in 1987 which you can find here. We all know they covered “Come Together” later so it just seems cool that they kept re-visiting the band that got them somewhat started.

Song: I’m Down
Album: Help!
Year: 1965

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