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.

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Ready, Set, Go Man Go

{Mar 03}

Doug1950s little richard 1 Comment

Ah, Little Richard. Chuck Berry may have been the pioneering Rock ‘N Roll guitarists, but Little Richard was that pioneering voice and then some. So much can be said about Little Richard that most don’t realize or know, although everyone knows the name and the staples like Tutti Frutti. Let’s just look at the enormous amount of influences. Bob Dylan said in his high school yearbook that his goal was to be in Little Richard’s band. Jimi Hendrix actually was in Little Richard’s band and was quoted as saying, “I want to do with my guitar what he does with his voice.” James Brown cites Little Richard as his idol. The Beatles spoke so proudly of their time touring with him and his teachings to them on singing. They would later try to one-up their teacher by recording one of his most famous songs, Long Tall Sally, a whole key higher than the master himself (click here for the Little Richard version & here for the Beatles version and see what I mean). Throwing off some more names though, Otis Redding, Rolling Stones, The Who, David Bowie, Bob Seger, Ray Charles, and so many more all recognize Little Richard as a God among musicians for setting the pace for rock music to follow. I can’t stress not only how important Little Richard is to music, but just how amazing he is. I think the song I have picked out exemplifies it.

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