POLL Brown Shoe: The best Beatles-era George Harrison b-side

Is OBS the obvious one? I voted Inner Light at any rate

The Inner Light

first one is really good - one of the best attempts at this kind of fusion I've heard

was the second one actually recorded inside a shoe?

third one is a song I guess

Forget the Indian music and listen to the melody. Don't you think it's a beautiful melody? It's really lovely.[68]

– Paul McCartney, 1968

And “The Inner Light” was the last time Indian instrumentation was heard on a Beatles record.

I’m leaning towards that one, but the bridge of “Old Brown Shoe” has that killer bass/guitar unison line (both played by George, iirc).

The Inner Light is the only one which wouldn't appear on my Beatles Songs I Don't Care About CD

"The Inner Light" sounds like Celtic folk music being played on Indian instruments, crossed with a healthy dose of The Incredible String Band. It's got my vote.

the inner light

I lean toward "Old Brown Shoe" because it's got a helluva groove, John and Paul sound spirited on those backup vocals, and Harrison's solo.

The Inner Light is Carnatic, so not Hindustani like LYT and WYWY and thus very much its own thing. It's beautiful (and it's my vote).

I like the sort of quasi-ska swing and fastness of Old Brown Shoe and I like that they did a photoshoot with the shoe itself. I prefer it to For You Blue (a US No. 1 if you want to be pedantic) but I enjoy how hollow FYB sounds - everything on the track that isn't the beat feels distant and airy.

If Status Quo never covered OBS they should have

That Paul quote is OTM, "The Inner Light" is always due for appreciation as more than "just" one of George's Indian songs. But "Old Brown Shoe" is just a monster, no way I can't vote for it. I'm always surprised when people talk about it like a minor song, it rocks better than most of Abbey Road.

“The Inner Light” was the last time Indian instrumentation was heard on a Beatles record.

The last time that it provided the backbone of the song, but there was "Across the Universe" later.

I'd probably vote "Old Brown Shoe" just for the opening four bass notes.

And if you want to reeeeeally stretch things you can say not even AtU* was the final Beatles song with Indian influence.

Leng highlights Harrison's guitar solo on (Something) as "a performance that is widely regarded as one of the great guitar solos", and one in which Harrison incorporates the gamaks associated with Indian classical music, following his study of the sitar in 1965–68, while also foreshadowing the expressive style he would adopt on slide guitar as a solo artist.[67]

(Here Comes the Sun) The song features 4/4 (in the verse) and a sequence of 11/8 + 4/4 + 7/8 (which can also be transcribed as 11/8 + 15/8) in the bridge, phrasing interludes that Harrison drew from Indian music influences.[14][19][15]

*although this still depends on where you place AtU chronologically

(Here Comes the Sun) The song features 4/4 (in the verse) and a sequence of 11/8 + 4/4 + 7/8 (which can also be transcribed as 11/8 + 15/8) in the bridge, phrasing interludes that Harrison drew from Indian music influences.

IIRC the Scorsese doc has Ringo explaining how he had to navigate that with George kind of leaving him to his own devices. He's pretty modest about it, but it kind of feels like further proof of Ringo's greatness. Like he just instinctively knows that he needs to serve the song, it really does come natural to him even when he needs to think out the problem.

Ringo's the only Beatles in the recent documentary who needs no direction.

That's probably why he gets taken for granted - he's so reliable they just leave him alone, but it also means he's kind of left out. I want to say it's like a guy who does his job so reliably well that he doesn't know how he's doing because he gets no feedback.

FWIW, I remember someone making the point that one reason the Beatles were able to mess with their recordings with little inhibition (in terms of mixing or splicing together disparate elements) is that Ringo was like a Swiss watch - as long as he played or kept time on every recording that was being used, it was sure to match in terms of rhythm. You even see this on "She Loves You," "This Boy" and a few other early recordings - there's a blatant splice where they combined takes on the final master but the beat doesn't get faster or slower, it's right on the dime.

He was also probably the most accessible of the four.

I want to say it's like a guy who does his job so reliably well that he doesn't know how he's doing because he gets no feedback.

That’s why he walked out during the white album sessions: he thought the others didn’t love him anymore, and he felt his playing was shit. They all sent telegrams and flowers begging him to return.

Ringo was like a Swiss watch

When they recorded “Because,” George Martin (playing electric harpsichord) knew his own sense of time was shaky, so he asked Ringo to keep time for him on a hi-hat. I don’t think it occurred to any of them to use a metronome; they just knew Ringo would nail it.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Ringo's also crucial in A Hard Day's Night. I mean, if you want it to be a story. Him and Paul's Grandfather.

Funny how he stole the show here, just by doing his job.

The 11/4 on HCTS is probably my favourite bit of any Beatles song,and yeah it feels strongly influenced by Indian classical.
I think “For You Blue” was the last ever Beatles session (altho no John presence). “The Inner Light” is way beyond where the others were going tho.

Perhaps this Ringo guy was in fact the best drummer in The Beatles after all.

I think “For You Blue” was the last ever Beatles session (altho no John presence)

"I Me Mine." Just before the film and soundtrack got a release, they realized the film had the bit where the band rehearsed "I Me Mine." Because it wasn't finished, the Threetles added that fast section and the overdubs.

I have to look it up, but I think it's all staggered depending on how you define the last "Beatles" session.

I think the last time all four were in the studio together was "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," and even then it was just to mix the track. (IIRC no recording was done, not even overdubs.)

Then the last time there was any group recording was later on with "I Me Mine" (as mentioned without John and if you don't count the reunion for Anthology).

Then the very last recording session is arguably the one after that, with Ringo with Phil Spector and the orchestra.

Something about that progression kind of reflects this slow disintegration of the band.

I wish he wrote a song called "I'm So Sick of those Two"

Between "Wah-Wah" and "Sue Me, Sue You Blues," I think George covered everything pretty well.

Four consecutive Threetles songs - I Me Mine, All Those Years Ago, FAAB, Real Love

I wish he wrote a song called "I'm So Sick of those Two"

― | (Latham Green), Wednesday, October 26, 2022 11:31 AM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Between "Wah-Wah" and "Sue Me, Sue You Blues," I think George covered everything pretty well.

― birdistheword, Wednesday, October 26, 2022 12:32 PM

And "Not Guilty"!

I forgot who posted on one of the Beatles threads about the way George looks at Paul here, like, "Can you believe this fuckin guy"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wrgrm1eabI

I forgot who posted on one of the Beatles threads about the way George looks at Paul here, like, "Can you believe this fuckin guy"

That was me, and probably on multiple threads. But I was referring to one of the interview segments where they're all sitting around a table. Whenever a camera is on Paul, or a mic is in front of him, he goes into his Media Persona. I can't remember the exact moment, but during one of Paul's interview answers, George just looks pissed (in the American sense, meaning angry) like, "Ugh, this fucking guy again. Don't bullshit: I've known you since you were 14, man."

The irony with the acoustic trio thing is that it was George's idea. He didn't want the heaviness of LET'S BE THE BEATLES AGAIN, and suggested an informal jam session just for laughs.

Yes, the song would have been "I'm Sick of Him".

Paul: "Blue moon of Kentucky?"

George face: "If you must..."

George (muttering): The short version...

That Paul quote is OTM, "The Inner Light" is always due for appreciation as more than "just" one of George's Indian songs. But "Old Brown Shoe" is just a monster, no way I can't vote for it. I'm always surprised when people talk about it like a minor song, it rocks better than most of Abbey Road.

Seconding all this. OBS has always thrilled me, the Dylanesque playfulness of "I want a love that's right but right is only half of what's wrong" and "I want a short-haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long" especially. The whole thing is just so gorgeously giddy.

and his solo is exquisitely played smut

"Old Brown Shoe" is also perhaps chronologically the last Beatles song where the production is neither Abbey Road slick nor Let It Be sloppy, but it seems like they're listening to each sound and section and going out on a limb to try something different. I love the way the guitar solo has its own reverb settings and jumps out of the record.

That was me, and probably on multiple threads. But I was referring to one of the interview segments where they're all sitting around a table. Whenever a camera is on Paul, or a mic is in front of him, he goes into his Media Persona.

Yet George has the bearing and assurance of a leader in clips like this; it's as if Paul's his sideman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWSfqQcJ9tE

"Old Brown Shoe" is also perhaps chronologically the last Beatles song where the production is neither Abbey Road slick nor Let It Be sloppy, but it seems like they're listening to each sound and section and going out on a limb to try something different. I love the way the guitar solo has its own reverb settings and jumps out of the record.

― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, October 26, 2022

otm -- they self-produced at this point until Abbey Road.

Oh there was some big debate on some other music based board about who plays drums on OBS. Apparently, the deluxe Abbey Road book says it's Paul, but lots of drummers say it's too complex for Paul. And yet lots of Paul fans say sure it is!

Well....

I thought the controversy concerned who played bass.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

lolllll

lol the For You Blue vote was me - if I'd gone for Old Brown Shoe like I nearly did it would've been a perfect result

I remember when "The Inner Light" was only available on the Rarities LP while "Old Brown Shoe" was featured on the blue album, it's hard for me to think of them as having a similar level of acclaim (despite Past Masters coming out 35 years ago).

lol as a kid I wondered why the fuck it appeared on The Blue Album other than John saying "Fine, we'll let George have another."

1973 was probably George's peak as a cultural figure.

I forget the name of the guy, but some guy wrote a song about how George should have spaced out over several albums all the good songs on All Things Must Pass, instead of blowing them all on one release .

I think about that from time to time

I think from time to time about how John said George looked like an "Asthmatic Leon Russell" on the ATMP cover!

I’m leaning towards that one, but the bridge of “Old Brown Shoe” has that killer bass/guitar unison line (both played by George, iirc).

I've always thought it was McCartney on bass, and I've always used it as an example of how he really threw himself into George's songs (see also the guitar solo on Taxman) contrary to rumours that he and Lennon were begrudging toward George's stuff.

Ian MacDonald lists the bass as Paul, but I'm not sure he's considered the authority he used to be these days. He considers OBS a great b-side, whereas I think it's one of the greatest late-Beatles songs.

I forget the name of the guy, but some guy wrote a song about how George should have spaced out over several albums all the good songs on All Things Must Pass, instead of blowing them all on one release .

Yeah, there doesn’t seem to be agreement on who played what on OBS. I believe it’s George on bass mainly because I just don’t see Paul allowing someone else to dictate his parts to him. As a bassist, George was more than adept (“Drive My Car” and “Maxwell’s”). So I continue to believe it’s him on guitar and bass, Paul on piano, and Ringo on drums. And that’s somewhat recently disputed because he was supposedly off filming The Magic Christian that day. But as competent as Paul was as a drummer, absolutely no way could he have played OBS (and it sounds exactly like Ringo anyway).

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