#054

Blend – Besouros VERSUS Pedras Rolantes
A semana passada acabamos a m4we com uma versão de I am the Walrus, canção dos Beatles banida na altura pela BBC por causa de menções a uma “pornographic priestess” e uma outra linha que ia pela via de “let your knickers down”. Fixing a Hole, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds e A Day in the Life também iriam ao lápis azul da BBC por referencias a drogas…
Como esta semana decidi fazer uma escolha de músicas dos “meninos bem comportados” (Beatles) em combate com os seus rivais “meninos rabinos” (Stones) comecei por pensar porque razão no país onde cresci quase toda a gente olhava para estas duas bandas sob um prisma de dicotomia comportamental, fazendo pandilha com uma ou com outra, sem nunca ver que era só rock & roll and we liked it.
Se pensarmos nos Beatles, a primeira coisa que nos vem à cabeça é se calhar os penteados conhecidos como mop tops enquanto que visualmente nos Stones é inevitávelmente o logotipo. Embora muito boa gente pense que o design de uma língua vermelha a saltar fora de uns lábios cheios foi concebido por Andy Warhol, a realidade é que Mick Jagger pediu a John Pasche, um jovem estudante do Royal College of Art de Londres, um logotipo representando a label do grupo. Jagger queria algo à semelhança de Kali, deusa hindu muitas vezes representada com a lingua fora da sua carnuda boca. Pashe foi pago 50 libras pelo trabalho que acabou por representar o mais famoso leitmotif do cantor da banda. Warhol viria no entanto a criar a fantástica capa de Sticky Fingers com braguilha de zipper e tudo.
Apesar de os vermos como rivais Jagger contribuiu com os vocais de apoio e Brian Jones tocou oboé em “Baby You’re a Rich Man” dos Beatles. Em troca, Lennon e McCartney fizeram harmonias em “We Love You”. A rivalidade era benéfica mas poderia quase jurar que era sempre Lennon a contribuir para a maledicência que se ia instaurando. Keith Richards descreveu bem a situação confidenciado um dia à revista Life: “The Beatles are all over the place like a fucking bag of fleas. They were a great band and I loved their records. Every English group owed them a huge debt, but I had no intention of kissing their asses. Besides, last I looked, the Hollies were holding down places on the same top 10 as the Beatles, so pardon me if you don’t like our fucking record but keep it to yourself, if you please”.
Atirei uma moeda ao ar, cara ou coroa? Calhou aos rapazes de Some Girls a faixa de arranque e assim decidi começar com a über versão que os Devo fizeram de (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. Lembro-me como me senti quando em 1978 tive pela primeira vez nas mãos o disco Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (a edição americana e não a espanhola que tinha o titulo escrito P: Somos nosotros hombres? R: Nosotros somos Devo!). Aqui estava um pedaço de pop mutante totalmente diferente das outras coisas que estavam a sair nessa altura. E esta versão era a cereja no topo do bolo…
Hoje reconhecido como um dos mais famosos chart toppers dos Stones, Satisfaction foi retirado das listagens radialistas em 1965 por ter uma letra “sexualmente sugestiva”. A revista Newsweek até escreveu que o single estava “cheio de temas de mau gosto” após a proibição a nível nacional da música nas rádios americanas. O programa da ABC “Shindig!” chegou mesmo a bipar a linha “and I’m tryin’ to make some girl”. Ironicamente, 40 anos volvidos após tanta polemica idiota esta foi a ÚNICA música que não foi censurada durante o espectáculo no intervalo do Super Bowl XL em Fevereiro de 2006. Como os tempos mudam!
Passo logo para Come Together com que os Fab Four lançaram o album Abbey Road gravado em 1969. As honras são de Ben Addison que nos anos 90 fez o quarteto Corduroy juntamente com o irmão gémeo Scott, Richard Searle (que vinha dos Doctor & The Medics) e o guitarrista Simon Nelson-Smith. Retirei esta versão do disco Fab Guiro! de 2008, um disco inteiramente preenchido por versões de sucessos da banda de Liverpool e que tem um claim bastante apropriado: Northern Songs in a Southern Style.
E sigo em frente para David Bowie com Let’s Spend the Night Together, editado em 1973 no album Aladdin Sane mas que muito bem poderia ter feito parte de Pinups do mesmo ano.
A letra não sugere nada, é na realidade bastante explicito e directo o tom sexual que pretende ser uma conversa entre um casal solteiro, acendalha incandescente para qualquer tipo de presunção moralmente conservadora dos media que viam os swinging sixties “a balouçar” à sua frente. A letra “sugestiva” tirou o single das principais emissoras e causou algum escândalo no Ed Sullivan Show. Em 1967, os Stones foram instruídos pela equipe de produção de Sullivan a mudar a letra para “let’s spend some time together” antes de subir ao palco do programa televisivo. Jagger inicialmente não se quis comprometer, mas acabou cedendo quando o próprio apresentador disse “Ou a música vai ou você vai”.
Ainda assim, a banda manteve-se firme no seu protesto à mudança lírica revirando os olhos todas as vezes que a letra alterada era cantada. No meio da performance, Jagger desistiu da restrição e cantou as linhas originais. O pequeno acto de “rebeldia” fez com que os Stones fossem proibidos de voltarem ao programa. Ou isso ou o facto da banda ainda ter aparecido mais uma vez essa noite mas com vestimentas nazi…
E a selecção continua por aí fora, alternando aritmeticamente uma canção dos Beatles e uma dos Stones. Umas foram editadas pouco tempo depois dos originais mas há uma ovelha tresmalhada, um daqueles casos raros em que a versão saiu antes do original. Marianne Faithfull lançou As Tears Go By em 1964. A música, escrita por Richards e Jagger, tornou-se o grande sucesso de Faithfull, chegando à nona posição no top do Reino Unido. Os Stones lançariam a versão oficial em Dezembro do ano seguinte, bang in time para sonorizar o It Couple que Jagger e Faithfull se haviam tornado em meados da década.
Dois dos escolhidos, P.P. Arnold e Chris Farlowe, tinham ajuda prévia já que ambos gravavam para a Immediate, etiqueta do produtor Andrew Loog Oldham também agente dos Stones. Arnold, que já havia sido uma Ikette, gravou dois discos para o selo e chegou a ser considerada The First Lady Of Immediate. No entanto andou desaparecida durante umas décadas até gravar em 2007 com o Dr. Robert dos Blow Monkeys. Dez anos depois apareceram umas fitas perdidas nos anos 60 de onde retirei You Can’t Always Get What You Want. Mas mesmo apadrinhado era Farlowe que vinha dos Thunderbirds, formados com Albert Lee na guitarra, Dave Greenslade nos teclados e Carl Palmer na bateria, a mudança para a editora de Oldham trouxe-lhe reconhecimento mas with a little help from his friends, Jagger produziu alguns dos seus discos, em 11 singles pelo menos 5 tinham covers de canções dos Stones. A minha escolha recaiu em Think, faixa que abre 14 Things To Think About, o seu primeiro longa duração editado em 1966.
Prince com Honky Tonk Woman; Ike & Tina Turner com She Came in Through the Bathroom Window. Passo de um Jumping Jack Flash por Ananda Shankar, neto de Ravi para uma Rita Lee a cantar Aqui, ali, em Qualquer Lugar (Here There And Everywhere). Help é trucidado pelo Damned enquanto que Wild Horses é bastante melhorado na versão de Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. Tudo isso e muito mais para finalizar com Good Night, curtain call do “White Album” numa versão da The Ed Palermo Big Band.
Trágico e cómico, verde e azul, doce e salgado, que o fim de semana seja de juntar duas coisas que sempre nos disseram antagónicas. Assim quietinhos, dispostos a apreciar a beleza nos seus pequenos detalhes.
#staysafe #musicfortheweekend
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Last week we ended up the m4we with a cover of I am the Walrus, a Beatles song banned by the BBC at the time of its release because it mentioned a “pornographic priestess” while one other line said “let your knickers down”. Fixing Hole, Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds and Day In The Life would also get the Beeb’s blue pencil treatment for drug references …
Because this week I decided to make a selection of songs by the “well behaved boys” (The Beatles) back against the songs of their rival “rough dirty gang” (The Rolling Stones) I started wondering how come while I was growing up everyone looked at these two groups through a prism of behavioral dichotomy, teaming with one or with another, without ever seeing it was just rock & roll and we liked.
Think of the Beatles and probably the first thing that comes to mind is the hairstyles, their signature mop tops, while visually on the Stones side the logo is inevitable. Nonetheless loads of good and well informed people think that the design of a red tongue jumping out from lushy lips was designed by Andy Warhol, the reality is that Mick Jagger asked John Pasme, a young student at the Royal College of Art of London for a logo representing their label. Jagger wanted something inspired in Hindu goddess Kali, often represented with her tongue sticking out from her fleshy mouth. Pashe was paid 50 pounds for the work that ended up representing the most famous leitmotif of the band’s singer. Warhol would come however to create the amazing Sticky Fingers cover with zipper fly and everything.
Though we see them as rivals Jagger contributed to the support vocals and Brian Jones played oboe in ”Baby You’re the Rich Man”. In return, Lennon and McCartney made harmonies in “We Love You”. The rivalry was beneficial but I could almost swear that it was always Lennon contributing to the maliciousness that was going around. Keith Richards described well the situation confiding one day to Life magazine: “The Beatles are all over the place like a fucking bag of fleas. They were a great band and I loved their records. Every English group owed them a huge debt, but I had no intention of kissing their asses. Besides, last I looked, the Hollies were holding down places on the same top 10 as the Beatles, so pardon me if you don’t like our fucking record but keep it to yourself, if you please”.
I flipped a coin, head or tails? The boys of Some Girls Boys got to start with the Über version of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction made in Akron, Ohio by Devo. I remember how I felt when in 1978 I got my hands on the record Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (the American edition, not the Spanish one that had the title written lke P: Somos Nosotros Hombres? R: Nosotros somos Devo!). Here was a piece of mutant pop totally different from any other stuff coming out at the time. And this cover was just the cherry on top of the cake…
Today recognised as one of the most famous chart topper on the Stones catalog, Satisfaction was removed from radio play in 1965 for having “sexually suggestive” lyrics. Newsweek magazine even wrote that the single was “full of bad themes” after it got banned at a national level on American radios. The ABC program “Shindig!” even “bipped” the line “and I’m tryin ‘to make some girl”. Ironically, 40 years after all this idiotic controversy it ended being their only song not censored during the halftime show at Super Bowl XL in February 2006. Oh, how times change!
I continue into Come Together, with which the Fab Four launched Abbey Road, recorded in 1969. The honours are for Ben Addison that in the 1990s made the quartet Corduroy along with twin brother Scott, Richard Searle (that came from the Doctor & The Medics) and guitarist Simon Nelson-Smith. I picked this version from the Fab Guiro! LP from 2008, a record filled with versions of successes by the Liverpool band that has this very appropriate claim: Northern Songs in a Southern Style.
And I follow up with David Bowie singing Let’s Spend the Night Together, published in 1973 on the Aladdin Sane album but that very well could have been part of Pinups that came out that same year.
The lyricism does not suggest or implies, it is actually quite explicit and direct in its sexual tone that intends to be a conversation between a single man and a woman, incandescent fire starter for any kind of morally conservative presumption of the media that saw the sixties “swinging” right in front of them. The “suggestive” tone took the single out the broadcasting list and caused some scandal in The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1967, the Stones were instructed by the Sullivan production team to change the line to “Let’s Spend Some Time Together” before taking the stage of the television program. Jagger initially did not want to compromise, but ended up giving in when the presenter himself said “either the music goes or you will.”
Still, the band kept firm in their protest to the change, rolling their eyes every time the altered phrase was sung. In the midst of performance Jagger gave up on the restriction and sang the original lines. This little act of “rebellion” had the Stones prohibited from returning to the program. Or that or the fact that the band still appeared again that same night… but dressed in Nazi clothing.
And the selection keeps on at full speed, alternating arithmetically a Beatles song with another by the Rolling Stones. Some may have been released shortly after the originals but there is one of those rare cases where the version came out before the original. Marianne Faithfull released As Tears Go By in 1964. The song, written by Richards and Jagger, became Faithfull’s greatest success, reaching the ninth position in the UK top. The Stones would launch the official version in December of the following year, bang in time for soundtracking the IT couple that Jagger and Faithfull had become by mid-decade.
Two of the chosen ones, P.P. Arnold and Chris Farlowe had previous and precious aid since they both recorded for Immediate, label of producer Andrew Loog Oldham also agent to the Stones. Arnold, who had already been an Ikette, did there two records and came to be considered The First Lady of Immediate. However she went missing for a few decades until recording in 2007 with Dr. Robert of The Blow Monkeys. Ten years later some lost tapes from the 60s appeared, from where I got You Can’t Always Get What You Want. But even more sponsored was Farlowe, originally in the Thunderbirds, group he formed with Albert Lee on guitar, Dave Greenslade on the keyboards and Carl Palmer on drums, the move to Oldham’s label brought him recognition but with a little help from his friends, Jagger produced some of his records, in 11 singles at least 5 had covers of Stones songs. My choice fell on Think, a track that opens 14 Things to Think About, his first long play published in 1966.
Prince with Honky Tonk Woman; Ike & Tina Turner with She Came in Through the Bathroom Window. I spring from a Jumping Jack Flash by Ananda Shankar, Ravi’s grandson into Rita Lee singing Aqui, ali, em Qualquer Lugar (Here There And Everywhere). Help is slaughtered by The Damned while Wild Horses is quite improved in the Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings version. All this and much more to
finish the whole thing with Good Night, curtain call of the “White Album” in a version by The Ed Palermo Big Band.
Tragic and humorous, green and blue, sweet and salty, use the weekend to join two things that everyone always told us antagonistic. Peacefully willing to appreciate beauty in its small details.
#staysafe #musicfortheweekend
Devo – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Ben from Corduroy – Come Together
David Bowie – Let’s Spend the Night Together
I Nuovi Angeli – Ob-la-di Ob-la-da
Staple Singers – This May Be The Last Time
The Ju Ju Exchange – A Day in the Life
Wayne Gibson – Under My Thumb
Organissimo – Taxman
The Flying Pickets – Get Off My Cloud
Mina – Michelle
Prince – Honky Tonk Woman
The Undisputed Truth – With a Little Help from My Friends
Ananda Shankar – Jumping Jack Flash
Rita Lee – Aqui, ali, em Qualquer Lugar (Here There And Everywhere)
Polyphonic Size – Mother’s Little Helper
The Supremes – A World Without Love
Merry Clayton – Gimme Shelter
Bill Withers – Let It Be
Maxayn – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Telex – Dear Prudence
Odetta – No Expectations
Mary Wells – Do You Want to Know a Secret
Techno Pop – Paint It Black
Brazilian Tropical Orchestra – While my Guitar Gently Weeps
P.P. Arnold – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Keely Smith – A Hard Day’s Night
Juan Laya & Jorge Montiel feat. The Afro Latin Messengers – Sympathy for the Devil (Of Yare)
Randy Crawford – Don’t Let Me Down
Chris Farlowe – Think
Ice – Day Tripper
Herbie Mann – Bitch
Ike & Tina Turner – She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
Marianne Faithfull – As Tears Go By
The Damned – Help
The Soup Dragons – I’m Free (Hifi Sean Sunset Dub)
Blonde On Blonde – Eleanor Rigby
Ruth Copeland – Play With Fire
Four Tops – The Fool On the Hill
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – Wild Horses
The Ed Palermo Big Band – Good Night