My First Song vs My Last Song

Hello all,

Today I want to share a set of lyrics from two original songs I composed almost five decades apart from each other. The first reveals a generalization of innocence that dwelled inside my thirteen-year-old heart filled with a need of acceptance by the opposite sex.  The last reveals the vastness of true love passion that at present abides inside my heart thanks to finding the love of my life, who just so happens, she is my best friend forever and highest inspiration. If only I was the love of her life as well, but instead, she has accepted an engagement ring from another fine man. But hey, that’s okay––her happiness is much more important than mine. Nevertheless, I believe her vow she will always cherish and adore me in the strongest unbreakable bonding of love between best friends. Just that makes me overjoyed. Love You, too, my BFF.

How I came up with the idea to write this short topic unfolded from my last blog about borrowed chord progressions. You see, my beautiful best friend, whom I always admit to her, “I love you more than anyone could ever love someone,” has a special favorite song she adores most, and so, I too, borrowed the first three chords from that identical song and even matched the two count timing of two chords per 4/4 measure. Although my fourth chord is different, it could be mistaken as an equal, yet there’s zero doubt, my fifth chord matched one hundred percent to my darling’s favorite song.  In no time, a new melody flourished from those chord strums and words inside my hopeless romantic soul poured out precise feelings how she alone secures my full devotion eternally.

As my thoughts raced, pondering how to present this week’s post, I chuckled to myself, not ready to plead guilty of stealing. Who hunts down their new neighbor expecting payback after they borrowed a cup of sugar? Then it dawned on me. The first time I accomplished writing a love song occurred while entering the 8^th grade. Influenced at best, by the Beatles, I borrowed from the most common chord progression used in maybe a hundred rock songs between the late 50s and mid-60s, In fact, I’ll bet every person reading this has pointer-finger played the ivory key notes to this very same C-Am-F-G progression with a cohort on the piano. Does Heart and Soul ring a bell? That’s right, my first song bypassed an uncollectable IOU and instigated the exact chord pattern, but with a different melody, like the Beatles used on the bridge of I Want To hold Your Hand, and like the chorus and verses on Tell me Why, or like the Everly Brothers used on All I Have To Do Is Dream. Here lays the result:

I WANT A GIRL by Don Maeder (written the first week of school, September 1965)

I want a girl who would love to be mine. I want a girl who would love to be kind. I want a girl who would never be cruel. I want a girl who looks just like you. I want a girl, just a girl for my own, all for my own. Because all through my life I’ve been alone, all alone.

Now I’ve got this girl and she’s mine all mine, and she’ll be mine all of the time.

Now I don’t need a girl to be mine, and I don’t need a girl to be kind, and I don’t need a girl who would never be cruel. Because it’s true, I’ve got you.

Whew! Oh, the days of puppy love can sure play tricks on a young boy’s belief he had broken the lock to something great within himself. Fooled he had supernaturally been empowered by the astonishing gift to write music like his Liverpool heroes.  Yuk, what awful rubbish drooled out of my amateurish head from the lack of experience. Two years later, however, still in awe of the Beatles, my songs improved to the realization a group of girls actually formed a Don Maeder fan club attending our first year in high school. The membership count never exceeded twenty, but it was a fan club all the same. When high school came to a close, graduation day put an end to homework and week-long study assignments for tests, therefore, free time made wonderful advances toward composing better and better love songs.

And speaking of better love songs, my last set of lyrics is by far my favorite of all, but I can’t decide if on account they were written with experience or owing to the circumstance every line is pure reality. Reality that shows how much I so deeply love the most beautiful woman who shall forever possess ownership of my heart. They say love conquers all, therefore I’m leaning she is the reason it’s my favorite. Ever since she entered my life, I’ve become a better man.  And so, without further ado, here lays the results of a hopeless romantic truly in love.            

Satisfy The Purpose by Don Maeder (written for my best friend January 2013)

Listen in as you follow along with the lyrics on this tune by a quick copy and paste here: https://bit.ly/2Tkk3hm

Baby, baby. You alone are the only beauty that can satisfy the purpose for which my eyes were meant to see how beauty is meant to be. This wedding ring will prove my love is true. No one can hold a candle next to you. And you alone are the only music that can satisfy the purpose for which my ears were made to hear how music is sincere, by each and every love song we endear, our cheeks to cheek are filled with happy tears.

Baby, baby. You alone are the only sweetness that can satisfy the purpose for which my lips were made to taste, a flavor to embrace. A surprising essence fills my mouth with bliss. From your head to toes I savor every kiss. And you alone are the only fragrance that can satisfy the purpose for which my sense of smell exists, your scent I can’t resist. We both favor heart-felt foreplay. Your whole body creates an arousing bouquet.

Baby, baby. You alone are the only softness that can satisfy the purpose for which I crave you to caress, your silky skin is oh so blessed. My paradise is wrapped inside your arms. Making love to all your wondrous charms. And you alone, my love, are everything that satisfies the purpose for which my life was made to live, all we receive and all we give is our pledge of forever faithfulness. I’ll shield and serve you with the highest noblest.  Baby, baby.

By the way, do you recall my powerful dedication phrase of pure worship and care for my best friend sweetheart? You know, the one that says, “I love you more than anyone could ever love someone.” Well, these same words spill off the tongue of FBI Agent Heath Wilson and his love interest, Tiffany, inside my Novel, Beatlemaniac.  There are many portions of dialog throughout this book, first spoken within tender moments amongst myself and the woman of my dreams.  So much so, that for my birthday in 2016, out of the many gifts she surprised me with, she included a spectacular blue t-shirt of high quality, with an appropriate caption on the front stating––“I’m a Writer. . . Everything you say or do may end up in my Novel.” She’s perfect. Genuinely perfect that by virtue of falling in love with my best friend makes me the luckiest man in the world for one utmost reason––in heaven, she will finally love me as much as I love her. . . indeed forever. Oh, if your curious about my angel baby’s favorite song title, you can be sure it ended up in my Novel.    

The Beatles Fasination Formula

Hello Beatles followers,

Summer is upon us and oh how we Beatles fans adored those summer hit songs, such as July 23 mid-sixties. On this day, in 1965, the anticipated release of the single, Help/I’m Down (Parlophone R 5305), caused zealots to burst through the doors of every record shop throughout the United Kingdom and Sweden. The hit title song of the Beatles new movie stayed on the local charts for 10 weeks and climbed to number 1 in sales. Inside neighboring Sweden, the single climbed to number 2 over the course of 12 weeks on the charts. A hit song matched with a hit movie reproduced the lad’s fascination formula of their first film. For me, watching their second film on the giant screen was the first time I actually saw their color images while in action, unlike color photographs of my idols. A marvelous treat to a thirteen-year-old guitar player who had learned many of his favorite band’s songs and could imitate a Liverpool accent for the amusement of his Jr. High classmates.

From the success through millions of fans enamored by the swivel hip King, many flicks using Elvis as the lead prompted Epstein to sign a packaged three movie deal contract, starring his four mop-tops. Filming the second United Artist commitment began on February 23, 1965, in the Bahamas, with Director Richard Lester again at the helm. The very first scene ended up on the cutting room floor of Ringo alone, picking up conch shells and holding them to his ears, roaming the docks near Mackey Street. Remember the British film adaptation of the Lord of the Flies in 1963, how the conch shell played such a powerful role? Anyway, back to New Providence Island, the Fab Four worked 14-days straight without a day off––a major complaint used as a subplot from the script that the boys play acted in A Hard Day’s Night. Lack of a heading, the new film simply used a working title––Beatles Production 2. Some time later, upper management decided “Eight Arms To Hold You,” suggested by Ringo, had the pizazz for a catchy label aimed at a new film and song, targeting females crazy about their favorite band member. In lieu of the catchy phrase, John refused to write such a song called Eight Arms To Hold You––helping the other three voice their disapproval at the dumb name for a motion picture. This minor dispute opened the door for writing the tune, Help, which on all accounts, pleased everyone involved.

John’s new song took form in the recording studio on April 13, 1965, during a four-hour session with producer George Martin and engineers Norman Smith, plus Ken Scott. Development concluded after twelve takes. . . the first eight focused all intent on the rhythm backing and downbeat. Takes nine and ten captured spot on vocals. Take eleven hit a snag, and by now, there are chances it’s available on a compile of blooper audios. Take twelve, George Harrison composed the dominated plunging guitar riff, and that’s how the boys had created the best track to be used for final mixing. The fascination formula was sure to reap again.

Across the Atlantic, America’s youth had surrendered to the British Invasion gladly, and in the span of over a year’s many months, worshiped the phenomenal Liverpool’s golden number one quartet above all others. A worship so strong, Hollywood, California took notice. Therefore, Mr. Bob Rafleson and Mr. Bert Schneider created a script, advertised a casting call, and filmed a pilot in 1965 they believed had the fascination formula to launch the American Beatles into world fame. Four zany musicians’ with sex appeal, who found themselves in lighthearted comedic situations, and best of all, would harvest hit songs sold in record shops began taking picture-perfect shape. Of course, the hit songs also required the new Mersey beat sound and relied heavily on the trusted formula. Songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart received a call from Don Kirshner and accepted the challenge they produce a title song to introduce the Monkees. I may be wrong, but this is what I envision happened. Their first step at composing a sensational Beatle-type chartbuster was to dissect the tune, “Help,” that begins with the same chords as the chorus, a trick George Martin suggested on how to start Can’t Buy Me Love.

Boyce and Hart took those exact same winning eight-count, 2 bar chord progressions and fashioned Theme FromThe Monkees in the same manner as DC5’s hit  Catch Us If You Can, including finger-snaps, which after the onset drum rumble, rolled out the first verse rather than defining a chorus hook, yet still had faith the combination chord pattern worked its magic. By the way, both Catch Us If You Can and  Theme From The Monkees sound identical with the snare drum pounding that opens each chorus, and lets not forget the vocal scream both share just before the middle instrumental.

 Next, “Last Train To Clarksville” materialized thanks to the songwriters focus on the Beatles rocker, Paperback Writer. Bobby confesses he thought Paul was singing “Take the last train” near the ending, but when he learned different, he still used the line following the Liverpool characteristic a la carte guitar opening, then added, “to Clarksville.” As a joke, he threw in the phrase “Oh no, no, no––oh no, no, no––to offset the Beatles well recognized Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. The raw determination to stick with John and Paul’s proven fascination formula boosted a new television band to the top of the charts.

Incidentally, Boyce and Hart were not the first to borrow chord pattern progressions. Del Shannon, the famous singer, and songwriter of Runaway, found on George Harrison’s Traveling Wilbury’s volume 3 CD, also saw great potential within the formula. He skipped the chords altogether past the intro of She Loves You, however, borrowed the same arrangement pattern used in the verses, then wrote, I Go To Pieces, a smash hit for Peter and Gordon.

In addition, after the Rolling Stones were given the song, I Want To Be Your Man, Keith told Mic, “We can do this, write songs.” And the rest is history. Please share with us some of your thoughts how songs borrowed off of each other that tapped into the fascination formula for fortunes. Hey, do you think George borrowed his own dominate riff in “Help”, and just slowed it down for the descending chord plucking on the intro to With A Little Help From My Friends?  
Please feel free to leave any comments or corrections and share these articles plus the blog's website with your friends, especially Beatles’ fans. You and they might also enjoy knowing more about my Love Songs CD and my novel, BEATLEMANIAC. Just click on the “My Shop” tab near the top of this page for full details.                        

Picking a favorite Beatles song is not easy.

Hello Beatles fans,

If you’re anything like me, it took just nine seconds of listening to your first Beatle song, then realize without a doubt, their sound was the best. In my case, that happened with "I Want To Hold Your Hand" early January 1964.  If you’re also like me, you could never pin down a favorite tune by the Beatles, because there were so many fabulous tracks to choose from.  In truth, the task kept me undecided until the year 2010 to finally discover which individual song held my highest praise, and believe it or not, it is the same song the Beatles selected for the B-side on their Great Britain single of "I Want To Hold Your Hand," called "This Boy." Oh, I know the B-side for the American single distributed through Capitol Records is "I Saw Her Standing There", but the tie-in link B-side John wanted on the single 45 rpm released in their home country is pretty cool.

     Once I received the new album, Meet the Beatles, "This Boy" stood out somewhat above the rest, but heck, I really liked every song they performed. Album after album never once disappointed my enthusiasm, and I continued to accept every song as a magical phenomenon. But out of nowhere, another masterpiece conquered my appreciation for the lads from their beautiful arrangement on “Yes It Is.” Gourmet delicacy on the grandest scale to the ear.  

     When "Yes It Is" first played on my High-Fi, I froze, almost paralyzed, struck with the outstanding melody, plus intricate ways their 3-part harmony glided through the marvelous guitar chord changes. Many years later, I had learned that John claimed it was simply a remake of "This Boy." No wonder I was spellbound.
     
Month after month, as I would listen to radio station KRLA, individual songs would grab my attention faster than a Bob's Big Boy Hamburger. The reason these songs grew such appeal to my taste was the chord structure... I figured this out also during the year 2010. Hence, any song sounding somewhat like "This Boy" got my vote for greatness. Let me give you some examples and later you might like to try this little eye-opener for yourselves why certain songs pull you in.

    Here is my list. Twenty-six Miles Across the Sea by the Four Preps, Surfer Girl, by the Beach Boys, Last Kiss by J Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, Image of a Girl, by the Safaris, I Go to Pieces, and True Love Ways, by Peter and Gordon, A Summer Song, by Chad and Jeremy, I'm Telling You Now, by Freddie and the Dreamers, Everyone's Gone to the Moon, by Jonathan King, East West, by Herman's Hermits, You're the One, by the Vogues, Three Kisses of Love, Birdie Told Me, and I Started A Joke, by the Bee Gees, The 12th of Never, by Johnny Mathis, The End Of The World, by Skeeter Davis, Everything That Touches You, by the Association, Toast and Marmalade for Tea, by Tin Tin, and of course, a lot of songs released by the Beatles using forms of that awesome appealing chord structure, such as, Please Mr. Postman, Devil In Her Heart, Tell Me Why, I’m Happy Just To Dance With You, You’re Going To Lose That Girl, It’s Only Love, chorus of Girl, Penny Lane, With A Little Help From My Friends, chorus of Happiness Is A Warm Gun, I Will, Piggies by George, and Octopus's Garden by Ringo.

Tell us some of your favs that remind you of a treasured Beatles track and why.

Please let me introduce myself, I'm Don W. Maeder

Good afternoon one and all,

Thanks for the opportunity to share with you a little past, a little present, and hopefully a bright future.

February 9, 1964, Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles to an audience of over seventy million viewers, including me, an eleven-year-old drummer learning the musical skills from my father. However, from the split moment the lads of Liverpool belted out the opening of their first song captured on my tv screen, I knew I wanted to switch off the drums, learn how to play guitar, and sing good old rock and roll to the prettiest girls in the room. Although this decision was a bit hurtful within my dad's prideful heart, it proved to be an ideal move for the greater good in that at the age of fifteen, I became a professional member as guitarist/second vocalist, singing lead and sharing harmonies with dad on rock tunes in his dance band. (No such thing as a musical group with two drummers back in the 1960's.)

To this day, I specialize in performing the most popular hit tunes from the late 50's and 60's, especially favoring best-known music groups during the British Invasion era, including a lot of Beatles' songs. On September 9, 2014, I happily announced the debut of my very first CD, recorded inside my home studio and now available from online retail centers such as iTunes, cdbaby.com, and Amazon.com. Here, I present 14 original selections, every one of them purely dedicated to True Love Passion. Sadly, I've only sold about 70 copies at live events. However, those buyers who return to my shows, tell me my songs are excellent. Each of the fore mention websites allows you a portion to listen in on, of all included love songs, if you're curious. Simply type in Don Maeder at the site’s search window or click the My Shop tab next to the Home tab above.

Another dream I have, is to become a published writer. My first novel, titled Beatlemaniac, a 411-page suspense crime thriller eBook is on target for release this coming July 7th. Already under my belt are first drafts for a 37-page short story about forgiveness, and a 27-page short story about ultimate love. I am also writing a novella for children aged 9-12, of which I only need to finish the very last chapter, likely ending up with 140-pages. My hope is to entertain each of you with song and story that will deliver positive emotions of amazement within.