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?  
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