Let's not forget the 1966 and 1967 Xmas records, very Goonish, "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number), and the Immortal "Rutles", which would not have happened without the involvement of George Harrison. He supplied the work-in-progress Beatles Documentary to screenwriter and active participant Eric Idle—Dirk McQuickly and narrator for the mockumentary—and also had a very deadpan cameo in "All You Need is Cash" as a BBC-ish TV reporter, noting the collapse of "Rutlecorps". George also was on Idle's "Rutland Weekend", on board to sing "My Sweet Lord" but really wanting to be a pirate. Richard Lester said that, of the four, Harrison was the one with a true comic bent.
I read somewhere that the Beatles were not involved in The Yellow Submarine animated film. Their voices were created by voice over actors. Can anyone verify this for me?
George Martin saw their comic potential and signed them to EMI largely because of it. One of them quipped in an interview many years later that “everyone from Liverpool is a comedian”.
Don't bother with HELP!, which is pretty corny and formulaic. The real show is HARD DAYS NIGHT, which plays more as an art film than a musical comedy. Plus it has all the songs that kicked their fame into high gear.
The US first turned its ears toward The Beatles with the release of I Want to Hold Your Hand in November of 1963. But does anyone remember From Me to You? It came out earlier, in the spring, and hardly anyone noticed. But all that summer my friends and I would crank it up in the car whenever it came on. A total ear worm.
I've always loved both A Hard Day's Night and Help!, although the first is the stronger of the two. I can't count the number of times I've watched Hard Days, and it holds up beautifully. The supporting cast is terrific throughout, especially the guy who plays Paul's grandfather. But, you're right, in the end it's the Beatles' natural comic ability that makes that film and the second one work. You probably know this, but what impressed them most about Martin is that he had a hand in producing the Goon Show LPs. I have two of them and I can't imagine Pyton without them.
That was wonderful, as were those films, for all the reasons mentioned. THANKS!!! And a tip of the hat to fellow comical rock god Frank Zappa, who cast Ringo as himself in 200 MOTELS. (Not to mention doing a cameo in The Monkees one-off feature, HEAD. Which was also crazy as hell.)
Or any details about “Magical Mystery Tour”, which should only be remembered for inspiring the Rutles’ “Tragical History Tour”. I miss them all. (“It’s just a model!”)
What a wonderful and unexpected write-up. Thank you Ted. I've often thought the same, although not going as far as thinking they had missed a second career with it. Help! is my all time favourite film, has been since I first saw it as a kid in the 80s. I'm glad John came to really appreciate it in hindsight. For several years he dismissed it as rubbish. Cheers for this!
Haven’t known too many musicians that didn’t live to laugh. The best sessions were laugh fests. Stories are legend. (The Troggs tape giving birth to Spinal Tap). Maybe a worthy subject for a future Honest Broker piece? I’m struck by the innocent humor of the pre drug addled Beatles. They were having more fun than humans can handle. A part of their appeal was these after school pals didn’t take themselves seriously…peaking at Lennon’s giggling thru the Shea concert. There’s a lesson in there which never seems to get learned.
Interesting. Got the Trogs tape from a couple of Elton's guys back when. Whoever let that room mic run is definitely deserving of a Grammy. It's a master class in the disasters of self producing. I know SNL tried to do it without the F word and didn't make it all the way through. Haven't heard 'bout the Tull concert but would like to. It's all pulled from the same insane drawer. Musician humor in general is a worthy a 4 part series. I'm sure there's enough stories in this forum to fill it up.
The title of the email "The Beatles as Comedians" alone inspired a drinking game: How many times will Ted use the word, "Marx"? Down a shot for every reference, and you, too, will not be driving tonight. The scene in Hard Day's Night where John Lennon imagines himself a U-Boat captain, while in the bathtub, is permanently embedded in my brain.
Let's not forget the 1966 and 1967 Xmas records, very Goonish, "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number), and the Immortal "Rutles", which would not have happened without the involvement of George Harrison. He supplied the work-in-progress Beatles Documentary to screenwriter and active participant Eric Idle—Dirk McQuickly and narrator for the mockumentary—and also had a very deadpan cameo in "All You Need is Cash" as a BBC-ish TV reporter, noting the collapse of "Rutlecorps". George also was on Idle's "Rutland Weekend", on board to sing "My Sweet Lord" but really wanting to be a pirate. Richard Lester said that, of the four, Harrison was the one with a true comic bent.
Agree. I remember discovering The Rutles years after the initial release- right up there with Spinal Tap. Another re-watch.
I read somewhere that the Beatles were not involved in The Yellow Submarine animated film. Their voices were created by voice over actors. Can anyone verify this for me?
George Martin saw their comic potential and signed them to EMI largely because of it. One of them quipped in an interview many years later that “everyone from Liverpool is a comedian”.
you had to be I guess! 😎
All the Beatles but especially John were massive Goon Show fans. The funny voices in songs like I am the Walrus are very Good Show.
“How do you find America?”
“Turn left at Greenland.”
Brilliant. Brilliant.
or just annex the freaking thing!😀
Totally agree. Sublime humour.
Don't bother with HELP!, which is pretty corny and formulaic. The real show is HARD DAYS NIGHT, which plays more as an art film than a musical comedy. Plus it has all the songs that kicked their fame into high gear.
The US first turned its ears toward The Beatles with the release of I Want to Hold Your Hand in November of 1963. But does anyone remember From Me to You? It came out earlier, in the spring, and hardly anyone noticed. But all that summer my friends and I would crank it up in the car whenever it came on. A total ear worm.
I've always loved both A Hard Day's Night and Help!, although the first is the stronger of the two. I can't count the number of times I've watched Hard Days, and it holds up beautifully. The supporting cast is terrific throughout, especially the guy who plays Paul's grandfather. But, you're right, in the end it's the Beatles' natural comic ability that makes that film and the second one work. You probably know this, but what impressed them most about Martin is that he had a hand in producing the Goon Show LPs. I have two of them and I can't imagine Pyton without them.
Then there were the madcap press conferences - so funny they ended up on vinyl recordings
"What do you call that hairstyle?" "Arthur".
Yep- the Beatles and Marxes would have gotten along well...
Came here to say this. My mother was not a Beatles fan, but she still talks about how funny they were at the press conferences. So cheeky!
It's easy to forget that beneath all the historic music, The Beatles were just four naturally witty lads from Liverpool.
Their legendary sense of humor and ability to goof off is what makes those stories so relatable and endearing—it fueled their charm!
That was wonderful, as were those films, for all the reasons mentioned. THANKS!!! And a tip of the hat to fellow comical rock god Frank Zappa, who cast Ringo as himself in 200 MOTELS. (Not to mention doing a cameo in The Monkees one-off feature, HEAD. Which was also crazy as hell.)
*Very* generous of you to avoid mention of Paul McCartney’s directorial and acting effort.
Or any details about “Magical Mystery Tour”, which should only be remembered for inspiring the Rutles’ “Tragical History Tour”. I miss them all. (“It’s just a model!”)
Now I have to find these films streaming somewhere. It's been way too long since I last saw them.
Me, too. Post a link here when you find them, please. I'm a carer and have little time for extended searches.
Hello, I found "A Hard Day's Night" on multiple streaming services.
https://www.google.com/search?q=hard+days+night+streaming&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS852US852&oq=hard&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgAEEUYJxg7MggIABBFGCcYOzIGCAEQRRg5MgYIAhBFGEAyDwgDEAAYChiRAhiABBiKBTIGCAQQRRg9MgYIBRBFGEEyBggGEEUYPDIGCAcQRRhB0gEINDI2MWowajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I found "Help" only on Apple TV.
What a wonderful and unexpected write-up. Thank you Ted. I've often thought the same, although not going as far as thinking they had missed a second career with it. Help! is my all time favourite film, has been since I first saw it as a kid in the 80s. I'm glad John came to really appreciate it in hindsight. For several years he dismissed it as rubbish. Cheers for this!
One of my poems, “Silver, Savage, and Young,” references that stunning opening chord to A Hard Day’s Night.”
“Steal away from the furniture store
mid-afternoon, a beer at cold dark Newt's, hide
in the theater on Texas Street. One jangling,
tremulous, sustained chord starts a hundred
and eight frenzied minutes. The four of them
now movie stars, natural in celluloid.”
I saw those 2 movies as soon as they came out and laughed so hard. Unfortunately, especially AHDN, the experience was marred by screaming girls. 🤷♂️
Haven’t known too many musicians that didn’t live to laugh. The best sessions were laugh fests. Stories are legend. (The Troggs tape giving birth to Spinal Tap). Maybe a worthy subject for a future Honest Broker piece? I’m struck by the innocent humor of the pre drug addled Beatles. They were having more fun than humans can handle. A part of their appeal was these after school pals didn’t take themselves seriously…peaking at Lennon’s giggling thru the Shea concert. There’s a lesson in there which never seems to get learned.
Spial Tap was also influenced by a Jethro Tull concert. I'd love ❤️ to see Ted write about it, too.
Interesting. Got the Trogs tape from a couple of Elton's guys back when. Whoever let that room mic run is definitely deserving of a Grammy. It's a master class in the disasters of self producing. I know SNL tried to do it without the F word and didn't make it all the way through. Haven't heard 'bout the Tull concert but would like to. It's all pulled from the same insane drawer. Musician humor in general is a worthy a 4 part series. I'm sure there's enough stories in this forum to fill it up.
The title of the email "The Beatles as Comedians" alone inspired a drinking game: How many times will Ted use the word, "Marx"? Down a shot for every reference, and you, too, will not be driving tonight. The scene in Hard Day's Night where John Lennon imagines himself a U-Boat captain, while in the bathtub, is permanently embedded in my brain.
That was a stroke of comic genius. Love it.