George Harrison's Contribution (Part 1 of 2) by Keith

George Harrison's Contribution (Part 1) by Keith Toop

Sunday January 28th 2024

When I started writing this blog, I was keen to get students, guitar club members and fellow musicians involved. I happened to mention this to one such person, and before I knew it, I had an infestation ;-)…. There was a Beatles blog in my inbox! So without further ado, I’m going to hand you over to Keith, for the first of two blogs about the songwriting contributions of “the quiet Beatle”.....

When you think of the Beatles’ compositions, you automatically think of Lennon and McCartney, and reasonably so, as the majority of the band’s songs were written under the Lennon and McCartney partnership. So what of the other two Beatles? Was there space for them to contribute with such a strong writing partnership in the group?

Ringo Starr contributed just two songs in his tenure, although he did contribute to vocals on many of the songs. So my focus is on the so-called, quieter member of the Beatles, George Harrison. Harrison was said to have joined the Beatles because he impressed John Lennon by playing his guitar to the instrumental “Raunchy” by Bill Justis from 1957. He was not seen as a songwriter though, and indeed had not even contemplated such a thing. 

The Beatles first album, “Please Please Me” was released in March, 1963 and featured a combination of covers with the rest made up of Lennon/McCartney numbers. At the time George Martin, Lennon and McCartney all believed that Harrison did not have a natural ability for writing songs. So with that in mind, on the second album, “With The Beatles”, he was only allowed to contribute one song, “Don’t Bother Me” (below).

It was two years later that he received credit for two songs on the “Help” album, with the songs “I Need You” and “You Like Me Too Much”, although with the latter being dubbed his weakest Beatles offering. By this time Harrison was showing positive signs of maturing with songwriting, with his next contributions coming on the “Rubber Soul” album, “Think For Yourself” and “If I Needed Someone”, both showing signs of a great lyricist, with good melodies.

On the next album, ‘Revolver’ he moved from two songs to three, the biggest of which was the hit “Taxman”, more stereotypical of the band’s output at that time. His next song was influenced by Hindu music, and the use of a Sitar on the track brought about a new dimension in rock/pop music at the time. The track was “Love You To”. “I Want To Tell You”, was the third track, again more synonymous with the Beatles general style. It had more depth, with good use of the piano and bass lines, and a repetitive, arpeggio style riff.

At this point, Harrison’s contributions over the next few albums dwindled. His only song to make it onto the  Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album in 1967 was “Within You Without You”, again a track heavily influenced by Hindu music. On the “Magical Mystery Tour” album later that year, Harrison offered “Blue Jay Way”. Named after where he was living in Los Angeles, the song is based around waiting for his friends to arrive and the mist, which surrounded the city.

The best was arguably yet to come though. We'll pick this up again another time with 'The White Album' which included the masterpiece, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". KT.

....

I'd like to thank Keith for his excellent contribution. I've already got a few more collaborators lined up, but if you've got a musical subject you'd like to share, (or suggest), then please let me know. I'm very keen to use this blog to share our musical interests, and, where possible, collaborate with as many people as I can. - Jon.

What's That? The Fender Jaguar

What’s That? The Fender Jaguar

Thursday January 25th 2024

Most families have a difficult child, or an Uncle Fester who doesn’t quite fit it, the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company of Fullerton, California was no exception. Buoyed by the instant success of the Telecaster and Stratocaster, Leo Fender set about expanding his range with what he thought the public wanted. He was wrong.

Released in 1962, the Jaguar was $379.50, which equates to about $4,500 in today’s money or £3,500 sterling, making it quite the investment. At about $100 more than an equivalent Stratocaster, it represented over three quarters of an average American’s monthly wage. Based on the advertising of the time, the guitar was aimed at the surf rock community and was styled on the popular automobiles of the era, all sweeping space age lines and chrome. Leo was an engineer, not a guitar player though, and the technical upgrades, scale changes and innovations the Jaguar offered were not appreciated by the wider guitar playing public. By 1975, production had stopped.

The thing about being rejected by the mainstream though, is that it makes it appealing to the underground. By the 1990’s, the enduring popularity of the Telecaster and Stratocaster had driven vintage prices through the roof, making guitars like the Jaguar virtual style statements, and affordable options of comparable quality. So began the Jaguar’s resurgence, as a popular choice for punk, new wave, indie rock and grunge. Production restarted.

So, if you check out the roster of notable Jaguar players, it’s a pretty weird and wonderful mix. Yes, there’s evidence of their use across the entire musical spectrum from Hendrix to Roy Clarke, but it’s the model most synonymous with Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, and Johnny Marr from The Smiths, both of whom have signature models.

Any gear that I talk about in these blogs has a personal edge for me, so yes, I’m a proud owner of a 1996 Candy Apple Red, Japanese built Jaguar, (pictured top, and btw, nowhere near the price of the U.S. built equivalent). Am I a member of an underground musical movement shunning the mainstream? Hardly…..(well maybe slightly….) I did however commit one of the biggest no-nos of guitar purchase, I bought it simply because it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. It was 1996, internet research wasn’t really a thing, I was about to buy a flat and I thought, “it’s now or never”...... 

And I don’t like Strats - there, I’ve said it, and I’m not sorry.

Catch you next time!

Yes....but what do all the switches do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c90Htzq7E5k

Guitar Playing 102 (Don’t fret, you can do this….)

Guitar Playing 102 (Don’t fret, you can do this….)

Monday January 22nd 2024

Okay back in November I tried to lay out the first few considerations about getting realistic about starting the guitar, if you missed that, might I humbly suggest you check it out first?

https://bloggerrhythm5.blogspot.com/2023/11/guitar-playing-101.html

And….we’re back. I’m going to assume you’ve got your guitar (or ukulele maybe) now, you've tuned it, and you’ve learnt a few chord shapes, waved your hands at it a bit, but it’s all coming out a bit buzzy or random. The phrase I hear constantly from students is “it just doesn’t sound like music”. Remember that tutor I advised you to get? Well here’s what they should be telling you about your fretting hand, imho….

Firstly…

When you’re fretting a chord (a collection of notes) or a single note, the optimum place to have your fingers is immediately behind the fretwire. A clear note is the result of the string vibrating between where you’re fretting and the bridge (the bridge is where the strings attach to the body of the guitar). If you’re immediately behind the fret you don’t need to press as hard to get a good note. It’s not always perfectly possible, but generally too little pressure and you’ll get a buzz, too much pressure and you can stretch the string out of tune. And it hurts your fingers. Be Goldilocks...

Secondly…

The first chords most people learn are “open chords”, so called because they involve both fretted and unfretted (or open) notes. It’s important then to play the fretted notes in a way that doesn’t mute or foul the open notes you want. Try to use the tips of your fingers, not the pads, and, sorry Wolverine, you may need to trim those nails. There’s nothing worse than going to all the hard work of learning that chord shape only for it to sound a bit…meh. If you pick through the notes slowly, you should be able to hear each one, if one sounds dead or muted, try and work out why! The difference between success and failure can be millimetres.

Thirdly...

Another common struggle is getting to grips with the fact that some chords don’t want you to play all the strings. In fact, out of what might be considered your average selection of “open chords for beginners” E, Em and G are the only ones where you strum all six strings. For A, Am, B7, C and the like, it’s five strings, and for D, D7 it’s only four. Actually then, for the majority of the time you don’t want that pesky bass E string at all. The answer is not to avoid it, but to mute it by reaching your thumb over the top of the neck for certain chords. I stress “mute” it, so, “just touching / in contact with” not fretting or actually pushing down. Lots of tutors, particularly those orientated towards classical playing, will tell you to always have your thumb on the back of the neck, and there will be times you need to do this….but now isn’t one of them, (unless your aim is to learn traditional, classical technique).

Lastly...

This is a more general point, but I'm not sure it can be emphasised enough. Listening to what you're doing is massively important. Yes, it's difficult sometimes playing in big groups, or when you're in the grips of an open mic performance or whatever, but you MUST try to listen critically to what you're playing. If you can't hear what you're doing, or take the time to work out why it might be wrong, it's going to be an uphill battle.

Record Time

Haven’t done a proper one of these in a few weeks now. One record I have reconnected with recently is “Thirst For Romance” by Cherry Ghost. In all honesty I think I remember it got slated in critical review upon release, but I’ve got a lot of time for it. It’s got a ‘Coronation Street meets the Great Plains of Wyoming’ kind of vibe. Make of that description what you will ;-) Until next time!

Hey! Teacher! (Unmissable Pink Floyd Songs)

Hey! Teacher! (Unmissable Pink Floyd Songs)

Friday January 19th 2024

Last week I had a good catchup with fellow musician and neighbour, Trevor Hood. About fourteen months back, Trevor landed himself the bassist role in local tribute band “Wish We Were Pink Floyd” (no prizes for guessing the subject matter….) a role he worked hard to get up to speed on, and which he feels privileged to fulfil. 

Although having played in many bands over the years, it’s the first one he’s done to play larger stages and theatres, an experience he admits he wasn’t prepared for, but finds incredibly exciting. I’ve done plenty of theatres, but I can well imagine having seen the Aussie Floyd a few times, actually playing a gig like this with all the lights, lasers and everything that makes a Floyd show so special, makes it a level above the norm.

Recently, all the members of REMbrandt have been sharing their top 5 unmissable R.E.M. tracks via our facebook page, so this seemed like a great opportunity to get Trevor’s take on his top 5 unmissable Pink Floyd tracks. So, inflate that giant pig and let’s go to the dark side of the moon…..

5. Money

From “The Dark Side Of The Moon” 1973

This Roger Waters lyric criticises the power of money and the capitalist

system. Check out the unusual 7/4 time signature!

4. Learning To Fly

From “A Momentary Lapse In Reason” 1987

Recorded after Roger Waters departure from the band, this David Gilmour track

arguably relates to a band trying to function after losing one of

it’s founding members.

3. Sheep

From “Animals” 1977

Originally titled “Raving and Drooling”, “Sheep” formed an integral part to

the album, conceived as a homage to George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”.

2. Time

From “The Dark Side Of The Moon” 1973

Trevor describes this track as one he had to master, he makes the ticking clock

sounds by alternately picking two muted strings on the bass, just like Roger Waters

did on the original recording.

1. Us And Them

From “The Dark Side Of The Moon” 1973

With a vaguely jazz inspired chord progression, consumerism, materialism,

and the senseless nature of war all come under scrutiny in this hypnotising and

ethereal ballad, taken from one of the critically acclaimed albums of all time.

Get out and see some live music!

‘Wish We Were Pink Floyd’ are a six piece professional tribute band, delivering an amazing evening of iconic music from every era of Pink Floyd’s amazing back catalogue, coupled with the stunning light show we’ve all come to know and expect. You can catch them this year at The Chichester Assembly Rooms on April 27th, and you can follow their facebook page at facebook.com/pompeyfloyd.

Obviously - huge thanks to Trevor for his song choices and for helping to put this blog together! Agree with his choices? Disagree? Let me know!

Pedalboarding (Pedals are like paint...)

Pedalboarding

Tuesday January 16th 2024

No, not paddleboarding, pedalboarding, i.e. relating to guitar pedals and pedalboards. Quite frankly if you were thinking I’d be squidging myself into a wetsuit for this one, think again.

In terms of guitar gear, effects pedal discussion and review is right up there. It’s another one of those rabbit hole situations I’ve mentioned before and it’s getting worse.... so I’m going to try and outline what I think is the right way to start thinking about using effects. Squidging myself into a wetsuit might have been easier, but here goes….

Effects pedals are like a paint palette. You only need one colour to paint, but more colours, used correctly, can make a more interesting picture. In the same way that different colours communicate different emotions and ideas, so too can your sound. They can be the stimuli for new ideas or directions, but they’re not talent enhancers.

Effects should only be used I think to achieve specific sonic goals. My goals might not be the same as yours though, maybe you just like the little twinkly lights, that’s cool.

I’m writing this because I have a specific sonic goal in mind that I'm going to share with you soon for a current project, which basically involves me trying to sound like two guitarists at once, (or at least more than just one). Given that a ‘Dolly The Sheep / Jango Fett’ cloning operation is beyond my budget, I’m opting for a re-organisation of my pedalboard to see what I can achieve. I’ll share it with you soon!

For those totally new to this kind of stuff, a pedalboard can literally be a plank of wood you line your individual effects pedals (sometimes referred to as 'stompboxes') in a particular order. The order or combination of effects you use generate different results.

I'll talk about different effect types at some point, I promise.......

In the meantime, if you feel you want to start stamping on something for dramatic effect (other than a landmine) I have a suggestion, and it’s the Line6 m5 stompbox modeller. This box has over 100 effects in it, and at about £100 it’s possibly the best value way of practically obtaining that sonic paint palette for experimentation. If you find a sound you like, you can deep dive onto other pedals, but the m5 will always be useful. I have two. This is not a paid presentation, and I’m not endorsed….but Line6, if you’re reading this, I’m listening.

Got a question? Please feel free to shout it out! Like AK, who raised the question of the word "colitas" in Hotel California......"warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air....." We're fairly sure it's the buds of the marijuana plant in this case, but appreciate it's also a Mexican slang term for the buttocks. Thank you ;-)

Songwriting Update (January 2024)

Songwriting Update (January 2024)

Saturday January 13th 2024

Ok so, part of the blogging goal was to try and keep track of the songs I’ve been working on. I did a couple of songwriting blogs in early December, you can find them by following these links or just scrolling back if you fancy it……

No-One's There......

bloggerrhythm5.blogspot.com/2023/12/no-ones-there-my-first-blog-about_2.html

Did I Actually Write This....?

bloggerrhythm5.blogspot.com/2023/12/did-i-actually-write-this-originality.html

I am now consulting my big black writing book, which is my first stop when I’m sitting on the floor with my back to the radiator, to see if anything worthy of consideration is going to pop out. Writing is nearly always a “morning thing”. I find the warmth and the quiet gurgling from the heating pipes quite soothing, and I generally haven’t been encumbered or distracted by anything else.

The tally since early December though is down a bit. Six ideas with enough form to be actually called songs (i.e. lyrics, melody and chords), but one of those is a Christmas song that arrived eleven days too late to be of any immediate use, and one is the union of two ideas I had months ago that I’ve suddenly pieced together. As a tally that’s about one a week, BUT I have been trying to have some time off over Christmas, so perhaps it’s not too bad. A lot of other stuff has been going on too, but I think I’d try and choose to write at least a little every day where I can. Like learning an instrument or reading a book, some tasks aren’t best done in one sitting, no matter how warm and comforting the radiator is.

So for my own interest alone maybe, the five songs “showing promise” (but perhaps not Don Felder / Hotel California level promise) are “Lowest Of The Low”, “Hold Onto The Sides”, “No Reminders”, “In Those Trees” and “Fox In The Hen House”. It’ll be interesting to see if any of those make it as far as an open mic performance in the next few months.

If you’ve written anything this month you want to share, please send me a link! Otherwise if you’re interested in songwriting and like podcasts - I’d recommend sodajerker.com - the site has over 250 interviews with some of the greatest songwriters of our time!

Guitar Spotters : the guitar in the picture is a Japanese Kimbara 8/Y dreadnought. I paid about £5.00 for it in a job lot of guitar gear many years ago. They were made to look like a Martin….they don’t sound like it ;-) but it is weirdly a good guitar for writing on!

Hotel California : Classic Songs (Inception / Chords)

Hotel California : Classic Songs

Tuesday January 9th 2024

I thought it might be nice to have a little bit of a think about some of the classic songs we kind of take for granted. For the time being, I’m thinking of songs that are, or have remained, in our guitar club repertoire for a fair time, usually demonstrating their popularity to players as well as listeners. I reserve the right to expand that definition in the future…..

We’ve probably all played songs that we don’t really know the history of, or even what their real meanings are…. you just “accept” them. But who actually wrote them? Is there a story behind their existence? As somebody with a burgeoning interest in songwriting doing a little bit of digging into the hows and whys appeals to me more and more.

Hotel California by The Eagles is a great place to start. It’s been a guitar club favourite since... forever. Certainly since I took over running Coustics properly, circa 2009 (you can read more about the club’s history in my last blog, “The First Gig”) it could be the only song that I took out of the repertoire, only for it to be reintroduced a few years later following some mild grumblings. Everybody makes mistakes.

The album, “Hotel California” was released in 1976, with he musical concept for the title track being down to guitarist, Don Felder, (left). Writing demos alone in a rented beach house, he hit upon a chord sequence which “showed promise”. His daughter’s bedroom was at the time doubling as his home studio, so as soon as he was able, he recorded a basic demo, with a basic drum machine and a few overdubs onto a cassette. The track went to Glenn Frey and Don Henley, along with about 15 other ideas, and he pretty much forgot about it.

In a later interview Glenn Frey recalled most of Felder’s demos were pretty useless, with too many guitar parts to leave space for a vocal, (note to songwriter self, there’s a tip there), but that that particular track again, “showed promise”. Don Henley too ultimately latched onto the track too, describing it as a bit like “Mexican Reggae” and proceeded to write the lyrics we all know and love.

But was there actually a Hotel California? Apparently not. I mean, there is, NOW….be pretty stupid for there not to be. Most opinions seem to air towards it being a ‘state of mind’. I think I heard Joe Walsh once describe it that, at that time, everybody was going to California from all over the U.S. to make their names. Nobody was actually from California, (at least none of the original Eagles lineup was) so the city was like a hotel to everybody…..

The song took three tries to record. First one was the wrong speed, (Felder can’t remember if it was too fast or slow), second time it was too high for Don Henley to sing (yep, been there done that, good to know I’m not the only one) so it was dropped from Em, 5 semitones to Bm, (E to Eb/D#, to D, toDb/C#, to C and then B = 5 frets, 5 semitones, theory fans…). Three….is the magic number…... Felder, with a background in jazz improvisation, was apparently looking forward to trading licks in that monster of an outro with Joe Walsh, as they had often done on previous tours.  Apparently this was shot down by Henley, who considered Felder’s original solo ideas to be far superior, demanding Felder to get his housemaid back in Florida to find the original demo and play it over the phone to him at The Record Plant Studios in L.A. so that he could relearn it.

There you go, a bit of history, a bit of theory. If you’re really hungry for a demo on the actual playing of the song, I’d recommend the following video where the man himself shows you how it’s done. To be honest the word “teaches” in the video title should perhaps more accurately read “demonstrates” - it’s not a great lesson per se. Take note though that Felder talks about the song being written in Em, but has the capo on 5, pulling that Em shape up 5 semitones to Am. If you pull the capo up to 7, it takes that Em shape to Bm, hence his reference to the 7th fret.

The chord shapes he’s using in a Coustics style layout are therefore : 

Em  /  Em  /  B7  /  B7  /   D   /   D   /   A   /   A

C   /   C   /   G   /   G   /   Am  /   Am  /    B7   /   B7

See you next time. Any time of year, you can find me here…….

The First Gig (of the year, and how Coustics began...)

The First Gig

Friday January 5th 2024

No sooner has the new year come and gone, it’s time to get on the road again. I mean that figuratively really, because I don’t actually tour per se, I mean it’s time to get back to work. January’s Guitar Club night is usually the first booking of the year. I’ve always thought it appropriate in many ways because the club is where the music portion of my life began to take shape properly. So…..

Come with us now on a journey. Through time and space, to the world of…well, not The Mighty Boosh certainly, this is a country pub in Crockerhill, Sussex, circa 2006.

I have a new neighbour, his name is Eric. Eric is, (or now sadly, was) an endlessly enthusiastic, generous and friendly sort, quite literally in a permanent rapture as to the glorious wonders of music, mini golf and homegrown tomatoes. Upon learning that I had “flirted” with playing the guitar for a few years, I was eagerly invited to join him at a new guitar club, his music tutor Sally was running for her students at the pub. I still believe the offer to join him was honest, and in the spirit of friendship and musical adventure......the fact that Eric needed me to drive him there on dark evenings was entirely inconsequential.

Everybody squeezes themselves into the bar, warm beer is ordered and wonky music stands begin to sprout like weeds from the sticky carpet. What few locals there are are hoping for a quiet night... and they're disappointed. The classic rock and pop of the 1960s, 70s and 80s appear to be the tunes of choice, and to my surprise, I really quite enjoyed it. Which is lucky, because Eric LOVED it.

As time passed, Sally became unable to run the club, and some of us stepped up….

It is now 2024. The venue has changed, but the format has little. What’s always a bit of a wonder to me is that many of the faces haven’t changed either. It’s a testament to the strength of Sally’s original concept and that original group of people, who, 18 years later, are still clocking in every first Thursday of the month to strum a few tunes. New faces and friends are great and valued, but here’s a special shout out for the old guard for the first gig of the year, you know who they are. It would literally not be the same without you.

Anyway....last night's club was surprisingly well attended, given that many of the roads around our way have been flooded for about 2 months now, and it's January. Nobody likes January. I didn't get any good photos last night, so I thought I'd keep driving down that partially flooded memory lane and dig out some of the oldest guitar club photos I could find. I may not be thanked for posting these ;-)

Eric is the one in the second picture, looking after all the ladies. The old smoothy.......