3. The Guitar Solo in ‘Taxman’ Was Not Played by George Harrison<\/h3>\n
In a lot of bands, the roles are set \u2014 so and so plays this instrument, so and so plays that instrument. But the Beatles were the sort to switch things around if it served the song, which is what happened with “Taxman<\/a>.” That’s McCartney playing the lead guitar solo, not Harrison.<\/p>\n “I was pleased to have him play that bit on ‘Taxman,'” Harrison later said<\/a>. ” If you notice, he did like a little Indian bit on it for me.”<\/p>\n Alright, follow the chain of influence here. When Brian Wilson<\/a> of the Beach Boys<\/a> heard the Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul<\/em><\/a>, it sowed seeds of inspiration that led him to write Pet Sounds<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Then, once the Beatles heard Pet Sounds<\/em>, the influence flipped back around again \u2014 McCartney loved “God Only Knows” and was in turn inspired to write “Here, There and Everywhere,” a ballad that appears roughly halfway through Revolver<\/em>.<\/p>\n Listen to the Beatles’ ‘Here, There and Everywhere’<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking of influences, at least part of the lyrical inspiration for “She Said She Said” came from a conversation Lennon had with the actor Peter Fonda while tripping on acid. It was at a party in California where a variety of people were present, including members of the Byrds<\/a>.<\/p>\n At some point in the evening, Fonda told people that he knew what it was like to be dead \u2014 when he was a child, an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot incident led him to technically die on the operating table in a hospital.<\/p>\n “We didn’t want to hear about that!” Lennon would later recall in a 1980 interview with David Sheff<\/a>. “We were on an acid trip and the sun was shining and the girls were dancing and the whole thing was beautiful and Sixties, and this guy \u2013 who I really didn’t know; he hadn’t made Easy Rider<\/em> <\/a>or anything \u2013 kept coming over, wearing shades, saying, ‘I know what it’s like to be dead,’ and we kept leaving him because he was so boring! … It was scary. You know … when you’re flying high and [whispers<\/em>] “I know what it’s like to be dead, man.”<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b>The ‘Big 4’ of Beatles Albums<\/a><\/p>\n Ringo Starr<\/a>‘s shining moment arrives on side one of Revolver<\/em>: the delightfully bubbly “Yellow Submarine<\/a>.” While Lennon and McCartney were the primary songwriters, another iconic ’60s figure played a role in its creation.<\/p>\n McCartney paid a visit to Donovan<\/a> around this time, who made a lyrical suggestion for the song.<\/p>\n “It was a very small part, and I just went into the other room and put together ‘Sky of blue, sea of green<\/em>,'” Donovan recalled<\/a> in a late ’80s interview. “They had always asked other people for help with a line or two, so I helped with that line. He knew that I was into kids’ songs, and he knew I could help. I’m sure he could have written the line himself, but I suppose he wanted someone to add a line, and I added a line.”<\/p>\n Listen to the Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’<\/strong><\/p>\n The other thing to know about the Beatles is that when they found a session musician they liked, they tended to call them back for other projects. Such was the case with a man named Alan Civil, who played the French horn solo in “For No One.” That made him one of only five session musicians ever to get a named credit on a Beatles recording.<\/p>\n The following year, Civil played on “A Day in the Life<\/a>” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Allow us to list some of the other title ideas that were floated for Revolver<\/em>: Abracadabra<\/em>, After Geography<\/em> (a riff off the Rolling Stones<\/a>‘ Aftermath<\/a><\/em>), Bubble and Squeak<\/em>, Beatles on Safari<\/em>, Freewheelin’ Beatles <\/em>(a clear nod to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan<\/em><\/a>)\u00a0and Pendulum<\/em>.<\/p>\n If you’re familiar with the history of the Beatles, then you likely know all about Lennon’s infamous “more popular than Jesus<\/a>” comments from March of 1966. This controversy actually led to some adjustment of promotion in America.<\/p>\n In the U.K., “Eleanor Rigby” was the preferred single, but because of its religious references, Capitol Records in the U.S. chose to push “Yellow Submarine” instead. That worked out in their favor, since the song went to No. 2 on the Billboard<\/em> Hot 100.<\/p>\n …Frank Sinatra.<\/p>\n4.\u00a0The Revolving Door of Influences: Brian Wilson Edition<\/h3>\n
5.\u00a0 Peter Fonda’s Lyrical Contribution<\/h3>\n
6. A Little Help From Donovan on ‘Yellow Submarine’<\/h3>\n
7. The French Horn Solo<\/h3>\n
8. The Alternative Titles for ‘Revolver’<\/h3>\n
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<\/div>9. Lennon’s Jesus Comments Led to the Promotion of ‘Yellow Submarine’ Instead<\/h3>\n
10. It Was Nominated for Album of the Year, But Lost to…<\/h3>\n