"1900 Yesterday" song

[K.M. Richards]

Apple Records never dissolved? They seem to still exist, but I guess pretty much as a Beatles reissue label.

According to Wikipedia, they are still in existence. Normally I would take Wikipedia with a grain of salt but there is a valid reference link -- from Billboard, no less -- about their CEO stepping down last year.

However, their last album release was in 2009, a compilation of George Harrison singles. They appear to mostly concern themselves with the management of digital downloads now.

 

[semoochie]

So, I went looking (because of course I did) and found a conversation with Mark Lindsay, who says that everything up to and through "Hungry" is the band.

In terms of big national hits, then, there were three where the band is who's playing on the single: "Just Like Me", "Kicks" and "Hungry", and three albums: "Here They Come", "Just Like Us" and "Midnight Ride".


But the time demands of the live concerts and TV shows were such that producer Terry Melcher switched to having the basic tracks done by the Wrecking Crew:




Full interview:

A Conversation with Mark Lindsay

sundazed.com

I wonder if Terry Melcher's mother used the Wrecking Crew.

 

[michael hagerty]

I wonder if Terry Melcher's mother used the Wrecking Crew.

Hal Blaine and Carol Kaye both mention recording with Doris Day in their bios. Glen Campbell is mentioned on at least one of his fan sites as having played guitar on Doris' sessions in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965.

The only one I can find who seems to have failed the audition was Leon Russell:

Leon Russell Discusses His Career and New Album 'Life Journey'

Leon Russell talks about his new album, "Life Journey," and about working with music legends such as Elton John, Frank Sinatra and more.

www.aarp.org

These guys became known as "The Wrecking Crew" specifically because they were a core group of first-call studio musicians who were as good as they got.

Case in point:



That's Herb Alpert in a Tijuana Brass session, sometime before he put together the touring group, who became the recording group in 1966, beginning with "Zorba the Greek."

The fella at the piano, on the left? Leon Russell. Herb says anytime you hear piano on a TJB record prior to 1966, you're hearing Leon.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Thanks for sharing. I have read all of the posts. My contribution was to point out that "Yesterday" could, and maybe should have been, released as by Paul McCartney as he was the only member of the band on the record, as far as I know. After all, "Caroline, No" was credited to Brian Wilson instead of The Beach Boys.

And "Beth" was credited to Kiss.

 

[davideduardo]

At one time, I had heard "Yesterday" in various versions was the most played song ever on the radio. I don't have a source

I'd guess that it was one of the most played Beautiful Music songs in instrumental versions in the 70's and 80's. And probably the most played Lennon-McCartney song in that format.

 

[davideduardo]

Most of Paul Revere and The Raiders records are just Mark Lindsay and the Wrecking Crew

The Wrecking Crew (music) - Wikipedia for those who are too young to know what that was!

 

[K.M. Richards]

And "Beth" was credited to Kiss.

I presume that is a reference to the New York Philharmonic being used for the instrumental track, even though (once again) you failed to give any context to your statement.

However, if you read the Wikipedia entry, the explanation -- which is surprisingly accurate -- does validate "Beth" as a Kiss song.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I presume that is a reference to the New York Philharmonic being used for the instrumental track, even though (once again) you failed to give any context to your statement.

However, if you read the Wikipedia entry, the explanation -- which is surprisingly accurate -- does validate "Beth" as a Kiss song.

Np, I meant Peter Criss is the only member singing.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Np, I meant Peter Criss is the only member singing.

Again, if you read the entire background, you will see that even though Criss did the vocals, two other members of the band were involved in the writing and production, and (to weaken your case even further) the B-side of that single was one of their trademark anthems "Detroit Rock City".

In any event, this is far less controversial than "Yesterday" and I even find that to be nitpicking. Give it a rest, if you would, please.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Again, if you read the entire background, you will see that even though Criss did the vocals, two other members of the band were involved in the writing and production, and (to weaken your case even further) the B-side of that single was one of their trademark anthems "Detroit Rock City".

In any event, this is far less controversial than "Yesterday" and I even find that to be nitpicking. Give it a rest, if you would, please.

I forget who brought that up or where (probably not this site), but it wasn't me. I was just recalling what someone said.

 

[michael hagerty]

I forget who brought that up or where (probably not this site), but it wasn't me. I was just recalling what someone said.

The difference, Chimp, is that McCartney was the only Beatle involved in any way with "Yesterday". He wrote it, he played guitar, he sang it and then producer George Martin dubbed a string quartet in after. As a result, there was consideration of releasing it as a solo record.

A year later, Brian Wilson recorded "Caroline, No" without any Beach Boys participating. That single was, in fact, released as a Brian Wilson solo single, then later included on a Beach Boys album ("Pet Sounds").

 

[K.M. Richards]

The difference, Chimp, is that McCartney was the only Beatle involved in any way with "Yesterday". He wrote it, he played guitar, he sang it and then producer George Martin dubbed a string quartet in after. As a result, there was consideration of releasing it as a solo record.

A year later, Brian Wilson recorded "Caroline, No" without any Beach Boys participating. That single was, in fact, released as a Brian Wilson solo single, then later included on a Beach Boys album ("Pet Sounds").

And (again) the Wikipedia page about the song makes it clear that all of the members of Kiss were involved at some point before it was released as a single, and they decided to issue it under the band's name rather than a "Peter Criss single".

There are nuances involved in all three situations, which is why the statement ...

And "Beth" was credited to Kiss.

... was too simplistic to be stated on its own as fact, as a response to the discussion about "Yesterday".