What were those songs really about about....and do I really want to know?

[jfrancispastirchak]

What was Robin Gibb singing about in the Bee Gees hit, I Started A Joke?

The singer himself, Robin Gibb, once explained that JOKE was inspired by the hum of a 4-prop aircraft the group once flew over Europe. Check out I Started a Joke on Wikipedia...

 

[EZway2go]

Even after reading various interpretations on the internet, I still don't know what "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by Procol Harum is supposed to be about. :-\

 

[firepoint525]

The best story has to Be "Na Na na na hey hey hey goodbye"......Gary Decarlo has changed his story over the years originally he wantd to record a demo 45 with a cut he thought had potential and didn't want the dee-jays flipping over to the b-side ...so he intended to record a dog for the b-side, just repeating a verse overe and over....the engineer took the b-side did some looping and added some instrumental tracking and was released, but the b-side sounded like a group....... as fate would have it the b-side took off and the Decarlo had to scramble to create a band. he recalled that night at the studio they left thru the alley and there was steam coming up from the gutter....and thus was born Steam and "Na na na...."...he has changed the story over the years saying it was and old recording re-surrected ..who knows ??

So what was this oh-so-fabulous A side, anyway?

I did this from memory..when you asked I went back and checked Decarlo actually had four songs he thought were great and didn't want to waste any as a b-side, and that was how na na na was born ..after na na was completed..the Priducer paul Leka thught it sounded too good for a b-side and released it as Steam and it shot to #1 ...Decarlo's 4 songs bombed on Mercury label...the b-side for na na na is "It's the magic in your girl"...it is not one of the 4 Decarlo songs ..those were titles were never revealed in the article.

I recently saw DeCarlo on one of those PBS specials, and he performed "Na Na Hey Hey" so apparently there is no longer any bitterness (on his part) about that one becoming a hit while his other songs failed.

 

[EZway2go]

The best story has to Be "Na Na na na hey hey hey goodbye"......Gary Decarlo has changed his story over the years originally he wantd to record a demo 45 with a cut he thought had potential and didn't want the dee-jays flipping over to the b-side ...so he intended to record a dog for the b-side, just repeating a verse overe and over....the engineer took the b-side did some looping and added some instrumental tracking and was released, but the b-side sounded like a group....... as fate would have it the b-side took off and the Decarlo had to scramble to create a band. he recalled that night at the studio they left thru the alley and there was steam coming up from the gutter....and thus was born Steam and "Na na na...."...he has changed the story over the years saying it was and old recording re-surrected ..who knows ??

So what was this oh-so-fabulous A side, anyway?

I did this from memory..when you asked I went back and checked Decarlo actually had four songs he thought were great and didn't want to waste any as a b-side, and that was how na na na was born ..after na na was completed..the Priducer paul Leka thught it sounded too good for a b-side and released it as Steam and it shot to #1 ...Decarlo's 4 songs bombed on Mercury label...the b-side for na na na is "It's the magic in your girl"...it is not one of the 4 Decarlo songs ..those were titles were never revealed in the article.

I recently saw DeCarlo on one of those PBS specials, and he performed "Na Na Hey Hey" so apparently there is no longer any bitterness (on his part) about that one becoming a hit while his other songs failed.

...And thus was born the greatest cheer used at high school football games!

 

[firepoint525]

What was Robin Gibb singing about in the Bee Gees hit, I Started A Joke?

The singer himself, Robin Gibb, once explained that JOKE was inspired by the hum of a 4-prop aircraft the group once flew over Europe. Check out I Started a Joke on Wikipedia...

"Jive Talkin'" was inspired by the sound of their car tires as they crossed a bridge near Miami.

"What's that noise?"
"Oh, that's just the drive talking."

Even the "chunka chunka" sound of the intro was supposedly inspired by the sound their tires made as they crossed that bridge. That bridge may have (inadvertently) led to them going disco! 8)

 

[unitron]

What was Robin Gibb singing about in the Bee Gees hit, I Started A Joke?

The singer himself, Robin Gibb, once explained that JOKE was inspired by the hum of a 4-prop aircraft the group once flew over Europe. Check out I Started a Joke on Wikipedia...

"Jive Talkin'" was inspired by the sound of their car tires as they crossed a bridge near Miami.

"What's that noise?"
"Oh, that's just the drive talking."

Even the "chunka chunka" sound of the intro was supposedly inspired by the sound their tires made as they crossed that bridge. That bridge may have (inadvertently) led to them going disco! 8)

As opinions on disco seem to vary considerably, I'll leave it to others to decide whether or not that drive was "a bridge too far".

 

[rnigma1]

I recall the Bee Gees in a Rolling Stone interview revealing that the sound effect they used in "Tragedy" that sounded vaguely like a gunshot was actually one of the Gibbs belching into the mike.

 

[cyberdad]

I recall the Bee Gees in a Rolling Stone interview revealing that the sound effect they used in "Tragedy" that sounded vaguely like a gunshot was actually one of the Gibbs belching into the mike.

Not to be confused with Van Morrison's belch on "Jackie Wilson Said"

 

[buster2]

quote]I recall the Bee Gees in a Rolling Stone interview revealing that the sound effect they used in "Tragedy" that sounded vaguely like a gunshot was actually one of the Gibbs belching into the mike.[/quote]

I watched a TV documentary on the Bee Gees about the time this song was released. There was a great discussion on just how to get that "explosion" sound for "Tragedy." Apparently no synthysized sounds existed that satisfied the group, so they eventually did it 'old school.' Barry Gibb went to a studio microphone, cupped his hands around his mouth and made the sound naturally. But... it was not a belch. It was kind of a grinding, crashing sound made purely in the mouth and not from the diaphragm. It was also altered on the tape.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

quote]I recall the Bee Gees in a Rolling Stone interview revealing that the sound effect they used in "Tragedy" that sounded vaguely like a gunshot was actually one of the Gibbs belching into the mike.

I watched a TV documentary on the Bee Gees about the time this song was released. There was a great discussion on just how to get that "explosion" sound for "Tragedy." Apparently no synthysized sounds existed that satisfied the group, so they eventually did it 'old school.' Barry Gibb went to a studio microphone, cupped his hands around his mouth and made the sound naturally. But... it was not a belch. It was kind of a grinding, crashing sound made purely in the mouth and not from the diaphragm. It was also altered on the tape.


[/quote]
I'm with you on this one. I saw that same clip.

 

[rnigma1]

Thanks for clearing that up. I guess the Bee Gees were having a laugh on the Rolling Stone interviewer.

 

[firepoint525]

The Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life" was supposedly Paul McCartney's "love song" to marijuana, but I have not found a link to specifically verify that. But knowing Paul, that seems likely.

 

[cyberdad]

The Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life" was supposedly Paul McCartney's "love song" to marijuana, but I have not found a link to specifically verify that. But knowing Paul, that seems likely.

I thought he wrote it about Jane Asher....but the alternative explanation is equally plausible. If not more so!

 

[firepoint525]

The Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life" was supposedly Paul McCartney's "love song" to marijuana, but I have not found a link to specifically verify that. But knowing Paul, that seems likely.

I thought he wrote it about Jane Asher....but the alternative explanation is equally plausible. If not more so!

"I'm Looking Through You" on Rubber Soul was about his then-declining relationship with Jane Asher.

 

[radiobum]

A few others along with what they're either about or supposedly about.,,,,

"Strangers in the Night", Frank Sinatra: Homosexuality. (My guess is that Frank was unaware)
"Some Velvet Morning", Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazelwood: Incest (and possibly also drugs).
"Ticket to Ride", Beatles: I believe John Lennon said it was about a prostitute.
"Drive My Car", Beatles: In this case, I believe Paul said it was actually about drugs.
"Little Green Bag", George Baker Selection: Well....DUH!

i had a terrible drug experience set off by vanilla fudge's version of 'some velvet morning" a LONG time ago.

ever heard the theory that dusty springfield's ' i only want to be with you' was about lesbianism ?

 

[michael hagerty]

Does anyone else hear a different word when McCartney sings With a Little Luck? The word luck sounds like it begins with the sixth letter in the alphabet?

No, it sounds like he sings "luck' throughout.

Now. the extended fade of the Spinners' "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" is another story. Near the beginning of the fade, the lyrics go "One of kind love affair / Makes you wanna love her / Makes you want to ---- her, yeah!" The word that could be the f-bomb, though, could also be "hurt," "hunt," or several other, illogical, possibilities; it wasn't enunciated clearly at all. The line doesn't appear in any lyrics I've been able to find, so it was likely a recording-session ad lib. Can anyone say for sure what was being sung?

It was "hug".

 

[CTListener]

Does anyone else hear a different word when McCartney sings With a Little Luck? The word luck sounds like it begins with the sixth letter in the alphabet?

No, it sounds like he sings "luck' throughout.

Now. the extended fade of the Spinners' "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" is another story. Near the beginning of the fade, the lyrics go "One of kind love affair / Makes you wanna love her / Makes you want to ---- her, yeah!" The word that could be the f-bomb, though, could also be "hurt," "hunt," or several other, illogical, possibilities; it wasn't enunciated clearly at all. The line doesn't appear in any lyrics I've been able to find, so it was likely a recording-session ad lib. Can anyone say for sure what was being sung?

It was "hug".

That makes sense. So it was mere coincidence that the part of the fade containing that line was chopped from the radio edit?

 

[michael hagerty]

Does anyone else hear a different word when McCartney sings With a Little Luck? The word luck sounds like it begins with the sixth letter in the alphabet?

No, it sounds like he sings "luck' throughout.

Now. the extended fade of the Spinners' "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" is another story. Near the beginning of the fade, the lyrics go "One of kind love affair / Makes you wanna love her / Makes you want to ---- her, yeah!" The word that could be the f-bomb, though, could also be "hurt," "hunt," or several other, illogical, possibilities; it wasn't enunciated clearly at all. The line doesn't appear in any lyrics I've been able to find, so it was likely a recording-session ad lib. Can anyone say for sure what was being sung?

It was "hug".

That makes sense. So it was mere coincidence that the part of the fade containing that line was chopped from the radio edit?

No...so many people thought they heard the "f" word (including some program directors and general managers) that stations weren't adding it, so Atlantic rushed a radio edit that removed a non-objectionable word. I never understood it...one listen with headphones and it was clearly "just gotta hug her".

It's the reverse of the strategy London Records used four years earlier. WABC was refusing to add the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women". PD Rick Sklar cited the line "laid a divorcee in New York City". The head of London Records got the record on WABC by giving Sklar his word that Mick was singing "PLAYED a divorcee in New York City."

And now you know what a promo man's word was worth back in the day.

 

[CTListener]

Does anyone else hear a different word when McCartney sings With a Little Luck? The word luck sounds like it begins with the sixth letter in the alphabet?

No, it sounds like he sings "luck' throughout.

Now. the extended fade of the Spinners' "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" is another story. Near the beginning of the fade, the lyrics go "One of kind love affair / Makes you wanna love her / Makes you want to ---- her, yeah!" The word that could be the f-bomb, though, could also be "hurt," "hunt," or several other, illogical, possibilities; it wasn't enunciated clearly at all. The line doesn't appear in any lyrics I've been able to find, so it was likely a recording-session ad lib. Can anyone say for sure what was being sung?

It was "hug".

That makes sense. So it was mere coincidence that the part of the fade containing that line was chopped from the radio edit?

No...so many people thought they heard the "f" word (including some program directors and general managers) that stations weren't adding it, so Atlantic rushed a radio edit that removed a non-objectionable word. I never understood it...one listen with headphones and it was clearly "just gotta hug her".

It's the reverse of the strategy London Records used four years earlier. WABC was refusing to add the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women". PD Rick Sklar cited the line "laid a divorcee in New York City". The head of London Records got the record on WABC by giving Sklar his word that Mick was singing "PLAYED a divorcee in New York City."

And now you know what a promo man's word was worth back in the day.

And I always heard THAT line as "I later did the same in New York City"!

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Re, The Beatles' Day Tripper and Ticket to Ride-- what were those songs about?