1966.11.09 John and Yoko meet for the first time (p. 466, 477-79)
? Yoko sends John Grapefruit (p. 485) 1967.04.29 14 Hour Technicolor Dream (p. 493) 1967.07.14 Times ad against illegality of marijuana (p. 502) 1967.10.11 "Half Wind Show" (p. 522) [while still living at Kenwood] 2 films: "Smile" and "Two Virgins" (p. 541) [three weeks before Acorn Event] "Build Around" at the Arts Lab in Drury Lane (p. 542) 1968.06.15 Acorn Event (p. 542-43) 1968.06.18 In His Own Write premiere (p. 543-44) 1968.07.01 "You Are Here" (p. 562) 1968.08.24 appearance on David Frost's television show (p. 566) 1968.10.18 Drug bust (p.573) 1968.11.21 Yoko miscarries (p. 577) 1968.11.29 Two Virgins album released (p. 577-78) 1968.12.11 Rock 'n' Roll Circus (p. 579) 1968.12.18 Alchemical Wedding (p. 593) 1969.03.02 Cambridge 1969 (p. 593) 1969.03.20 John and Yoko marry in Gibraltar (p. 594) ? Honeymoon (p. 595) ? Rape filming (p. 597) 1969.03.31 Rape premiere, Bagism in Vienna (p. 597) 1969.04.22 Nam Change (p. 598) 1969.05.30 "The Ballad of John and Yoko" released (p. 599) ? Bag Productions formed (p. 601) ? Mail acorns (p. 602) 1969.05.09 Life with the Lions released (p. 602) 1969.05.26-06.02 2nd Bed-In in Montreal (p. 604) 1969.06.02 Recording of "Give Peace a Chance" (p. 606) 1969.07.01 Car Crah (p. 610) 1969.09.10-11 ICA London John & Yoko film showings (p. 620) 1969.09.13 Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival (p. 621) 1969.10.20 single "Cold Turkey"/"Don't Worry Kyoko" released (p. 626) 1969.10.? Wedding Album released (p. 626) 1969.12.14 bagism in support of John Hanratty (p. 628) 1969.12.12 Album Live Peace in Toronto released (p. 629) 1970 "Year One for Peace" (p. 633) 1970.01.15 Lennon's 14 erotic lithographs displayed (p. 633) 1970.01.16 Lithographs deemed obscene by authorities (p. 633) 1970.03.29 John and Yoko announce second pregnancy (p. 638) 1970.04.01 Lithographs legally excused (p. 642) 1970.08? Yoko's second miscarriage (p. 652) "during their short stay" in NYC, 1970.12.early? Two more films: Up Your Legs Forever and Fly (p. 659-60) CITATIONS Norman, Philip. John Lennon: The Life. ECCO, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY, 2008.
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Formal structure of [135] "Sexy Sadie":
Intro (v) 0:00-0:10 Verse 1 0:10-0:32 Verse 2 0:32-0:54 Middle 8 0:54-1:10 Verse 3 1:10-1:32 Verse 4 1:32-1:54 Middle 8 1:54-2:13 Solo/Coda (v) 2:13-3:14 Comments: "Sexy Sadie" is one of a great many Beatles songs to date to place the first two verses contiguously (as did [1] "Love Me Do", [7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret", [8] "Misery", [9b] "Anna (Go To Him)", [9c] "Boys", [9d] "Chains", [9f] Twist and Shout, [10] "From Me To You", [13e] "Till There Was You", [17] "Little Child", [19] "Not a Second Time", [23] "Can't Buy Me Love", [25] "And I Love Her", [26] "I Should Have Known Better", [28] "If I Fell'', [29] "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You", [31] "A Hard Day's Night", [31b] "Matchbox", [32] "I'll Cry Instead", [35] "Things We Said Today", [40] "I Don't Want To Spoil the Party", [41] "What You're Doing", [42] "No Reply", [43] "Eight Days a Week", [44] "She's a Woman", [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [46d] "Words of Love", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [49] "I Need You", [50] "Yes It Is", [51] "The Night Before", [52] "You Like Me Too Much", [54] "Tell Me What You See", 56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", [56c] "Bad Boy", [57] "I've Just Seen a Face", [59] "Yesterday", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [68] "We Can Work it Out", [71] "Michelle", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", [80] "Paperback Writer", [82] "Doctor Robert", [84] "Taxman", [88] "Yellow Submarine", [89] "I Want To Tell You", [92] "She Said She Said", [95] "Penny Lane", [96] "A Day in the Life", [99] "Fixing a Hole", [100] "Only a Northern Song", [101] "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite", [105] "Within You Without You", [111] "All Together Now", [114] "All You Need Is Love", [116] "I Am the Walrus", [122] "Lady Madonna", [126] "Don't Pass Me By", [128] "Blackbird", and [129] "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey"). But it's also just the 9th Beatles song to date to use contiguous verses other than the first two, precedents being [19] "Not a Second Time" (in which verses 1 and 2 are contiguous, as are verses 3 and 4), [31b] "Matchbox" (in which the first three and last two verses are contiguous), [56b] "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 4-5), [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows" (in which verses 1-3 are contiguous, as are verses 4-7), [80] "Paperback Writer" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 3-4), [84] "Taxman" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 3-4), [95] "Penny Lane" (in which verses 1-2 are contiguous, as are verses 4-5), [96] "A Day in the Life" (in which verses 1-3 are contiguous), and [129] "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey" (in which all three verses are contiguous). Lastly, the coda is both a solo and a coda because the solo just keeps going and eventually fades out. Using a solo as a coda is not terribly rare (the band pulled the trick previously in [46b] "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby", [60b] "Act Naturally", [71] "Michelle", and [79] "Love You To"), but what is unprecedented in a Beatles track is to use a solo as a coda without also using it elsewhere. All four previous songs that used solos as a coda had additionally used solos in the body of the song. "Sexy Sadie" is the first to use a solo strictly as a coda. Formal structure of [134] "Helter Skelter":
Intro (ind.) 0:00-0:18 el gtr 0:00-0:03 + vocals 0:03-0:18 Verse 1 0:18-0:41 Chorus 0:41-0:52 Ext 0:52-0:58 Verse 2 0:58-1:18 Chorus 1:18-1:29 Ext 1:29-1:35 Solo 1:35-1:46 Intro 1:46-2:01 Verse 3 2:01-2:21 Chorus 2:21-2:33 Coda 2:33-3:12 Chorus ext 2:33-3:12 False fade out 3:12-3:41 "Blisters" 3:41-4:29 Comments: "Helter Skelter" is yet another Beatles song to use a two-part introduction (following [6b] "A Taste Of Honey", [11] "Thank You Girl", [17] "Little Child", [14b] "Roll Over Beethoven", [24] "You Can't Do That", [31b] "Matchbox", [37] "Baby's in Black", [38b] "Mr. Moonlight", [45] "I Feel Fine", [46e] "Honey Don't", [47] "Ticket to Ride", [62] "Run For Your Life", [63] "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", [66] "If I Needed Someone", [77] "Tomorrow Never Knows", [79] "Love You To", [81] "Paperback Writer", [89] "I Want to Tell You", [92] "She Said She Said", [102] "Lovely Rita", [104] "Getting Better", [105] "Within You Without You", [110] "Baby, You're a Rich Man", [114] "All You Need Is Love", [125] "Revolution 1", [126] "Don't Pass Me By", [130] "Good Night", and [131] "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da"), with the distorted electric guitar heard first, with McCartney's vocals added next. Although the vast majority of Beatles songs so far have used an introduction, "Helter Skelter" is the first to reprise an independent introduction mid-song. Many tunes to date have used introductions based on a section of the song (essentially foreshadowing what is to be heard later), but in this case the introduction is independent of the rest of the music, and the repetition of it mid-song is equally clearly bringing back the beginning and NOT anticipating what is to come. Both [40] "I Don't Want To Spoil the Party" and [43] "Eight Days a Week" use an independent introduction that is reprised at the very end as a coda, but "Helter Skelter" reprises it in the MIDDLE of the song - NOT in the coda. Each of the first two choruses is extended, but this is clearly NOT a tag, as tags are a particular characteristic riff or motif (think "In My Life" or "Day Tripper") whereas this instance is merely a continuation of previous material. The third such extension is omitted in favor of the coda (which has the same structural function as the earlier extensions). The coda itself is quite long and developed in that it has three distinct subsections - the first part being an extension of the chorus (although much longer than the previous chorus extensions and retaining the chorus' guitar lick that were absent in the earlier chorus extensions); the second part a false ending followed by the third part, a fade back in before Ringo's perfect conclusion: "I've got blisters on my fingers!". This fade back in is quite similar to [93] "Strawberry Fields Forever". I cannot count "Helter Skelter" as having a double coda, however, because (again like "Strawberry") this fade in is more the product of studio manipulation than it is a compositional choice about the formal structure of the song. (To find true double codas, see [120] "Hello Goodbye", and [126] "Don't Pass Me By".) The solo is very brief and so underdeveloped that I can barely call it a solo. It will likely be the Beatles' shortest solo section. Formal structure of [133] "Cry Baby Cry": Chorus 0:00-0:11* Verse 1 0:11-0:28 Chorus 0:28-0:40 Verse 2 0:40-0:58 Chorus 0:58-1:10 Verse 3 1:10-1:27 Chorus 1:27-1:40 Verse 4 1:40-1:58 Chorus 1:58-2:10 Chorus 2:10-2:21 Chorus 2:21-2:34 Coda (ind.) 2:34-3:01 Comments: This is the 10th Beatles song so far to open with a chorus (following [12] "She Loves You", [14] "It Won't Be Long", [23] "Can't Buy Me Love", [34] "Any Time at All", [36] "When I Get Home", [48] "Another Girl", [55] "You're Going to Lose That Girl", [69] "Nowhere Man", and [86] "Eleanor Rigby"). It is also the 8th Beatles song so far to use contiguous choruses (following [44b] "Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", [58] "I'm Down", [73] "Think For Yourself", [90] "Good Day Sunshine", [113] "It's All Too Much", [114] "All You Need Is Love", and [117] "Blue Jay Way"). Since the chorus both starts and ends with the same title lyrics, these contiguous choruses overlap, resulting in slightly shorter choruses than heard earlier in the song. This will be most easily understood visually (click the graphic to enlarge): This example illustrates how the 5th through 7th iterations of the chorus overlap. All the chords, lyrics, and the melody are identical through each chorus until the very last chord (G), which is not omitted from the last 3 choruses, but rather overlaps with the start of each chorus (which also uses the same chord of G). This removes 2 beats from each chorus, which is why the 5th and 6th choruses incorporate a 2/4 bar.
The coda ("Can you take me back where I came from...?") is entirely independent from the rest of the song, somewhat reminiscent of [120] "Hello Goodbye". Lennon & Ono Avant-Garde Timeline According to Ray Coleman's "Lennon: The Definitive Biography"10/5/2013 1966.11.09 John and Yoko meet (p.416-18, 701)
"soon after" Yoko sends John Grapefruit. (p. 421) ? Yoko's postcards to John (p. 426) 1967.08.24 John gives Yoko a ride home (p. 428, 702) 1967.10.11-11.14 John sponsors Yoko Plus Me (p. 702) 1968.02.16-04.12 John and Yoko's correspondence in India (p. 434, 703) 1968.05.?? John invites Yoko over, they record Two Virgins (p.463-37) ? John and Yoko move in together (p. 445) 1968.? Yoko in recording studio (p. 453) 1968.06.15 Acorns for Peace (p. 455-56, 703) 1968.06.18 Premiere of "In His Own Write", attended by John and Yoko (p. 442, 456, 703) 1968.06.19 John initiates divorce with Cynthia (p. 442) 1968.07.01 Opening of You Are Here (p. 703) 1968.08.22 Cynthia sues John for divorce (p. 704) 1968.10.18 John and Yoko arrested for drug possession (p. 458, 704) 1968.10.25 Yoko's pregnancy with John announced (p. 446, 704) 1968.11.08 Divorce between John and Cynthia finalized (p. 446, 704) 1968.11.21 Yoko's first miscarriage (p. 457, 704) 1968.11 Release of album Two Virgins (p. 473-75, 704) 1968.12.? Royal Albert Hall Bagism (p. 493) 1968.12.11 Rock and Roll Circus (p. 704-05) 1968.12.18 "Alchemical Wedding" (p. 473, 705) 1969.02.02 Yoko's divorce from Tony Cox finalized (p. 490, 705) 1969.03.02 avant-garde concert at Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge (p. 548, 705) 1969.03.20 John and Yoko marry in Gibraltar (p. 491, 494, 705) 1969.03.24 John and Yoko have lunch with Salvador Dali (p. 705) 1969.03.25-31 Amsterdam Bed-In (p. 491, 494, 705-06) 1969.03.31 John and Yoko in Vienna for Rape and bagism (p. 706) 1969.04.01 John and Yoko on Today television show, bed-in (p. 706) 1969.04.21 Bag Productions founded (p. 706) 1969.04.22 John changes middle name to Ono (p. 491, 706) 1969.05.09 Life with the Lions released (p. 706) 1969.05.24 John and Yoko fly to Bahamas for bed-in. Cancelled (p. 706) 1969.05.26-06.02 John and Yoko's Bed-In at Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal (p. 707) 1969.06.01 Recording of "Give Peace a Chance" (p. 707) 1969.07.01 Car crash (p. 506-07, 707) 1969.07.03 Press launch of the Plastic Ono Band, John and Yoko still in hospital (p. 707-08) 1969.07.04 "Give Peace a Chance" released (p. 708) 1969.09.10 The New Cinema Club in the Institute of Contemporary Arts holds a John and Yoko film fest (p. 708) 1969.09.12 John asked to appear live at Rock 'n' Roll Revival in Toronto (p. 708) 1969.09.13 Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival (p. 476-77, 708) 1969.11.03 John and Yoko's films screened at Nash House, London (p. 709) 1969.11.07 Wedding Album released (p. 552, 709) 1969.12.12 Album The Plastic Ono Band - Live Peace in Toronto 1969 released (p. 710) 1969.12.15 Lyceum Ballroom performance (p. 502, 710) 1969.12.16 "War is over if you want it" billboards in 11 cities (p. 710) 1969.12.24 John and Yoko fast for peace, Rochester Cathedral, Kent (p. 710) 1970.01.15 14 Lennon lithographs exhibited in London (p. 711) 1970.01.16 London authorities confiscate lithographs as obscene (p. 711) 1970.03.12 John and Yoko announce second pregnancy (p. 712) 1971.05.15 Premiere of films Apotheosis (Balloon) and Fly (p. 713) 1971.06.02 John and Yoko perform with Frank Zappa (p. 713) 1971.08.11-31 Five of John and Yoko's films shown at Art Spectrum, London (p. 714) 1971.09.09 John appears on Dick Cavett's television show (p. 714) 1971.10.09-27 Yoko's exhibit This is Not Here, Syracuse, NY (p. 714) 1972.01.13 John and Yoko appear on the David Frost Show (p. 715) 1972.02.14-18 John and Yoko co-host the Mike Douglas Show (p. 715) 1979.12.31 Bag Productions dissolves (p. 723) CITATIONS Coleman, Ray. Lennon: The Definitive Biography. HarperPerennial, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, 1992. Formal Structure of [132] "Revolution":
Intro (ind) 0:00-0:08 Verse 1 0:08-0:34 Bridge 0:34-0:45 Chorus 0:45-0:57 Tag 0:57-1:01 Verse 2 1:01-1:27 Bridge 1:27-1:38 Chorus 1:38-1:50 Tag 1:50-1:54 Solo (v) 1:54-2:11 Verse 3 2:11-2:36 Bridge 2:36-2:47 Chorus 2:47-2:58 Tag 2:58-3:03 Coda (ch) 3:03-3:27 Comments: This one's about as straightforward as they come - a very elaborate, but very clear structure: textbook use of not only the standards of introduction, verse, chorus, solo, and coda, but also of bridge (as I define it) and tag. The only significant structural difference between [132] "Revolution" and [125] "Revolution 1" is the addition of a solo section which was completely omitted from the earlier version. Everything else is identical, at least in terms of formal progress (but different in terms of timing due to different tempos). |
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