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7.17pm
15 May 2015
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Nothing terribly fancy here, musicologically speaking. I just want to take a moment to tip a hat of appreciation for the Beatles songs that have brass lines adding some unique texture & panache which only brass instruments can do.
I’ve always been a fan of brass instruments in pop music, which is why I like the band Chicago so much. They were basically the most brass-oriented pop rock group in all history, I’d say. Next perhaps is Earth, Wind and Fire (and certainly Blood, Sweat and Tears qualifies, except that the band was so short-lived). Indeed, it was my privilege once a few decades ago to see Chicago perform a cover version of “Got To Get You Into My Life ” — with their signature brass section (James Pankow on trombone, Walt Parazaider on saxophone, and Lee Loughnane on trumpet) punching it up suitably, and Peter Cetera with his not un-McCartneyesque voice doing it interesting justice…
But I digress. Here’s my list of Beatles songs with brass lines. To me, all of these benefit from the brass:
Good Morning, Good Morning
A Day In The Life (particularly that one little riff segueing from the dreamy “ahh ahhs” back to “I read the news today, oh boy…”
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite
[Question: should I count a song that only has one brass instrument — Martha My Dear — ?…]
EDIT — WHAT WAS I THINKING??!!! Martha My Dear has quite a full-bodied brass section, not just one French horn as my infirm memory had thought…
more later, I can’t think of anymore off the top of my head…
***************
An interesting thought: It seems that the Beatles used brass lines only during their “middle period” — not during the first phase, nor during their final phase (Let It Be , Abbey Road ).
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7.57pm
26 January 2017
Offline Not to forget Yellow Submarine , a messy arrangement.
A little tighter sounding is Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band
"The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles!"
-Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
"We could ride and surf together while our love would grow"
-Brian Wilson, Surfer Girl
7.30am
17 January 2016
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Got To Get You Into My Life has the best brassy opening ever!
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8.47am
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15 February 2015
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Indeedily 
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10.08am
8 January 2015
Offline Some of my favourite Beatles Brass! George Martin had a recurring motif of alternating cellos and brass to great effect, especially in Strawberry Fields Forever , and All You Need Is Love .
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but I may have to get more specific in the future.
10.20am
6 April 2016
Offline I love their hand trumpets in Lady Madonna
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Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline gembo555 said
I love their hand trumpets in Lady Madonna
Ope, now you’ve got me going… 
Pah pah pa pa, pah pah pah, pa pa pa pa, pa pa paaah pa pah pa paaahh… 
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8.20pm
15 May 2015
Offline sir walter raleigh said
Not to forget Yellow Submarine , a messy arrangement.A little tighter sounding is Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Yes thanks — I’m sure I forgot a few others too…
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8.22pm
15 May 2015
Offline Silly Girl said
Indeedily
Mother Nature’s Son — love those horns.
And yayyyyyy Martha My Dear !!!
Another one! Thanks! When I first sat down to compose this thread, I strained my brain trying to remember, but obviously left out a few. Had I gone methodically through the lists of songs from the Beatles discography, I probably would have caught these extras, but I was being a bit lazy.
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8.26pm
15 May 2015
Offline ewe2 said
Savoy TruffleSome of my favourite Beatles Brass! George Martin had a recurring motif of alternating cellos and brass to great effect, especially in Strawberry Fields Forever , and All You Need Is Love .
Thanks — I just thought of Savoy Truffle before I saw this (mostly or exclusively? saxophones); and the others had completely eluded me. The only one I can’t remember brass for at all, even now in my mind’s ear, is I Am The Walrus . Let me have a listen here…
Hmm… it seems that I Am The Walrus only has a string section (violins, cellos, etc.) but I can’t discern any brass.
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8.26pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline Well, if you had gotten them all, then there wouldn’t be very much left for us to discuss. 
Though I’m sure we’d have found something… 
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10.04pm
8 January 2015
Offline Pineapple Records said
Thanks — I just thought of Savoy Truffle before I saw this (mostly or exclusively? saxophones); and the others had completely eluded me. The only one I can’t remember brass for at all, even now in my mind’s ear, is I Am The Walrus . Let me have a listen here…
Hmm… it seems that I Am The Walrus only has a string section (violins, cellos, etc.) but I can’t discern any brass.
It’s in the very early part of the song just as he’s singing I’m crying…, in the stereo there’s a brass section on your right. And when we get to yellow matter custard there is admittedly one horn doing a line. Martin was brilliant at little “tastes” like this, blink and you miss ’em. And brass is still going later in the song, sometimes it’s playing along with the strings, but it’s noticeable again at another I’m crying line just before the last chorus.
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12.31am
Reviewers
17 December 2012
Offline Brian Jones’ alto sax on You Know My Name (Look Up the Number).
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5.56am
24 March 2014
Offline Magical mistery tour…
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9.23am
17 January 2016
Offline Shamrock Womlbs said
Magical mistery tour…
Ah yes! Another great brassy opening… Magical Mystery Tour ! 
“She wasn't doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.” - J.D. Salinger
5.02pm
15 May 2015
Offline ewe2 said
It’s in the very early part of the song just as he’s singing I’m crying…, in the stereo there’s a brass section on your right. And when we get to yellow matter custard there is admittedly one horn doing a line. Martin was brilliant at little “tastes” like this, blink and you miss ’em. And brass is still going later in the song, sometimes it’s playing along with the strings, but it’s noticeable again at another I’m crying line just before the last chorus.
Thanks ewe2 — I could hear the brass after the “yellow matter custard” (sounds like one French horn), but I still couldn’t hear brass in the other places. Could be my relatively poor sound system…
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5.06pm
15 May 2015
Offline Shamrock Womlbs said
Magical mistery tour…
Of course! That’s another face palm for me (we should have an emoticon of Ringo face-palming himself…)
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5.42pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline @Pineapple Records said
That’s another face palm for me (we should have an emoticon of Ringo face-palming himself…)
Why when we have such a lovely emoticon of Paul face-paulming himself? 
Here ya go: 
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1.42am
15 May 2015
Offline That’s great silly girl! Where is that photo from? I never saw it before. You’re good at those paul puns.
You might like this famous quote of American Senator and Presidential candidate from the 1950s — though he was referring to St. Paul (and contrasting him to Norman Vincent Peale), you can change it in your mind:
“I find Paul appealing, and Peale appalling.”
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9.08am
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline @Pineapple Records said
That’s great silly girl! Where is that photo from? I never saw it before.
It’s (one of) our newest smiley(s)! 
(In other words, I don’t know)
You’re good at those paul puns.
Not my joke, sorry– I found this on the internets somewhere:
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