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10.23pm
22 September 2014
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In discussing ‘What You’re Doing ‘ recently, I mentioned that the song had a definite Country Western flavor, which led me to search for a topic on how the Beatles were influenced by Country Western music or which songs had a Country feel. Surprisingly, there is no thread on the subject, although @meanmistermustard and @Bungalow Bob touched on it in a thread about Paul’s greatest hits. They mentioned ‘I’ve Just Seen A Face ,’ ‘Another Girl ,’ ‘I Will ,’ ‘I’m Looking Through You ,’ ‘I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party ‘ and ‘I’m A Loser .’ The subject calls into play the issue of what characterizes a Country Western sound, and how it is to be distinguished from rock, rock-a-billy, and similar genre. To me, Country means jangly or slide guitars, maybe a banjo or fiddle, and definitely twangy enunciation, not to mention lyrics which include pickup trucks, hound dogs and hearts broken by women (or men) of dubious morals.
Aside from the lyrics, and not counting ‘Act Naturally ‘ for obvious reasons, which other songs have a Country Western vibe?
I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did'.
Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake, 1997
10.30pm
1 November 2013
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What goes on feels country to me
11.13pm
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1 May 2011
Offline ‘What Goes On ‘ is definitely country flavoured which isnt that surprising considering Ringo’s love for the genre. ‘Don’t Pass Me By ‘ is another example and Ringo also recorded a whole C&W album in ‘Beaucoups of Blues’.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
11.34pm
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20 August 2013
Offline Crippled Inside sounds to me like it fits this category.
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12.45am
22 September 2014
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Wow, does it ever! I’m ashamed to say I don’t remember hearing it before. That thing is country right down to its s**t kickers. George on the Dobro, get out! It hardly even sounds like John; he sings it like a parody of Hank Williams or Buck Owens.
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Ahhh GirlI say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did'.
Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake, 1997
12.18pm
31 March 2008
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I’ll Cry Instead and Rocky Raccoon .
Here’s a letter from Lennon to Waylon Jennings in 1975. He mentions a song which he “should have released as a single myself, but I left it to [sic] late”. My guess is he’s talking about Tight A$ from Mind Games .
http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/john-lennons-letter-to-waylon-jennings
Ringo with Buck Owens, 1989. More info on this here:
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12.23pm
31 March 2008
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12.34pm
31 March 2008
Offline Parts of Beatles For Sale are very C&W influenced: Honey Don’t , Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby , I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party . John Lennon said at the time: “You could call our new one a Beatles country and western LP”.
Ringo, Anthology:
We all knew Honey Don’t ; it was one of those songs that every band in Liverpool played. I used to love country music and country rock; I’d had my own show with Rory Storm, when I would do five or six numbers. So singing and performing wasn’t new to me; it was a case of finding a vehicle for me with The Beatles. That’s why we did it on Beatles For Sale . It was comfortable. And I was finally getting one track on a record: my little featured spot.
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12.51pm
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20 August 2013
Offline I just listened through A Hard Day’s Night while getting ready for work this morning. I will second Joe’s motion to include I’ll Cry Instead in this category. I logged in to mention that song. I’m glad someone agrees with me.
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1.50pm
22 September 2014
Offline Ahhh Girl said
Crippled Inside sounds to me like it fits this category.
Was all of Crippled Inside a slam against Paul? When I was listening, I was thinking John was even singing it in an exaggerated country style to mock Paul, who could fall into country cadence and twang at the drop of a Stetson. I’ll bet Paul can do a great American accent, BTW.
I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did'.
Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake, 1997
1.53pm
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1 May 2011
Offline No idea what Ringo is talking about when he says “…I was finally getting one track on a record: my little featured spot” in regards to ‘Honey Don’t ” since he had been getting his spot from the first album.
Yeah ‘I’ll Cry Instead ‘ is a good shout.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
2.02pm
31 March 2008
Offline Don’t know. Perhaps because he kicked up a fuss after not getting a song on AHDN , and they agreed to let him have something on all subsequent albums. I doubt it though – my guess is he just overlooked Boys and I Wanna Be Your Man .
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2.07pm
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14 April 2010
Offline I am definitely not a fan of Country (or Western!). I don’t hate it, but can olny tolerate it in small doses. However, I love every Beatles song that has that influence. I am very glad they, for the most part, were fans of the genre.
A lot of blues music (which most of you know by now is a passion of mine) is rooted in C&W as well. I just can’t get into pure C&W. Would it be a major derail if I asked if anyone else goes through this. Any thoughts?
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2.44pm
22 September 2014
Offline @Zig, you expressed my feelings exactly. I said on another thread that I don’t care for country music at all (it all sounds the same to me, and that twang just grates), but I really like all the Beatles’ country songs. To show you what a country fan I am not, I didn’t know that ‘Act Naturally ‘ was a cover for a long time; I just thought it was a catchy Ringo tune and I always liked it. 
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ZigI say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did'.
Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake, 1997
3.17pm
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20 August 2013
Offline georgiewood said
Ahhh Girl said
Crippled Inside sounds to me like it fits this category.Was all of Crippled Inside a slam against Paul? When I was listening, I was thinking John was even singing it in an exaggerated country style to mock Paul, who could fall into country cadence and twang at the drop of a Stetson. I’ll bet Paul can do a great American accent, BTW.
I’ve been told it was a slam against Paul.
Here’s an interesting video to go along with the song. It has some interesting clip with John and Yoko talking about the cover of the Imagine album and some interesting shots of them with some very famous people. And he does a little impromptu singing of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?…..x0di2_rWUI
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3.50pm
1 December 2009
Offline Yeah, C&W’s always been a bit of a tough sell for me as well – I mean, I respect it more than I enjoy it. I like rockabilly, and I like bluegrass a lot because it’s uptempo and often instrumental; but the slow-tempo cry-in-my-beer ones can get to be a bit much, especially with that vocal twang (like georgiewood already opined.) That plus the inevitability of the chord changes…I know, it’s all MEANT to be depressing, and they do a good job at it. But that usually ain’t the way I want to feel.
As far as Beatles-country goes, “Octopus’ Garden” is another good-timey one. I like that Ringo sang most of ’em. Nice continuity.
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parlanceGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
4.05pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Wasn’t ‘I’ll Cry Instead ‘ at one time thought to be a vocal for Ringo but it stayed with John or am i just making that up?
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.16pm
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14 April 2010
Offline I had not heard that (doesn’t mean anything though) but I would not be surprised.
Side note: I know it was replaced in the film AHDN by ‘Can’t But me Love’, which is fine. But I wish they had used it in the police chase seen instead of re-using ‘CBML’. It would have been a nice fit.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
4.17pm
1 December 2009
Offline I expressed the opinion that Ringo should’ve sung “I’ll Cry Instead ” on the “Songs you wish other Beatles had sung” thread (and possibly elsewhere) a couple of years ago, maybe you’re thinking of that?
(that was to meanmistermustard)
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
4.17pm
22 September 2014
Offline Ahhh Girl said
I’ve been told it was a slam against Paul.
Here’s an interesting video to go along with the song. It has some interesting clip with John and Yoko talking about the cover of the Imagine album and some interesting shots of them with some very famous people. And he does a little impromptu singing of the song.
That was terrific, @Ahhh Girl. 
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Ahhh GirlI say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, 'The Beatles did'.
Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake, 1997
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