"No Reply" (Lennon – December 15, 1964)
Beatles ’65 – Side 1, Track 1 (2:15)
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From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone, About.com, and Google –
"No Reply" is a song by The Beatles from the British album Beatles for Sale and the American album Beatles '65. It was written mainly by John Lennon and credited to Lennon/McCartney.
History –
A leftover from the sessions for A Hard Day's Night, this John original was written sometime in the middle of May 1964 while John was on vacation; its somber nature, however, probably kept it off the film's soundtrack (much like the snide "You Can't Do That"). John recorded a demo of the song on June 3 of that year for singer Tommy Quickly, a fellow Brian Epstein client, but John apparently heard something he liked here, for it was quickly withdrawn
Paul McCartney has said he may have helped John finish the song, a not uncommon practice. This is unlikely, but the first line of the middle eight ("If I were you...") is a possibility, since it lies in a range too high for John, which is why Paul sings top harmony. However, that line is also reminiscent of John's "When I Get Home," so...
"No Reply" is a song by The Beatles from the British album Beatles for Sale and the American album Beatles '65. It was written mainly by John Lennon and credited to Lennon/McCartney.
History –
A leftover from the sessions for A Hard Day's Night, this John original was written sometime in the middle of May 1964 while John was on vacation; its somber nature, however, probably kept it off the film's soundtrack (much like the snide "You Can't Do That"). John recorded a demo of the song on June 3 of that year for singer Tommy Quickly, a fellow Brian Epstein client, but John apparently heard something he liked here, for it was quickly withdrawn
Paul McCartney has said he may have helped John finish the song, a not uncommon practice. This is unlikely, but the first line of the middle eight ("If I were you...") is a possibility, since it lies in a range too high for John, which is why Paul sings top harmony. However, that line is also reminiscent of John's "When I Get Home," so...
"No Reply" was written as an exercise of sorts, with John attempting to pen something similar to the Rays' 1957 hit "Silhouettes," a story about a man who mistakes a shadow of two lovers to be his girlfriend and another man. In John's story, the girl is home, yet refuses to acknowledge it, and unlike the Rays song, there is no happy ending.
Perhaps because of its dark tone, its placement as the opener on Beatles For Sale has always struck many Beatles fans as odd, especially since the song begins "cold" with no intro other than John's voice. (This appears to be the first time a Beatles song opens with one voice and no music whatsoever.) With the inclusion of "I'm A Loser" and "Baby's In Black" right after it on the album, the three songs make up what is referred to as a John "trilogy" of lost love.
Although the released version of "No Reply" has a trendy bossa nova sort of beat, it was originally envisioned as a waltz.
Although the released version of "No Reply" has a trendy bossa nova sort of beat, it was originally envisioned as a waltz.
This was recorded at the fourth session for Beatles For Sale, just after "What You're Doing" was completed.
Composition –
Lyrics
The song is about a young man who is unable to contact his possibly unfaithful girlfriend, even though he sees her through her windows.
According to Lennon in 1972, The Beatles' music publisher Dick James was quite pleased with "No Reply":
"I remember Dick James coming up to me after we did this one and saying, 'You're getting better now — that was a complete story.' Apparently, before that, he thought my songs wandered off."
Reviewer David Rowley found its lyrics to "read like a picture story from a girl's comic," and to depict the picture "of walking down a street and seeing a girl silhouetted in a window, not answering the telephone."
In his last major interview, Lennon said that the song was sort of his version of "Silhouettes", a 1957 song written by Bob Crewe and first recorded by the Rays.
In his book, "Revolution in the Head", Ian MacDonald remarks that the middle eight ("If I were you I'd realize that I love you more than any other guy; and I'd forgive the lies that I heard before when you gave me no reply") was the most powerful phrase of any of Beatles' songs till then.
Music
The song is in the key of C major. The song form is standard AABA (verse-verse-bridge-verse), without a chorus as such, but including the refrain "No Reply". The instrumentation includes acoustic guitar, bass, drums and piano.
Originally Lennon had intended to sing the higher harmony part, as this was the original melody. However, his voice had deteriorated due to excessive use and Paul McCartney had to take this part, relegating Lennon to the lower harmony line.
Takes: 8
Personnel –
John Lennon – Lead vocal (double-tracked), acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Gibson J160E), handclaps
Paul McCartney – Harmony vocal, bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1), cowbell
George Harrison – Acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Gibson J160E)
Ringo Star – Drums (Ludwig)
Paul McCartney – Harmony vocal, bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1), cowbell
George Harrison – Acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Gibson J160E)
Ringo Star – Drums (Ludwig)
George Martin – Piano (1905 Steinway Vertegrand "Mrs. Mills")
Trivia –
For his part, John has said the events of "No Reply" have no relation to his life -- the subject calls his girl on the phone, hence the title, yet neither John or most other working-class lads in early-Sixties England grew up with telephones. Actress Sandy Dennis however, insisted it was about her, and even tried to secure some of the royalties from it!
The Beatles' song publisher, Dick James, liked this song and told John it proved he was "getting better" at songwriting, since it told a complete story. Quite a portrait of prevailing musical attitudes!
That June 3 demo is one of the more obscure pieces of Beatle legacy, because it contains drums, and yet on June 3, 1964, Ringo was suffering from tonsillitis; Jimmy Nicol, the stand-in drummer for the section of the tour the Beatles were about to play, may be the performer, but all accounts say he wasn't there, either. So who was it? Or was the date of the demo actually later?
The first two takes of the final session for "No Reply" also feature John and Paul clowning around with the lyrics, mixing up the lines to comic effect ("I saw you walk in... your face"). The overall feel of the song is poppier and lighter. (Take 2 can be heard heard on Anthology 1.) On take 5, the middle eight is repeated, making the track a full minute longer than the final version.
Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) February 24 –
1961 – Performance at the Grosvenor Ballroom, Wallasey.
1962 – Performance at the Cavern.
1963 – Concert at the Coventry Theatre, Coventry (Helen Shapiro tour).
1964 – US Newsweek cover story headline: "eeeeeeeeeeeee... EEEEEEEEEEEEE, EEEEEEEEEEEE!"
1965– Start of Help! shootings in Bahamas.
1967 – Studio 2. 7.00pm-1.15am. Recording: "Lovely Rita" (overdub onto take 9, tape reduction take 9 into takes 10, 11). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Geoff Emerick; 2nd Engineer: Richard Lush.
– Date planned for meeting of Brian and Nat Weiss.
1969 – Trident Studios. Time unknown. Tape copying: "I Want You" (later known as "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" (of unnumbered Trident master). Producer: not assigned; Engineer: Barry Sheffield; 2nd Engineer: Richard Lush.
– Security copy of "I Want You" (later known as "I Want You (She's So Heavy)".
1982 – John is awarded a posthumous Grammy for Double Fantasy.
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