"Ticket to Ride" (Lennon/McCartney – April 19, 1965)
Help! – Side 1, Track 7 (3:10)
YouTube (Live, Wembley Stadium, 1965)
From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone, About.com, and Google –
"Ticket to Ride" is a song by the Beatles from their 1965 album, Help!. It was recorded 15 February 1965 and released two months later. In 2004, this song was ranked number 394 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
History –
Written by John, this song represented a clear break between the Beatles of old and their "middle period"; it was the first recording for the Help! album and represented the first use of their new technique: recording rhythm tracks first and overdubbing vocals and other layered effects later. It would prove to be a milestone in the development of their work, and of pop music in general.
There have been a number of theories regarding the title phrase and its possible meanings: some believe the "ticket" in question to be an actual object, indicating that the girl in the song is leaving the singer (for the British towns of Rye or Ryde, it has been suggested, though there's no conclusive proof of either). John himself once claimed a "ticket to ride" as a Lennonism for a prostitute that has been given a clean bill of health and is ready to start tricking again, but it is unknown whether he was being serious; Paul has made reference to the town of Ryde playing a part, some say as a center of then-illegal abortion activity, but since he didn't write the lyrics, his credibility on this issue has also been in question.
The distinctive and unusual drum pattern played by Ringo on this track was Paul's idea; oddly enough, he does not repeat the attack on the second and third verses, but the structure of the song suggests it to the listener's ear, anyway.
The direct sonic thrust of this song's production later led Lennon to claim "Ticket To Ride" as one of the first heavy-metal songs ever made. The droning sound of the guitars marked the very first documented case of Indian tonal concepts in rock music (predating the Kinks' "See My Friends" by three months -- and the group's introduction to LSD by one month).
Composition –
The song was written primarily by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney), with Paul McCartney's contributions in dispute. Lennon said that McCartney's contribution was limited to "the way Ringo played the drums". McCartney said that was an incomplete description, and that "we sat down and wrote it together... give him 60 percent of it... we sat down together and worked on that for a full three-hour songwriting session." This song was also the first song by the band in which McCartney was featured on lead guitar.
The song features a coda with a different tempo that extends the song's length past three minutes, the first Beatles single ever to do so. Lennon said this double-time section (with the lyric "My baby don't care") was one of his "favorite bits" in the song.
Meaning –
While the song lyrics describe a girl "riding out of the life of the narrator", the inspiration of the title phrase is unclear. McCartney said it was "a British Railways ticket to the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight", and Lennon said it described cards indicating a clean bill of health carried by Hamburg prostitutes in the 1960s. The Beatles played in Hamburg early in their musical career, and "ride/riding" was slang for having sex.
Release –
"Ticket to Ride" was released as a single on 9 April 1965 in the United Kingdom and 19 April in the United States with "Yes It Is" as its B-side, topping the Hot 100 for a week in the US and the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in the UK. The American single's label declared that the song was from the United Artists release Eight Arms to Hold You. This was the original title of the Beatles' second movie; the title changed to Help! after the single was initially released. The song was also included on the Help! album released on 6 August in the UK and on 13 August in the US.
The song was the third of six number one singles in a row on the American charts, a record at the time, along with "I Feel Fine", "Eight Days a Week", "Help!", "Yesterday", and "We Can Work It Out".
When the song hit number 1 in the US, the Beatles became the fourth consecutive British group to hold down the top spot. The other three groups, Freddie & the Dreamers, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders and Herman's Hermits, respectively, all hailed from Manchester, England; thus, the Beatles broke a combined six-week run at the top for Manchester groups.
Takes: 2
Personnel –
John Lennon – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar (Framus 12-string acoustic "Hootenanny")
Paul McCartney – Harmony vocals, lead guitar (1962 Epiphone Casino), bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1)From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone, About.com, and Google –
"Ticket to Ride" is a song by the Beatles from their 1965 album, Help!. It was recorded 15 February 1965 and released two months later. In 2004, this song was ranked number 394 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
History –
Written by John, this song represented a clear break between the Beatles of old and their "middle period"; it was the first recording for the Help! album and represented the first use of their new technique: recording rhythm tracks first and overdubbing vocals and other layered effects later. It would prove to be a milestone in the development of their work, and of pop music in general.
There have been a number of theories regarding the title phrase and its possible meanings: some believe the "ticket" in question to be an actual object, indicating that the girl in the song is leaving the singer (for the British towns of Rye or Ryde, it has been suggested, though there's no conclusive proof of either). John himself once claimed a "ticket to ride" as a Lennonism for a prostitute that has been given a clean bill of health and is ready to start tricking again, but it is unknown whether he was being serious; Paul has made reference to the town of Ryde playing a part, some say as a center of then-illegal abortion activity, but since he didn't write the lyrics, his credibility on this issue has also been in question.
The distinctive and unusual drum pattern played by Ringo on this track was Paul's idea; oddly enough, he does not repeat the attack on the second and third verses, but the structure of the song suggests it to the listener's ear, anyway.
The direct sonic thrust of this song's production later led Lennon to claim "Ticket To Ride" as one of the first heavy-metal songs ever made. The droning sound of the guitars marked the very first documented case of Indian tonal concepts in rock music (predating the Kinks' "See My Friends" by three months -- and the group's introduction to LSD by one month).
Composition –
The song was written primarily by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney), with Paul McCartney's contributions in dispute. Lennon said that McCartney's contribution was limited to "the way Ringo played the drums". McCartney said that was an incomplete description, and that "we sat down and wrote it together... give him 60 percent of it... we sat down together and worked on that for a full three-hour songwriting session." This song was also the first song by the band in which McCartney was featured on lead guitar.
The song features a coda with a different tempo that extends the song's length past three minutes, the first Beatles single ever to do so. Lennon said this double-time section (with the lyric "My baby don't care") was one of his "favorite bits" in the song.
Meaning –
While the song lyrics describe a girl "riding out of the life of the narrator", the inspiration of the title phrase is unclear. McCartney said it was "a British Railways ticket to the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight", and Lennon said it described cards indicating a clean bill of health carried by Hamburg prostitutes in the 1960s. The Beatles played in Hamburg early in their musical career, and "ride/riding" was slang for having sex.
Release –
"Ticket to Ride" was released as a single on 9 April 1965 in the United Kingdom and 19 April in the United States with "Yes It Is" as its B-side, topping the Hot 100 for a week in the US and the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in the UK. The American single's label declared that the song was from the United Artists release Eight Arms to Hold You. This was the original title of the Beatles' second movie; the title changed to Help! after the single was initially released. The song was also included on the Help! album released on 6 August in the UK and on 13 August in the US.
The song was the third of six number one singles in a row on the American charts, a record at the time, along with "I Feel Fine", "Eight Days a Week", "Help!", "Yesterday", and "We Can Work It Out".
When the song hit number 1 in the US, the Beatles became the fourth consecutive British group to hold down the top spot. The other three groups, Freddie & the Dreamers, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders and Herman's Hermits, respectively, all hailed from Manchester, England; thus, the Beatles broke a combined six-week run at the top for Manchester groups.
Takes: 2
Personnel –
John Lennon – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar (Framus 12-string acoustic "Hootenanny")
George Harrison – Harmony vocals
Ringo Starr – Drums (Ludwig), tambourine, handclaps
Music video –
The Beatles filmed a music video, directed by Joe McGrath.
Critical response –
Music critics Richie Unterberger of Allmusic and Ian MacDonald both describe "Ticket to Ride" as an important milestone in the evolution of the musical style of the Beatles. Unterberger said, "the rhythm parts on 'Ticket to Ride' were harder and heavier than they had been on any previous Beatles outing, particularly in Ringo Starr's stormy stutters and rolls." MacDonald described it as "psychologically deeper than anything the Beatles had recorded before ... extraordinary for its time — massive with chiming electric guitars, weighty rhythm, and rumbling floor tom-toms." MacDonald also notes that the track uses the Indian basis of drone which might have influenced the Kinks' "See My Friends".
Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) March 24 –
1962 – Evening: Performance in a dance booked by the Heswall Jazz Club, at the Barnston Women's Institute, Wirral.
1963 – Concert at the Empire, Liverpool (Chris Montez and Tommy Roe tour). Photographer present: Dezo Hoffmann.
1966 – World premiere of Alfie, at the Plaza Cinema, Haymarket, London. Brian, Cilla and the Beatles attend.
1980 – US LP release: 'Rarities'.
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