Rain

Album: Not included on an original Beatles album; released as a b-side of a single

Year: 1966

Written by: Lennon & McCartney

Many Beatles fans agree that Rain is the greatest b-side of any of their singles. It represents one of the aspects that made them so great — their inspired creativity and willingness to experiment with different sounds and recording techniques, all of which were later copied by scores of other bands.

There are several notable features of this great Beatles song. Ringo has said that he is most proud of his work on this recording, and most fans agree that his drumming is awesome in Rain. (And so is Paul's bass playing!) Several tricks were used when recording the rhythm track and the vocals, resulting in the music sounding slower than what the band actually played and with John's voice sounding higher-pitched than what he actually sang. And then there's the backwards singing in the coda — as the song fades out, you hear John's voice sounding like he's singing in another language. Actually, producer George Martin just turned around the tape of John's voice from earlier in the song and added it to the end.

The video above was made to promote the new single. The Beatles had begun to make short promotional films instead of their usual live television appearances because they were in such high demand that they couldn't possibly have accepted all the television offers they were getting. They were the first band to make such promos, which once prompted George to claim that they had invented MTV! If you look closely at Paul in this video, you'll notice that his front tooth is chipped. He had been in a moped accident the previous Christmas and hadn't gone to the dentist yet to get it fixed.

John sings a droning lead vocal, which was double-tracked with a newly-invented ADT machine, while Paul and George sing the backing vocals.

Let's hope that this song brings us some much-needed California rain!

Strawberry Fields Forever

Album: Not included on an original Beatles album; issued as a single

Year: 1967

Written by: Lennon & McCartney

Often considered one of the band's masterpieces, Strawberry Fields Forever was released as a double A-sided single with another classic, Penny Lane. Both songs are about places in the Beatles' hometown of Liverpool, England.

One of John's fondest memories as a child was hanging out on the grounds of a local home for children, which was called Strawberry Field. In the autumn of 1966 John was in Spain, working on a movie called How I Won the War. He was lonely without his Beatle brothers and other friends, so he became very nostalgic for home and started writing this song.

Recording the song was quite an experience. When the band went into Abbey Road Studio in late 1966, they had permanently given up touring a few months earlier because life on the road had become too crazy for them. They decided to let their their creativity flow in the studio instead, excited to experiment with new sounds and ideas. Strawberry Fields Forever took over 55 hours to record and it includes many interesting instruments, including a mellotron, a swarmandal, and a guiro; as well as the sound of John muttering "cranberry sauce" near the end. The song also changes pitch about a minute in, with John's voice sounding deeper and the music moving slower.

John sings a very dreamy lead vocal (double-tracked, of course!), with Paul playing the cool mellotron that opens the song. Soon after completing the recording of the song, The Beatles headed to Knole Park, just outside of London, to romp about and record the video above.

All I've Got to Do

** A TOP TEN FAVORITE **

Album: With the Beatles

Year: 1963

Written by: Lennon & McCartney

This gorgeous little ballad was recorded in just one day and was finished mere hours after John first played it for his bandmates. Such was the genius of The Beatles—they were so tuned in that they could create enduringly beautiful music in a very short amount of time.

Something else that made them special was how they incorporated many different musical styles into their songs. Like their idol Elvis Presley before them, The Beatles were heavily influenced by the rich tradition of African-American music, and they repeatedly acknowledged its influence on their songwriting. "We loved the music and wanted to spread it in any way we could," John wrote after The Beatles broke up. "In the '50s there were few people listening to blues, R&B, rock and roll.... [We] drank, ate, and slept the music, and also recorded it. Many kids were turned on to black music by us."

John was influenced by two of his favorite songwriters, Smokey Robinson and Arthur Alexander, when writing All I've Got to Do. Additionally, the syncopated rhythms of this song probably came from his love of ska music, which was popular in Jamaica at the time.

All I've Got to Do features a beautiful and soulful lead vocal performance by John, while Paul and George provide the backing vocals. Like most of John's ballads, there is a lovely but overall sad feel to this song that makes it emotionally lush. For this reason and more, All I've Got to Do is one of my Top Ten Favorite Beatles Songs.

All You Need is Love

Happy New Year!

Album: Magical Mystery Tour

Year: 1967

Written by: Lennon & McCartney

I can't think of a better way to start the new year than with this classic Beatles tune, which was written for the Our World television program. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about that special show:

Our World was the first live, international, satellite television production, which was broadcast on 25 June 1967. Creative artists, including The Beatles, opera singer Maria Callas, and painter Pablo Picasso — representing nineteen nations — were invited to perform or appear in separate segments featuring their respective countries. The two-and-half-hour event had the largest television audience ever up to that date: an estimated 400 million people around the globe watched the broadcast.Today, it is most famous for the segment from the United Kingdom starring The Beatles. They sang their specially composed song "All You Need Is Love" to close the broadcast.

John Lennon was said to be very nervous about this performance, knowing that so many people would be watching. That is why he can be seen chewing gum as he sings. The Beatles invited their friends to the television studio to join in the fun, and Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, can be seen singing along with the chorus at about 2:37 in the video above.

This performance took place less than a month after The Beatles released their ground-breaking album, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, kicking off what has become known in history books as "The Summer of Love."