Here Comes the Sun

Album: Abbey Road

Year: 1969

Written by: George Harrison

Anyone who's been to Noble on a Saturday morning knows this song well. My mom used to sing it to me when I didn't feel like getting out of bed, so I always think of it a great morning song. It's also one of my favorite George Harrison tunes. Here's what George had to say about writing this beautiful Beatles classic:

"Here Comes the Sun was written at the time when Apple was getting like school, where we had to go and be businessmen: 'Sign this' and 'sign that.' Anyway, it seems as if winter in England goes on forever, by the time spring comes you really deserve it. So one day I decided I was going to sag off Apple and I went over to Eric Clapton's house. The relief of not having to go see all those dopey accountants was wonderful, and I walked around the garden with one of Eric's acoustic guitars and wrote Here Comes the Sun."

George sings lead and plays all the guitars and the Moog synthesizer on this track. The video above was made by a fan and features photos of George throughout his days with the Beatles. Look how much he changed from the early days of the band until the time they broke up, not long after this song was written.

One After 909

Album: Let It Be

Year: 1958? (written) / 1969 (recorded) / 1970 (released)

Written by: Lennon & McCartney

No one is really sure exactly when One After 909 was first written, but John claimed he was 17 or 18 when he composed this rocker, so the best guess is about 1958. The Beatles recorded the song several times – on at least two demo records in 1960 and as a possible b-side to one of their singles in 1963. They also performed it live in 1962 when they were the main attraction at Liverpool's Cavern Club, and a recording of the band rehearsing the song was made at that time. John was never satisfied with the lyrics, though, and the band was never happy about any of the recordings, so the song was shelved until 1969.

In early 1969, with the band members drifting apart from each other, they began filming a movie. The idea was to show the band rehearsing songs in preparation for a concert. After weeks of not being able to decide where to hold the show, The Beatles finally agreed to perform live on the roof of their newly-formed company, Apple Records. On a cold day in January, 1969, the four Beatles and some friends climbed up to a London rooftop and blew away the neighborhood with their loud rock music. It was their final live performance as a band. One After 909 was the fifth song they played that day on the roof.

John sings a great live vocal, with Paul joining him in harmony. Billy Preston, a young keyboard player who played with one of the Beatles' idols, Little Richard, and who the boys had met when they were in Hamburg, Germany, plays the electric piano.

Oh! Darling

** A TOP TEN FAVORITE **

Album: Abbey Road

Year: 1969

Written by: Lennon & McCartney

Oh! Darling is a classically great rocker from the last album recorded by the band, Abbey Road. Going back to their r&b roots, The Beatles had fun recording this song. Paul practiced his vocals in the studio every day for more than a week until he got the sound he wanted, while John enjoyed playing the old time rock & roll-style piano.

Paul's explosive lead vocal, along with John, Paul, and George's beautiful oohs and aahs in the doo-wop style backing, make for a very memorable performance. The amazing vocals and the good time retro feel of this song are only some of the reasons that Oh! Darling is one of my Top Ten Favorite Beatles songs.

Octopus's Garden

Album: Abbey Road

Year: 1969

Written by: Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr)

"It's Ringo Starr Time!"* Ringo sang lead on only 11 Beatles studio-recorded songs, and he only wrote two of them (plus, he co-wrote one more). Octopus's Garden is generally considered the greatest of his songs.

The inspiration for this tune was a 1968 vacation to the Italian island of Sardinia. The band was recording The White Album at the time, and Ringo felt unhappy because the other three Beatles were working more independently rather than together as a group. He felt unloved by his musical brothers, so he took a trip to feel better. Ringo explains how he was out on a boat one afternoon, and "I stayed out on deck with [the captain] and we talked about octopuses. He told me that they hang out in their caves and that they go about the seabed finding shiny stones and tin cans and bottles to put in front of their caves like a garden. I thought this was fabulous, because at the time I just wanted to be under the sea too." 

While in Sardinia, he received a telegram from the other Beatles, begging him to come home and telling him they thought he was the greatest drummer in the whole world. When he returned to Abbey Road Studios in London to continue working on the album, he found that his drum kit was covered in flowers and that everyone was happy to see him. Ringo had a great time for the rest of the recording, and he wrote the song Octopus's Garden a few months later.

Ringo sings lead, with Paul and George providing the memorable backing vocals. Listen for the sound of bubbles that George makes by blowing a straw into a glass of milk.

* = Before joining The Beatles in 1962, Ringo, who had the reputation of being the best drummer in Liverpool, played with a group known as Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. During each of their shows, Ringo got to sing in a featured spot called "Ringo Starr Time." Although John and Paul did most of the singing in The Beatles, Ringo continued his tradition by singing lead in a song an average of once per album.

Two of Us

Album: Let It Be

Year: 1969 (not released until 1970)

Written by: Lennon & McCartney

By the time The Beatles began recording the Let It Be album in early 1969, they had begun to grow apart and were on the road to breaking up. In an effort to re-energize the band, they began filming a movie that recorded them practicing new songs in preparation for their first concert since quitting touring nearly three years earlier. Instead of being a positive experience, the Let It Be movie caused more disagreements among the band members, and this video captures some of the sadness that hung over them at the time.

Despite their problems, however, The Beatles could still make some beautiful music! Paul's inspiration for this wistful, rambling song was the habit of taking long drives in the country with his soon-to-be wife, Linda Eastman, but most Beatles fans agree that the lyrics are also about his relationship with his best friend John. ("You and I have memories, longer than the road that stretches out ahead.") Paul was very hurt that John and he were not as close as they had always been before, due to John's relationship with his girlfriend and future wife Yoko Ono, who can be seen in this video sitting next to John.

Paul sings lead in this beautiful song, with John singing a lovely harmony throughout. In a rare turn, George can be seen playing the bass part on an electric guitar. (Paul was the usual bass player for The Beatles.)