Monday, January 14, 2008

The Beatles - Got To Get You Into My Life

(Capitol, 1976)

The first “new” Beatles single since “The Long and Winding Road,” and it’s an ugly-sleeved laff. Why it exists: Capitol released Paul’s punchy ode to the dreaded P-O-T (that’s what PMcC sez it’s about, anyway) to promote its braindead Rock ’N’ Roll Music compilation, see. Can’t say that this horn-driven slice of whiteboy soul is the rockinest or rollinest choice they coulda made for single – or even that it shoulda been included on said comp in the first place – but it made the top ten, so what do I know? In a Beatle first, McCartney dominates both sides of the disc, his ’68 sledgehammer “Helter Skelter” on the B. An r’n’r themed 45, and it’s AllPaul! Which is quite amusing, cuz Paulie was at this very time wussing out horribly with the flufftastic Wings at the Speed of Sound. The universe has a sense of humor! Or at least someone at Capitol does/did.

Know what else is weird? CBS ran a high-profile TV movie about the Manson killings called Helter Skelter in April of 1976, and then Capitol released “Helter Skelter” on a single in May of 1976. Funny how that worked out. Classy, too.

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