The Beatles

[Wilfrid]

This might be worth further analysis.

 

Something which occurred to me last night was that The Beatles, for all the hysterical female following of their early days, are musical Action Men. Their songs have no sex.

 

Here's my challenge to Beatles fans. Find me a Beatles song which has a pelvis. Something slow and sexy you could grind to on the dance floor or even "do it" too. Not every band has songs like that, true (The Who?), but it seems a big omission on the part of our scouse superstars.

 

If you have to resort to a George Harrison song that speaks volumes (a George Harrison song was the only contender I could think of).

 

Note: I am talking about sexy, not a sweet romantic song you could weave daisies in his/her hair while listening to.

[SethG]

"I Want You?"

[Lex]

Deleted. I misread the original post.

[Sneakeater]

This is now the sole criterion for pop music?

 

I can't think of an Abba song I'd want to fuck to -- and I LOVE Abba.

[SethG]

I was trying to figure out what "Action Men" are-- capitalized and all. Then I realized Wilf meant action figures. Are they called Action Men in the UK?

 

Unquestionably, the Beatles began in a more innocent radio/tv era-- songs about holding hands were about all you could get away with, sexually speaking, at the time. But they had sex appeal, and courted these screaming female fans with songs like "All My Loving," "P.S. I love You," "Thank You Girl," "If I Fell." All of this was building the brand, being idols, and not overtly sexy, for sure.

 

Their later work is not devoid of sex. "I Want You," as I mentioned above, is one example. John also sings fairly explicitly about sexual relations in "Don't Let Me Down." I guess Wilf was referring to "Something" when he mentioned George above?

 

But no, they didn't specialize in sexy grooves, or music for the dance floor. That wasn't their particular style.

[Sneakeater]

Come on. By 1964, the Beatles had found that love was more than just holding hands.

[SethG]

It's kind of telling, isn't it, that the Stooges never recorded any songs of lasting political importance?

 

No, actually, it isn't.

 

Really, you have to acknowedge the big hole in the Sex Pistols output-- not a single pretty ballad.

 

No, actually, that wasn't the point.

 

I've listened to every New Order album and I'm amazed there aren't any good guitar solos. This is a problem, isn't it?

 

No, it isn't.

[Wilfrid]

This is now the sole criterion for pop music?

 

Yes. It is now the sole criterion.

[Wilfrid]

They were called Action Men when I had one, possibly because there were no Action Women. It was also a specific brand in the UK rather than a generic name.

 

Of course not every band has to do every type of song (for The Stooges, check out "1969"). I just thought the utter sexlessness of The Beatles was interesting given the size, scope and otherwise variety of the Lennon & McCartney songbook. If they were influenced by black American music, as we all assume, it affected them strictly above the waist.

 

Yes, "Something" was the closest I could find. I will listen to "I Want You."

 

As for the period, the Stones were highly sexual, as were The Pretty Things and various other Brit bands; and I didn't restrict it to the '60s in any case.

[Stone]

Please please me (like I please you).

 

Why don't we do it in the road?

 

Rocky Racoon. (Paul was a "plushie".)

[Stone]

As for the period, the Stones were highly sexual, as were The Pretty Things and various other Brit bands; and I didn't restrict it to the '60s in any case.

I recall seeing an interview with Keith Richards from the mid-late-ish 60s in which the reporter asks him why the Stones don't write political songs like the Beateles. Keith said, basically, "we just want to get laid."

[Wilfrid]

Please please me (like I please you).

 

Why don't we do it in the road?

 

Rocky Racoon. (Paul was a "plushie".)

 

You just proved my point.

[Sneakeater]

"Twist and Shout"?

 

"I Saw Her Standing There"? (As anyone who listened to pop/rock in the early '60s could tell you, "dance" doesn't always mean "dance".)

 

"You Really Got a Hold on Me"?

 

"Bad Boy"?

 

(Sure, most of those are covers. I don't see what difference that makes.)

[Adrian]

Oh! Darling got kind of a sexy, longing groove to it. Helter Skelter (connotations aside)? Yer Blues? Yeah, Wilfrid, you're probably, mostly right.

[Stone]

I thought the site was just 'upgraded' to remove all this nonsense.