As I write this, it is approximately day 20-something of social distancing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Life is certainly not normal, by any means, but what makes it feel just a little more comforting is knowing that I can lean on music and writing to bring me joy during this very weird time. And so, I’ve decided to finally get going on a blog post idea that I’ve had floating around my iPhone notes for a couple of years.
The Cirque de Soleil show Love premiered in 2006 in Las Vegas, and it’s been running ever since. This fantastical production’s soundtrack features only Beatles music, with the Fab Four’s famous hits cut up and remixed only with other Beatles songs. In fact, George Martin’s orchestra arrangement for the acoustic version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was the only original music composed for the show.
I have had the entire Love album on my phone for several years, and have come to really appreciate many of the interesting remixes of Beatles songs. This one in particular, which combines “Drive My Car,” “What You’re Doing,” and “The Word,” is probably my favorite on the album. It combines the best, catchiest parts of each song into one “super-song” that I often get stuck in my head. Frankly, this track is just a masterpiece that makes me metaphorically tip my cap to George and Giles Martin every time I hear it.
With the prime example of that track in mind, here are a few other potential Beatles song remixes/combinations that are not on the Love album, along with why I think these songs would go well together.
Baby You’re a Rich Man/Hey Bulldog
What I’ve gathered from listening to Love is that in order for two songs to sound good as a mashup, they have to have at least some similar qualities that can blend together. Though their tempos are different, “Baby You’re A Rich Man” and “Hey Bulldog” share a lot of similarities: a sneering, accusatory singing tone from John Lennon, memorable thumping baselines, and vaguely psychedelic production. In my fantasy mashup world, “Baby You’re A Rich Man” would be sped up a bit, with the tempo of “Hey Bulldog” slightly slowed.
Though these two songs came out a few years apart, I believe they would compliment each other well. I am not a music producer, so it’s hard to know exactly how I would splice and dice the two, but in my head I can imagine the chorus of “Baby You’re a Rich Man” going very well with the piano riff from “Hey Bulldog,” and the biting guitar solo from “Hey Bulldog” would definitely have to be included for this to be a truly kick-ass combination.
Sexy Sadie/Here, There, And Everywhere
These are two of the slower songs in the Beatles’ catalog, and I think two of the most beautiful. “Sexy Sadie” is one of my favorite songs on the White Album, with its melancholy tone and gorgeous piano part. “Here, There, And Everywhere” has one of the prettiest backing vocal parts and melodies of any Beatles song. They also have very similar tempos, so the mashup would not be too technically difficult to make sound natural.
These are two different kinds of ballads, with “Here, There, And Everywhere” as a lilting love song and “Sexy Sadie” as a more pointed critique (written about the Maharishi from the Beatles’ 1968 trip to India, not about anyone named “Sadie”). However, in my imaginary “mash-up” world, I almost feel like “Sexy Sadie” herself could be inserted as the subject of “Here, There, And Everywhere,” with some clever vocal splicing. The fact that John is the primary singer for “Sexy Sadie,” with Paul as the main lead on “Here, There, And Everywhere” could also make for a beautiful vocal interplay between the parts of both songs.
And as I write this, I’m re-realizing that both of these songs are absolute masterpieces, with “Sexy Sadie” in particular as one of my favorite Beatles songs. It is constructed so delicately and perfectly, I could listen to it on repeat for hours and not get tired of it. But for now, I’ll move on to another combination of Beatles songs that I would love to hear.
All I’ve Got To Do/I Need You
These two songs came out a couple of years apart, with “All I’ve Got To Do” on the With The Beatles album and “I Need You” as a cut from Help!. I consider both of these to be somewhat underrated Beatles songs, with “All I’ve Got To Do” in particular as a true gem. These songs work well together because they both have a pleading, longing tone, somewhat subtle instrumentation, and gorgeous backing vocals that could easily be spliced into each other’s songs.
More generally, they’re both just lovely in their honesty and vulnerability. It feels like they’re almost two halves of the same song’s story. John delivers a fantastic strong vocal on “All I’ve Got To Do,” with George providing a softer, more tender vocal for “I Need You.” Before writing this, I hadn’t listened to either of these songs in a while, but I’ll certainly be back for another listen after re-discovering them.
Savoy Truffle/Got To Get You Into My Life
Both of these songs are known for their vibrant horn sections, which is part of the reason why I think they’d work so well together. They both have such an upbeat, fun vibe, and I feel like the horn section and guitar solo from “Got To Get You Into My Life” would work really well mashed up with the main verses and chorus of “Savoy Truffle.”
They also work well together because they’re similar thematically, neither about love or relationships. “Savoy Truffle” was written by George about Eric Clapton’s affinity for chocolates, and Paul wrote “Got To Get You Into My Life” about his affinity for marijuana. They’re both so fun, lighthearted, and bouncy, and I think a mashup of the two would highlight these qualities even more.
As I was writing this, I enjoyed finding similarities between Beatles songs that were recorded several years apart. While the Beatles were known for continually reinventing themselves, these mashups illustrate that their essential DNA did not really change much over the years. Throughout all Beatles songs, there is a thread of joyous melodies and energetic, memorable instrumental parts that is always present.
I truly hope that one day I can see Love live and experience these magical mashups in person.
What other Beatles songs do you think could be mashed up or spliced together, “Love”-style?
Beatle Me Do 