John Entwistle Recalls Hearing "Love Me Do" The First Time

[Norbert]

One night in October 1962, [Roger] Daltrey brought along to
rehearsals a new single that he had picked up. "Love Me Do," Daltrey
informed the others, was by a band out of Liverpool, the Beatles.
Trained by the Middlesex Youth Orchestra in perfect, concert pitch, the
song was an affront to Entwistle's exacting standards. "Roger thought
the Beatles were going to be big, so we had to learn it," he wrote.
"When he played the record, I was horrified. John Lennon's mouth organ
was out of tune. It drove me nuts. I prayed that it wouldn't be a hit,
but of course it was. and when Roger played the mouth organ part onstage
with us, he was even more out of tune than Lennon, if that was possible.
It meant that, because of that one song, we had to tune all of our
instruments to the harmonica. I was in hell."

-- from Paul Rees' excellent Entwistle bio

[super70s]

Post by Norbert
One night in October 1962, [Roger] Daltrey brought along to
rehearsals a new single that he had picked up. "Love Me Do," Daltrey
informed the others, was by a band out of Liverpool, the Beatles.
Trained by the Middlesex Youth Orchestra in perfect, concert pitch, the
song was an affront to Entwistle's exacting standards. "Roger thought
the Beatles were going to be big, so we had to learn it," he wrote.
"When he played the record, I was horrified. John Lennon's mouth organ
was out of tune. It drove me nuts. I prayed that it wouldn't be a hit,
but of course it was. and when Roger played the mouth organ part onstage
with us, he was even more out of tune than Lennon, if that was possible.
It meant that, because of that one song, we had to tune all of our
instruments to the harmonica. I was in hell."
-- from Paul Rees' excellent Entwistle bio

Didn't he bother to flip it over and listen to "P.S. I Love You" before
deciding they only played out of tune?

[Norbert]

I don't know, but it was Daltrey's single, and he may not have played
the B-side for his bandmates.

Entwistle is fair enough in his comments about the Beatles. McCartney
is one of the few -- if not the only -- other bassists the Ox ever
praised.

Entwistle mentions that McCartney, who was still using the Hofner bass
in the '63 - '64 period, praised the sound Entwistle got from his
Rickenbacker. Entwistle recommended the bass with a caveat about its
tailpiece.

[super70s]

Post by Norbert
I don't know, but it was Daltrey's single, and he may not have played
the B-side for his bandmates.
Entwistle is fair enough in his comments about the Beatles. McCartney
is one of the few -- if not the only -- other bassists the Ox ever
praised.
Entwistle mentions that McCartney, who was still using the Hofner bass
in the '63 - '64 period, praised the sound Entwistle got from his
Rickenbacker. Entwistle recommended the bass with a caveat about its
tailpiece.

I think Paul just liked the look of a violin bass (even if its sound
was inferior to a Rickenbacker) and it became immediately identifiable
with the band.

[Norbert]

Also, the Hofner was easier for the left-handed McCartney to play. He
didn't personally get into the Rickenbacker till he was given a
left-handed model.

[super70s]

Post by Norbert
Also, the Hofner was easier for the left-handed McCartney to play. He
didn't personally get into the Rickenbacker till he was given a
left-handed model.

Was that around the time of "Magical Mystery Tour"? That's the first
time I can remember seeing him play one.

[Norbert]

I remember seeing Paul with the Rickenbacker on the Mystery tour movie,
too.

However, Paul started using the Rickenbacker in 1965.

McCartney was determined to make his bass sound more pronounced -- as it
was on the Motown records that James Jamerson played on. He switched to
the Rickenbacker and asked Geoff Emerick to "put on your thinking cap"
as far as recording techniques. They pulled it off on songs like "Drive
My Car."