Friday, December 11, 2009

Beatles Friday: You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)




One of the most unusual and least known songs in the Beatles catalogue is "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number), released as a "B" side to one of their best known songs, "Let It Be".

It is delightful in its silliness.

They began to record it in 1967 but did not complete it until 1969 and it features Brian Jones, of the Rolling Stones on saxaphone.

John Lennon got the title off of a phone book slogan and worked the eight words into a great little song.

Paul said of it, "John Lennon turned up at the studio and said, 'I've got a new song'. I said, 'What's the words?' and he replied 'You know my name look up the number'. I asked, 'What's the rest of it?' 'No, no other words, those are the words. And I want to do it like a mantra!'"

The song goes through five sections, each of which get progressively more bizarre: first is a rocking group singalong, followed by a kind of reggae beat section, then a cheesy lounge singer type thing, then what can best described as a bunch of muppets talking and, finally, a couple of unintelligible old British guy mumbling to a jazzy tune.

Enjoy!

1 comment:

ChuckJerry said...

That is a strange and interesting song.