#134 - Revolution 1 with guest James Campion (author, TAKE A SAD SONG… The Emotional Currency of “Hey Jude”)

Ranking The Beatles

Following the flower power vibes of 1967, 1968 found the Beatles diving into transcendental meditation, looking inward, and grounding themselves back to the real world around them, which was getting pretty tumultuous. A back-to-basics vibe that was moving through the music scene, combined with John's growing want to speak his mind on current events (aided by the artistic awakening he was experiencing with his new girlfriend, Yoko Ono), lead to the creation of "Revolution 1," a slow bluesy shuffle explaining John's desire to see the oppressive systems around the world crumble, but also his uncertainty of what to do once they fall. His want for this to be the band's next single lead to the creation of a faster, uptempo, unnumbered version that would be released as the b-side to "Hey Jude." Elements of the over 10 minute jam that became "Revolution 1" would get repurposed for John and Yoko's avant garde tour de force, "Revolution 9."

"Revolution 1," however, was John's original statement, his artistic intent. He wanted the song slow so the lyrics were upfront and easy to understand, but to me the song's opioid-induced tempo kind of undercuts the message. The track itself is really interesting. It's a crisp, acoustic rhythm guitar provided by George, grounding the back-to-basics idea, but that idea gets undercut by lead guitar and loops and sounds that run in and out of the track. It's just as much a studio concoction as it is a band performance. John isn't sure if he can be counted in or out, and neither is the band just yet, as to whether they want to return to their roots.

Joining us this week is James Campion, author of the book Take A Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of Hey Jude. We look at the times and history surrounding the writing and recording of "Hey Jude" and the "Revolution" trio, and the parts they play in their creations. We also talk about the multiple layers of the band, their first entry into the realm of political sons, the quintessential mansplain, and more! Grab a copy of "Take A Sad Song" anywhere you get books, or order one through jamescampion.com and he'll even sign it for you!

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