In the First Place

Last updated

"In the First Place"
"In the First Place" picture sleeve.jpg
Single by the Remo Four
ReleasedJanuary 1999
RecordedJanuary 1968
Studio Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre Psychedelic pop
Length3:16
Label Pilar
Songwriter(s) Colin Manley, Tony Ashton
Producer(s) George Harrison

"In the First Place" is a song by the English rock group the Remo Four. It was released as a single in January 1999 to accompany the re-release of the 1968 psychedelic film Wonderwall , directed by Joe Massot. The song was written by Colin Manley and Tony Ashton of the Remo Four and recorded in London in January 1968 during the sessions for George Harrison's Wonderwall Music soundtrack album. Having produced the track for the band, Harrison unearthed the recording 30 years later when supplying Massot with the master tapes for the film's music. Ashton and the Remo Four's drummer, Roy Dyke, also recorded the song with their subsequent group, Ashton, Gardner and Dyke, in 1969.

Contents

A psychedelic pop song, "In the First Place" has been likened by some commentators to Harrison's 1967 Beatles track "Blue Jay Way". Massot sequenced the rediscovered recording as the opening track in his 1999 director's cut of Wonderwall. Backed by a new mix of the song, carried out by Paul Hicks, the single was issued to help pay for the cancer treatment being undergone by Manley, who died three months after its release. In 2014, the Remo Four version was included as a bonus track on the Apple Years reissue of Wonderwall Music.

Background

Led by guitarist Colin Manley, the Remo Four were contemporaries of the Beatles in Liverpool's Merseybeat scene of the early 1960s. [1] They then toured as a support act to the Beatles in 1964 [2] but, despite being managed by Brian Epstein, the group failed to achieve commercial success and were without a recording contract by 1966. [3] [4] Late the following year, they reunited with George Harrison, who was starting his first musical project outside the Beatles – writing and recording the instrumental film score for director Joe Massot's psychedelic film Wonderwall . [5] Since the band were in need of work and he required backing musicians for the non-Indian portions of the film soundtrack, Harrison offered the job to the Remo Four. [4] The group's first session for Wonderwall took place on 22 December 1967 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London. [6]

Recording

"In the First Place" was written by Manley and Tony Ashton, [7] the Remo Four's keyboard player. [8] The song was relatively unusual for the band, in that they were best known as a non-vocal group and had recently developed a soul-jazz sound in their live act. [3] The song is in the psychedelic style typical of the era [9] and recalls Harrison's "Blue Jay Way" in its combination of Indian and psychedelic influences. [3] According to drummer Roy Dyke, the Indian influence was in keeping with the atmosphere during the sessions and the prevailing trend in London. [6]

Although the 1999 single artwork lists 1967 as the year of recording, [10] Beatles recording historian Matt Hurwitz identifies the date as 22 January 1968. [6] Ashton was the vocalist on the track, [11] which Harrison produced and also played guitar [7] and sang on. [3] [12] [nb 1] Five takes of the song were taped that day at Abbey Road, with Ken Scott as the recording engineer. [6]

Having adopted an approach whereby he created pieces of a certain mood and length, as determined by the film, [14] Harrison did not include "In the First Place" in the soundtrack. [15] According to author Alan Clayson, the song was unlikely to have been considered as a possible release by the Remo Four, had they been able to secure a recording contract, given that it was such a departure from their usual style. [3] The group disbanded later in 1968 [16] and then, without Manley, formed the trio Ashton, Gardner and Dyke. [17] [18] This band recorded the track – now titled "As It Was in the First Place" and with Ashton credited as the sole writer [19] – for their 1969 album Ashton, Gardner and Dyke. [16] The album received little attention, [16] although the trio went on to enjoy chart success with their 1971 single "Resurrection Shuffle". [20] [nb 2]

Rediscovery

After its limited showings over 1968–69, Wonderwall earned a reputation as a lost film from London's psychedelic era [22] and was remembered mainly for Harrison's Wonderwall Music soundtrack album. [23] Among the influences Oasis adopted from the Beatles, Noel Gallagher titled their 1995 song "Wonderwall" after the album. [24] [25] The widespread popularity of Oasis' song encouraged Massot to revisit Wonderwall in November 1997 and prepare a director's cut of the film for general release. [26] Harrison assisted in retrieving the master tapes of the musical soundtrack, so that the film's music could be presented in stereo for the first time, during which he discovered a reel containing the Remo Four's "In the First Place". [15] In his notes to the engineers restoring the film's audio, Harrison was unable to remember who wrote the song and speculated that it had been used as "maybe a filler somewhere" in the original film. [27]

The recording was remixed by Paul Hicks at Abbey Road Studios [10] for inclusion in the new cut of Wonderwall. Massot used the song over the opening credits, replacing Harrison's Indian piece "Microbes". [15]

Release

"In the First Place" was issued as a CD single in January 1999 on the Pilar record label. [7] Harrison was keen to see the Remo Four fully credited for the song, particularly as Manley was in poor health, and eschewed any acknowledgement of his own contribution other than as a producer. [3] The A-side used the mix created at Abbey Road in 1968, [11] while the B-side contained the new, shorter "movie mix". [10] The release was marketed as "the single from Wonderwall". [15] Proceeds from the single helped pay for Manley's cancer treatment. [22] He died in April 1999, [28] two months before Wonderwall finally received its first public screening in the United States, as part of a 1960s film festival in Hollywood. [29]

The single, in both CD and vinyl formats, was also available as part of a limited-edition box set that compiled the DVD of the film with collectibles related to the production. [30] In 2014, as part of the Apple Years 1968–75 reissues of his father's solo albums, [31] Dhani Harrison included "In the First Place" as a bonus track on the remastered Wonderwall Music CD. [32]

Critical reception

Writing for Mojo in 2014, Mat Snow called "In the First Place" "amazing" and "a lysergic extra lap of the Magical Mystery Tour", referring to the Beatles' 1967 television film in which "Blue Jay Way" appeared. [33] Richie Unterberger of AllMusic considers the song to be "decent minor-key psychedelic pop with prominent piano and heavy phasing effects", [9] while New Zealand Herald critic Graham Reid describes it as "very Blue Jay Way". [34]

Author Robert Rodriguez views "In the First Place" as both "a creature of its time and timeless", adding that its mood and atmosphere make the track "very much in the mold of 'Blue Jay Way'". [12] In his article on the story behind "In the First Place", Martin Lewis also comments on the similarities with Harrison's 1967 song, and he describes the Remo Four track as "an extremely strong piece of psychedelic pop" that "perfectly matched the movie's mood". [3]

Notes

  1. ↑ According to author John Winn, Harrison most likely played acoustic guitar since he can be heard delivering the spoken count-in on the unedited recording. [13]
  2. ↑ Harrison played guitar on the B-side to the 1971 single, "I'm Your Spiritual Breadman", [21] in gratitude to Ashton for playing on his 1970 song "Isn't It a Pity". [16]

Related Research Articles

<i>All Things Must Pass</i> 1970 studio album by George Harrison

All Things Must Pass is the third studio album by English rock musician George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes the hit singles "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life", as well as songs such as "Isn't It a Pity" and the title track that had been overlooked for inclusion on releases by the Beatles. The album reflects the influence of Harrison's musical activities with artists such as Bob Dylan, the Band, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends and Billy Preston during 1968–70, and his growth as an artist beyond his supporting role to former bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney. All Things Must Pass introduced Harrison's signature slide guitar sound and the spiritual themes present throughout his subsequent solo work. The original vinyl release consisted of two LPs of songs and a third disc of informal jams titled Apple Jam. Several commentators interpret Barry Feinstein's album cover photo, showing Harrison surrounded by four garden gnomes, as a statement on his independence from the Beatles.

Wonderwall may refer to:

<i>Wonderwall Music</i> 1968 soundtrack album by George Harrison

Wonderwall Music is the debut solo album by English musician George Harrison and the soundtrack to the 1968 film Wonderwall, directed by Joe Massot. Released in November 1968, it was the first solo album by a member of the Beatles, and the first album issued on the band's Apple record label. The songs are all instrumental pieces, except for occasional non-English language vocals, and mostly comprise short musical vignettes. Following his Indian-styled compositions for the Beatles since 1966, he used the film score to further promote Indian classical music by introducing rock audiences to instruments that were relatively little-known in the West – including shehnai, sarod, tar shehnai and santoor. The Indian pieces are contrasted by Western musical selections, in the psychedelic rock, experimental, country and ragtime styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savoy Truffle</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Savoy Truffle" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. The song was written by George Harrison and inspired by his friend Eric Clapton's fondness for chocolate. The lyrics list the various flavours offered in Mackintosh's Good News chocolates and serve as a warning to Clapton about the detrimental effect that his gorging would have on his teeth. Along with Clapton's guest appearance on the White Album track "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and Harrison reciprocating on Cream's "Badge", it is one of several songs that mark the start of a long-lasting musical association between the two guitarists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Jay Way</span> 1967 song by the Beatles

"Blue Jay Way" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written by George Harrison, it was released in 1967 on the group's Magical Mystery Tour EP and album. The song was named after a street in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles where Harrison stayed in August 1967, shortly before visiting the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. The lyrics document Harrison's wait for music publicist Derek Taylor to find his way to Blue Jay Way through the fog-ridden hills, while Harrison struggled to stay awake after the flight from London to Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's All Too Much</span> 1969 song by the Beatles

"It's All Too Much" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Yellow Submarine. Written by George Harrison in 1967, it conveys the ideological themes of that year's Summer of Love. The Beatles recorded the track in May 1967, shortly after completing their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was one of four new songs they then supplied for the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine, to meet their contractual obligations to United Artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Inner Light (song)</span> 1968 single by the Beatles

"The Inner Light" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by George Harrison. It was released on a non-album single in March 1968, as the B-side to "Lady Madonna". The song was the first Harrison composition to be issued on a Beatles single and reflects the band's embrace of Transcendental Meditation, which they were studying in India under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at the time of the single's release. After "Love You To" and "Within You Without You", it was the last of Harrison's three songs from the Beatles era that demonstrate an overt Indian classical influence and are styled as Indian pieces. The lyrics are a rendering of a poem from the Taoist Tao Te Ching, which he set to music on the recommendation of Juan Mascaró, a Sanskrit scholar who had translated the passage in his 1958 book Lamps of Fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Things Must Pass (song)</span> 1970 song by George Harrison

"All Things Must Pass" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, issued in November 1970 as the title track to his triple album of the same name. Billy Preston released the song originally – as "All Things (Must) Pass" – on his Apple Records album Encouraging Words (1970) after the Beatles had rehearsed the song in January 1969 but did not include it on their Let It Be album. The composition reflects the influence of the Band's sound and communal music-making on Harrison, after he had spent time with the group in Woodstock, New York, in late 1968. In his lyrics, Harrison drew inspiration from Timothy Leary's poem "All Things Pass", a psychedelic adaptation of the Tao Te Ching.

<i>Wonderwall</i> (film) 1968 British film

Wonderwall is a 1968 British psychedelic film directed by Joe Massot, starring Jack MacGowran, Jane Birkin, Irene Handl, Richard Wattis and Iain Quarrier, and featuring a cameo by Dutch collective the Fool, who were also set designers for the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Remo Four</span> English rock band

The Remo Four were a 1950s–1960s rock band from Liverpool, England. They were contemporaries of The Beatles, and later had the same manager, Brian Epstein. Its members were Colin Manley, Phil Rogers, Don Andrew, and Roy Dyke (drums). Andrew and Manley were in the same class at school as Paul McCartney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashton, Gardner and Dyke</span> British rock trio

Ashton, Gardner and Dyke were a British rock trio, most popular in the early 1970s. They are best remembered for their song, "Resurrection Shuffle", a transatlantic Top 40 one-hit wonder in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back Off Boogaloo</span> 1972 song by Ringo Starr

"Back Off Boogaloo" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in March 1972. Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison produced the recording and helped Starr write the song, although he remained uncredited as a co-writer until 2017. Recording took place in London shortly after the pair had appeared together at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in August 1971. The single was a follow-up to Starr's 1971 hit song "It Don't Come Easy" and continued his successful run as a solo artist. "Back Off Boogaloo" peaked at number 2 in Britain and Canada, and number 9 on America's Billboard Hot 100. It remains Starr's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sour Milk Sea</span> 1968 single by Jackie Lomax

"Sour Milk Sea" is a song by English rock singer Jackie Lomax that was released as his debut single on the Beatles' Apple record label in August 1968. It was written by George Harrison during the Beatles' stay in Rishikesh, India, and given to Lomax to help launch Apple Records. The recording is a rarity among non-Beatles songs since it features three members of the band – Harrison, who also produced the track, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. Performed in the hard rock style, the song also includes musical contributions from Eric Clapton and session pianist Nicky Hopkins, and was the first of many Harrison productions for artists signed to the Beatles' record label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Ashton</span> Musical artist

Edward Anthony Ashton was an English rock pianist, keyboardist, singer, composer, producer and artist.

Roy Dyke, is a rock drummer noted for his playing with The Remo Four, Badger, and Ashton, Gardner and Dyke.

John Barham is an English classical pianist, composer, arranger, producer and educator. He is best known for his orchestration of George Harrison albums such as All Things Must Pass (1970) and for his association with Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. Barham trained at the Royal College of Music and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, before establishing himself during the mid 1960s as a composer of piano interpretations of Indian classical ragas. He became a student of Shankar, for whose East–West collaborations with Yehudi Menuhin and others he transcribed Indian melodies into Western musical annotation. Through Shankar, Barham began a long friendship with Harrison in 1966, then a member of the Beatles, which assisted Harrison's own education in Indian music as well as his promotion of the genre to Western audiences. Barham collaborated with Harrison on the latter's Wonderwall Music soundtrack album (1968), before providing the orchestral arrangements for All Things Must Pass songs such as "Isn't It a Pity" and "My Sweet Lord", and for Harrison's 1973 album Living in the Material World.

"Dream Scene" is an experimental composition by English rock musician George Harrison. It was released in November 1968 on his debut solo album, Wonderwall Music, which was the soundtrack to the psychedelic film Wonderwall, directed by Joe Massot. The track is an instrumental piece, apart from occasional non-English language vocals and a spoken word segment. It comprises three sections and combines meditative Indian sounds and singing with passages of Western instrumentation and avant-garde styling, including backwards tape loops and sound effects. After viewing an early edit of Wonderwall at Twickenham Film Studios, Harrison devised the piece to accompany a psychedelic dream sequence in the film. The song serves as the narrative for the sequence, in which a strait-laced professor imagines himself duelling with the fashion photographer boyfriend of the young woman he obsessively spies on through a hole in the wall separating their apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save the World (George Harrison song)</span> 1981 song by George Harrison

"Save the World" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, released as the final track of his 1981 album Somewhere in England. It was also the B-side of "Teardrops", which was the second single off the album. An environmental protest song, "Save the World" was Harrison's first composition to directly address topical issues such as the nuclear arms race, rainforest and wildlife devastation, and the ecologically irresponsible practices of corporate concerns. Musically, the song partly recalls the style of the comedy troupe Monty Python.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circles (George Harrison song)</span> 1982 song by George Harrison

"Circles" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, released as the final track of his 1982 album Gone Troppo. Harrison wrote the song in India in 1968 while he and the Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The theme of the lyrics is reincarnation. The composition reflects the cyclical aspect of human existence as, according to Hindu doctrine, the soul continues to pass from one life to the next. Although the Beatles never formally recorded it, "Circles" was among the demos the group made at Harrison's Esher home, Kinfauns, in May 1968, while considering material for their double album The Beatles.

<i>The Apple Years 1968–75</i> 2014 box set by George Harrison

The Apple Years 1968–75 is a box set by English musician George Harrison, released on 22 September 2014. The eight-disc set compiles all of Harrison's studio albums that were originally issued on the Beatles' Apple record label. The six albums are Wonderwall Music (1968), Electronic Sound (1969), All Things Must Pass, Living in the Material World (1973), Dark Horse (1974) and Extra Texture (1975). The final disc is a DVD containing a feature titled "The Apple Years", promotional films from some of his previous posthumous reissues, such as The Concert for Bangladesh, and other video clips. The box set marks the first time that the Dark Horse and Extra Texture albums have been remastered since their 1991 CD release.

References

  1. ↑ Clayson, pp. 97, 131–32.
  2. ↑ Miles, p. 173.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Martin Lewis, "The Story of 'In the First Place'", Abbeyrd's Beatle Page, June 1999 (archived version from 11 March 2005; retrieved 29 May 2017).
  4. 1 2 Shea & Rodriguez, p. 271.
  5. ↑ Harry, p. 393.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Matt Hurwitz, "Wonderwall Music", georgeharrison.com (archived version retrieved 1 February 2021).
  7. 1 2 3 Bill Harry, "Colin Manley", triumphpc.com/Mersey Beat (retrieved 2309 May 2017).
  8. ↑ Howlett, p. 10.
  9. 1 2 Richie Unterberger, "The Remo Four 'In the First Place'", AllMusic (retrieved 30 May 2017).
  10. 1 2 3 Sleeve credits, The Remo Four "In the First Place" CD single (Pilar Productions, 1998; produced by George Harrison).
  11. 1 2 Harry, p. 237.
  12. 1 2 Shea & Rodriguez, pp. 271–72.
  13. ↑ Winn, p. 143.
  14. ↑ Howlett, p. 12.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Madinger & Easter, p. 420.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Dave Thompson, "Ashton, Gardner & Dyke", AllMusic (retrieved 30 May 2017).
  17. ↑ Clayson, p. 277.
  18. ↑ Leng, p. 67.
  19. ↑ Label credits, Ashton, Gardner and Dyke LP (Polydor Records, 1969; produced by Edwards Coletta).
  20. ↑ Shea & Rodriguez, p. 272.
  21. ↑ Leng, p. 69.
  22. 1 2 Jay Allen Sanford, "Wonderwall w/ George Harrison: Lost 1968 Psychedelic Gem Now on DVD", San Diego Reader , 24 May 2011 (retrieved 30 May 2017).
  23. ↑ Glenn Erickson, "Wonderwall on DVD and Blue-ray", Turner Classic Movies, 2014 (archived version from 13 January 2016; retrieved 30 May 2017).
  24. ↑ Bennett & Stratton, pp. 118, 146.
  25. ↑ Clayson, pp. 438–39.
  26. ↑ Graham Reid, "JOE MASSOT INTERVIEWED (2001): And after all, you're my wonder wall …", Elsewhere , 14 February 2011 (retrieved 30 May 2017).
  27. ↑ "George's notes to Paul Hicks & Eddie Veal in 1998 during restoration of Wonderwall", Wonderwall Music CD booklet (Apple Records, 2014; produced by George Harrison), p. 11.
  28. ↑ Bill Harry, "The Remo Four", Sixties City (retrieved 30 May 2017).
  29. ↑ Tillery, p. 167.
  30. ↑ Harry, p. 394.
  31. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "George Harrison The Apple Years", AllMusic (retrieved 30 May 2017).
  32. ↑ Kory Grow, "George Harrison's First Six Studio Albums to Get Lavish Reissues" Archived 23 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine , rollingstone.com, 2 September 2014 (retrieved 30 May 2017).
  33. ↑ Mat Snow, "George Harrison: Quiet Storm", Mojo , November 2014, p. 69.
  34. ↑ Graham Reid, "George Harrison Revisited, Part One (2014): The dark horse bolting out of the gate", Elsewhere , 24 October 2014 (retrieved 30 May 2017).

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.