John and Yoko's Happy Xmas: A Horse Opera?

Christmas is only days away. What better time to deconstruct a beloved holiday classic?

Yes, John and Yoko's Phil Spector-produced Happy Xmas (War is Over) is a thinly disguised re-write of the folkie standard Stewball. Peter Paul & Mary's recording of Stewball is probably the most widely known, but this tale (tail?) of a racehorse has been covered by scores of artists including Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez.

The Hollies recorded Stewball on their 1966 album Would You Believe? Here's their version, taken at a tempo and arrangement similar to Happy Xmas:





...and John and Yoko's song, which turns forty this year:

Sounds Like Teen Spirit on Absolute Radio 60s

Please check out Pete Mitchell's fantastic new show on Absolute Radio 60s here.

I will join Pete on his midday extravaganza on Wednesday December 7th at around 12:30 pm UK time, 7:30 EST. All you need to do is register with your email to enjoy plenty of Beatles, Stones, and Motown.

The Beatles - Bobby Parker Connection

Both John Lennon and George Harrison are on the record as stating that I Feel Fine was "inspired" by Bobby Parker's 1961 hit Watch Your Step.

It's a testament to the breadth of the Beatles' musical knowledge that they were even aware of Watch Your Step, a low charting item on the U.S. charts. Lennon had the song on his jukebox in his Kenwood home during the mid-1960's. A few years ago Parker appeared in a documentary about the discovery of the jukebox. In his interview Parker stated that while he was honored that he was an inspiration for John, some financial remuneration wouldn't have hurt.

John played Watch Your Step during several of his guest DJ spots on U.S. radio 1974 during the promotional tour for his Walls and Bridges album. He stated that it was one of his favorite songs. A variation of the song's riff can be heard in the Beatles Day Tripper and in the Allman Brothers' One Way Out.

Long based in the Washington D.C. area, Parker is still active today! Check him out here.

Here's the smokin' Parker track from '61 here:



And the Fabs update here:

Lost Hit: Soul Inc - I Belong to Nobody

I first heard this wonderful song on Joe Donovan's overnight show on WHAS out of Louisville at around 3 o'clock in the morning. He played this during a segment highlighting local hits.

I Belong to Nobody was a top 10 record in Louisville and other Midwest cities in the spring of 1968. For some reason it failed to catch on nationwide.

The band reformed some years ago and continues to perform in the Louisville area.