BEATLES MUSIC BREAK 2: For our second Beatles Music Break today, here is “Got to Get You Into My Life,” a Paul McCartney gem from Revolver (1966). McCartney called the song “an ode to pot,” but he was mindful of Motown songs when he wrote it, with a heaping teaspoon of psychedelia. Recorded between April 7 and June 17, 1966, at EMI Studios (Abbey Road), the song included George Martin on organ, three trumpet players, and two tenor saxophonists, in addition to Paul on bass, George on lead guitar, John on rhythm guitar, and Ringo on drums. The renowned musicologist Walter Everett – co-author of our textbook this term – has correctly described “Got to Get You Into My Life” as “one of the … most popular tracks” on Revolver, and John described it in 1980 as one of Paul’s “best songs.” The song was actually released in the United States as a single in 1976 (with “Helter Skelter” on the B-side), climbing to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year. Two years later, in 1978, the R&B / soul / funk / disco band Earth, Wind & Fire remade the song. But – as always – nothing comes close to the Beatles’ original version.
