The art of sewing songs

There are some rare composers, particularly gifted in the "couture song". Or the «puzzle song», a technique that allows to gather little bits of songs too short to be exploited as an entity. Unfinished drafts, left in a drawer, and which they pick up one day, to join them with other parts written later, and which with a «bridge», manage to make of three drafts, a single piece completed.

Mercury, 6 pieces for one "rhapsody"

Freddy Mercury (Queen), was very good at this little game, and it suffices to quote «Bohemian Rhapsody» to illustrate this technique of assembly which can in some cases be brilliant. The musicologists distinguish 6 parts in the «Rhapsody» in question. 
Mercury had already made his mark on «Liar» of the first album (1973), before reaching a certain perfection with «The March of the Black Queen», a prowess of the album «Queen II» (1974). The same disc features another «fragmented» composition with «The Fairy Feller’s Masterstroke/ Nevermore», another small masterpiece of the genre. The exercise can be dangerous (in other words, unconvincing), when the combined work is made of drafts of different composers. On their third Queen album, “Sheer heart attack” (1974), a succession of three parts: one written by Roger Taylor (“Tenement funster”), followed by two by Mercury (“Flick of the Wrist” and “Lily of the valley”), are well connected, but their succession was not indispensable. There will still be “The Millionaire waltz” on “A Day at the race” (1976), and perhaps other works that are unknown to us behind the scenes.

The Beatles in studio, 1968

This topic came to mind as the augmented version of «Abbey road» (1969) is released these days, which Gilles Martins (the son of the genius Georges) received (as for «Sgt Peppers» and the double «White album»), the responsibility to release an anniversary version that is not indigestible. The son’s talent seems to follow that of the father and these missions were successful so far. It will end with the album.

“Let it be” (1970), which I would have exchanged with an augmented version of “Revolver” (1966), which is not planned.

«Abbey Road», the real latest Beatles album is known to contain on its B-side, the most amazing «patchworks» of the rock history that are «You never give me your money» by Paul Mc Cartney, built on 3 parts; the suite «Sun King»/ “Mean Mr Musterd”/ “Polythene Pam”/ “She came in through the bathroom window” co-authored by Paul and John; and “Golden Slumbers”/ “Carry that weight” / “The end”, which bears the mark of Mc Cartney. These three virtuoso assemblies may make «Abbey Road», the best album of the four musicians, that only the presence of «Octopus’s garden» and «Maxwell’s Silver Hammer» on the A side weakens the level of the repertoire. Replace these last two with "Old brown shoe," the underrated masterpiece by George Harrisson, and "The Ballad of John and Yoko," two songs included in this revisited version, released as single at the same time, and we had the perfect album.

Paul Mc Cartney later demonstrated his interest in these small sets of compositions on several themes. On «Ram» (1971), he created «Uncle Albert/ Admiral Halsey» before issuing one of the most obvious examples with «Band on the Run» (1973). In these examples, he uses the method in order to bring a climax that the listener knows he will be entitled to at some point of the song. And until the last album «Egypt station» (2018), he cannot help but indulge in this game as on «Despite repeating warning», which clearly follows 4 themes on 7 minutes, one of which is reminiscent of «Live and let die» (1973),

another song ( of the first James Bond with Roger Moore), made of several parts, whose apocalyptic instrumental remains the climax of the song. At the same time Paul composed «Venus and Mars/ Rock show» which the musician increased from «Jet», in public version. With his interlaced vocal lines, Paul could have done it again with «Silly Love song» (1976), but it would have deprived us of a delicious cross-choir exercise.

Other titles of Paul were composed in several parts, but this was the consequence of titles that were not completed, and subsequently reworked. In conclusion, this technique allows me to pay tribute to the work of Gilles Martins, who in his remixes augmented by some interesting or unpublished versions, made an honorable work, without falling into the trap of making, or giving too much!

PS: This new version of «Abbey Road» comes out these days in vinyl box set, Cd’s, and for pleasure, remastered in picture disc. For those who don’t have this essential album already on their shelves.