portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Friday, November 30, 2018



They say it's your birthday . . . . . . . 

Remembering singer, songwriter, musician and humanitarian George Harrison (born in Liverpool, Lancashire, UK) - February 25, 1943 - November 29, 2001

On this day in music history: November 29, 1969 - “Come Together” / “Something” by The Beatles hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 1 week. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney / George Harrison, it is the eighteenth number one single in the US for the iconic rock quartet. The double A-sided single is the only extract from The Beatles and issued in the US one week after the album (five weeks after in the UK). “Come Together” is written by John (but credited to “Lennon/McCartney”), it begins as a campaign song for his friend Dr. Timothy Leary who is planning to run for Governor of California. The song is instead kept for the band. The opening line of the song, “Here come ol’ flat top” is lifted from the Chuck Berry song “You Can’t Catch Me” resulting in a lawsuit from Morris Levy, whose publishing company owns the rights to the Berry composition. George Harrison writes “Something” during the sessions for “Let It Be”, and is in part inspired by the first line of the James Taylor song “Something In The Way She Moves”, and also by George’s then wife Pattie. It is the first time that one of Harrison’s songs is released as the A-side of a Beatles single when it is issued in the US on October 6, 1969. Both sides enter the Hot 100 on October 18, 1969, with “Something” entering the chart at #20, and “Come Together” at #23.  During the time the songs are on the chart, Billboard changes their chart policy regarding the separate charting of single A and B sides. The magazine combines the airplay and sales points of both charting sides, placing them in the same chart position rather than separately. This gives “Something” and “Come Together” the momentum they need to reach number one. By the time, Billboard makes the change in their charting method, Come Together is listed first as the more dominant side in airplay and sales. when the single tops the chart. “Come Together” / “Something” is certified 2x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

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