Black Dyke Mills Band "Thingumybob"

Written by Paul McCartney in 1968. Released on The Beatles' Apple label.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Lennon
• McCartney
• Thingumybob
• Black
• Dyke
• Mills
• Band
• Apple
• Records
• Beatles
• RARE

[1santos1]

Songwriting credit on the label says "McCartney/Lennon".

[geneclart1]

Finally got to hear it!

Its very Bonzo! with a bit of Honey Pie.

Macca has been crucified for doing this stuff.

Nowt wrong with it - life's too short!

[TheFrankBot]

:-))) lovely , thx for sharing.

[Galantski]

@geneclart1 - A wonderful little piece of whimsy from Sir Paul. I'd heard it first long ago and likely just once, but amazingly, as soon as I heard it again it was familiar and brought a smile to my face. Macca has nothing to be ashamed of in writing this delightful work for brass band. He always had a broader appreciation for earlier musical genres than Lennon, who wrongly attacked him for it. Funny thing is, this sounds like it could have been recorded in 1928 every bit as much as '68.

[Galantski]

@1santos1 - It says "McCartney/Lennon", but this is 100% McCartney. In fact, it's the what Lennon mockingly referred to as "Paul's granny music"; songs derived from British vaudeville tradition. Examples include "Honey Pie", "Martha My Dear", "When I'm Sixty-four", "For No One", "Your Mother Should Know", and ''Maxwell's Silver Hammer'. (For the record, Lennon compositions "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite", and "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number") have elements of "granny music" in them.).

[MrPoupard]

Belated thanks lexo30 for your information.

I thinks it's an indication of Macca's inherent musicianship that he could produce a credible piece of Brass Band music (OK I know it's oompahbut there's nothing wrong with that ) and I seem to remember it fitted the character of the show exactly. Anyone know who did the arrangment - I assume it wasn't Macca - or am I being patronising?

[Burromovie]

@lexo30 this song was originally recorded (with lyrics) as a ballad for the white album called "etcetra"

[lexo30]

@MrPoupard McCartney could do anything while he was still a Beatle, but actually I think it was that he wanted to write something for the Black Dyke Mills Band, and once he'd done it, somebody in the BBC decided to use it as theme music for the sitcom. After that it was all over except for the licensing. It wasn't like McCartney was being employed by the BBC as a more famous Ronnie Hazelhurst (who I personally think wrote much better sitcom themes than McCartney, although I'm a Macca fan.)

[lexo30]

This is actually a McCartney tune, but licensing meant that it had to be credited to Lennon as well. I like McCartney's solo stuff - well, I'm not prejudiced against it, anyway - and I appreciate that he wanted to try his hand at writing for a brass band, but this does sound like generic brass band music. He didn't really take into account the kind of effects you can get with a brass band, and the result is a bit of forgettable oompah. Shame, because brass band music can be really beautiful.

[jsilence418]

@violentlogic Good for you !however i think had i been in your state, it would have been my hands you slapped lol!

[violentlogic]

@jsilence418 I think I gave $2 USD for mine circa 1983. I had to slap the hands of another audiophile who was trying to take it off the pile of singles I was pulling from the box at a record swap...