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Martha My Dear
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Wikipedia article
"'Martha My Dear'" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 eponymous double album 'The Beatles' (also known as the "White Album"). Credited to LennonMcCartney, the song was written solely by Paul McCartney about his Old English Sheepdog, Martha. It has been covered by several artists, including Slade, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Phish, World Party, and Les Borades de Montral.
Style and form
The song incorporates elements from pop rock music; it also features a music hall-inspired piano line that recurs throughout the piece, as well as a brass section. The song modulates through several keys.
The song is notated mainly in the key of E major, showing up embellished chords with jazzy sprinkled dissonances. The verse is a syncopated replicate of the first melodic section adding two extra beats, a technique similar to that used later by McCartney in "Two of Us". Though the bridge is in the key of F major, the manner in which it abruptly sets in and exits makes it sound more out-of-the-way than it really is.
Recording
According to Beatles biographers Ian MacDonald and Mark Lewisohn, "Martha My Dear" is one of the few songs by the band in which McCartney played all the instruments (except orchestral instruments played by session musicians). Such a scenario was increasingly common for him during the height of the tensions that marred the sessions for the album. Although George Harrison is known to have recorded a portion of the electric guitar on the final recording, he was not credited.
The song was recorded over two days on 4 and 5 October 1968 at Trident Studios in London. McCartney recorded the piano, drums and vocals on the first day. He was advised to have producer George Martin play the piano solo because it was believed that the solo was beyond McCartney's competency, but McCartney persisted. Martin's brass and string arrangements were overdubbed later that day. On 5 October, McCartney re-recorded his vocals, added handclaps, and overdubbed bass and guitar parts, completing the song that day.
Legacy
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its release, Jacob Stolworthy of 'The Independent' listed "Martha My Dear" at number 20 in his ranking of the White Album's 30 tracks. He called the song "one of the album's most unfairly maligned tracks" and "irresistibly charming".
Personnel
'The Beatles'
* Paul McCartney double-tracked lead vocals, piano, bass, electric guitar, drums, handclaps, brass and string arrangement
'Additional musicians'
* Bernard Mille, Dennis McConnell, Lou Sofier, Les Maddox violins
* Leo Birnbaum, Henry Myerscough violas
* Reginald Kilby, Frederick Alexander, Peter Halling cellos
* Leon Calvert trumpet, flugelhorn
* Stan Reynolds, Ronnie Hughes trumpets
* Tony Tunstall French horn
* Ted Barker trombone
* Alf Reece tuba
String and brass arrangement by George Martin.
Notes
References
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Category:The Beatles songs
Category:1968 songs
Category:Song recordings produced by George Martin
Category:Songs written by LennonMcCartney
Category:Songs published by Northern Songs
Category:Slade songs
Category:Songs about dogs
Category:Music hall songs
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