At The Movies, Sixties

AT THE MOVIES (April 27, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Well, I think I’ve held back long enough; it’s time to break out some Beatles!

I was listening to a radio show recently on SiriusXM; the host and his guest were having a discussion about songs that are famous for their opening chord. The first song I think of in that category is “A Hard Day’s Night”, written by The Beatles for their movie of the same name. This 1964 film was a financial and critical success and was nominated for two Academy Awards. Forty years after its release, Time magazine rated it as one of the 100 all-time great films.

People have asked “Just what exactly does the term ‘a hard day’s night’ mean?”. Well, the answer goes something like this: the movie’s working title was “The Beatles,” then “Beatlemania“. After a particularly grueling rehearsal, everyone was tired, frustrated and still undecided about the movie’s name. At one point Ringo, who was exhausted after the long day, blurted out that it was “a hard day’s night” for him. The phrase “struck a chord” and was accepted by the studio.

Here is “A Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles; listen for that famous first chord.

Boy, it sure was hard keeping up with those four – in the movie and in real life!

Now it’s time for the question of the day but the pressure’s off because there’s no right or wrong answer:

Which song pops into your head as having the most recognizable opening chord?

Feel free to give an answer, share a video or just think about your song and enjoy the memories.

As a reminder, here’s the question from last week:

Marlon Brando is famous for a lot of movies; however, this 1972 multi-award-winning blockbuster is his most famous. Name the movie and his character.

And, of course, the answer is “The Godfather”; Brando’s famous character was “Vito Corleone”.

Tomorrow’s a big day here at The Rhythm Section. At long last we have a Friday post presented by the newest member of our musical family and it kicks off in 24 hours. I can’t wait to see it! Be sure to check it out; something tells me it’s gonna be smokin’! 😎

Hope you had fun today; catch you again soon At The Movies. Enjoy the rest of your week!

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023

26 thoughts on “AT THE MOVIES (April 27, 2023)”

  7. Have I mentioned that I absolutely love reading about the stories behind the curtains from music bands, films etc?

    That is definitely one iconic opening chord, Nancy.
    Paul on a single bass note + John on acoustic guitar (probably) + George strumming on a 12 string = famous Hard Day’s Night chord!

    Seeing John among them, doing their thing…

    Recognizable opening chord, you say?
    I got to go with Hotel California.

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    2. Thanks, Nick! It’s great fun researching them, too!

      Gotta give you credit for Hotel California by The Eagles; that’s a top one in my book, too! A real blast from the past! ✨

      I’m thinking of another great one from 1967. Any ideas what it could be?

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