Recently, while speaking with Total Guitar, Brian May opened up on how he owns Jimmy Page a lot.

Queen, an iconic British rock band, was formed in London in 1970 and led by legendary guitarist Brian May.

They are known for their high-energy live performances and iconic songs such as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

In a recent interview with Total Guitar, Brian recalled the very first time he and Queen listened to Led Zeppelin. This was the turning point for the band as they couldn’t comprehend how good they were.

Rock music enthusiasts have been debating the rivalry between Led Zeppelin and Queen for many years. At the time, Led Zeppelin was usually regarded as the more well-known and influential band, whilst Queen was frequently viewed as the underdog.

Nonetheless, Queen has been a strong challenger in recent years and has received accolades for their impact on the rock music landscape thanks to their distinctive sound and creative use of harmonies and synthesizers.

According to Queen themselves, they have never denied Zeppelin’s influence on their sound. May claims that in addition to being influenced by Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury also tried to emulate the rock legend in order to mask his reserved nature.

Plant, on the other hand, thought Freddie was a superior performer and singer. Brian May also stated that when he and his bandmates first listened to Led Zeppelin, they believed their own music and success to be similar, albeit more harmonic and melodic.

While talking about the song ‘Now I’m Here’, Brian said,

“I owe a lot to Jimmy Page, of course – the master of the riff and the master of getting lost deliberately in time signatures. I think that song was inspired, definitely, by the spirit of Zeppelin. All those wonderful things happening when Bonzo is throwing in things that sound like they’re in a different time signature – that stuff has always fascinated me.

Those guys were not far ahead of us in age, but the first time we heard Zeppelin, we thought, ‘Oh, my God, this is where we’re trying to get to, and they’re already there!’ So in a sense, there were times when we felt like we’d missed the boat – like we wouldn’t be able to get our stuff out there. But our vision was slightly different from Zeppelin, musically. It’s more harmonic and melodic, I suppose.”

He added, “I would never be ashamed to say that Zeppelin were a huge influence on us, not just musically, but also in the way they handled themselves in the business, without compromising. The way they handled their image, the integrity, the way they built their stage show – so many things. I suppose between Zeppelin and the Beatles and the Who, you would see where we came from. That was the kind of platform that we bounced off.”

It is impossible to choose one band to be the winner in the Queen vs. Led Zeppelin rivalry because both bands had a significant impact on the rock music landscape at the time. Both of their individual styles have had a significant impact on contemporary music, and future generations will continue to value what they contributed. Brian May isn’t afraid to acknowledge that Led Zeppelin had a big impact on the sound and stage presence of Queen. He personally owes Jimmy Page a lot.

Since the beginning of the rock band Journey in 1973, guitarist Neal Schon was a prominent member. His playing style, which is sometimes characterized as forceful yet melodic, has been a key factor in the band’s success.

His contributions to the songs “Don’t Stop Believin'” and “Any Way You Want It” include their recognizable riffs as well as the lengthy guitar solos from “Lights” and “Wheel in the Sky.”

The band’s biggest singles, including “Open Arms,” “Faithfully,” and “Who’s Crying Now,” were written and composed by him as well.

He is most known for being a founding member of the band Journey, but he also had a long solo career that lasted for more than 40 years.

One of the best guitarists in music history, Schon’s fame has grown even more as a result of his live performances.

Over the years, he has continuously performed on tour, frequently with an all-star ensemble of musicians. He has won many accolades for his solo work.

Conflicts and lineup changes within the act occurred toward the end of the 1980s as a result of artistic differences.

Journey took a break when the Raised on Radio Tour was over. Schon concentrated on solo endeavors like Hardline and Bad English during this time and worked with many different musicians.

Schon managed to find time in the middle of the 1990s to work on the songs that would become 1995’s “Beyond the Thunder.”

The guitarist experimented with several musical genres on the album, which included tracks that were very dissimilar to the music he created with Journey.

Schon then saw that Journey was working against him as a solo artist, limiting his ability to produce new material.

He talked about it after the release of ‘Beyond The Thunder’. It was with Gary James and he revealed that it was the time he realized the band was holding him down.

He claimed that the record was the first step toward his true goals and that he had a side with jazz influences.

Schon then stated that he was keen to experiment with other genres, such as jazz because all of Journey’s music had been rock & roll.

The guitarist claims that during his time apart from Journey, he studied various aspects of his musical abilities and observed his willingness to advance and improve. The musician also realized that he hadn’t yet reached his full potential. Speaking with Gary James, he said,

“I was in a real melancholy sort of mellow state when I did it. I wasn’t playing rock and roll. This type of stuff comes out of me when I’m away from the road and away from rock and roll for a while. Stuff I do when I’m around the house. You know, I’ve never made a record that was that mellow. There is another side of me that is going more in a jazzy vein, and that is more of a commercial version of where I’d actually like to go.

I’ve got the rock and roll thing going on with Journey and everything else I do in the rock and roll vein, but I’m interested in opening new genres for myself. The jazz format seems to be where I’m heading. I’ll always have my rock/blues roots, and I’ll always play that. It’s a thing I like to do live. But I see myself doing these other types of solo records as well. It’s a completely different thing. It’s creative for me to go somewhere completely different.”

When questioned about his statement in the liner notes, Schon responded:

“You know, I was very confused when I read it myself. I think I was trying to say that I’m finally getting a grip on all the different sides of my musical abilities and coming to terms with that, not just stifling myself and staying in one place. I’m learning that I do have the ability to grow and learn a lot more. I think what I’m saying there is I don’t feel like I’ve peaked out at all and that I have a lot of places I can go musically.”

Once Journey went on hiatus, Neal Schon understood that he still had a lot to learn and that he wanted to develop his musical abilities. Both as a solo musician and as a founding member of Journey, Schon has a distinguished career.

He has maintained his position at the top of the music world thanks to his distinctive playing style and versatility in fusing many musical styles.

Neal Schon is a well-known guitar legend with a career spanning more than four decades and a long list of accolades.

Each and every musician has inspirations and influences who have had an impact on their trade. While other artists may find inspiration from a range of various sources, certain artists may be more strongly impacted by one artist than another.

As musical genres and fads change throughout time, it is likely that every performer has had a unique mix of influences and sources of inspiration.

Like every one of them, Mark Knopfler also listed his favorite legendary guitarists back in 1985. It was during his interview with Rolling Stone.

He co-founded the band Dire Straits in 1977 and is most recognized as its lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Following the dissolution of the band in 1995, Knopfler developed a successful solo career as a musician and producer, working with performers like Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, and Sting.

Back then during his interview, he mentioned three guitarists whose talent was a pleasure to listen to. Robert Johnson and Lonnie Johnson were the two of them. Listening to them made his heart flutter. The third person was B.B. King the King of the Blues.

The late blues singer didn’t just suddenly become the King. He was recognized for using all of his fingers when playing, and he had developed the B.B. Box, a six-note scale that set him apart from his contemporaries.

Mark Knopfler said,

“Yeah, a lot of dead ones: Robert Johnson, Lonnie Johnson. B.B. King, who’s very much alive, is a big influence. I heard ‘Live at the Regal’ when I was sixteen, which was a great moment because I felt a triangle was formed on that record: guitar, voice, and audience, and it was amazing to hear. There’s also the fact that on his records, the guitar seems to do some of the singer’s work —his guitar has such a clear voice. Maybe that appeals to me because I’m not much of a singer in the conventional sense, certainly not like B.B. King is. So my guitar becomes another, the better voice I can use.”

Beyond the influence of Robert Johnson and Lonnie Johnson, B.B. King emerged as a hugely enjoyable guitar player in the industry for the sixteen-year-old Mark, who was growing up.

The distinctive finger-picking technique and lyric storytelling of Knopfler have earned him worldwide acclaim. He is a member of Dire Straits and has received numerous music honors, including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

From the University of Newcastle, he also received an honorary doctorate in music. Even now, a lot of well-known musicians still credit him as a big influence, attesting to his lasting musical impact.

The late David Crosby’s estranged bandmate, Graham Nash of the American folk-rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (CSNY), said they were on the verge of reconciliation.

Many of David Crosby’s fans, as well as the whole rock music industry, were shocked to learn of his passing. He was a renowned musician who had a significant role in the formation of the folk-rock genre.

His impact on the profession was evident, and many people were saddened by his premature death. Graham Nash stated to AARP that Crosby left him a voicemail prior to his passing that included the musician’s final wish.

The members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young went through a difficult time of strife and disagreement over their music and the course of their band in the early 1970s. Graham Nash and David Crosby’s argument was the main source of disagreement.

Nash shut the door on a reunion after Crosby, Stills & Nash broke up because of conflicts between Crosby and the other members of the band. The two admitted that they were no longer friends and that they didn’t want to speak to one another in the years that followed.

However, we were starting to see some changes over the past year. A year ago, Nash had revealed that the two of them had a special bond. Nash had also talked about how much he missed working with David.

Recently while talking with AARP, Graham told that Crosby had sent him a voicemail before he passed away to discuss with him and apologize.

Crosby passed away, so even though he replied to him via email, he probably didn’t see it. While chatting he revealed,

“We were getting a little closer at the end. I emailed him back and said, ‘Okay, call me at eleven o’clock tomorrow your time, which is two o’clock on the East Coast.’ He never called, and then he was gone.

His death islike an earthquake: You know that you’re in an earthquake, but subsequently, other smaller earthquakes happen afterward. His death has been like that. It was only two or three days after he passed that I realized he was actually gone.”

Sadly, there was no opportunity for the two to meet and make amends. The musician also intended to release new songs, and it was well-known that he was composing a new album however it couldn’t happen.

Throughout his career, David Crosby has been known for his innovative and highly influential approach to songwriting, as well as his distinct vocal style. His influence on modern rock music is undeniable, and he continues to be an important figure in the genre.

Charlie Watts, an English drummer and sometimes singer, was most known for being The Rolling Stones’ drummer. The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts is an English drummer and occasional singer.

He was also renowned for his distinctive and unconventional playing technique, which frequently saw him using just his left hand on the hi-hat and his right hand on the snare.

His drumming can be heard on the majority of The Rolling Stones’ great songs, and his performance was crucial to the band’s success.

In January 1963 at the Ealing Jazz Club, Watts performed with The Rolling Stones for the first time. Less than a month later, he joined the group formally.

He had gotten to know the band well because they shared the same musical community and played with Brian Jones in Blues Incorporated. During an interview with Louder Sound, he spoke about his experience with the band. He said,

“It was his band, really. He was the one with the passion. Brian also played slide and steel, things that people didn’t play. He’d play like Elmore James. We used to go to dances and he’d be playing [James’s] Dust My Broom. Nobody’d heard of this stuff.”

He also once stated, “I don’t really love rock & roll. I love jazz. But I love playing rock ‘n’ roll with the Stones.” Even though Charlie was a great player, the Rolling Stones didn’t always play with him. They proved this on the song “It’s Just Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It),” which substituted Kenny Jones from The Faces for Watts. Ronnie Wood, a bandmate of Jones’ who would subsequently join The Stones permanently, was also featured in the song.

Jones talked about the track back in 2015. It was with Noise 11 and said, “Ronnie Wood, myself, and Ian McLagan lived around Richmond Park. I lived on one of the gates called Robin Hood gate, Ronnie Wood lived on Richmond Gate and Ian McLagan lived on Sheen Gate. Ronnie Wood would always call me up as soon as I got one foot into bed. It was quite late. He’d call me up and say, ‘Kenney, we haven’t got a drummer. Can you come around and play on this’. I’d given Ronnie one of my drum kits so the drum kit was permanently set up there in his studio”.

He added, “I went around and this time it was just Jagger in there, Mick Jagger and Ronnie. Ronnie had just got all this outboard equipment, all these new toys to play with in the studio. He was twiddling the knobs which left me and Mick Jagger in the studio, just guitar and drums and that’s how that song came about. Ronnie came in and said ‘keep playing, I just want to put the two of you down’. It was just Mick Jagger and myself, guitar and drums and we did the track. Ronnie Wood came in, pressed the button, picked up the bass and played on it. I thought it was a demo for whatever they were doing. I forgot all about it. The Stones went into the studio later and tried to recreate that song. They couldn’t capture the feel so they ended up using it”.

Jones also called Watts to apologize but instead, he said that he was happy. He recalled, “When I found out later it was actually me playing on drums on it, I called Charlie up and said, ‘I didn’t mean to play drums on your album’ and he said ‘that’s okay. It sounds like me anyway’. He’s a lovely guy, Charlie. A perfect gentleman”.

Charlie Watts is highly regarded by his contemporaries for his musicianship and his distinctive style. He was elected into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

He has been a part of The Rolling Stones since their formation, making him one of the band members with the longest tenure. Watts was a welcome exception to the rule in an ego-driven sector.

Numerous sub-genres of rock, such as classic rock, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock, defined the genre in the 1970s.

Rock music was at its peak at the time, with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and The Who topping the charts and having a significant cultural impact. Strong vocals, distorted guitar riffs, and a concentration on live performance were frequently included in the music.

Numerous rock groups from the 1970s also investigated topics such as revolt, social and political commentary, and self-expression.

The decade was a golden decade for rock music and today here we have a list of the best debut singles from the year 1971.

Nobody by The Doobie Brothers

This was a perfect bomb needed, for the Doobie Brothers. It was one of the best songs of the whole era. A bluesy, fast-paced rock tune featuring a catchy guitar riff and a horn section is called “Nobody.”

The song’s lyrics depict a man who is pleased with his straightforward existence and has no aspirations of greatness.

Angel From Montgomery by John Prine

It was first distributed on his 1971 debut record of the same name. Since then, it has evolved into one of his most recognizable and frequently covered songs. The song is about a woman who is unhappy with her humdrum life and dreams of a better future.

She wants to run away and start over since she feels imprisoned in her predicament. The song’s beautiful acoustic guitar melody and Prine’s raw and emotional vocal performance define it musically. Due to its continuing appeal, it has become a cherished classic of American folk music.

A Horse With No Name by America

America, an American rock band, published “A Horse with No Name” in 1971. Dewey Bunnell, a band member, wrote the song and performs the lead vocals.

The song’s lyrics, which include references to many rock formations and other natural elements, describe a voyage through a desolate desert landscape.

The song is famous for its recognizable acoustic guitar riff, which is sometimes connected to the Southern California folk-rock style of the early 1970s. The song has a straightforward arrangement that supports Bunnell’s voice with straightforward percussion and harmonies.

It was commercially successful, “A Horse with No Name” and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972. Numerous hypotheses and interpretations of the song’s meaning have developed throughout time as a result of its bizarre and puzzling lyrics.

When Electricity Came To Arkansas by Black Oak Arkansas

The song’s hard-driving bluesy guitar chords and Mangrum’s animated vocal delivery define it. The group’s down-home Southern rock aesthetic and unpolished, unrefined sound contributed to defining the sound of the genre in the early 1970s.

The song was written by the band’s lead singer, Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, and it features his distinctive Southern drawl on vocals.

The song pays homage to the 1930s and 1940s electrification of rural areas in the southern United States. The pleasure and awe that those who had never previously witnessed electric lights or modern appliances felt are captured in the lyrics.

10538 Overture By Electric Light Orchestra

This single was written by band members Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan. The song is distinguished by its elaborate orchestral arrangements, which include horns, choir vocals, and strings.

The band’s distinctive combination of rock and classical music is on full display in the song’s dynamic transitions between hard rock and classical music parts.

157 Riverside Avenue By R.E.O. Speedwagon

“157 Riverside Avenue” is a song by the American rock band R.E.O. Speedwagon, released in 1971 on their eponymous debut album. The song was written by band member Neal Doughty, and it features Kevin Cronin on lead vocals.

The band used to practice and perform in their rented home at 157 Riverside Avenue in Champaign, Illinois, as described in the song’s lyrics. The goal of rock success and themes of teenage rebellion are also mentioned in the songs.

Although “157 Riverside Avenue” wasn’t a commercial hit when it was first released, it has since grown in popularity and become a mainstay of the band’s live performances. The song has become a staple of the American rock and roll canon thanks to its autobiographical lyrics and memorable guitar riffs.

(Somebody Else Been) Shakin’ Your Tree By ZZ Top

In the song’s lyrics, a lover is warned that “someone else been shakin’ your tree” by a man who believes she has been unfaithful to him.

In the lyrics, jealousy and possessiveness are also discussed. The song’s bluesy guitar riffs and Gibbons’ gravelly vocals give it a distinctive musical style.

Although “(Somebody Else Been) Shakin’ Your Tree” wasn’t a commercial hit when it was first released, it did contribute to the development of ZZ Top’s sound and style.

The song’s rough, raw tone and blues-based rock and roll approach would later come to be recognized as being distinctive to the music of the band.

Even though Syd Barrett’s time in the spotlight was limited, he left a huge legacy. He served as Pink Floyd’s lead singer and guitarist throughout their formative years, when they were one of the most interesting psychedelic bands around.

His ethereal songs expertly straddled the line between hippiedom’s heady inclinations and the movement’s darker underbelly, which was beginning to emerge as its numerous traps became apparent.

Syd Barrett’s life story is well known. He was the band’s leader when Pink Floyd first gained popularity, but he left the group in 1968 owing to mental health problems that are thought to be caused by biological reasons and heavy drug usage.

Pink Floyd had only put out two albums up to this time, 1967’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets.

Barrett issued a pair of classic solo albums in 1970, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett, which were supported by his old friends and former Floyd colleagues David Gilmour and Roger Waters.

After quitting the group, his mental health continued to deteriorate. Soon after releasing these two albums, Barrett retreated from the public eye and lived a solitary existence until his death at the age of 60 in 2006.

Despite the tragedy of Syd Barrett’s life, his musical accomplishments stand on their own as testaments to his undeniable talent and, in certain cases, the seriousness of the deterioration that led to his status as one of rock’s most mythologized figures.

The final song he wrote for Pink Floyd, “Jugband Blues,” is one of his most important works.

Barrett’s mental health was fast failing at the time of writing “Jugband Blues” in late 1967, and it was thought that the song represented his schizophrenia musically.

The song was made available in 1968 as part of Pink Floyd’s second album, A Saucerful of Secrets. It was the only song Barrett wrote for the album, making it his last publicly released work with the band.

The band as a whole and producer Norman Smith reportedly objected to Barrett and Floyd’s management’s request to have the song published as a single.

Peter Jenner, one of Pink Floyd’s managers, offered his thoughts on “Jugband Blues” in Rob Chapman’s Syd Barrett: A Very Irregular Head book.

He called “Scream Thy Last Scream” and “Vegetable Man,” two other songs Barrett wrote around the same time and his final Pink Floyd contribution, “amazing songs.”

He stated they reminded him of “Bike” and “The Scarecrow” from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. “You think, ‘Well, OK, those are all right, but these are powerful disturbing art.’ I wouldn’t want anyone to have to go as mad and disturbed as Syd did to get that, but if you are going to go that disturbed give me something like that. That’s great art.”

‘Jugband Blues’ is another name for Jenner, “an extraordinary song, the ultimate self-diagnosis on a state of schizophrenia, [and] the portrait of a nervous breakdown.”

The late Eddie Van Halen offered a wealth of unique perspectives on some of the top figures in the music business.

The Amsterdam native enjoyed keeping followers on their toes by being extremely critical of himself and offering conflicting stories of icons.

The guitarist for Van Halen had every right to express such a wide range of viewpoints because, after all, he was one of the most influential people to ever pick up a six-string.

Eddie Van Halen wowed audiences with his scorching talent, which was a major factor in his band’s success.

With numerous recordings showcasing his prowess, he popularized guitar playing techniques that are now commonplace, such as string tapping and dive bombs on his whammy bar.

Even David Gilmour, the resident guitar hero of Pink Floyd, listed Van Halen as the guitarist he wanted he could play like because of how amazing he was at what he did. The British performer elucidated:

“I can’t play like Eddie Van Halen. I wish I could. I sat down to try some of those ideas, and I can’t do it. I don’t know if I could ever get any of that stuff together. Sometimes I think I should work at the guitar more. I play every day but I don’t consciously practice scales or anything in particular.”

Therefore, it seems sense that Eddie Van Halen felt at ease discussing his ideas with the public. He had the chutzpah to call Jimi Hendrix, arguably the most influential guitarist in rock music history, “sloppy” because he was so comfortable with himself.

In addition to going against the norm, this narrative is also hotly disputed because, for the most part, Hendrix is acclaimed for his technical mastery and accuracy.

Van Halen was no stranger to controversy, although his opinions were generally well-liked. They demonstrated the wisdom that only the real greats possess since they have a natural ear for music and the uncommon experience of performing at the very top of their game.

His claim that the late Jeff Porcaro was “one of the best drummers in the world” is one of his points that the majority of people can support.

Porcaro tragically passed prematurely at the age of 38 from a heart attack in August 1992, yet even at that young age, he had already left behind a huge legacy.

Porcaro is most known for being a founding member of the renowned Los Angeles band Toto and for being one of the most widely used session musicians in history, contributing to thousands of recordings throughout the course of his career.

One of Porcaro’s most lauded accomplishments is his work on Steely Dan’s 1975 album, Katy Lied, which established him as one of the best session drummers of the 1970s.

One of Porcaro’s most lauded accomplishments is his work on Steely Dan’s 1975 album, Katy Lied, which established him as one of the best session drummers of the 1970s. Despite all the odds, his work on the same band’s song “Gaucho” later in 1980 is often regarded as his best work.

Eddie said, “He was one of the best drummers in the world, Definitely the groove master. He was just so heavy.”

Even though each member of The Beatles contributed significantly to the group’s success, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the two who gave the group its boost, with their songwriting relationship going on to become one of the most celebrated in musical history.

Lennon became deeply involved in Liverpool’s skiffle scene as a kid and eventually started a group called The Quarrymen.

The Quarrymen changed quickly into The Beatles, with John Lennon serving as the group’s primary leader at first. Lennon became one of the most well-known artists ever after working on some of the most famous songs of all time while a member of the Fab Four.

He contributed to a significant cultural change as a member of an extremely important band by popularizing new sounds and recording methods, which transformed the field of popular music.

The Beatles were the driving force behind the British Invasion of the US, a period that saw numerous avant-garde British bands achieve success on American soil.

Many of the band’s early albums, nevertheless, were issued in the US and UK in separate ways. For instance, Introducing…The Beatles, a year after the band’s original 1963 debut album Please Please Me was released in the US with a new cover and slightly modified tracklist.

To Lennon’s dismay, “fake stereo” versions of the songs were frequently replicated for American copies of their albums.

Lennon discussed his dislike of American labels interfering with his music in a Dennis Elsas interview on WNEW-FM. He said, “You know, many of these have undergone stereo remixing.” Oh, that was terrible.

This prompted Lennon to talk about his opinions of the Hey Jude B-side, “Revolution.” The Beatles’ 1968 album The Beatles featured both “Revolution 1,” a slower version of the song, and “Revolution 9,” an avant-garde sound collage.

‘Revolution 1’ was recorded in a quicker version after Paul McCartney and George Harrison both decided that it was too sluggish to be single.

Despite Lennon’s best efforts, McCartney’s “Hey Jude” took precedence over the new version in the release order.

Lennon, however, clarified the B-side version as follows: “There’s a difference between stereo and mono, obviously. If you mix something in mono and try to fake it, you lose the guts of it. A lot of them lost that.”

He added, “The fast version of ‘Revolution’ was destroyed. It was a heavy record, and they turned it into a piece of ice cream.”

Lennon said, “Nevermind,” evidently frustrated by his lack of creative control over some of the American releases of his tunes.

Isn’t everything in the past now? Lennon seemed to harbor a great deal of resentment about the way “Revolution” was treated—it never received the respect he believed it deserved.

For The Beatles, it was the last minute. They were down to their final song after spending the whole day writing and recording songs for their debut album, Please, Please Me. John Lennon would have to shout at the top of his lungs, so the band left their rendition of The Top Notes’ “Twist and Shout” for last.

Engineer Norman Smith remembered, “Someone suggested they do ‘Twist and Shout’ with John taking the lead vocal. But by this time all their throats were sore; it was 12 hours since we had started working. John’s, in particular, was almost completely gone so we really had to get it right the first time.”

Smith reflected, “The Beatles on the studio floor and us in the control room. John sucked a couple more Zubes (a brand of throat lozenges), had a bit of a gargle with milk and away we went.”

John Lennon was coughing during the recording sessions since he was congested with a cold at the time. When the band came to “Twist and Shout,” Lennon was on the verge of losing his voice, so he pulled off his shirt to be ready.

Engineer Cris Neal looked back and said, “John was stripped to the waist to do this most amazingly raucous vocal, The next morning Norman Smith and I took a tape around all the studio copying rooms saying to everybody: ‘What the hell do you think of this!'”

“I knew that ‘Twist and Shout’ was a real larynx-tearer and I said, ‘We’re not going to record that until the very end of the day, because if we record it early on, you’re not going to have any voice left, So that was the last thing we did that night. We did two takes, and after that John didn’t have any voice left at all. It was good enough for the record, and it needed that linen-ripping sound,” producer George Martin remembered.

Despite Martin’s recollection, there was only one take that was known to have been recorded. Lennon’s voice had entirely disappeared by the time the second try had begun. The Beatles only ever recorded one take of “Twist and Shout” in the studio, which is the version that can be found on Please, Please Me.

Lennon later remembered, “The last song nearly killed me. My voice wasn’t the same for a long time after; every time I swallowed it was like sandpaper. I was always bitterly ashamed of it, because I could sing it better than that; but now it doesn’t bother me. You can hear that I’m just a frantic guy doing his best.”