Paul's Voice Cracks!

         &nb sp; I had become a fast Beatlemaniac, second-generation (to my father’s first generation fascination with the Fab Four). I had to have anything I could get my hands on that was Beatle related. First it was the albums, which I still was collecting every time I got snow shoveling or grass cutting money.

          ; I would get “Guitar Player” magazine with interviews of Paul McCartney, George Harrison or Ringo Starr, or even John Lennon’s sons, Julian or Sean. Every once and awhile, you’d hear of a recording in one of the interviews that had to be redone. It was released, but then, remade for some reason or another. Such songs were “Across the Universe,” “Let it Be,” or “Revolution(of which has two versions: one fast, one slow).
          This was the case for “If I Fell,” a song off of “A Hard Day’s Night.” I had to hear it, and what was so special about the first version that made them have to go into the studio and re-record a song they had already released.
I remembered our mall had a store that still sold records, despite the growth of CD’s taking hold over cassette sales. Whether it was for record enthusiasts, or to live up to their name by actually selling something their store title says they sell(a Record Town, of course should sell records, right?), Record Town had a small section of 45 records that had been reprinted. Not originals, of course, but reprints of good old 45’s from Sam Cooke to Sam and Dave to the Doors and of course, The Beatles.
          So I bought “If I Fell,” which was backed with “Tell Me Why.”
And I was told why this record made waves with the group, after listening about 2/3 through. The culprit? Paul McCartney’s voice! It gave out in the middle of the song.
 
           “If I trust in you/oh please/ don’t run and hide
         &nbs p;  If I love you too/oh please/don’t hurt my pride
         &nbs p;  Like her/ cuz I couldn’t stand the pain
         &nbs p;  And I/would be sad if I knew love/
         &nbs p;  Was in Va-(Paul’s voice gives out on the word “vain”)”

    &nb sp;       So the story goes, they re-recorded it for the album version, released after the film. The original version, however, is still in the movie! It was never changed. And I can always tell which version is which, and I bet Sir Paul also can tell so himself.