The Beatles often incorporated other genres of music into their work, including the blues and folk music. Songs like “Yer Blues” show the band’s interest in experimenting with different sounds to create a versatile catalog. Paul McCartney said that one Beatles song was inspired by Motown and a Motown bass player who he had tremendous respect for.
Motown became successful around the same time as The Beatles
Motown is a record label that was founded in 1958 by Berry Gordy, Jr. in Detroit. The label found tremendous success in the 1960s through primarily African American artists who produced soul and blues music with mainstream appeal. Many of the artists who propelled Motown in the 1960s included Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder.
While The Beatles dominated the U.K. before becoming popular in the U.S., Motown was topping the charts in the U.S. Since its inception, Motown has incorporated many genres, including rock, hip-hop/rap, R&B, and country. The label was absorbed into Universal Music Group in 1998 and was relaunched in 2011.
Paul McCartney says ‘You Won’t See Me’ is ‘Motown-flavored’
In 1997’s Many Years from Now by Barry Miles, Paul McCartney discussed how he made “You Won’t See Me” from The Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul. McCartney shared how he constructed the track, which he wrote about his long-distance relationship with actor Jane Asher.
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“This was written around two little notes, a very slim phrase, a two-note progression that I had very high on the first two strings of the guitar: the E and the B strings,” McCartney shared. “I had it high up on the high E position, and I just let the note on the B string descend a semitone at a time, and kept the top note the same, and against that I was playing a descending chromatic scale. Then I wrote the tune for ‘You Won’t See Me’ against it.”
McCartney also said that “You Won’t See Me” was heavily influenced by Motown, especially by bassist James Jamerson. Jamerson played bass on many of Motown’s biggest hits, and the “Let it Be” singer admired his work.
“To me, it was very Motown-flavoured,” McCartney added. “It’s got a James Jamerson feel. He was the Motown bass player, he was fabulous, the guy who did all those great melodic bass lines. It was him, me and Brian Wilson who were doing melodic bass lines at that time, all from completely different angles, LA, Detroit and London, all picking up on what each other did.”
The Beatles covered many Motown songs
Paul McCartney wasn’t the only Beatles member who was a fan of Motown songs. The band covered many Motown hits, including “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes, “Money (That’s What I Want)” by Barrett Strong, and “You Really Got a Hold on Me” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. The Beatles were also covered by Motown artists, including Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, so the respect for one another’s music was mutual.
