When The Beatles emerged in the 1960s, they took the world by storm, instantly drawing in thousands of fans and creating a phenomenon known as Beatlemania. From their matching suits and mop-tops to their romance-themed songs inspired by rhythm and blues and early rock and roll, The Beatles did something completely new and exciting.
Soon, they became symbols of post-war progression and cultural development, and their music quickly advanced to include non-Western influences, unconventional production techniques, and impressive lyricism. With albums such as Rubber Soul, Revolver and The White Album, The Beatles helped to innovate genres such as metal, psychedelic rock and hard rock, making them the most influential band of all time.
The band were massive in the United States as well as their native England, becoming key figures in the ‘British Invasion’. Alongside artists such as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, British bands dominated American airwaves, inspiring many budding musicians.
One of these was Harry Nilsson, who became particularly successful in the 1970s with albums such as Nilsson Schmilsson. The musician began writing songs for other artists in the early 1960s, working with Phil Spector on a few tracks. However, he released his first album as a singer in 1966 – Spotlight on Nilsson.
It didn’t take Nilsson long to demonstrate his innovative skills, creating what is widely considered the first real mash-up in 1967 with ‘You Can’t Do That’, based on The Beatles’ song of the same name. The original was the B-side to ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, released in 1964.
Instead of copying the song word for word with similar instrumentals, he slowed it down and amended the lyrics in appreciation for the band’s beloved body of work. By using lyrical references to songs such as ‘Good Day Sunshine’, ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ and ‘Day Tripper’, Nilsson’s song is quite simply a loving celebration of the Fab Four. Luckily, his admiration was requited – The Beatles even named Nilsson as their favourite American artist.
The musician once shared the idea in an interview with Mojo Magazine. “One time I was just toying with my guitar. I struck this chord and it seemed to lend itself to a million different songs. I noticed how many Beatles songs could be played on this one chord, so I run down to Wallach’s Music City on Sunset, at about midnight, just before it closed, bought the Beatle songbook, and finished the song that night.”
Eighteen of The Beatles’ songs weave their way into his version of ‘You Can’t Do That’, which was featured on Pandemonium Shadow Show, released in 1967. A few years later, the musician would also create the first remix album, something that, like mashups, is also incredibly commonplace today.
