Silver Laughter Does The Beatles Song “Taxman”

Silver Laughter 1978 - Mick, Jon, Paul and Ken

Silver Laughter 1978 – Mick, Jon, Paul and Ken

“Taxman”

In June of 1978 we were playing our Beatles Tribute at the Ranch and Co. in Port Byron, IL. Most of the songs we chose for the tributes were Lennon and McCartney originals, but occasionally a George Harrison tune made its way into the presentation. The lead-in was Ringo talking from one of the Christmas records the boys sent out to their fan club every year. So we had just changed back from our piano selections.

Ken sings lead on this one and plays the exceptional lead guitar part which, I learned from the Geoff Emerick book, “Here, There and Everywhere”, was played by Paul McCartney when George Harrison failed to get it down after many takes.

In the book I also learned that on some of the piano and guitar parts, the tape was slowed down so they could be more easily played. This means what we did live was not able to be done by the Beatles themselves! So you tribute bands out there take refuge in that fact that some of what you are doing live the Fab Four had to do in the studio at slower speeds!

The photo is another of the 1978 Rock Island set taken in late October of that year which consists of the members who played on this musical selection.

Mick Orton

 



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