Putting On The Style
From BeatlesWiki
Putting On The Style is a song by Norman Cazden and George P. Wright. A copyright date cannot be found, but it is circa the late 19th century. It was notably released by the following groups/people:
Vernon Dalhart - 1926
Rod McKuen - 1956
Lonnie Donegan - 1957
Vipers Skiffle Group - 1957
Chad Mitchell Trio - 1961
Travellers 3 - 1963
Faraway Folk - 1970
The Fleadh Cowboys - 1997
The Beatles were arguably most familiar with the Lonnie Donnegan "skiffle" version. His version was released on June 6th, 1957. It spent 2 weeks at #1 and 19 weeks on the charts. The b-side was "Gamblin' Man".
Lyrics to the Lonnie Donnegan Version
Sweet sixteen goes to church
Just to see the boys
Laughs and screams and giggles
At every little noise
Turns her face a little
And turns her head awhile
But everybody knows she's
Only putting on the style
She's putting on the agony
Putting on the style
That's what all the young folks
Are doing all the while
And as I look around me
I sometimes have to smile
Seeing all the young folks
Putting on the style
Well the young man in the hot rod car
Driving like he's mad
With a pair of yellow gloves
He's borrowed from his dad
He makes it roar so lively
Just to make his girlfriend smile
But she knows he's only
Putting on the style
He's putting on the agony
Putting on the style
That's what all the young folks
Are doing all the while
And as I look around me
I sometimes have to smile
Seeing all the young folks
Putting on the style
Preacher in the pulpit
Roars with all his might
Sing Glory Halleluja
Puts the folks all in a fright
Now you might think it's satan
That's a-coming down the aisle
But it's only our poor preacher boys
That's putting on his style
Putting on the agony
Putting on the style
That's what all the young folks
Are doing all the while
And as I look around me
I sometimes have to smile
Seeing all the young folks
Putting on the style
Relation to Beatles History
It relates to Beatle history as it was included in a set by the Quarry Men at the summer fete of St. Peter's Parish Church in Woolton. The date of the performance was Saturday, July 6, 1957. A recorded snippet of this song was included on a reel-to-reel tape which went up for auction at Sotheby's on September 15, 1994. The tape also featured the Quarry Men playing "Baby Let's Play House". It went for £78,500, making it the most expensive recording ever to be sold at auction. EMI was the highest bidder. The high cost of the auction was due to the fact that this is the earliest known recording by any member of The Beatles. Also, it is historically significant in the fact that a young Paul McCartney was in attendance and met John Lennon that day.
The tape was recorded by Bob Molyneux on a "portable" Grundig tape recorder. Listening to the recordings, Molyneux stated, "They still give me goose pimples after 37 years" (Reuters, Sept. 15, 1994). The sound quality is poor, as the tape is loaded with hiss and ambient noise. Allan Kozinn (of the New York Times) has confirmed the sound quality of the recordings, calling them "appalling". Still, one can clearly hear the unmistakable voice of Lennon on the recordings.
"Putting On The Style" was considered for release and/or use in the Anthology project. Bob Smeaton, producer of the Anthology TV series and videos, was quoted in an interview, saying, "If you listen to [the tape], it sounds OK on a cassette machine, but it wasn't really up to scratch to include in the TV programme. I would have, but it wasn't my decision. Yoko owns it (sic), and I think she wants to use it in the future on one of her John Lennon projects. The longer you hold on to something, the greater its value becomes." (Record Collector, Dec '95, p.26).
While never officially released, the brief snippet of "Putting On The Style" has been bootlegged many times.
