Help!

Help! is the title of a 1965 film starring The Beatles and also featuring Leo McKern. It is also the soundtrack album from the film, as well as the title song from that album. The album cover features the group spelling out a word in semaphore; the British Parlophone release featured the word 'NUJV', whilst the slightly re-arranged US release on Capitol Records appeared to feature the word 'NVUJ'.

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Produced by George Martin for EMI Records, the album (in its original British form) contains seven songs that appeared in the movie and seven that did not, including one of the most successful songs in history, the archetypal Paul McCartney ballad "Yesterday".

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Even without the presence of the legendary "Yesterday", many critics consider the album Help! worthy of high praise. The album shows The Beatles, but mainly John Lennon, under the influence of Bob Dylan and folk music. The title track reveals Lennon's confusion and cynicism hidden under a maze of rhythms; "It's Only Love" features another tugging vocal by Lennon.

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McCartney adds "Yesterday" as well as "Another Girl", a fast moving congo beat pop song; "The Night Before", a standard rock & roll song, and "I've Just Seen A Face", a rollicking Dylanesque folk song often overlooked by Beatle fans.

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George Harrison contributes the low-key "I Need You" and the headstrong "You Like Me Too Much".

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This album seems to be the turning point for the Beatles, coming off of Beatlemania and entering a more focused stage. A year after this album was released, the Beatles played their last live concert, in San Francisco's Candlestick Park, in order to spend more time in the studio.

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The film's original working title was "Eight Arms to Hold You". The plot of the movie revolves around a sacrificial ring which Ringo cannot take off.

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The Beatles said that the film was inspired by the Marx Brothers classic Duck Soup.

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The song "Help!" has also been covered by Deep Purple, The Carpenters, Bananarama and The Damned.

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1965: 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar)....

The Beatles: The Beatles were a British pop and rock group from Liverpool. They are widely regarded as the most important pop group of all time, having achieved broad popular success, critical acclaim and cultural influence. The group shattered many sales records and charted more than 50 top 40 hit singles, incl...

Leo McKern: Reginald Leo McKern (March 16, 1920–July 23, 2002), better known simply as Leo McKern, was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British television programmes, movies and in over 200 stage roles. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1983....

Help! related Images and Photos (experimental)

Help! 1965	Heaven Help Us (DVD)	Help Stop This	Help on the Way
The Beatles: Help!	The Beatles Help Help Junior T-Shirt	The Beatles Help Mug	Sverre Seeks Help
Women! Help America's Sons Win the War c.1917	Help Poor Children. Buy the Red Egg on March 28	Help Your Country! Enlist in the Navy c.1917	Libya: Help Them Finish the Job