Beatles Week – Beatles Cake @tao-talk.com

Welcome to Beatles Week and we will kick it off in style with this article covering all of the Beatles. So buckle up… We will have over a week with The Beatles. I probably wouldn’t do this with another band…but hey…It’s The Beatles. 

This entry is by Lisa from Tao-Talk. I’ve known Lisa since 2018 and the biggest George Harrison fan I’ve ever met. She is a wonderful writer with a wide knowledge of music. Lisa is a mother, grandmother, gardener, retired government worker, observer, reader, writer, cinema lover, learner, bicyclist, woman who runs with the wolves, and last but not least, a lover of music! Go visit Lisa when you can!

To me, being asked to write about The Beatles is like being asked to write about the air or the sky or water.  They are like elements of nature, so immersing and vast it is difficult to grab on to a small enough aspect to be able to articulate it in words.

Ever since Max asked me to be a part of this series it’s been clear I want the topic to be balanced between all four of them because it is all four of them mixed together like essential ingredients in a prize-winning recipe that the magic happens.

Right now I’m thinking of a delicious cake and what ingredient each of the guys would be.  Paul would for sure be the sugar.  Who else looks as dreamy as he does.  As a young girl his puppy dog eyes and chubby cheeks and innocent smile won me over.  It is his soulful melodies with Cupid’s lyrics that continue to win me over.  “She’s Leaving Home” plucks my heart strings every time.

The flour for the cake would be Ringo.  There cannot be cake without flour.  It is the foundation.  Ringo’s steady drumming gave the other three the freedom to create whatever they wanted.  They knew Ringo would have their back with the beats, and he stepped in with grace when it was time to sing, acting naturally.

John would be the salt in the cake.  His salty comments to the media come to mind.  His bold publicity stunts to call attention to important matters come to mind.  The depth of his feelings shines through in his leavening lyrics.  For example, “In My Life.”  When I think of John I think of The Bible verse Matthew 5:13:  You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  I think if any of the other three weren’t there, The Beatles would still have existed and they would have been good, but without John there would not have been the essential savor. Without John there would have been no Beatles.

Most everyone knows that George is my favorite Beatle, so you may be wondering by now what part of the cake he is.  Easy answer would be the cherry on top, but I’m not going for the easy answer.  George would be the spice in the cake, as you see, this is a spice cake.  I think of India when I think spices, and George brought an Indian influence to the group.  Also spices are subtle, and with George’s contribution, the flavor of his music and lyrics are both subtle and lasting.  One of the last ones he wrote for Patti has got to haunt her just a little.

When you mix their ingredients together with other carefully selected musicians, instruments, and producers in the right proportions and cook for just the right amount of time, you come out with the perfect cake. Add a secret ingredient for the icing and you’ve got a cake whose taste stays fresh in your memory forever.

Just like there is no view without a viewer, there is no taste without the Apple Scruffs.  Each fan of The Beatles and Their Music effectively immortalizes them and it.  I’m happy to be part of that group of individuals.  I also hope that once we’re in the afterlife, the party continues with John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

Thank you, Max, for asking me to be a part of this writing challenge.  Can’t wait to hear what others will write.

This essay first appeared on Max’ blog, PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture .

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

57 thoughts on “Beatles Week – Beatles Cake @tao-talk.com”

  4. Great image! As someone who can’t pick a favorite anything, I appreciate that you recognize that it is the combination of the four that made The Beatles (as each of their post-Beatles careers proved). They balance each other and reel in each other’s excesses for a whole greater than the sum of its parts – even though the parts are pretty tasty.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Thanks much, halffast! (If I knew your first name I’d use that instead of halffast!) Yes it’s like the ancients who sought to alchemize gold (and may still be trying.) With the boys, they achieved it.

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  5. Very good piece Lisa! I’d never have thought of them in that way but it’s apt and, of course, like most desserts or meals, the finished whole was more than the sum of the parts. Would George Martin have been the chef in your analogy?

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    1. Thanks so much, Dave! Glad you enjoyed the writing. I think that the chef is a few pay grades higher than George Martin. I didn’t mention George or Brian or Billy or Stuart by name but they fall into “other ingredients.”

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  7. Pingback: One Tasty Cake — The Beatles Forever – Tao Talk

  8. Well writ Lisa- trust you to rise to the occasion. I think if you are a music fan and you can’t find something the Beatles brought to the table that’s a perfect treat, perhaps you show a certain lack of taste? (I’ve known of only two people who don’t simply dislike but hate the Beatles, and they proved to be soulless empty vessels in the end.)

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      2. LOL… well I had to see… sure enough… Hokey pokey is a flavour of ice cream in New Zealand, consisting of plain vanilla ice cream with small, solid lumps of honeycomb toffee.

        Liked by 2 people

  11. I guess when you get to post the 33rd comment, it’s tough to come up with an original. I think the picture you painted of The Beatles as a delicious cake is a great way to communicate that the sum was clearly more than the parts. I enjoyed reading it.

    From the songs you highlighted my favorite would be “In My Life”, a tune I’ve always loved and would consider as one of John’s highlights. That said, I picked a different tune. The beauty is there are so many great Beatles songs. It’s nearly impossible to pick just one. It’s also a nice problem to have! 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

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  13. Great post. Sorry I missed this when it was originally posted. Great spin on using the fab 4 as baking products as I’m sure the four or em were baked at times themselves. lol
    Awesome stuff Lisa…

    Liked by 1 person

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