Tune Tag #139 with Stephen Huppert of Daily Groove: Beatles, Van Morrison, Sabrina Carpenter & Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin, Manhattan Transfer, Peter Allen
Not unlike Donny & Marie, we're a little bit country, and a little bit rock'n'roll on this! One of the above is currently a fellow Substackian! We love you, Dolly! Gosh, I hope I didn't give it away!
Welcome to Tune Tag, Stephen Huppert of The Daily Groove!
Plato said that “music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” This message resonated with me during our COVID lockdown. So, in April 2020, I started sharing a daily dose of music history on Facebook and later to some WhatsApp groups.—Stephen, Australia
Last week, Ian Paul Sharp of LP: Inside the Album dropped by for his 3rd Tune Tag, and we had a rippin’ good time!
Next week, we’ll welcome David Baldwin Rocking the Climb Climbing the Rock for his debut Tune Tag! We love newbies!
Stephen’s song #1 sent to Brad: The Beatles, “Please Please Me,” 1963
Stephen’s rationale: You can see from The Daily Groove that I cover most genres and countries. However, I keep coming back to The Beatles as one of the most important music makers. “Please Please Me” is a good starting point for Tune Tag.
The Beatles have always been important to me. They were the first step on my lifelong music obsession. A friend gave me A Collection of Beatles Oldies (above) for my 13th birthday and I was hooked. Around that time, I started actively buying music, and The Beatles became a key focus: official releases, bootlegs, anything I could find.
As I worked my way back through their early singles, “Please Please Me” stood out—and not just because it was released on my second birthday! It’s such a perfectly constructed pop tune: tight harmonies, driving beat, and that brilliant harmonica from John.
One of the things that blows me away is that the Fab Four were aged between 20 and 23 when they created this amazing piece of music. After hearing the finished track, producer George Martin reportedly said, “You’ve just made your first number one!”
Beyond being a massive fan of their music, I’m also a collector of Beatles memorabilia, which you can see in this video interview from last year:
A picture of the single is the publication logo for my music Substack, The Daily Groove. Every day, I share a moment in music history.
Brad’s song #1 sent to Stephen: Sabrina Carpenter & Dolly Parton, “Please Please Please,” 2024
 | A guest post by
|