Comments on: An unlikely Rumor refuted: George Younce and “Yesterday”

By: Sony

Sony — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 12:05:05 +0000

On The Cathedrals’ Reunion video, George Amon Webster said that when he joined the Cathedrals, George Younce was just finishing the song and they first sang it shortly thereafter.

By: Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 01:21:06 +0000

The publishing company would use BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC to administer certain rights (i.e., radio airplay). Other rights, such as mechanical licenses, they would typically handle themselves.

I’ve sees “Beasley & Barker Publishing” listed on older records that have the song. I’m assuming that Les either changed the company name or else transferred the rights to a company he wholly owned.

By: QN

QN — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 01:19:00 +0000

My copy of the “Oh, Happy Day” Cathedral LP actually list Beasley & Barker Publishing.
Is that Publishing company with BMI, ASCAP, or some other agency?

By: Daniel J. Mount

Daniel J. Mount — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:35:13 +0000

The Weatherfords did it in the 1970s, with Lily and Earl, Danny Larson, and bass Fulton Nash.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:30:18 +0000

I heard that the Weatherford Qt. recorded “Yesterday”. Am I correct to assume that they did it when George was with them?
As I understand, he was with the Weatherfords, then The Flordia Boys, then Blue Ridge, then finally The Cathedrals. If that’s the case, then George couldn’t have written it during his tenure with The Florida Boys if The Weatherfords cut it with him.
If I’m wrong, somebody correct me.

By: John

John — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:31:31 +0000

While I highly doubt the validity of the assumption that George wrote “Yesterday” while with the Florida Boys (he was only there for a few weeks, and the song didn’t see the light of day for nearly a decade afterwards), I think George did his finest songwriting in his collaborations with Kenny Gates during his tenure with the Blue Ridge Quartet.

“No Disappointments in Heaven” is a classic quartet song and one of my favorites. Those gentlemen also wrote many other fine songs.

Although someone may have accused George of purchasing (or “borrowing) lyrics, I understand that George also was the victim of such a scheme.