I'll Make A Point Of Taking Her Away From You

The sixth song from the album soundtrack of the Beatles second feature film is another original Lennon/McCartney tune mainly written by John entitled: "You're Going To Lose That Girl". It's a call and response type of song which features John on vocal backed by Paul and George. In the movie, you can see the Beatles mime to this tune while being in a mock recording studio. It's one of my favourite scenes in the movie.

There were two takes of the backing for the song recorded on Friday February 19 1965 @ EMI Studio two. The first take was a breakdown and the second take was complete and chosen for the commercial release. Paul added piano and Ringo added bongos to complete the session for this day.

The next day on Saturday February 20 1965, "You're Going To Lose That Girl" was mixed for mono from the control room of studio two. Three days later, on February 23 1965, the song was mixed for stereo once again from the control room of studio two. Finally, there was another attempt to mix the song for stereo on Friday April 02 1965 from the control room of studio two but this mix was never used. At least that's the official story: in the 1980s, there was another mix circulating that does not include the overdubbed piano and bongos and has a completed different guitar solo from George. Although the February 19 1965 session clearly tells us that the backing track was completed, either the guitar solo was overdubbed at this session and/or it was later overdubbed or maybe just an attempt to improve the performance. It must also be noted that the 80s mix does not include the piano and bongos so the exact order of the overdubs is in question. Regardless, the commercial version is the one which includes the overdubs of piano and bongos.

"You're Going To Lose That Girl" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Help!" as well as the North American Capitol version of the LP/CD "Help!". The song is also featured on the 2-LP EMI/Capitol compilation "Love Songs".

The song was never performed live.

For I Have Got

The fifth song from the fifth Parlophone UK LP/CD "Help!" is an original Lennon/McCartney tune mainly written by Paul entitled "Another Girl". This bouncy number is featured in the film while the Beatles are located in the Bahamas and they mime to this song while being surrounded by scantily clad 60s looking young females in bikinis. The miming is also interesting because it shows some of the Beatles playing their own instruments, sometimes playing the other instruments (George playing the Hofner Bass, etc.) or using the girls as instruments ( Don't ask, you have to see it to understand).

"Another Girl" was started on Monday February 15 1965 at EMI studio two and the backing track was recorded in one take. There were guitar flourishes attempted by George as an edit piece and ten of the edit pieces were recorded with the seventh attempt being deemed as the best try. The idea for the guitar flourishes was eventually scrapped.

The next day on Tuesday February 16 1965, "Another Girl" was improved when Paul added some lead guitar work while John Lennon added some acoustic guitar and George Harrison added some electric rythm guitar.

"Another Girl" was mixed for mono two days later on February 18 1965 from the control room of studio two. The stereo mix was finalized five days later on February 23 1965 also from the control room of studio two. This (once again) is an example of how quickly the Beatles worked in the studio during this period. The song was fully recorded in only two days and then mixed for mono and stereo within a little more than a week from conception. Amazing !!

It must be stressed at this point that most of the "Help!" LP was later re-mixed for stereo by George Martin and company for the release of the original CDs in 1987. On this particular track, there is slightly more reverb added to the track when you compare the original stereo mix of 1965 and the later mix in 1987. You can hear the original mix on the LP , of course, but it is now also available as part of the remastered mono collection as bonus tracks from this particular CD where you get the album in mono and the original stereo mixes all on one CD !! Cool!!

"Another Girl" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Help!" as well as the North American Capitol soundtrack LP/CD "Help!".

"Another Girl" was never performed live.

Please Remember How I Feel About You

The next song on the fifth Parlophone UK LP/CD is an original George Harrison tune entitled "I Need You". This was inspired by his then girlfriend, Pattie Boyd. The scene from the film "Help!" in which the song is played is also from Salisbury Field near Stonehenge. The Beatles are surrounded by the English Army for "protection" from the evil villains.

The first recording for the song took place at EMI in studio two and the session took place on Monday February 15 1965 with the Beatles playing five takes of the basic track. The song was left in this state until the next day Tuesday February 16 1965 when cowbell percussion and George's electric guitar (featuring a volume/tone pedal) were overdubbed. George Harrison also added his double-tracked vocals at this stage. John and Paul added backing vocals as well.

"I Need You" was mixed for mono later on the same week - Thursday February 18 1965 in fact from the control room of studio two. Finally, "I Need You" was mixed for stereo on February 23 1965 also from the control room of studio two. Finally, "I Need You" was the second George Harrison composition to appear on a Beatles Parlophone LP. There would be another featured later on the same LP which will be discussed in a later post.

"I Need You" appears on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Help!" as well as the North American Capitol version of the LP/CD "Help!". The song also appeard on the EMI/Capitol 2-LP compilation "Love Songs".

"I Need You" was never performed live apart from the miming of the tune for the film.

Here I Stand, Head In Hand

The next song on the fifth Parlophone UK LP "Help!" soundtrack is an original Lennon/McCartney tune mainly written by John entitled "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". This song is a mainly acoustic number and is prominently influenced by the work of Bob Dylan which Lennon (and Harrison) were listening to a lot during this period. There is a scene in the film where Lennon is miming to the song and playing a Framus 12 string "Hootananny"guitar. There is a small flute solo at the end of the song and it has the distinction of using one of the first outside musicians (besides the Beatles and George Martin) to play on an EMI Beatles recording (with the exception of drummer Andy White). The song is in three-quarter time - like a waltz.

"You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" was recorded on Thursday February 18 1965 at EMI studio two. The song took nine takes to complete. Take one ( a breakdown ) and take five complete are available on the Apple 3-LP, 2-CD "Anthology 2". Two flutes were overdubbed, alto and tenor. "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" was mixed for mono on February 20 1965 from the control room of studio two and mixed for stereo three days later February 23 1965 also from the control room of studio two.

"You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Help!" as well as the North American Capitol version LP/CD "Help!". It is also featured on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles 1962-1966" compilation and the EMI/Capitol 2-LP: "Love Songs" and can be heard on the EMI/Capitol LP "Reel Music" and lastly it appears on the Parlophone/EMI LP "The Beatles Ballads".

The song was never performed live.

Last Night Is The Night That I'll Remember You By

Since we've already looked at the title track from the fifth Parlophone UK LP and soundtrack to the second movie "Help!" in a previous post, let's look at the rest of the songs on the LP.

The next song which is the second tune on side one and second selection from the UK "Help!" LP/CD is an original Lennon/McCartney composition mainly written by Paul entitled "The Night Before".

This song is played in the movie while the Beatles are surrounded by English Military Men and tanks out in the Salisbury Plains field. A great tune, a nice rocker and a wonderful McCartney vocal. An exciting tune and it's a favourite of mine.

"The Night Before" was recorded on Wednesday February 17 1965 at EMI studio two. There were two basic takes and on this song John Lennon plays the electric piano. Paul's vocals are double tracked and the backing vocals are by John and George. The guitar solo is played in octaves simultaneously by George and Paul.

The next day, on Thursday February 18 1965, "The Night Before" was mixed for mono from the control rooom of Studio Two. The song was mixed for stereo on Tuesday February 23 1965 also from the control room of Studio two. There was also another stereo mix done on Sunday April 18 1965 which was taken away by United Artists, but never used nor released. I find it odd that United Artists would use stereo for the soundtrack in those days as most of the Beatles films used mono soundtracks in the 1960s.

"The Night Before" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Help!" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Help!". The song is also featured on the EMI/Capitol double LP "Rock And Roll Music".

Incredibly, a scorching version of "The Night Before" was performed for BBC radio on the program "The Beatles Invite You to Take a Ticket To Ride". The airing of the performance took place two months before the release of the album!

HELP!

The fifth Parlophone UK LP was entitled "HELP!". This LP contained songs from the Beatles second motion picture of the same name was well as various other songs recorded during the sessions. As with the previous soundtrack for the first film "A Hard Day's Night", this LP featured the songs from the film on side one and the others on side two. The LP was released on Friday August 06 1965 in both mono (PMC 1255) and stereo (PCS 3071).

The front cover of the album was taken by Robert Freeman. It features the Beatles spelling out sophomore letters although in reality the letters spell out N-U-J-V rather than H-E-L-P. The back cover features four solitary photographs of the Beatles along with the track listing and author's credits along with information pertaining to the singer(s) of the song.

In North America, it was the seventh Capitol LP release (omitting the United Artist "A Hard Day's Night" LP and "The Beatles Story" documentary 2-LP). The release date was August 13 1965. This version is a true soundtrack to the film as it contains only the seven film songs along with five instrumentals by the Ken Thorne Orchestra as performed in the film. This version was also released in mono (MAS-2386) and stereo (SMAS-2386). A couple of interesting notes: the North American Capitol mono version of the "HELP!" LP does not contain the true mono mixes like the UK version does. It simply contained the "folded down" stereo mixes. Secondly, there is a very short intro in the "James Bond" style performed by the Ken Thorne Orchestra preceeding the title track on all North American versions of the "HELP!" LP that is not present on the UK version.The front cover featured the Beatles once again but re-positioned in order to have George, Ringo, John and Paul in that order rather than the UK George, John, Paul and Ringo. This was done in order to show Paul on the extreme right pointing to the Capitol logo on the right side of the front cover. The "HELP!" logo is also different and very large as compared to the UK version. Also, the song title are on the front cover underneath in blue. The North American version boasts a gatefold cover with various photos from the movie and the back cover features a still with the track listing, movie credits and mini album jackets at the bottom in order to promote the Beatles catalogue up to this point.

Needless to say, the album sold millions around the world and had no problem attaining number one.

Man Buy Ring, Woman Throw It Away.

Well, you can't win em all...haha. The next goody was originally intended as strictly a B-side to the "Help!" single. This was the second time in 1965 that the Beatles recorded a tune for the express purpose of having a B-side for thier 45 single. The first one being "Yes It Is". In contrast, this original Lennon/McCartney composition mainly written by Paul was entitled "I'm Down".

"I'm Down" was written in the Little Richard style. A great Rock and Roll number screamed by Paul with a great guitar solo by George and electric organ by John. A rocking little number that has remained one of my favourites over the year. This just goes to show you that although Paul McCartney had always been tagged with the "ballad" writer of silly love songs, there were certainly great rockin' numbers to had by Mr. McCartney including this one.

"I'm Down" was recorded at EMI studio two on Monday June 14 1965 and it took seven takes to perfect. Overdubs for the song included bongos, some backing vocals and a bit of the organ solo and guitar solo dropped in. The song was then mixed for both mono and stereo on Friday June 18 1965 from the control room of studio two. The mono mix lasts a few seconds longer than the stereo mix. Also, there is a guitar leakage (from an earlier attempt?) that can be heard during the guitar solo on the stereo mix. Take one of the recording can be heard on the Apple 2-LP/3-CD "Anthology 2".

"I'm Down" was never released on an LP during the Beatles career. It was only released as a B-side of "Help!" in the UK (Parlophone R 5305) and in North America (Capitol 5476). It was first released on LP in 1976 on the EMI/Capitol 2-LP "Rock And Roll Music" and on the Parlophone UK LP "Rarities". It can also be found on the Apple/EMI/Capitol 2-LP "Past Masters Volume One and Two" and the Apple/EMI/Capitol CD "Past Masters Volume Two". On the remasters, it is on the Apple 2-CD "Mono Masters" and the remastered Apple 2-CD "Past Masters".

"I'm Down" was performed live during both the 1965 and the 1966 tours ; usually ending the set. A performance can be viewed on the September 1965 "Ed Sullivan Show" as well as the Shea Stadium television special and bootlegs. A version with Beatles footage can be viewed on Paul McCartney Hear music DVD "Good Evening, New York City".

"I'm Down" was not performed for BBC radio.

Help Me Get My Feet Back On The Ground

The next Beatles release was another single (the second of 1965 in the UK) which heralded the second motion picture released by United Artists featuring the Beatles. The title track, of course was "Help!". This is an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by John and having a tremendous significance for Lennon as witnessed in interviews during his short life. Lennon was feeling tremendously insecure at this time, and this is his first "message" song. The original title for the second Beatles motion picture had been "Eight Arms to Hold You" and it was this title which appeared in print on the previous single's label. Once the song "Help!" was written , the title of the film was changed. The single was another number one basically all over the world. The single was released on July 23 1965.

"Help!" was recorded at EMI Studio Two on Tuesday April 13 1965. The song took 12 takes to complete with the following instrumentation: bass and drums , Lennon's acoustic guitar and Harrison's electric guitar. The vocals and the decending electric guitar riff were overdubbed.

Five days later, on April 18 1965, three mixes of "Help!" and one stereo mix of "Help!" were completed in room 65 at EMI studios and these mixes were taken away by United Artists (but they were never used). The song was once again mixed in mono and stereo on June 18 1965 from the control room of EMI Studios. The mono mix used for the single and the mono UK LP had a slightly different vocal recorded during the dialogue overdubs for the film. There is no tambourine present on the mono recording. The stereo mix uses the original vocals from April 13 1965 with the tambourine added. This version is also on the North American version of both formats due to the fact that the US mono LP is simply fold-down stereo.

"Help!" is available on the single (Parlophone UK R 5305 and Capitol 5476 [released July 19 1965]). It is also found on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Help!"; the North American Capitol LP/CD "Help!"; the Parlophone UK LP "A Collection of Beatles Oldies", the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles 1962-1966", the Capitol US version of the LP "The Beatles Rarities"; the EMI/Capitol LP "Reel Music", the EMI/ Capitol US and UK version of "20 Greatest Hits", the Apple 2-LP/CD "1" and the Apple 2-LP/CD "Love".

"Help!" was performed during the 1965 tour and two performances are available: the Blackpool,England performance is available on the Apple 3-LP/2-CD "Anthology 2" and the Hollywood, California, US performance is available on the EMI/Capitol LP "The Beatles Live At the Hollywood Bowl".

"Help!" was never performed for BBC radio.

Please Don't Wear Red Tonight

The next song for consideration ended up as the B side to the "Ticket To Ride" single. It was an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by John and was in the style of the three part harmony type "This Boy" in it's execution. The song in question is entitled "Yes It Is" and is a very nice with somewhat bizarre (to my ears) harmony between John,Paul and George. "Yes It Is" would not feature in the Beatles' second motion picture nor would it be featured on the upcoming LP. It was strictly designated (at that time) as a B side only.

"Yes It Is" was recorded on Tuesday February 16 1965 and it took approximately five hours from start to finish. The Beatles recorded fourteen takes of the basic track and the vocals alone took almost three hours to complete. Of course, this was a long time for the Beatles to complete a song compared to previous efforts. Today...well, this is laughable. Nowadays it takes almost a week just to get a drum sound...hahaha. The song was recorded at EMI Studio Two. Takes one and two of "Yes It Is" can be heard on the vinyl version of one in a series for the "Ultra Rare Trax" project (LP, vol. 3/4) and take 14 pre-mega vocals can be heard on one in a series for the "Unsurpassed Masters" project (CD, vol. 07). An edit of takes 2 in mono and 14 in stereo (commercial version) can be heard on the Apple 2-CD/ 3-LP "Anthology 2".

"Yes It Is" was mixed for mono on February 18 1965 from the control room of studio two. Finally the stereo mix (which ended up being a very rare mix for over two decades) was completed once again from the control room of studio two on February 23 1965.

"Yes It Is" is available on the Parlophone UK single R 5265 (mono); it also appeard on the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles VI" (the stereo version is actually duophonic), the EMI/Capitol 2-LP compilation "Love Songs", the Apple 2-LP "Past Masters Volume 1 and 3" and the Apple CD "Past Masters Volume 1"; finally, it appears on the Apple remasters collection "Mono Masters" as well as the remastered re-issue of "Past Masters".

"Yes It Is" was never performed live nor was it performed for BBC radio.

She Oughta Think Right, She Oughta Do Right, By Me.

There was almost three months between the "Beatles For Sale" sessions and the new year sessions which would once again yield two LPs and three singles as well as another film (this time in colour!). The Beatles would finish their second and last Christmas show season and start anew with recordings slated for February.

It was decided that the Beatles would start filming a second motion picture which was untitled at the time. In the meanwhile, a new song was started which would become their next single. The song was an original Lennon/McCartney tune entitled "Ticket To Ride". This was mainly a John Lennon song and Lennon has said in interviews that this was the very first "heavy metal" song recorded. It is a very slow bluesy type number with the emphasis on the guitars so in a sense he was right. It was the heaviest and most progressive song that the Beatles had attempted thus far.

There was also a change in which the Beatles were now recording. Rather than having a "live" feel for every song, there was a concentrated effort to try and perfect a "basic rhythm" bed track and to overdub from this recording foundation. This means that most of the songs recorded from now on may have had less proper takes, but more care being made for the overdubs.

The first session of the new year was held on Monday February 15 1965 at EMI studio two. "Ticket To Ride" was completed in two takes with drums and bass one track one, George Harrison 12 string guitars on track two, the lead vocal (John) and harmony (Paul) on track three and the tambourine, extra guitar and solo (played by Paul) and hand claps as well as a second Lennon vocal (for the choruses) on track four. Paul McCartney played the bass and also the lead guitar part of this song. The exceptional drum pattern played by Ringo was supposedly suggested by Paul.

There are various mixes of "Ticket To Ride": The mono mix was completed from the control room of EMI studio two on February 18 1965. The stereo mix was completed from the control room of EMI studio two a few days later on February 23 1965. Another mono mix was done on Monday March 15 1965 especially for the film soundtrack from the control room of studio two. This March mix has more echo and less tambourine than it's counterpart. The raw studio tape of take 2 can be heard on the "Unsurpassed Masters" series. The original mono mix from the LP is slightly longer with a few words added compared to the CD single. The stereo mix from both the "Help!" LP soundtrack and the CD soundtrack are identical and both are longer than the mono mix.

"Ticket To Ride" was released as a single on April 09 1965 in the UK and April 19 1965 in the US on Capitol 5407. Interestingly, the single in North America described the song as "from the United Artists' release: "Eight Arms To Hold You". The label blurb was never changed even decades after the single was released and the motion picture title was announced as "Help!". Check your copy !! The North American copy of the single came with a nice picture sleeve. (shown above).

"Ticket To Ride" is available as a single but also on the Parlophone UK LP/CD soundtrack "Help!", the North American Capitol LP/CD "Help!", the Parlophone UK LP "A Collection of Beatles Oldies", the Apple 2-LP/2-CD compilation "The Beatles 1962-1966", the EMI/Capitol LP "Reel Music", the EMI/Capitol LP "20 Greatest Hits" and the Apple "hits" compilation 2-LP/1-CD "1".

"Ticket To Ride" was performed live for all of 1965 including the European tour, the North American tour (including Shea and the Ed Sullivan Tour) as well as the UK winter tour. The song can be heard on the EMI/Capitol LP "Live At the Hollywood Bowl" as well as the Shea soundtrack.

"Ticket To Ride" was performed once for BBC radio on the program: "The Beatles Invite You to Take A Ticket To Ride". A version of this performance can be heard on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "Live At the BBC".

A number one smash hit (AGAIN) !!!

Fifty Woman Knockin' On My Door

The last song on the fourth Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" is a cover version of another Carl Perkins original. This time it's George Harrison taking the lead vocal spot with the other Beatles (and George) playing their regular instruments. This was the second Carl Perkins cover on the LP, the first one being "Honey Don't" although Carl Perkins had been covered before by the Beatles on the "Long Tall Sally" EP as well as various performances on certain BBC radio shows. The song in question is entitled "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby".

This song was recorded on Sunday October 18 1964 at EMI studio two. This is another one take wonder for the LP (along with "Rock 'N' Roll Music" which was recorded on the same day and was recorded right after "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby" - two one take wonder in a row; nice ). There seems to be quite a lot of tape echo on George's voice for this song and you can hear some of the tape echo leakage on some of the other instruments as well. In those days, the Beatles did not wear headphones but were putting down vocals with a large monitor speaker on either the right or left of them while using a one directional microphone. The overdubs include tambourine and another George vocal.

"Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby" was mixed for mono three days later at EMI studio room 65 on October 21 1964. Finally, the tune was mixed for stereo on November 04 1964 from the control room of studio two. There is more echo added to the mono mix of "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby" than the stereo mix of the same title.

"Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65". It is also featured on the 2-LP EMI/Capitol compilation "Rock 'N' Roll Music".

The song was played live during the Beatles 1964/65 Christmas shows and also during the 1965 European and North American tours. There are live performances of the song available on the Lingasong 2-LP set "The Beatles Live At the Star Club" from 1962 as well as being featured on the Apple 3-LP/20-CD "Anthology 2" where a performance from August 15 1965 at Shea Stadium is heard. The song was also recorded on August 29 and August 30 from the Hollywood Bowl by Capitol records but it was not included on the commercial EMI/Capitol LP: "The Beatles Live at The Hollywood Bowl" (although it can be heard on the complete Hollywood Bowl concert tapes on bootleg).

"Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby" was performed four times for BBC radio although it was aired five times: Once on "Pop Go the Beatles" episode 1, the second time on "Saturday Club", the third time on "Top Gear" which was repeated on another episode of "Saturday Club" and finally it appeared once again on "The Beatles Invite You To Take A Ticket To Ride".

I've Been Waiting....Here For You.

The second last song on the fourth Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" is an original Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by Paul entitled "What You're Doing". This tune carries a nice little guitar riff by Harrison and a very cool drum pattern by Ringo. In my opinion, it's not the best tune on the LP, but it's very nice and well written and done (although there are mistakes with the back up emphasis on the first words of the verse).

The basic track for "What You're Doing" was first recorded on September 29 1964 in Studio two. Seven takes were attempted with these takes all being part of the rhythm tracks, take seven being deemed the best of the attempts. On the next day, September 30 1964 also in Studio two, the Beatles used this basic track and added overdubs over five more takes whereby the new best take was now take 11 (take 12 was not used). The song at this stage was scrapped and is available on the bootleg CD "Turn Me On, Dead Man".

The Beatles decided to re-make and re-record "What You're Doing" from scratch on October 26 1964 after a mixing session. The recording took place once again in Studio Two. Seven more takes were attempted and only three were actually complete performances. The takes started, strangely enough, with take 13 and ended with take 19 which was deemed the best and used for the commercial record. The next day on October 27 1964 from the control room of studio two, "What You're Doing" was mixed for mono and then mixed for stereo for inclusion on the album.

"What You're Doing" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles VI".

This song was never performed live nor was it ever performed for BBC radio.

Though Tonight She's Made Me Sad

A real gem and one of my favourites from the fourth Beatles Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" is an original Lennon/McCartney number entitled "I Don't Want to Spoil The Party". It's a country tinged type fast ballad written and sung mainly by John and has nice underlying harmonies. Also a very nice country influenced guitar solo by George. The lyrics and subject are a little bit dark which compliments some of the earlier original Lennon/McCartney tunes on this LP with other dark earlier numbers such as "No Reply", "I'm A Loser"and "Baby's In Black". "I Don't Want to Spoil The Party" was used as a B-side for some of the singles around the world and mainly for "Eight Days A Week". It's a very underrated song (in my opinion) and should be a classic. It's definitely one of the prettier and deserving tunes on the LP.

"I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" was recorded in 19 takes - only five of which were complete - on Tuesday September 29 1964 at EMI studio two. The overdubs include tambourine and some "ooo" backing vocals. Paul provided low harmonies in the verses and the higher harmony for the chorus.

"I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" was the first song mixed for mono on Monday October 26 1964 from the control room of studio two. Finally, the tune was mixed for stereo on Wednesday November 04 1964 also from the control room of studio two.

The song is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles VI".

Unfortunately, this title was never performed live and never recorded live for BBC radio.

There Is One Thing I'm Sure Of

The next song on the Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" is a Lennon/McCartney composition entitled "Every Little Thing". This was a collaboration between the two writers and the vocals are shared. It's a very nice calming type song and it hard to fit in any catagory. It's a very nice and well done recording including the use of timpani by Ringo and a nice strong piano solo (played by Paul) and guitar intro.

The song was first attempted at a Tuesday September 29 1964 session at EMI studio two with four takes recorded. The song was then left until the next session which took place the next day on Wednesday September 30 1964 when the overdubs were added to the basic track. The overdubs were also completed in Studio two.

The mixing session for both the mono and stereo mixes were both done on the same day: Tuesday October 27 1964 both from the control room of Studio two. The stereo mix has a slightly longer fade out.

"Every Little Thing" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD: "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles VI" and is also contained on the EMI/Capitol compilation 2-LP "Love Songs".

"Every Little Thing" was never performed live nor was it performed for the BBC.

Rock On George, One Time For Ringo

The next tune from the "Beatles For Sale" Parlophone UK LP is another cover version and was a vehicle for Ringo to sing. Ringo was featured on most (but not all) of the Beatles' LP with usually one or two songs to sing for the fans. On the first LP, the song was "Boys", on the second LP is was "I Wanna Be Your Man" and there were no Ringo songs for the third LP/ soundtrack to the first movie. But on the fourth LP, the song featured was originally written and performed by the late great Sun Records artist Carl Perkins. It was entitle "Honey Don't". This was the second time that Ringo had covered a Carl Perkins tune - the first being "Matchbox" from the "Long Tall Sally" EP.

"Honey Don't" was recorded on Monday October 26 1964 at EMI studio two in five takes. The tambourine was overdubbed. Personally, the tune sounds like a rush job for me as I swear the acoustic guitar that John plays is slightly out of tune by this point. Also, Ringo's voice doesn't really do it for me on this one. I always prefer the earlier Lennon sung version performed for BBC radio. John Lennon adds the "bop bop" vocals and it is played much better than the LP version. Just my thoughts, folks.

"Honey Don't" was mixed for mono and stereo on the same day: Tuesday October 27 1964 in the control room of studio two.

"Honey Don't" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65".

"Honey Don't" was performed four times for the BBC radio on "Pop Go the Beatles" episode 12, "From Us to You", "Top Gear" and "The Beatles Invite You to Take A Ticket To Ride". The ver first BBC performance (with the Lennon vocal) is available on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "Live At the BBC". The song was also performed during the 1964/65 Christmas shows and the European leg of the 1965 tour.

Tell Me Love Is Real

The second song on side two of the Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" (or the ninth song on the CD) is a cover version of a Buddy Holly written and performed tune entitled "Words Of Love". Beautiful harmony vocal figures from both John and Paul throughout with a nice continuous guitar riff from George Harrison. Crystal clear and great sounding all the way through. The Beatles were HUGE Buddy Holly fans and this is surprisingly the only Holly song covered commercially in their career although several other Holly/Cricket songs were performed during their Cavern/Hamburg period.

"Words Of Love" was recorded for the LP on Sunday October 18 1964 and was the last song to be recorded on this date. There were only three takes (two of which were complete) with the vocal overdub , some clapping and the guitar solo doubled. Since the Beatles were such professionals, nothing else was needed and the tune was then completed.

"Words Of Love" was mixed for mono eight days later on October 26 1964 in the control room of EMI studio two. Finally, the song was mixed for stereo on Wednesday November 04 1964 also in the control room of studio two. The mono mix lasts a few seconds longer than the stereo mix.

"Words Of Love" can be heard on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale", the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles VI" and the EMI/Capitol compilation 2-LP "Love Songs".

"Words Of Love" was performed once for the BBC on the episode number 10 of "Pop Go The Beatles"

Not Enough to Show I Care.

The first song on the second side of the vinyl version of the Parlophone LP "Beatles For Sale" is a biggie. An original Lennon/McCartney composition (which I suppose slightly leans towards being more of a Lennon song as he is the main vocalist on this one) entitled "Eight Days a Week". The idea was taken from a chauffeur that was taking Paul from London out to Weybridge where John lived. He was talking about how his schedule seemed like he was working eight days a week and the idea was taken from Paul to John and the song was written. "Eight Days A Week" was released as a single in the North American market but not in the UK (Capitol 5371).

"Eight Days A Week" was recorded in six takes on Tuesday October 06 1964 at EMI's studio two. This was one of the first times that the Beatles had the foresight to bring the song in and experiment with it a little. The intro was tried in various ways including have just a strumming acoustic guitar, using "oooo" vocals and finally settling in on the electric guitar fade in (although the actual fade in was done during the mixing stage). The various experiments for the intro of this song is featured on Apple's 3-LP/2-CD "Anthology 1" along with take five. The outro for the commercial version was actually an edit piece performed by The Beatles on October 18 1964 also in Studio two.

A mono mix for "Eight Days a Week" was conducted a few days earlier on October 12 1964 from the control room of Studio Two. This mix was not used as the edit piece had yet to be recorded. Therefore, the commercial mono mix was re-done - in fact, two more mono mixes and two stereo mixes were all conducted from the control room of Studio two on October 27 1964.

Apart from the North American Capitol single, "Eight Days a Week" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale", the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles VI", the Apple 2-LP/2-CD compilation "The Beatles 1962-1966", the North American Capitol version of the LP "20 Greatest Hits", the Apple 2-LP/CD "1".

"Eight Days A Week" was never performed live and did not appear on any BBC radio shows.

It's Just A 1,2,3,4....5,6,7,8..9.

The last song on side one of the Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" or the seventh song on the CD version is another cover tune that was originally performed by Little Richard. The song is a medley of two and is entitled "Kansas City/ Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey". Interestingly, the first copies (mono and stereo) of the Parlophone LP as well as the Capitol LP both show the song as "Kansas City"and they have the composers credit as "Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller". There is no mention of the "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" part and the fact that this section was written by "Richard Penniman" (Little Richard). The later Parlophone black and silver labels show the song as a medly indicated both songs and when the "Beatles For Sale" title was released on CD in 1987, it also included both "Kansas City" and "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey". A fine Rock and Roll cover performed by the Beatles (with George Martin on piano) with a great vocal by Paul McCartney who, by the way, was and is an intense fan of Little Richard.

"Kansas City/ Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" was recorded on Sunday October 18 1964 at EMI studio two and although there were two takes, the first take was deemed as the keeper thereby making this song another one-take wonder along with previous gems such as "Twist and Shout", "Boys", "Chains", "Long Tall Sally", "Rock and Roll Music", etc. There was a second take attempted and although it was not included on the "Beatles For Sale" LP, it is available for your ears on the Apple 2-CD, 3-LP "Anthology 1".

A bit of a rarity as far as mixing goes, both the mono and the stereo mix were both conducted on the same day - October 26 1964 in the control room of Studio two. The stereo mix is slightly longer in the fade out than the mono mix.

"Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles VI" (the opening track) and is also on the EMI/Capitol compilation 2-LP "Rock and Roll Music".

The song was performed in the early days including Hamburg Germany and a performance is included on the Lingasong 2-LP "The Beatles Live at The Star Club". It was also performed for the US television show "Shindig" in early 1965.

"Kansas City/ Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey" was performed three times for BBC Radio. The first time was for "Pop Go the Beatles" episode eight, the second time was on "From Us to You" and the final time was on "Saturday Club". A BBC performance can be heard on the Apple 2-LP, 2-CD "Live At the BBC".

And From Above, You Sent Us Love

The second last song on side one of the fourth Parlophone UK Beatles LP "Beatles For Sale" featured a tune that was another cover. This time the song in question is entitled "Mr. Moonlight" and was originally performed by Dr. Feelgood and the Interns from back in 1962. The original version was written by Roy Lee Johnson. This song features John on vocals and a hammond organ solo played by Paul. It plods along nicely and is constantly voted by Beatles fans as one of the "worst" Beatles recorded songs in the catalogue. It's not a very good tune and it doesn't seem to suit the Beatles very much. It's a style that sounds outdated although the Beatles must have liked it to record it and they had also been performing the song live for quite a while in their careers going back to Hamburg.

"Mr. Moonlight" was first recorded on Friday August 14 1964 at EMI studio two. The song was completed in eight takes with no overdubs added at this point. Take four from this session is available on the Apple 2-CD/ 3-LP "Anthology 1". Take four is in mono for Anthology but is also available in stereo from a 1982 remix that is currently unreleased. The hammond organ solo played by Paul was added on October 18 1964.

There were two mono mixes for the song because the tune was edited between two takes: takes four and take eight. Both mixes were started and completed (in mono) on October 27 1964 in the control room of Studio two. The stereo mix was also taken from the edit and was completed on November 04 1964 in the control room of studio two as well.

"Mr. Moonlight" was released on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65".

The song was performed live in the early days of the Beatles' careers such as the Cavern and of course in Hamburg , Germany. An early performance of "Mr. Moonlight" can be heard on the Lingasong 2-LP "The Beatles Live At the Star Club".

"Mr. Moonlight" was not performed for the BBC.

For Tomorrow May Rain

The fifth song on the Parlophone UK LP is entitled "I'll Follow The Sun". As with the previous three UK LPs, this record also featured the power ballad. Let's review: on the first LP it was "A Taste of Honey", on the second LP it was "Till There Was You" and on the third LP it was "And I Love Her". Ironically, all three ballads featuring the voice of Paul McCartney. Well, this was not an exception and once again we are graced with Paul's singing voice for this Lennon/McCartney original. Although it sounds like Paul double-tracked, it is actually John doubling Paul's vocal and adding harmony in the middle eight. This was written mainly by Paul and is an oldie as it is featured on some bootlegs of Quarrymen rehearsals. The tune has not changed much up until 1964 with the exception of the middle eight.

"I'll Follow The Sun" was recorded on Sunday October 18 1964 at EMI studio two. It took eight takes to perfect. All of the seven previous takes had featured an acoustic guitar solo but the commercial take featured George's electric guitar solo instead. The song was mixed for mono in room 65 of Abbey Road three days later on October 21 1964. The song was mixed for stereo on November 04 1964 in the control room of Studio two.

"I'll Follow The Sun" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65". The song also appears on the EMI/Capitol compilation 2-LP "Love Songs".

"I'll Follow The Sun" was never performed live in concert but was performed live once for the BBC on the show "Top Gear". This particular performance can be heard on the Apple EP/CD "Baby It's You".

If You Wanna Dance With Me

The fourth song for the Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" is also the first cover version. The song is entitled "Rock And Roll Music" and is sung by John with the Beatles playing their usual instruments and the addition of John, Paul and George Martin simultaneously on the piano. It's basically a "live off the floor" performance apart from the piano bit. The original version was written and performed by the great Chuck Berry.

The song was recorded in only one take on Sunday October 18 1964 at EMI studio two. Lennon's vocal is a true highlight. "Rock And Roll Music" was mixed for mono on October 26 1964 from the control room of studio two. Finally, the song was mixed for stereo on November 04 1964 in the control room of studio two as well. The stereo mix drops the piano out for a few seconds just before the two minute mark for some reason.

"Rock And Roll Music" was performed live during the 1964 Christmast shows, the 1965 European tour as well as being the opener for the 1966 Germany/Japan/ Phillipines and US tour. There was also a compilation album of the same name released by EMI/Capitol in 1976.

"Rock And Roll Music" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65" and the above mentioned compilation EMI/Capitol 2-LP "Rock And Roll Music".

"Rock And Roll Music" was performed once for the BBC and it was featured on "Saturday Club". This performance is featured on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "Live At the BBC".

Tell Me, Oh...What Can I Do?

The third song on the great "Beatles For Sale" Parlophone UK LP is a tune entitled: "Baby's In Black". Another great Lennon/McCartney song written equally by both and harmonized by both John and Paul is a song about....death. Really. Truly. Basically, it's a stoy about a lover who is lamenting the fact that his girlfriend mourns the loss of her former lover. The song is in the odd 6/8 time signature and is described as a "fast waltz". Great guitar work by George Harrison who brings us into the song and plays a very lucid type solo in the middle. A very nice middle eight section on this one, by the way. It's definitely a highlight of the album.

"Baby's In Black" was recorded on Tuesday August 11 1964 at EMI studio two. A very early song for the LP and written/recorded only one month after the release of the previous LP. The song took 14 takes to perfect before the master and only five of these were complete. The vocals were overdubbed later. "Baby's In Black" was first mixed for mono three days later on August 14 1964 but this is described as a rough mix and it was never used. The next mono mix was conducted in the control room of studio two on October 26 1964. Finally, the stereo mix of the song was conducted on November 04 1964 again in the control room of Studio two.

"Baby's In Black" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65".

The song was performed live extensively since it's release at the end of 1964: it was performed live for the Beatles 64/65 Christmas shows and feature during the whole of the 1965 European and North American Tour and in the December UK 1965 tour. It was picked up once again and performed live during the 1966 Japan/Phillipines and North American tours.

Oddly enough, the song was never played live for the BBC radio series.

Although I Laugh and I Act Like A Clown

The second song to appear on the Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" is another Lennon/McCartney original mainly written by John entitled "I'm A Loser". The Bob Dylan influence is apparent on this track, as well as the deeper and unhappier subject matter. The songwriting had gone way past the "hold your hand" point. This is a great fast tune with the acoustic guitar and the harmonica leading the way with introspective lyrics.

One of the first songs recorded especially for the LP and befor the Beatles left for their North American tour, the song was recorded on August 14 1964 at EMI studio two during the evening. The song took eight takes to perfect. You can find takes 1,2 and 3 on the various "Unsurpassed Masters" series. "I'm A loser" was mixed for mono on October 26 1964 in the control room of Studio two and mixed for stereo on November 04 1964 also in the control room of studio two.

"I'm A Loser" appears on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65".

The song was also performed live during the 1964 Christmas Shows, the 1965 European Tour and was also performed on the US television show "Shindig".

"I'm A Loser" was performed twice yet aired three times for the BBC radio. The first show it appeared on was "Top Gear" followed by a repeat on "Saturday Club" and finally on "The Beatles Take you for a Ticket to Ride".

This song appears on Apple's 2-LP/2-CD "Live At the BBC".

This Happened Once Before

The first song on the fourth Parlophone UK LP "Beatles For Sale" is a Lennon/McCartney original composition entitled "No Reply". This tune was mainly written by John and is the first of several thought-provoking songs from the LP that are not usually the happy-go-lucky type but have a reflective overtone. It's the story of someone who has lost their love by finding out she has cheated on him. The Beatles at this point were writing original songs that reflected an ever growing move of expansion emotionally. The songs were starting to mature and the songwriting was heading in various different directions. The Beatles and their fans were growing up.

"No Reply" was recorded on Wednesday September 30 1964 in one session at EMI studio two. Eight takes were recorded and it was the last tune attempted on this day. The piano on this song was played by George Martin. Paul does the higher harmonies. The song was originally intended to be given to another of Brian Epstein's artists : Tommy Quickly. It was too good a song for the Beatles to pass up, however, and this is proven by the excellent musical version the Beatles mustered for the opening of the LP. Take two (mono) is available on the Apple 2-CD/ 3-LP "Anthology 1".

"No Reply" was mixed for mono on Friday October 16 1964 in the control room of Studio One. Two mixes were made, although one was used for the LP and the other mix was put away and not used. Finally, the song was mixed for stereo on November 04 1964 in the control room of Studio two at EMI Abbey Road.

"No Reply" was issued on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "Beatles For Sale" as well as being the lead track on the North American version of the Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65".

"No Reply" was never played live and was not performed for BBC radio.

Beatles For Sale

Next up, we look at the fourth LP release by the Beatles entitled: "Beatles For Sale". This released was issued in the UK on December 04 1964. It was released in both sonic formats; essentially mono (PMC 1240) and stereo (PCS 3062). I personally don't mind both the mono and stereo formats equally (although to be honest the mono version does have a bit of an "edge" over the stereo). The stereo balance is not too, too bad but once again as on the previous LP the stereo mixes were essentially done all in one day with little thought as compared to the concentrated mono mixes. The thinking of the day still assumed that most record buyers in those days would be listening to the mono version anyway and only high-brow "audiophiles" would be paying any attention to the stereo version. In 1964, they were probably right.

This is also the first Beatles' gatefold LP. In fact, you opened up the gatefold cover and the LP was within the inner sleeve and was pulled out from the inside of the jacket out on the left rather than the traditional right. Very cool. The photography for the LP cover was taken by Robert Freeman. The front cover features a very, very, very tired looking Beatles staring blankly at the camera. No one smiles. It must be rememberd that this LP was the fourth LP to be released by the Beatles in 21 months. The Beatles had started the year 1964 playing in Paris, going to the US and playing New York City, Washington and Miami. Back to New York City and then back to England to begin filming the first movie and then recording the soundtrack at Abbey Road. Then all the while also recording an Extended Play, finishing the movie and going back on tour in Europe and attacking a North American tour while trying to complete the next single and recording another LP for the end of the year. No wonder the Beatles look like zombies !!! The inner cover features liner notes by Derek Taylor with the famous and accurate line: "The kids of AD 2000 will draw from the music much the same sense of well being and warmth as we do today". On either sides of the liner notes are the song titles and a photo of the Beatles performing in Washington DC completes the left side of the inner cover. The right side shows a pre-Sgt. Pepper photo abstract featuring the Beatles posing in front of various movie scene photos.

This fourth LP contained 14 solid tracks which was the norm for Beatles LPs up to "Revolver" (with the sole exception of "A Hard Day's Night" which only featured 13 tracks). Of all the songs on the LP, six of the tunes were cover versions written by someone else, while eight of the songs were original. All eight original songs contained on the LP were written by Lennon/McCartney.

Unfortunately, "Beatles For Sale" is one of the least popular Beatles' LPs and is not discussed much as compared to the others. Maybe the Beatles were uninspired and tired although I must say that I really enjoy the musicianship on the LP (especially George Harrison's guitar playing).

Only Ever Have to Give Me

The B side of the fabulous "I Feel Fine" single was another great Lennon/McCartney composition mainly written by Paul entitled "She's A Woman". One of the great McCartney vocals as he purposely sang in a higher register than usual and gives it that great rock and roll feel. I really like this song and prefer it to the A side. A realy Bluesy number and it's got lots of "balls". The choppy guitar and the subtle piano make it a real interesting arrangement. It just goes to show you how talented this group was when the B sides of their singles were just - if not sometimes more - interesting than their A sides. The song was released 45 years ago ON THIS DAY!! November 27 1964.

"She's A Woman" was recorded on Tuesday October 08 1964 at EMI studio two with seven takes attempted. Outtakes for this song include takes 2, 3, 4 and 5 (a long jam). These are available on the "Ultra Rare Trax" series. Take six was the keeper and overdubs included a percussion instrument called the chocalho and Paul added the piano in addition to his bass and lead vocal.

Once again, "She's A Woman" was mixed twice for mono: one mix for the UK and the other mix (once again drenched in horrible reverb) for the North American market. The first UK mono mix and a stereo mix were all done in the control room of Studio Two on October 12 1964. The second reverb-drenched mono mix for the North American market was done on October 21 1964 at EMI studios room 65 control room.

"She's A Woman" appeared not only on the Parlophone UK single with "I Feel Fine", but also appeared on the North American Capitol LP/CD: "Beatles '65" drenched in horrible reverb. A cleaner version appeared on the EMI/Parlophone UK LP "Rarities" and a very cool extended version with Paul's count-in was contained in the bonus EP included in the EMI/Parlophone vinyl/CD "The Beatles E.P. Collection" blue box.

"She's A Woman" was a very popular live selection and was performed during their 1965 European and American tours as well as the final 1966 Far East/ North American tour. A live peformance of the song can be heard on the EMI/Capitol LP "The Beatles At the Hollywood Bowl".

Finally, "She's A Woman" was performed twice for the BBC Radio but it appears three times: The first time on "Top Gear", the same recording is featured on "Saturday Club" and the next time is on "The Beatles Invite You to Take A Ticket To Ride". A radio performance of the song is available on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "Live At The BBC".

Happy Thanksgiving

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my American readers a wonderful, happy and safe Thanksgiving. Eat and drink and be merry (and listen to lots of Beatles' records).
Also, remember that Paul McCartney is televising his concert performance recorded during last summer's New York City Citi Field show on ABC television at 10 PM (eastern). Mr. Kite.

You Know She Tells Me All The Time.

A new Beatles single was released at the end of 1964. Since the release of the third Parlophone UK LP back in July, the Beatles had been busy touring, making television and radio appearances as well as visiting Abbey Road (or EMI) Studios on occasion in order to complete the second and final LP of 1964. The new single preceeded the new LP by only a week. It was November 27 1964 and the "hit" side of the single contained a Lennon/McCartney song entitled "I Feel Fine".

This tune was mainly written by John and the first sound heard on the song is a guitar/bass feedback. The catchy riff comes next and then the verse and choruses and middle eight. A classic song and it hit the top of charts worldwide. It was released just in time for Christmas and it sold tons.

"I Feel Fine" was recorded on Sunday October 18 1964 at EMI Studio two. Nine takes of the song were attempted with most of the takes being used up to concentrate on the backing track. The vocals were overdubbed on the final take.

Three days later on October 21 1964, four mono remixes for "I Feel Fine" were made at EMI room 65. The third mono mix was used for the British single while the fourth mono mix was made for the North American market. The next day on October 22 1964 in the control room of studio one, there was a fifth attempt at a mono mix but this was never released. Finally, "I Feel Fine" was mixed for stereo on November 04 1964 in the control room of studio two.

"I Feel Fine" was released as the A side of a single in the UK - Parlophone R 5200 as well as a single in North America on Capitol 5327. The song is also available on the North American Capitol LP/CD "Beatles '65" - the Capitol stereo version is probably the worst mix ever known to man as it is drenched in echo and sounds like shit - as well as the Parlophone UK LP "A Collection of Beatles Oldies". The song can be found on the Apple 2-LP/ 2-CD: "The Beatles 1962-1966" with the UK version having an untrimmed intro featuring some whispering. The song has also appeared on the EMI/Capitol LP: "20 Greatest Hits" both the US and UK version, the Apple/ EMI 2-LP/2-CD "Past Masters Volume One" as well as the remasters mono and stereo version, the Apple 2-LP/CD "1".

The Beatles performed "I Feel Fine" often in concert. It was performed during the Christmas shows, and the European and American tours of 1965. It was performed on television for the Ed Sullivan show in the same year.

"I Feel Fine" was performed once for the BBC although it aired twice using the same recording. The song first appeared on "Top Gear" and was later repeated on "Saturday Club". You can hear the performance on the Apple 2-LP/2-CD: "The Beatles Live At the BBC".

I'll Be Back Again

The final song on the "A Hard Day's Night" LP is another Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by John entitled "I'll Be Back". This is mainly an acoustic number and a very tender song played with an intro in a major mode and switching to a minor mode for the verses and the middle eight ( in fact, two of them mixed together) varies between the minor and major modes. It's very brilliantly thought out and a great songwriting technique is used whereby the mood is reflected with the various major and minor chords.

"I'll Be Back" was recorded on Monday June 01 1964 in Studio Two. There were 16 takes of the song which shows that the Beatles were trying to find a suitable arrangement for the tune. At first, electric guitars were featured and the song was performed in the three/four time until it was discovered that it was too hard to sing the lyrics and try to fit all of the words in. There is a take available with the electric guitars and the three/four time (in fact, take 2) and then the switch to the better and much smoother four/four time (take 3) on the Apple 3-LP, 2-CD "Anthology 1". Later on the sessions and by take 12, the electric guitars were abandoned and the acoustic guitars came out in order to perform the version we all know and love.

"I'll Be Back" was mixed for both mono and stereo on the same day: June 22 1964 from the control room of Studio one. For some unknown reason, two mono mixes were made on this day with one used for the UK and European market and the other made for the North American market. There was only one stereo mix made. The mono mix used on the UK Parlophone LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night" runs slightly (by a hair) faster than the North American mono mix. The stereo mix runs at the same speed at the North American mono mix.

"I'll Be Back" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night" as well as the North American Capitol Records LP/CD "Beatles '65". The song is also on the EMI/Capitol 2-LP "Love Songs".

Unfortunately, "I'll Be Back" was never performed live in concert not was it ever performed live for BBC radio.

Please Listen To Me If You Wanna Stay Mine

The second last song on the "A Hard Day's Night" Parlophone UK LP is also the B side to the "Can't Buy Me Love" single. The name of the song is "You Can't Do That" which is another Lennon/McCartney composition written mainly by John.

The song was recorded on George Harrison's 21st birthday on Tuesday February 25 1964 and it was the first new song attempted after a bit of work for "Can't Buy Me Love". The song featured the "sound of the 60s" which included George Harrison's new 12 string electric guitar. "You Can't Do That" was completed in nine takes and overdubs include Paul on cowbell and Ringo on Bongos. The lead guitar solo is played by John. Take 06 from this session is available on Apple's 3-LP, 2-CD "Anthology 1".

"You Can't Do That" was mixed for mono the next day at EMI studio two with four different mixes attempted. It's been stated that a version of the mono mix was used for the UK and European market while another version of the mono mix was used for the US version. To be honest, I can't really hear a difference. The song was first mixed for stereo on March 10 1964 and this mix was never used. Oddly, George Martin decided to experiment and added a piano part to the song on May 22 1964 (after the mono single was released) and I don't seem to know why this was done. This piano overdub never appeared anywhere and was probably never released. Finally, "You Can't Do That" was mixed for stereo along with the rest of the LP tunes on June 22 1964 in studio one's control room. This stereo mix was released in the UK but the US used their mono mix and just created fake stereo for their LP.

"You Can't Do That" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "The Beatles'Second Album"( in mono on the "T" LP and fake stereo on the "ST" LP). The song is also available on the EMI/Capitol 2-LP set "Rock and Roll Music".

"You Can't Do That" was performed four times for the BBC: twice on "From Us To You", once on "Top Gear" and once on "Saturday Club". The song was also performed live during the 1964 summer tour in the Australia, New Zealand areas.

This Day In History

A very historic day November 22 has become. It's also a day for a couple of Beatles related anniversaries
First off, most people will remember November 22 1963 as the day in History that literally changed the world. The president of the United States - John F. Kennedy - was assassinated in Dallas while riding in a motorcade. There has been controversy ever since related to the reasons and who and why, but I digress. Some writers and scholars of the Beatles argue that the event in Dallas assisted in the advent of Beatlemania in the US due to the psychological impact and the grieving of a generation that were ready for a diversion. In my opinion, I think the JFK event may have contributed to the musical "British Invasion" but I think there are various factors as to how Beatlemania started in the US which include the music (which was great!) and the image of the Beatles at the time. Capitol Records had put in quite a lot of publicity material and the upcoming television appearance on "The Jack Paar Show" and the "Ed Sullivan show" also helped. One has to remember that Newsweek and Life magazine had already covered the Beatles' ruckus in England by the time November 22 1963 had come and gone. In fact, it has been said that a news story on the Beatles was put on hold due to the political event of the day.
Interestingly, on exactly the same day (November 22 1963) Parlophone released the Beatles' second LP entitled "With The Beatles" in mono (PMC 1206) and stereo (PCS 3045).
Five years later on November 22 1968 Apple released the Beatles first double LP on their own label entitled "The Beatles". The unofficial name being "The White Album". This was also released in mono (PMC 7067-7068) and stereo (PCS 7067-7068).

I'm Gonna Love Her Till The Cows Come Home

The next tune up from the "A Hard Day's Night" original British LP is another solid Lennon/McCartney composition entitled "When I Get Home". This sort of obscure number is not usually talked about as far as Beatles material is concerned and is probably the least known number from this LP. It's not that the song is good or bad, it just seems to be "buried" in the LP for some reason. Or maybe it's just not very interesting for fans or something. I dunno.

Anyway...this song and "Any Time At All" have basically the exact same history. Both songs were recorded on June 02 1964 in studio two and it took 11 takes to perfect "When I Get Home". The song features additional piano (probably played by Paul) and a Paul/ George vocal added on to the supreme Lennon vocal. There were also additional cymbal crashes added to the intro part.

There were two mono mixes made for the song. The first mono mix features a Lennon phrase in the song where he sings: "till I walk out that door" too early and as the vocal is double tracked, the mono mix used on the north American "Something New" features this early vocal while the UK LP uses the correct vocal. It's all in the faders, folks. Anyway , the first attempt at a mono mix was done on June 04 1964 in studio two. This first attempt was never used. The second and third attempt at the mono mix was done on June 22 1964. The second mono remix contained the delayed vocal used in North America while the third mono remix contained the correct vocal used in the UK. The stereo mix was also completed on this same day in studio one.

"When I Get Home" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Something New".

"When I Get Home" was never performed live nor was it ever performed for BBC radio.

Someday When We're Dreaming

The next track from the Beatles' third Parlophone UK album was also the B side to their single which was released in Britain on the same day as the album. Of course, the single and album were both entitled "A Hard Day's Night" and the track in question was "Things We Said Today".

"Things We Said Today" is a very haunting Lennon/McCartney song written mainly by Paul. The verses tend to be in minor chords and the triplet intro adds to the dark mystique of the tune. The middle eight is changed to major chords and (particularly in concert) gives an almost different and yet joyous feeling to the proceedings. A very advanced title as far as songwriting goes and kudos to McCartney for writing such a mature and intricate song. The song was one of many written for Paul's then-girlfriend Jane Asher. It was written when Paul was on holiday earlier in the year.

"Things We Said Today" was recorded on Tuesday June 02 1964 at EMI studio two. The song took three takes to complete with the first take being a breakdown. The song consisted of two acoustic guitars, one electric guitar, tambourine, bass and drums. The vocals were double tracked. Also, a piano played by George Martin was added although it is not very prominent in the mix as it was not to be used but since it was on the same track as some of the other instruments, there is leakage on the final mix and you can hear a bit of piano on the song.

"Things We Said Today" was mixed for mono on June 09 1964 in the control room of studio one. Finally, the stereo mix for the tune was completed along with most of the other tracks on June 22 1964 in the afternoon.

"Things We Said Today" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Something New". The song was also played in concert during the Beatles fall 1964 North American tour and a version from California can be heard on the EMI/Capitol LP: "The Beatles At the Hollywood Bowl". One last interesting thing; I've noticed that during the early Beatles career, Paul sings the words "Me I'm Just the Lucky Kind" at the beginning of the middle eight of this song both on record and live. When Paul started touring in 1989 to promote the "Flowers In the Dirt" LP/CD, he changed this line to : "Me I'm Just a Lucky Guy"......very strange. You can hear it on the "Tripping The Live Fantastic" EMI 3-LP/2-CD set.

"Things We Said Today" was performed for the BBC radio series twice. Once on "Top Gear" and once on "From Us To You". It is available on Apple's 3-LP/2-CD "Live At The BBC".

I've Got A Chip On My Shoulder That's Bigger Than My Feet

Next up from the "A Hard Day's Night" LP is another Lennon/McCartney original (mainly by John) and is a sorta angry country influenced song entitled "I'll Cry Instead". This features quite the jangly rythm with the guitar up front and that tambourine and high hat percussion behind it. This was the second song on the second side of the LP or the ninth song on the CD (UK version, of course).

The recording history of this particular tracks was a bit bizarre in that it was recorded in two sections rather than being done as a basic track. This was recorded on June 01 1964 at EMI Studio Two. The first track consisted of the basic track, the second was the vocal by John, the third was the acoustic guitar and the fourth was percussion and John's second vocal. The song was mixed for mono three days later in the same studio on June 04 1964. The mix contained the first two verses, the bridge and the third verse from the first section (from take six) and then the fourth verse, another bridge and the final fifth verse from the second section (from take eight). The edit was made at one minute and nine seconds after the words "I'll Cry". This mono edit was tape copied five days later - June 09 1964 in studio three - and sent to United Artists (who released it on the soundtrack) and Capitol Records (who released it on their mono LP).

A couple of weeks later, "I'll Cry Instead" was mixed for stereo with - once again - the two sections mixed separately. This time, the stereo edit for the song was cut between the two section at one minute and eight seconds after the words "until then" which eliminated a bridge and fourth verse. Realizing that the stereo version was much shorter in length than the mono version, the mono version was (at some point) trimmed to match the length of the stereo version. This is why there are two different mono versions of "I'll Cry Instead" lengthwise.

"I'll Cry Instead" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night" (both mono and stereo have the timing at 1:44), also on the North American United Artists soundtrack "A Hard Day's Night" LP ( both mono and stereo versions contain the mono version at 2:04), also on the North American Capitol LP/CD "Something New" ( the mono version has the longer timing while the stereo version has the shorter timing).

The song was never performed live for BBC radio (nor anywhere else, actually). Lastly, most (if not all) first pressing of the United Artists' version list this song as "I Cry Instead" on the back cover and the record label. Check your copies !!

All Ya Gotta Do Is Call And I'll Be There

The two original Parlophone black and yellow labels of the vinyl LP "A Hard Day's Night" are officially broken up with side one containing the words "songs from the film {A Hard Day's Night}" and mentioning the songs on that side while side two does not have the blurb and just mentions the songs on that side. This was to distinguish which songs appeared in the film and which did not.

Therefore, the first song to appear on the album but not in the film is a Lennon/McCartney original entitled "Any Time At All". This was written mainly by John and is a true hidden gem on the album. A very powerful rocker and a cool guitar/piano middle eight.

The song was recorded on June 02 1964 at EMI Studio two and was first attempted at the session whereby seven takes were recorded with none of them being used. The middle eight was still not satisfactory and John's first vocal was also attempted. Therefore, the song was left until later in the session while the Beatles moved on to other tunes until coming back to "Any Time At All" later in the session with a perfected middle eight and the guitar/piano solo as well as a second "answering"vocal by Paul.

"Any Time At All" was first mixed for mono on June 04 1964 in Studio Two but the mix was never used. There were two more official mono mixes made on June 22 1964 in Studio One. Remix 2 was used for the UK version of the Parlophone LP and Remix 3 was used for the Capitol Records LP. Both were mono and the differences are basically in the middle eight where the piano is slightly louder on the US mix whereby the guitar is slightly louder in the UK mix. Also on June 22 1964, the stereo mix was made and used on both the UK and US LP.

"Any Time At All" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night" as well as the North American Capitol LP/CD "Something New". The song is also found on the EMI/Capitol 2-LP compilation "Rock and Roll Music".

"Any Time At All" was nerver performed live and does not appear on BBC radio. Too bad. Very good tune.

I'll Buy You A Diamond Ring My Friend

The last song on side one of the first movie soundtrack to the first Beatles film (well, at least the UK version) or the seventh song on the CD is a Lennon/McCartney original mainly written by Paul entitled "Can't Buy Me Love". This tune was also released as a single before filming for the movie started and was one of the Beatles' biggest hits. Since the song was also included in the film - the scene where the Beatles break out of the television studio via a fire escape - the song was automatically put on the soundtrack LP/CD.

"Can't Buy Me Love" was the first song recorded with the intent of being a single and eventually appearing in the film back in January 1964. Wednesday January 29 1964 to be exact. It was recorded at the same time as the German vocal songs and it was recorded at EMI Pathe Marconi Studio in Paris, France as the Beatles were appearing in Paris performing live at this time. The song was recorded in four takes. An edit of takes one and two in mono appear on Apple's 3-LP/2-CD compilation "Anthology 1" while the whole of take two in stereo appears on the "Unsurpassed Masters" series. Take four was the keeper for the commercial release. The overdubs include Paul's vocal and George's guitar solo.

"Can't Buy Me Love" was once again taken up with the Beatles back at EMI Studio two in London, England on February 25 1964. This time, George Harrison had acquired a twelve-string Rickenbacker electric guitar and decided to overdub his new instrument on the chorus, the intro and the ending. For the middle guitar solo, Harrison used his six string Gretch but it was played twice in order to give the same effect as the twelve-string. You can actually hear the original guitar solo from the Paris recording being leaked onto the commercial version.

"Can't Buy Me Love" was mixed for mono the next day on February 26 1964. The song was first mixed for stereo on March 10 1964 at EMI Studio two but not used. The previous February mono mix was tape copied for United Artists and Capitol Records on June 09 1964. Finally, "Can't Buy Me Love" was mixed once again for stereo along with the other upcoming LP songs on June 22 1964.

"Can't Buy Me Love" was performed live for the 1964 and 1965 tours as well as the 1964 Christmas shows. A live version can be found on the EMI/Capitol LP "The Beatles Live At the Hollywood Bowl".

The commercial version is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night", the United Artists movie sountrack LP "A Hard Day's Night" (mono only), the Parlophone UK LP "A Collection of Beatles Oldies", the Apple compilation LP "Hey Jude/The Beatles Again", the Apple 2-LP/2-CD "The Beatles 1962-1966", the EMI/Capitol compilation LP "Reel Music", the EMI/Capitol compilation LP "20 Greatest Hits" (both the US and UK version), the Apple 2-LP/CD "1".

"Can't Buy Me Love" was performed three times for BBC radio: twice on "From Us To You" and once on "Saturday Club".

By the way, the picture sleeve for the original Capitol single (shown above) is one of the rarest and most collectible of all Beatles picture sleeves as the sleeve was made in very limited amounts back in the early 60s.

Tell Me Why You Cried and Why You Lied.

The next tune up on side one of the "A Hard Day's Night" soundtrack is a great harmony induced Lennon/McCartney original entitled "Tell Me Why". Mainly written by John and featuring the Beatles in exquisite harmony and falsetto. A nice shuffle to this one. Some fine drumming from Ringo and bass from Paul. This song is performed near the end of the film when they are playing on stage at the Scala Theater in Centra London.

"Tell Me Why" was recorded on Thursday February 27 1964 at EMI Studio two. There were eight takes of the song; "Tell Me Why" was begun and completed on the same day. The song was mixed for mono on March 03 1964 in studio one. A mono tape copy of the song was sent to Capitol Records and United Artists on June 09 1964. Finally, "Tell Me Why" was mixed for stereo on June 22 1964.

"Tell Me Why" is available on the Parlophone UK LP/CD "A Hard Day's Night" as well as the US and Canada Capitol LP/CD "Something New". It is also available on the United Artists soundtrack LP "A Hard Day's Night" although on some later re-issued copies the song is listed as "Tell Me WHO" !! on both the back cover and the label.

This "deep track" was never performed live nor has a performance of the song appear on BBC radio.