Bop-Shoo-Wop, mm Bop-Bop-Shoo Wop

It's Ringo Starrtime !!

This next song was the first recorded lead vocal by the drummer of the group. Richard Starkey ( known to most as Ringo Starr). He had played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes until he was pulled away by the offer of playing with the Beatles. Ringo accepted. Wise choice !!

"Boys" was another cover song, this one originally written by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell, sung by the Shirelles ( an American girl group) and is the second song to have a "doo-wop" influence. I've noticed that several songs on this album have that unique sort of "doo-wop" feel that was hastily abandoned by the Beatles with a couple of exceptions. "Happiness is a Warm Gun" comes to mind. But, I digress.

Believe it or not, the song was recorded in one take on the fateful day of the debut disc, and the subject matter at the time was not at all even thought of as anything more than a good tune and a good time. Nor should it be looked upon as anything than a great tune. Nuff said.

A nice tight song, no overdubs that I can detect although I understand that the fade out was done in the mixing stage later in the month of February 63 ( according to Lewisohn.)

The song became a staple in the sets of the live shows, mainly to feature Ringo - along with "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Act Naturally".

The BBC live performances include: Twice on "Side by Side", a performance on "Saturday Club", twice on "Pop Go the Beatles": program 4 and 14 and twice on "From Us to You".

Aside from the debut "Please Please Me' LP/CD, the song can be found on Vee Jay's "Introducing the Beatles", the Canadian 6000 series "Twist and Shout", Capitol's "The Early Beatles" and a live performance can be found on "The Beatles At the Hollywood Bowl" LP.

This song was also performed live on the 1964 Summer American tour as well as on the "Shindig" television show in 1965.