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.
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