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1963 September 12 - 1964 June 03
rev: 2012May24
This page is a miniscule look at material typically found in the book Songs of The Beatles' Hard Day's Night Period.
This Period marks The Beatle's expansion into film and the start of four-track recording.
The Period starts after the session for last song for their second LP, With The Beatles, extending through the last session for their third LP, A Hard Day's Night.
Five records containing 21 songs were released from this Period. (Two songs were re-recorded with the Beatles singing in German!) The first three records were hit singles. These were followed by The Beatles' third LP, A Hard Day's Night, and four-song EP, Long Tall Sally, both also #1 hits.
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"Brian and I worked out a grand plan of campaign. A single would be released every three months and an album every six." - George Martin, producer of the Beatles.
This was one of the most productive Periods of the Beatles' career. This nine-month Period produced 17 new Lennon & McCartney songs.
John & Paul wrote all the songs for a film and new hit single and LP - no cover songs were used by the Beatles in the film. In addition they recorded four more songs for an EP (three cover songs, one Lennon & McCartney) plus re-recorded two old songs on which they sang in German.Recorded: 1963 Oct 17
Released: 1963 Nov 29
On 63Oct17, the Beatles recorded for the first time on a four-track tape recorder. (Previously, they'd only worked with two-tracks.) They recorded three songs, two for their new single, the third an attempt to improve a song already recorded for their second LP ('You Really Got A Hold On Me' for With The Beatles). At the end of the session they spent time recording material for a Christmas record for their fan club.
They entered the studio at 2:30 p.m. and were done by ten that evening, including an hour and a half for dinner. That's six hours for three songs and the Christmas material. That's efficiency. The single entered the UK NME chart at #1 and stayed there for six weeks, with a Top 30 chart life of 14 weeks.
I Want To Hold Your Hand
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: duet by John & Paul
The Beatles' fourth single ('She Loves You'/'I'll Get You') had been released 63Aug23. In keeping with the Martin/Epstein plan, John & Paul were informed it was time for a new single. Under pressure to produce, the songwriters repaired to the basement of Paul's girlfriend's house (where he was living at the time - the house, not the basement). Paul sat at the piano, John with his acoustic guitar, and the two worked eyeball-to-eyeball to write their next hit.
This Boy
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John, Paul, and George
'This Boy' was co-written by Lennon & McCartney, though some seem credit John, probably because he sings the break-away lead vocal in the middle-eight. It was written in a few hours in a hotel room using guitars. The song started as a two-part harmony song, then George had to find his notes to make it a three-part harmony showcase.
Recorded: 1964 Jan 29 and Feb 25
Released: 1964 Mar 20
This single straddles The Beatles' first visit to America. They recorded 'Can't Buy Me Love' in France while playing a three-week series of concerts at the Olympia theater. In early February they went to the U.S., played on The Ed Sullivan Show, played a couple of concerts, then flew home after firmly igniting Beatlemania in the States. They then went into the studio and recorded 'You Can't Do That'.
The single entered the UK charts at #1, stayed there for four weeks with a chart life of 10 weeks.
Can't Buy Me Love
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: Paul.
The use of "yeah" was not original with the Beatles. A number of cover songs on their first album (Please Please Me) used the word. But John & Paul brought it to the front and added repetition. The 'yeah, yeah, yeah' became their trademark, something every successful band needs - a unique, instantly recognizable hook.
You Can't Do That
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John and Paul duet
Co-written by John and Paul, lyrics influenced slightly by Lewis Carroll (Alice Through The Looking Glass), and a chord from 'All My Trials' by Joan Baez.
Recorded: 1964 Apr 16, Jun 02
Released: 1964 Jul 10
A Hard Day's Night
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John (verse) and Paul (chorus)
This was the last song written and recorded for the film A Hard Day's Night. The film was almost finished, complete with title, when the producer noticed they didn't have a song with the same name as the film.
He told John of this dilemma one evening. John asked if the song had to be about anything in particular. The producer said no, that he could play the song during the opening credits.
The next morning, John and Paul called the producer to their room, where they played 'A Hard Day's Night', reading lyrics from written scraps. It was the first time Lennon & McCartney had written a song "to order".
The chord which starts the song was played on George's new Rickenbacker 12-string guitar. The exact fingering and name of the chord is in dispute.
Things We Said Today
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: Paul
Written mostly by Paul, who thought it was novel in that the lyrics were forward-looking nostalgia. That is, the singer is in the future, looking back to today.
Recording started 1964 January 29 with 'Can't Buy Me Love'. The Beatles then went to America for their first visit. When they got back they recorded seven songs, six of which were for use in their first movie, A Hard Day's Night. These songs were needed before filming progressed because the Beatles had to perform/act to the songs. The songs on side-one of the album were all in the movie. The songs on side-two were recorded later (with the exception of 'You Can't Do That', which had been recorded for the single).
| Song | Original by | Cover song written by |
|---|---|---|
| I Want To Hold Your Hand | L&M | |
| This Boy | L&M | |
| (You Really Got A Hold On Me) | - | William 'Smokey' Robinson |
| (I Wanna Be Your Man) | L&M | |
| Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand | L&M | |
| Sie Liebt Dich | L&M | |
| Can't Buy Me Love | L&M | |
| You Can't Do That | L&M | |
| And I Love Her | L&M | |
| I Should Have Know Better | L&M | |
| Tell Me Why | L&M | |
| If I Fell | L&M | |
| I'm Happy Just To Dance With You | L&M | |
| Long Tall Sally | - | Johnson, Penniman, and Blackwell |
| I Call Your Name | L&M | |
| (64Mar02-Apr24: film A Hard Day's Night) | ||
| A Hard Day's Night | L&M | |
| Matchbox | - | Carl Perkins |
| I'll Cry Instead | L&M | |
| Slow Down | - | Larry Williams |
| I'll Be Back | L&M | |
| Any Time At All | L&M | |
| Things We Said Today | L&M | |
| When I Get Home | L&M | |
| No Reply | L&M | |
George Martin was in complete control of the contents of this album. He picked the songs, oversaw the editing and mixing, and determined the order the songs appeared on each side (the "running order").
| Song | Side-Cut | Composer | Vocal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side One | |||
| A Hard Day's Night | 1-1 | L&M | John (verse) & Paul (middle-eight) |
| I Should Have Known Better | 1-2 | L&M | John |
| If I Fell | 1-3 | L&M | John & Paul |
| I'm Happy Just To Dance With You | 1-4 | L&M | George |
| And I Love Her | 1-5 | L&M | Paul |
| Tell Me Why | 1-6 | L&M | John |
| Can't Buy Me Love | 1-7 | L&M | Paul |
| Side Two | |||
| Any Time At All | 2-1 | L&M | John with Paul backing |
| I'll Cry Instead | 2-2 | L&M | John |
| Things We Said Today | 2-3 | L&M | Paul |
| When I Get Home | 2-4 | L&M | John with Paul & George backing |
| You Can't Do That | 2-5 | L&M | John with Paul & George backing |
| I'll Be Back | 2-6 | L&M | John with Paul (and George?) |
A Hard Day's Night
by Lennon & McCartney
See the entry for this song in the UK45-7 section.
I Should Have Known Better
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John.
Written mostly by John, it was one of three new songs recorded at the Beatles' first post-US recording session. That suggests it was written while they were on the road in Paris or the U.S.
If I Fell
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John with Paul.
Co-written by John and Paul, probably based on sentiment and chords brought by John.
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: George Harrison.
George had not yet applied himself to songwriting so he sang whatever John & Paul gave him. In this case, Lennon & wrote a formulaic song using chords and lyrics they knew would work.
And I Love Her
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: Paul.
Written by Paul, it was the second new song The Beatles recorded after their trip to Paris and the U.S., which suggests it was written on the road. Paul thought the word 'And' was an important part of the title. This song was the most- covered song (recorded by other artists) on the album with over 300 versions.
Tell Me Why
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John.
Written by John when they needed another upbeat song, it's one of the earliest where John is writing about his personal life. If you listen closely to the background voices, you'll hear "We told you why", a reference to an earlier Beatles song, 'Ask Me Why'.
Can't Buy Me Love
by Lennon & McCartney
See the entry for this song in the UK45-6 section.Any Time At All
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John with backing from Paul.
Written solely by John, it's a good example of John's style of cramming together as many words as possible in a short time.
I'll Cry Instead
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John.
Written mostly by John for the movie, John was disappointed when the director chose not to include it. This may have been due to timing rather than a reflection on the song itself.
Things We Said Today
by Lennon & McCartney
See the entry for this song in the UK45-7 section.
When I Get Home
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John.
Written by John in a style similar to 'You Can't Do That'.
You Can't Do That
by Lennon & McCartney
See the entry for this song in the UK45-6 section.
I'll Be Back
by Lennon & McCartney
Solo vocal: John, with backing by Paul (and George?)
Authorship is somewhat disputed, John recalling he wrote it alone, Paul recalling it as co-written.
It's not clear why The Beatles recorded and released this EP. It may be they wanted something "in the air' while they were on their world tour (meaning Europe, Australia, and the U.S. Three of the four songs came from their old pre-recording contract song list.
Long Tall Sally
by Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman, and Robert Blackwell
Lead vocal: Paul
This was a show piece for Paul, one of the first songs he ever sang on stage (at summer camp). One of the ways Paul learned to sing was by imitating other singers he liked, and he really liked Little Richard (who co-wrote the song under his real name, Richard Penniman).
I Call Your Name
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John.
John wrote the bulk of this song when he was 15 years old. Needing a song for the EP, he blew the dust off so he and Paul could finish it off. Keeping in mind John's personal life at 15, one mustn't assume this song is about a romantic relationship. John's father deserted the family, and John had his mother taken from him twice, so it's possible one or both of them were in John's mind.
Slow Down
by Larry Williams
Lead vocal: John
The Beatles, especially John, were fans of Larry Williams. They recorded two more of his songs, 'Dizzy Miss Lizzy' (Williams' B-side of 'Slow Down') and 'Bad Boy'.
Matchbox
by Carl Perkins
Lead vocal: Ringo
Ringo (and George) was usually given at least one song to sing on every Beatles LP. But Ringo came down sick before he could record his token for A Hard day's Night so that LP was issued without his contribution (hence, with only 13 songs instead of the usual 14). This song on this EP helped make up for the omission.Both songs were recorded at the same session while The Beatles were in Paris. They didn't want to bother, but their record label insisted it was necessary in order to increase sales in Germany.
Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John and Paul (and George?)
The instrumental tracks for 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' were brought over from England so John, Paul, and maybe George could re-record their lyrics in German.
Sie Liebt Dich
by Lennon & McCartney
Lead vocal: John and Paul (and George?)
The original two-track instrumental tape was unavailable, presumed to be destroyed (as was done with tapes in the early days). As a result, The Beatles had to re-record 'She Loves You' from scratch. This is a rare opportunity for musicians to compare two different "best" instrumental tracks, one here and one recorded 63Jul01.
Copyright ©2009, 2012 by Ken Westover at Cliff Canyon Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
This material may not be distributed without the written permission of the author.
E-mail questions or comments to cliffcan@indra.com.
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