A fantastic overlooked gem; not the equal of "I Saw Her Standing There" but one of Lennon's finest early rockers nonetheless. Tweaks both rhythm and structure and shows how the band was beginning to work complex themes into the simplest songs. The Fabs use their new studio freedom to double-track John, which would become a hallmark of the early Beatles sound.
Studio sessions
11 September 1963
30 September 1963
29 October 1963
This actually works better than most of John's tributes to early Smokey Robinson. For one thing, that stutter-step is tighter, and the band gets the dynamics just right, stopping just short of ecstasy to bring things back down. Even more amazing when you consider this is another one-take song.
Studio sessions
30 July 1963
21 August 1963
29 October 1963
23 August 1964
27 August 1964
One of the all-time great Paul songs, it shows how his melodic sense was starting to become truly integrated into his desire to rock out. Full of heartstopping pauses that feel like the gasps and palpitations of young love. Paul had the words to this one first, which explains why they're tighter than usual.<
Studio sessions
11 September 1963
12 September 1963
30 September 1963
29 October 1963
The editor of Merseybeat's claims that he bothered Harrison (trying to get him to write a song, comically enough); George claims it was just the flu and a bad mood. Either way, it's the Quiet One's first recorded song. With the reverb and drums, this is the best Beatle song to surf to!
Lennon and McCartney on pure automatic mode. Another song written for someone else but recorded by the Lads anyway when they needed material. Bad idea. As they've noted, Lennon-McCartney never gave anyone else the good stuff.
Studio sessions
18 July 1963
30 July 1963
21 August 1963
29 October 1963
Studio sessions
30 July 1963
21 August 1963
29 October 1963
More Motown, Marvelettes this time. The Beatles really didn't think America was going to accept them, and this sort of thing brought The Motor City Sound to Britain, but their Motown covers are never really more than serviceable, since the Sound Of Young America had more than unique songs; they had a "sound" that was irreproducable.
Studio sessions
30 July 1963
21 August 1963
29 October 1963
23 August 1964
27 August 1964
Solid version of the Chuck Berry classic, featuring another lead vocal by George. Probably one of their finest covers. A tribute to their roots.
Studio sessions
11 February 1963
12 September 1963
30 September 1963
23 October 1963
29 October 1963
A literal leftover from Please Please Me (it was recorded at the same sessions and canned). Not as rote and tired as "Little Child", but not much better. The Beatles themselves never considered this a fully realized song.
Studio sessions
18 July 1963
21 August 1963
17 October 1963
29 October 1963
26 January 1969
13 March 1969
John finally gets to be Smokey. The results are good, if unsurprising. Of course, expecting one band to match the efforts of Smokey, the Miracles, and Motown's session musicians is probably too much to ask. Of any band.
Studio sessions
11 September 1963
12 September 1963
30 September 1963
3 October 1963
23 October 1963
29 October 1963
29 August 1965
30 August 1965
Usually only regarded as trivia: namely, the one song the Beatles and the Stones both recorded. It's a lot better than a sidenote, though. This song is a smoker, written for and sung by Ringo (but also given to the Stones, although my earlier assertion about songs written for other bands still holds... Ringo was the original intended recipient). Takes the smoldering sentiments of "Love Me Do" and ignites them, but as always with Ringo, it's a lot of fun, as well.
Studio sessions
18 July 1963
21 August 1963
29 October 1963
Proves how well the Beatles knew their R&B. It's a song by the virtually unknown girl group the Donays; the gender was changed from "(He's Got The) Devil In His Heart)". A modest success, musically.
Studio sessions
11 September 1963
30 September 1963
29 October 1963
The song that inspired the famous musical analysis from the London Times, citing the tunes "Aeolian Cadences" and comparing it to Mahler's "Song Of The Earth". Lennon, years later: "To this day I don't know what that was about. I thought Aeolian cadences were exotic birds."
Studio sessions
18 July 1963
30 July 1963
21 August 1963
30 September 1963
29 October 1963
30 October 1963
Wrapping up with another John screamer, but, tellingly, something else was going on just beneath. Critics have debated for years whether this Barrett Strong cover (yet another Motown song, but of a much different stripe) was indicative of John's love of money or a scathing pre-hippie attack on capitalism. Why does John add the words "I want to be free"? Either way, it's a scorcher. Probably John's best rock vocal ever.
