#64: Honey Don't

Written by: Carl Perkins
Released: December 4, 1964
Appears on: Beatles For Sale
Lead vocal: Ringo


Back when I wrote about "Matchbox", I mentioned that it was one of two songs the Beatles recorded where they switched vocalists. "Honey Don't" is the other. John had been singing this Carl Perkins number (here's the awesome original) as late as August, 1963 when they recorded it for the BBC. This version featuring John is on 'Live At The BBC'. 
Since Ringo hadn't been given an original song to sing since "I Want To Be Your Man", John & Paul obviously felt that there was no reason to break Ringo's streak of covers. So, John gave up "Honey Don't" to Ringo. Of course, hearing John do it is great, but again, nobody sings rockabilly like Ringo. 
The song is a lot of fun and you can tell that they had fun making it. Ringo gets to yell "Rock on, George, for Ringo one time!" Still, it's impossible not to get that same feeling you get from all the other covers here - that they feel forced to do these old songs after an album full of originals. 


In the US, the song came up on Beatles '65. 
It's kind of funny how Ringo still does this at every single show he does. He also felt that it was necessary to do it at The Concert For George, even though it might have been classier for him to find another Perkins song to do.  

#63: Words Of Love

Written by: Buddy Holly
Released: December 4, 1964
Appears on: Beatles For Sale
Lead vocal: John, Paul & George



Despite their love of Buddy Holly, they had yet to cover the master until "Words Of Love". In fact, this is the only Holly cover they ever recorded in the studio for EMI. "That'll Be The Day", Holly's signature tune, was covered by them when they were still the Quarrymen and it appeared on their home-made 45 (that's currently in Paul's possession, as far as I know) that's on Anthology 1. 
The original version of "Words of Love" (heard here) was first released on Brunswick's Buddy Holly LP in 1958.  
Now, the interesting thing about the Beatles' version is that they copied Holly almost note-for-note. Ringo even went as far as playing a suitcase to get the sound of Holly's percussion right. This makes it a real rarity in the Beatles' catalog. Most of their covers add something unique, but here The Beatles copy an already perfect song. 
Sure, it's entirely possible that it was recorded because they needed to fill a slot on the LP...but, I like to think that it's the Beatles making sure that their single-most important influence is finally represented on one of their records.  

In the US, this was another song that got held over until Beatles VI, but it was not issued on a 45. 

#62: Eight Days A Week

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 4, 1964
Appears on: Beatles For Sale
Lead vocal: John & Paul

When the time came for The Beatles to issue a 45 for the Christmas, 1964 season, "Eight Days A Week" was the obvious choice. However, John came up with "I Feel Fine", letting "Eight Days A Week" become a simple album track.

The title is another example of how John and Paul were always listening to the odd ball things that people say and looked for ways to incorporate them into songs. Paul says in the Anthology book that when they asked their chauffeur how he was doing, he commented that he had been working hard, like 'eight days a week'! So, that's where the title comes from.

The song is one of those interesting joint Lennon/McCartney numbers, where they actually worked together on the song. If you look at the song technically, it is the most difficult number on the album, from it's fade-in intro to the intricate vocal arrangement.

It's also the happiest original song on the record. Aside from the title, it is, lyrically, the simplest song. The singer loves the girl so much, that not even eight days a week would be enough to show it.

It's a good, fun song, especially when you can stop whatever you're doing to stamp your feet and clap when the song tells you to. That's another cool part - audience participation. The Beatles were certainly the best in that regard!

In the US, the song was issued as a single and hit #1 for just a week. Capitol issued the incredibly radio-friendly song on Beatles VI. The song just begged to be released as a single, so you really can't blame Capitol for that decision.


Beatles T-Shirts

#61: Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey

Written by: Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller [Kansas City]/Richard Penniman [Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey]

Released: December 4, 1964
Appears on: Beatles For Sale
Lead vocal: Paul

"Kansas City" is probably one of the most well-known Leiber/Stoller songs they ever wrote. It was first written back in 1952, although no one would have a national hit with it until 1959. After that, the song became a rock standard.

"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" is a simple call-response chant that Little Richard wrote and recorded in 1956 as the B-Side to "Good Golly Miss Molly".

Of course, as a showman, Little Richard found that the best way to perform the two songs was to make them a medley. He performed it live and it obviously translated into a 45. (You can hear that here.)

The Beatles used to actually perform the entirety of "Kansas City" in the Cavern Club and in Hamburg. However, when the Beatles were required to do BBC shows, by then, they started just doing Little Richard's medley. Thus, this is what we have recorded on Beatles For Sale.

Since it's a Little Richard number, Paul takes the lead vocal. He does a wonderful job and, on an album where the covers really don't stick out that much, this is easily the best. It's also a fantastic Side One closer.

The Beatles recorded two takes, but like "Twist And Shout", the first take was the one that was issued. The second take is on Anthology 1, where it's used as the closer for that set. For some strange reason, Capitol used it as the opener for Beatles VI. So, the track was held over in the US, as Beatles VI was not released until June, 1966. It's a good song, but I think it works as a closer better. (Capitol was also stupid enough to just call the medley "Kansas City" and only gave credit to Leiber/Stoller, even on the label. It wasn't until the publisher's lawyer let them know that it was, in fact a medley, that they tried to change it. They never did change the title on the cover, but they did eventually on the label.)

As a side note, Paul did go back to the full "Kansas City" by recording it for Choba b CCCP - The Russian Album in 1988, showing that things do come full circle, especially in the Beatles universe.

#60: Mr. Moonlight

Written by: Roy Lee Johnson
Released: December 4, 1964
Appears on: Beatles For Sale
Lead vocal: John

"MIIISSSSSTTEEEERRRR MMMOOOOONLIGHT!!!!!"

From the start of their career, the Beatles made it pretty clear that even if the song wasn't a hit, they'd still cover it. "Mr. Moonlight" was originally recorded by Piano Red under the name "Dr. Feelgood And The Interns". It was released as a B-Side in 1962 and somehow, it quickly became a favorite of a certain group of Liverpudlian rockers.

I have no idea what made the Beatles want to actually record the song. It's cheesy beyond all reason, but their cover seems to make fun of that aspect. John seems to purposefully pull off the worst vocal of his career and Paul's organ solo seems to make the song sound older than it is. The song was only two years old when they covered it, but the Beatles make it sound as if it was written as a 1940's show-tune. In fact, if you go back and listen to Piano Red's original, it sounds like a silly, throwaway rock song.

It really is one of the worst covers the Beatles ever did and probably in the same class as "Devil In Her Heart", but through practically satirizing the song, the Beatles still keep it interesting.

The Beatles needed just four takes to get it right and an edit of Takes 1 and 4 is on Anthology 1. In the US, it was on Beatles '65.

#59: I'll Follow The Sun

Written by: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Released: December 4, 1964
Appears on: Beatles For Sale
Lead vocal: Paul

I've always thought of "I'll Follow The Sun" as a dry run for "Yesterday". Although the song is hardly a solo track (John is featured prominently on backup vocals) the acoustic, somber nature of the track definitely allows itself to be compared to Paul's later masterpiece.

"I'll Follow The Sun" is Paul's first spotlight on the LP and shows The Beatles' growing desire to let their emotions hang out for all to see. However, Paul first wrote the song four years earlier (and a recording can actually be found on bootlegs and here). As you can probably hear in that recording, when The Quarrymen recorded it, they probably thought of the song as just another little 'rock thing', but when Paul resurrected it for Beatles For Sale, it became the quiet, delicate ballad that we all love today.

Like the majority of Beatles For Sale, it landed on the US LP Beatles '65 and (also like practically all of Beatles For Sale) has never appeared elsewhere. It's a shame, because if you could ever call a Beatles song 'underrated', "I'll Follow The Sun" is one of them.

#58: Rock And Roll Music

Written by: Chuck Berry

Released: December 4, 1964

Appears on: Beatles For Sale

Lead vocal: John

In 1957, Chuck Berry wrote the theme song for the genre of music he was defining. "Rock And Roll Music" is the one song that sums up Rock 'n' Roll in a way that no other single song does. Chuck Berry's original is as good as it gets.

Leave it to John Lennon to push it even further.

The Beatles' take is more raucous and it just goes to show how much rock 'n' roll evolved in just the seven years between the two recordings. However, later recordings of the song would show none of the evolution that rock went through after The Beatles. Maybe it just proves that once The Beatles defined what rock 'sounds' like, that rock stopped evolving and everyone just spent their time trying to be The Beatles. That's not true, obviously, but in the case of "Rock And Roll Music", no one ever did it better than the Beatles.

"Rock And Roll Music", as the first cover on Beatles For Sale proves that touring was really taking a toll on them. Despite all the covers on the album being really good, there's a sense of reluctance and almost boredom that runs through all of them. It's hard to believe that the Beatles were happy that they had to fall back on the old crutch of recording covers. It's also as clear as day on the cover that they needed more time before recording yet another album. The extra time would have allowed for more originals...but, of course, even as the most popular foursome in the world, anything less than two LPs and five to six 45s a year was unacceptable.

This particular cover appeared on Capitol's Beatles '65 in the US and acted as the title track to the superfluous compilation Rock And Roll Music in 1976.