Beatles For Sale – The Beatles

After the release of the film and album A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles had become untouchable worldwide. The result is performances every day (sometimes 2 in one day), recordings for their weekly radio programs (including Pop Go The Beatles), not to mention the energy-consuming world tours. Their dream to conquer America had also come true and between the companies John and Paul still saw an opportunity to write new songs. While the world was still captivated by A Hard Day's Night, and the singles She Loves You, Can't Buy Me Love and I Want To Hold Your Hand, the end of 1964 came into view. And just like the year before, the intention was to come with a new album in December.

But nobility obliges, which meant that John and Paul started to make increasingly strict demands on their songs, also partly due to their acquaintance with the records of Bob Dylan. The question was therefore whether the new record would be ready on time. But EMI was inexorable, the new album had to be in stores before Christmas. That meant making concessions to the increasing demands that John and Paul placed on their own songs. High-quality compositions such as No Reply, I'm A Loser, Baby's In Black and Eight Day's A Week were available while an older Lennon-McCartney song like I'll Follow The Sun was re-edited. The Beatles had since made it a habit to spend more and more hours in the studio. And because the number of five Lennon-McCartney songs for the new record was a little low, a few more were written on the spot: Every Little Thing, I Don't Want To Spoil The Party and What You're Doing were the result.

Six cover versions were used to make up the total of fourteen songs, and the Beatles relied on material already played at the Cavern and Hamburg. Rock And Roll Music is by Lennon's idol Chuck Berry, Mr. Moonlight is a song by the American singer / guitarist Roy Lee Johnson, Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey, the first part of which was written by the famous duo Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller . Singer Little Richard used the song as part of his medley, along with Hey-Hey-Hey. It is therefore this medley that the Beatles recorded for Beatles For Sale. Buddy Holly's song is Words Of Love, while Carl Perkins' Ringo sung Honey Don't and Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, sung by George, make up the total of fourteen.