Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Although The Beatles had taped much of Can't Buy Be Love while in Paris on 29 January 1964, the first scheduled recording sessions for the A Hard Day's Night LP took place on this day. It was also George Harrison's 21st birthday, which was celebrated in the evening.
The Beatles were due to begin shooting their first feature film on 2 March, leaving them with little time for recording. There were two sessions on this day: the first began at 10am and ended at 1.30pm, and the second from 2.30-5.30pm, both in Studio Two at EMI Studios.
The first song to be tackled was Can't Buy Me Love. Vocals and guitar parts were overdubbed onto the backing track recorded in Paris, after which the song was complete and ready to be The Beatles' next single.
The group then turned their attentions to the song's future b-side, John Lennon's You Can't Do That. The Beatles finished the song in nine takes, only four of which were complete. The previously-unreleased take six was included on 1995's Anthology 1.
In the afternoon session they worked on two songs which ended up on the A Hard Day's Night soundtrack. And I Love Her was the first to be tackled. The Beatles recorded just two takes on this day; the second of these, the only complete run-through, was also released on Anthology 1. The group remade the song on the following day.
Also begun on this day was I Should Have Known Better. Three takes were recorded, but only one was complete. As with And I Love Her, the song was remade on 26 February.
