Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 16 April 1964
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 10 July 1964 (UK), 26 June 1964 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, electric and acoustic rhythm guitars
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass
George Harrison: lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums, bongos
George Martin: piano
Available on:
A Hard Day's Night
1
Anthology 1
Live At The BBC
The clanging chord which opened the title track of The Beatles' first film, third album and seventh UK single remains one of the most iconic moments of their career.
We knew it would open both the film and the soundtrack LP, so we wanted a particularly strong and effective beginning. The strident guitar chord was the perfect launch.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
The title A Hard Day's Night had been coined by an exhausted Ringo Starr following a filming session on 19 March 1964.
We went to do a job, and we'd worked all day and we happened to work all night. I came up still thinking it was day I suppose, and I said, 'It's been a hard day...' and I looked around and saw it was dark so I said, '...night!' So we came to A Hard Day's Night.
While appropriated for the film after Starr's utterance, it wasn't a new phrase. It appeared in John Lennon's book In His Own Write, published on 23 March 1964, although Lennon always attributed it to his colleague.
There was no reason for Michael to be sad that morning, (the little wretch); everyone liked him, (the scab). He'd had a hard day's night that day, for Michael was a Cocky Watchtower.
In His Own Write, John Lennon
The phrase neatly summed up the frenetic pace of The Beatles' existence in 1964, going from hotel room to dressing room to stage and back again. When it was adopted by director Richard Lester as the title of the band's first film, and announced to the press on 13 April, it left Lennon and McCartney with the task of writing a theme tune to order.
I was going home in the car and Dick Lester suggested the title Hard Day's Night from something Ringo'd said. I had used it in In His Own Write but it was an off-the-cuff remark by Ringo. You know, one of those malapropisms. A Ringoism, where he said it not to be funny, just said it. So Dick Lester said we are going to use that title, and the next morning I brought in the song. 'Cause there was a little competition between Paul and I as to who got the A side, who got the hit singles.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
Paul McCartney remembered the selection of the title differently in his authorised biography.
We'd almost finished making the film and this fun bit arrived that we'd not known about before which was naming the film. So we were sitting around at Twickenham studios having a little brain-storming session; director Dick Lester, us, Walter Shenson [film producer], Bud Ornstein [European head of production for United Artists] and some other people were sitting around trying to come up with something and we said, 'Well, there was something Ringo said the other day'... He said after a concert, 'Phew, it's been a hard day's night.' John and I went, 'What? What did you just say?' He said, 'I'm bloody knackered, man, it's been a hard day's night.' 'Hard day's night! Fucking brilliant! How does he think of 'em? Woehayy!' So that came up in this brain-storming session, something Ringo said, 'It was a hard day's night.'
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
Related articles:
- Recording: A Hard Day's Night
- US single: A Hard Day's Night
- Mixing: A Hard Day's Night, Things We Said Today
- UK single and LP: A Hard Day's Night
- US LP: A Hard Day's Night
what guitar is making the bright chord for the intro of the song, a hard days night-and what mic(s) and what amp?-and who played the chord/guitar?
Hi John. I don't have any info on mics and amps (I suspect they were Vox amps). A couple of books which are on my to-buy list are The Beatles' Gear by Andy Babiuk and Recording The Beatles(.com) by Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew. Those should have the information you need.
There's some info on the song's opening chord here: http://www.beatlesbible.com/features/hard-days-night-chord/
I hope it's useful - it has information on the instruments used and the notes played.
The guitar used for the opening is a Rickenbacker 360/12 twelve string, played by George and the amp is a Vox AC-50. I think that they used Neumann or AKG Mics.
That article on the chord is great.
At the time, 12 string electrics were virtually non-existent. Harrison was given his by Rickenbacker when the Beatles first came to New York in February 1964. It was only the second ever produced by the company, and the first to use the (now) distinctive Rickenbacker string arrangement of having the low string first (higher on the guitar and first to be hit by the pick) then the high string below it. This is part of what makes the sound distinctive. It's amazing that after 45 years, that sound still sounds new, distinctive and just cool.
There should be credits for the cowbell, but I´m not sure who played it. Emerick says Ringo at the same time with the bongos, but it seems impossible to play both at the same time.
Lennon sings both lead and harmony vocals, or at least his main vocal is double-tracked.