Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 11 February 1963
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 22 March 1963 (UK), 22 July 1963 (US)
George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar
John Lennon: backing vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
Ringo Starr: drums, percussion
Available on:
Please Please Me
Recorded for the Please Please Me album, Do You Want To Know A Secret was written by John Lennon and sung by George Harrison.
I can't say I wrote it for George. I was in the first apartment I'd ever had that wasn't shared with fourteen other students - gals and guys at art school. I'd just married Cyn, and Brian Epstein gave us his secret little apartment that he kept in Liverpool for his sexual liaisons separate from his home life. And he let Cyn and I have that apartment.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
Lennon based the song on Wishing Well, from Walt Disney's 1937 animated feature film Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.
My mother was always... she was a comedienne and a singer. Not professional, but, you know, she used to get up in pubs and things like that. She had a good voice. She could do Kay Starr. She used to do this little tune when I was just a one- or two-year-old... yeah, she was still living with me then... The tune was from the Disney movie - 'Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell. You are standing by a wishing well.'
So, I had this sort of thing in my head and I wrote it and just gave it to George to sing. I thought it would be a good vehicle for him because it only had three notes and he wasn't the best singer in the world. He has improved a lot since then, but in those days his singing ability was very poor because (a) he hadn't had the opportunity, and (b) he concentrated more on the guitar. So I wrote that - not for him as I was writing it, but when I had written it, I thought he could do it. It was just written.
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
The song was later given to Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, another group managed by Brian Epstein. Lennon recorded a demo while in a Hamburg nightclub's toilet; he claimed it was the only place quiet enough to record in. At the end of the demo, now sadly lost, he pulled the lavatory chain.
The Dakotas recorded it at their debut session at Abbey Road on 14 March 1963, and later that year it reached number one in the singles charts.
In the studio
Do You Want To Know A Secret was recorded along with nine other Please Please Me songs on 11 February 1963. It was the fourth song to be recorded that day.
Do You Want To Know A Secret was 'my song' on the album. I didn't like my vocal on it. I didn't know how to sing; nobody told me how to.
Anthology
The final version was take six, which also included an overdub of the harmony vocals and two drum sticks being hit together during the middle eight. With the overdubs, this final version became known as take eight.
During the backing vocal overdub by John and Paul, Ringo added some drumsticks tapped together (recorded with echo). You can hear them from 1:09 to 1:20.
Thanks - I've added it as 'percussion' to the line-up.
Why was John Lennon so condescending with George. Obviously George could do backup harmony--------which can be more difficult than singing lead.
I still believe that despite the talent both John and Paul were insecure.
At the onset John didn't even know guitar chords and George helped. I never read about George putting down John for that.
Not at all insecure. They let George sing at least some songs. Even Ringo.
I think it's not so much some insecurity John and Paul have, but more of the fact that John was outspoken in his life not only about fellow band mates but his self in general. Also, with George being so humble and reserved to some extant we never really see George "put someone down."
Also when it comes to backup the only really hard harmony that the fab did was probably Paul's part which most often than not was the higher range. While George did the mid to low range which was already naturally in his voice and vocal range.
This song was released as a single in the U.S. on the VeeJay label. It got as high as #2 on the charts in March of 1964!
I always have the feeling that George fluffs the little guitar lead-in at the beginning, after "I really care". The version on the Billy J Kramer cover is really crisp and sharp. To my untrained ears it sounds like an edit: maybe George Martin (who I presume produced the Billy JK version, correct me if I'm wrong) regretted not having cleaned up The Beatles' version...