Written by: Lennon-McCartney
Recorded: 29, 30 September 1964
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 4 December 1964 (UK), 14 June 1965 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, lead guitar, acoustic rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass, piano
George Harrison: acoustic guitar
Ringo Starr: drums, timpani
Available on:
Beatles For Sale
Written mostly by Paul McCartney, Every Little Thing was sung by him and John Lennon for The Beatles' fourth album, Beatles For Sale.
McCartney initially hoped it would be the follow-up single to A Hard Day's Night, although this wasn't to be. In America, Every Little Thing was released in 1965 on the Beatles VI album.
Every Little Thing, like most of the stuff I did, was my attempt at the next single. I remember playing it for Brian backstage somewhere. He had assembled a few people. It was one of those meetings - 'Oh, we have to do some recordings, who's got what?' and we played a few at Brian. We didn't often check things with Brian, in fact I just remember it in connection with this because I thought it was very catchy. I played it amongst a few songs; it was something I thought was quite good but it became an album filler rather than the great almighty single. It didn't have quite what was required.
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
The song was written in August 1964 during The Beatles' first full US tour.
John and I got this one written in Atlantic City during our last tour of the States. John does the guitar riff for this one, and George is on acoustic. Ringo bashes some timpani drums for the big noises you hear.
The Beatles Off The Record, Keith Badman
A devotional love song, most likely written with Jane Asher in mind, Every Little Thing is as emotionally revealing as any of Lennon's songs on Beatles For Sale. Although the music was less successful, the lyrics are among McCartney's most succinct and tender on the album.
In the studio
The Beatles began recording Every Little Thing on 29 September 1964. They taped four takes, the last of which was temporarily considered the best.
They returned to it the following day, recording a further five attempts. It was a light-hearted session, as recounted by Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn:
Take six was aborted when Paul burped a vocal instead of singing it, take seven was complete but ended in uproarious laughter. And Ringo was having fun with an instrument new to Beatles recordings - timpani. This appeared for the first time on take nine, along with the guitar intro and piano piece.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions
Related articles:
- Recording: Every Little Thing, What You're Doing, No Reply
- Live: Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Mother Nature's Son
- I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
- Honey Don't
A tasty and unique little song, but a careful listen to the stereo mix reveals some details missed in the Lewisohn quote above.
Firstly, John played the intro, solo, and those cool chimy notes in the chorus on his Rickenbacker 325/12. This is the only track that prominently features this unique custom guitar, and could be the only time it was used in recording. The sound is way different than George's 360/12, and the approach to the solo sounds much more Lennon than Harrison.
Like most of the Beatles' four track recordings of the period, the session tape would have contained the basic instrumental track on 2 tracks and the basic vocal on the third. On this song the contents of the fourth (overdub) track are mixed to the far right(in the stereo master) so it is easy to figure out what was added after the original take 9 was laid down.
One surprise in the right channel though. In the solo, there are bass guitar notes that were obviously played in the overdub--Paul plays a short run on the bass, which is answered by the 325/12, this pattern is repeated, then John plays a slightly rushed arpegio to finish the solo. This is in addition to the bass line which runs through the song, which is mixed to the near left.
So, this song is one of, if not the first songs ever to feature multi-tracked bass.
The piano part was part of the original take 9, so credit should go to George Martin for this.
Summary: take 9 originally consisted of:
John Lennon: Rhythm Guitar and Lead Vocal
Paul McCartney: Backing Vocal and Bass
George Harrison: ???????
Ringo Starr: Drums
George Martin: Piano
Recorded onto track 4 of take 9:
John Lennon: Lead Guitar
Paul McCartney: Bass
Ringo Starr: Tympani
That's how I hear it, any one like to add or subtract to this??
Les, many thanks for your comment - very illuminating! I'll bow to your superior ears, and amend the line-up accordingly.
Les is right with his comments about the guitars and its players but in case of the vocals I would say that Lennon and McCartney are on shared lead vocals because both of them are singing together all the time (often in unison).
I'm pretty sure it's double-tracked Lennon in the verses, joined by McCartney in the choruses.
Listen again, this one has no double-tracked Lennon. You can hear McCartney's voice come through a few times:
00:22 ("... her")
01:01 ("... forever")
And also there was no free track for Lennon to double his voice. According to Everett, the four tracks consists of:
1) Paul's bass, Ringo's drums, John's acoustic guitar
2) Lennon-McCartney vocals
3) John's Rickenbacker 12-string
4) piano by Paul(!), Ringo's timpani
The piano is certainly played by Paul. Lewisohn has a photo in his book (Recording Sessions, page 48) which captures the overdub recording with Ringo on timpani and Paul on piano (30 September 1964).
Definitely John and Paul singing together the entire way. However it does sound like a single Lennon-sounding voice (more Lennon sounding than McCartney).
This amazing phenomenon can be heard on a lot of other songs: MISERY, SHE LOVES YOU, FROM ME TO YOU, I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND, EIGHT DAYS A WEEK, I'LL GET YOU, THANK YOU GIRL, LITTLE CHILD, maybe a few others.
There is no definitive answer to who played the lead guitar. I post on Beat Gear Cavern, and even there no consensus has been reached. http://beatgearcavern.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=43375&hilit=+every+little+thing+
http://oldies.about.com/od/thebeatlessongs/a/everylittle.htm
"Some sources claim that John plays lead on this song, due to the style of the solo, and also because George did not arrive at the studio until two hours after the backing track was laid down. However, the guitar being played is indeed George's (1964 Rickenbacker "Fire-glo" 360-12), although John may have merely borrowed it. The argument has never been resolved."
John stated in his Hit Parader interview that both Paul and he wrote this song - he does sing the lead vocal.
In the Playboy interview he actually states that Paul wrote it, but that he[John] may have thrown something in as well -- unlike in the Hit Parader interview, where he just throws the song into the Lennon/McCartney pile, without further comment.
But from those two sources, I would find it fair to assume he had _something_ to do with the writing, as well as being audibly the most prominent lead singer.
Here's some interesting food for thought about "Every Little Thing."
McCartney said in interview in late 1964 (as found in Keith Madman's book "The Beatles Off The Record"): "John and I got this one written in Atlantic City during our last tour of the States. John does the guitar riff for this one, and George is on acoustic. Ringo bashes some timpani drums for the big noises you hear."
In Paul's "Many Years From Now" Book, co-author Barry Miles says the song was written at Jane Ashers house on Wimpole Street, but contradicts himself by saying in one place that it was written in the "little music room" and in another place saying that Paul wrote it "sitting in his garret room alone, strumming his guitar." Interestingly, neither of these quotes are from Paul himself! Even so, the book came together around 30 years after the fact, so the more reliable source would be Paul's 1964 quote.
John playing lead guitar is also substantiated by this quote, while George playing acoustic guitar is quite a bombshell.
Thanks Dave. I've added that quote - I have a copy of Keith Badman's (Madman?) book too. You're right - it is best to rely on the 1964 quote rather than something (mis)remembered years later. It's a shame Badman doesn't attribute the source, though - some of the snippets in his book are from years after the event, though others are more obviously from the 1960s.
It's interesting about George playing acoustic - I'll add him back into the line-up.
I just assume Paul started writing it at Wimpole Street, and then he and John put it together while on tour.
Although, I must admit, I thought it was the Australian tour.
I seem to remember -- very vaguely, I must say -- reading some interview where John was asked what new songs he and Paul had written on the tour, and John asks Paul what were the names of the two new songs they wrote the other day, and Paul answers: 'What You're Doing' and 'Every Little Thing'.
See, in those days, it was still 'we', rather than 'me'.
Sorry about Keith's name. I guess he's a "bad man" and not necessarily a "madman"
Have you ever heard 'take four' of the song that they recorded on September 29th? You can hear it on YouTube. John originally played more lead guitar flourishes during the verses as well as a somewhat different sounding solo in the instrumental section. Paul even pops into a couple harmony lines in the verses. It's an interesting listen!