Written by: Perkins
Recorded: 18 October 1964
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 4 December 1964 (UK), 15 December 1964 (US)
George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar
John Lennon: acoustic rhythm guitar, tambourine
Paul McCartney: bass
Ringo Starr: drums
Available on:
Beatles For Sale
Anthology 2
Live At The BBC
Sung by George Harrison as the final track on the Beatles For Sale album, Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby was originally recorded by Carl Perkins in 1957.
The Beatles recorded two other Perkins songs for EMI - Honey Don't and Matchbox, both sung by Ringo Starr. They also played a number of his songs live: Lennon sang Tennessee, Bopping The Blues, Blue Suede Shoes and early versions of Honey Don't; McCartney performed Sure To Fall (In Love With You) and duetted with Lennon on Lend Me Your Comb.
George Harrison, meanwhile, was arguably the group's biggest Perkins fan. His early guitar solos deployed many of the same licks, and he had sung Your True Love and Glad All Over, as well as Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby.
Additionally, during The Beatles' first tour of Scotland in 1960, as the backing band for Johnny Gentle, they all decided to adopt pseudonyms. George became briefly known as Carl Harrison, after his idol.
The Beatles recorded Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby for the BBC radio programme Saturday Club in November 1964. This version can be heard on Live At The BBC. They also recorded it in June 1963 for the Pop Go The Beatles show.
The song returned to The Beatles' live set in 1965, following the release of Beatles For Sale. A version recorded at Shea Stadium on 15 August was included on Anthology 2.
In the studio
The Beatles recorded Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby in a single take on 18 October 1964.
For this album we rehearsed only the new ones. Songs like Honey Don't and Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, we'd played live so often that we only had to get a sound on them and do them.
Anthology
The recording contained a large amount of echo on Harrison's vocals, which were double tracked to make them sound even fuller. For this, Abbey Road's engineers used a technique called STEED: single tape echo and echo delay.
The Beatles inserted a short pause between the lines in the first verse, an arrangement borrowed from Perkins' original recording of Blue Suede Shoes. The false ending, meanwhile, appears to have been the group's own invention: a version recorded at Hamburg's Star-Club in December 1962 features no fewer than four extra instrumental flourishes at the close.
Lyrics
Well they took some honey from a tree
Dressed it up and they called it me
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby, now
Woke up last night, at half past four
Fifty women knocking on my door
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby, now
Went out last night, I didn't stay late
'Fore I got home I had nineteen dates
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby, now
Went out last night, I didn't stay late
'Fore I got home I had nineteen dates
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby, now
Well they took some honey from a tree
Dressed it up and they called it me
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby, now
"The Beatles inserted a short pause between the lines in the first verse, an arrangement borrowed from Perkins' original recording of Blue Suede Shoes."
Carl Perkins' version of the song had the same pause at the start.
Yes, that's the point I was making. Elvis missed them out, but The Beatles based their version on Perkins' original.
Sorry, I should have explained my point better. I meant Carl Perkins' original version of Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby had the pauses, the Beatles version sounds very similar to the original.
Carl Perkins is a joke, a thief he had nothing to do with the song of "Rex Griffin" Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby, he did not write it. Rex Griffin did.
Trorine
I have no problem replying to your comments !!
My name is Trorine Richoux, and very proud to be the grand daughter of Rex Griffin !!
You said, Carl Perkins reconstructed the song and altered its theme as well. "You belive what you like" Maybe take a look at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The Griffin family has had over 50 years to fight for their claim to this song but apparently they have not. "Apparently, You are wrong again"
I really don't know how Carl Perkins and now the Perkins Estate can still live with there self,
So I have the right to call a man like Carl Perkins and the estate a joke and a thief?
Trorine Richoux
Anyone can contact me @
rexgriffinmusic@aol.com
How Come Your Family hasn't applied for Royalties or credits for this Song
We have, and will not give up!
Trorine Richoux
Then what is the status of your attempts currently?
Since you brought up this subject, anybody who has heard both versions will notice that the Beatles recorded Carl Perkin's adaption of this song.
Carl Perkins reconstructed the song and altered its theme as well.
The Griffin family has had over 50 years to fight for their claim to this song but apparently they have not.
This song is not the only old song that was later modernized.
Trorine, who the hell are you to call a man like Carl Perkins a joke and a thief?
dude the lead guitar riff is the exact same as "what goes on"
Everett:
“Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”:
1. Drums, bass, John’s Jumbo
2. George’s Country Gent
3. George’s vocal with heavy STEED
4. George’s doubled vocal for chorus and tambourine
The major point here is that Carl Perkins wrote completely new music for the song. Lyrically, the two songs are similar but musically they are not. My guess is that Carl Perkins did not have the sheet music for the song and did not remember the music so he just wrote and created new music for it in the style of "Blue Suede Shoes". He did the same thing with "Matchbox" which does borrow lyrics from an older blues song but which has totally new music. I think if you compare the music to the Carl Perkins song and the Rex Griffin song you will find that they are different. This is why a lawsuit would fail. The music is different. The Carl Perkins song is more blues-based and is closer to "Blue Suede Shoes" musically.