Written by: Harrison
Recorded: 15, 16 February 1965
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 6 August 1965 (UK), 13 August 1965 (US)
George Harrison: vocals, lead guitar
John Lennon: harmony vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, bass
Ringo Starr: drums, cowbell
Available on:
Help!
The second of George Harrison's songs to be recorded by The Beatles, I Need You was featured in the film Help! and appeared on its soundtrack LP.
A simple, rather melancholic love song, I Need You was written for Harrison's future wife Pattie Boyd. It appeared in the Help! film during the Salisbury Plain sequence, along with The Night Before.
In the studio
The Beatles recorded the rhythm track of I Need You in five takes on 15 February 1965 - the first day of recording for what was to become the Help! album.
The next day saw a series of overdubs, including Harrison's double-tracked vocals and Ringo Starr's cowbell part. Harrison also added the song's distinctive guitar part, achieved with a volume pedal - the effect being used again for Yes It Is during the same recording session.
i love every beatle song but for some reason this one is my favorite.i think i like it so much because of its melancholic nature
Same here. This one might be my favorite.
isn´t the 12-strings rickenbacker again with a pedal ?
George could write beautiful melodies...
Too bad they didn't let him do it more often. I need you is one of his early bests.