Co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney at the former’s home in Weybridge, ‘You’re Going To Lose That Girl’ was recorded three days before The Beatles left England to film Help! in the Bahamas.

The Beatles performed the song in a sequence in Help!, filmed at Twickenham Studios where they would later make Let It Be. In the scene, The group mimes to the song in a recording studio environment, presumably intended to represent Abbey Road.

The Beatles’ performance is curtailed when the gang chasing Ringo Starr cuts a hole around his drum kit from the room below.

‘You’re Going To Lose That Girl’ is notable for its key change, a rare occurrence in The Beatles’ songs. During the bridge the song shifts from E major to G major.

The song’s vocals are perhaps the most impressive of all on the Help! album, with Lennon’s double tracked lead lines creating call-and-response patterns with McCartney’s and George Harrison’s backing vocals.

The lyrics, too, are quintessential early Lennon, warning an unidentified male of his predatory intentions towards his female lover.

In the studio

The Beatles began the song during the fifth recording session for Help!, on 19 February 1965.

They recorded just two takes of the backing track, the first of which was a false start, with John Lennon’s rhythm guitar, Paul McCartney’s bass guitar, and Ringo Starr’s drums recorded onto track one of the tape.

During the same session they added some overdubs. Track two contained electric piano by an unknown player, plus a lead guitar by George Harrison – these were later wiped. Lennon, McCartney and Harrison added vocals onto track three, and Lennon double-tracked his lead vocals onto the fourth.

‘You’re Going To Lose That Girl’ was completed on 30 March 1965, when further overdubs were added. Harrison added a new lead guitar part onto track two, accompanied by bongos and piano, played by Starr and McCartney respectively. The song was mixed on 2 April 1965.


Previous song: ‘Another Girl’
Next song: ‘Ticket To Ride’
Published: |