‘Help!’, The Beatles’ 10th Parlophone single, was released just before the world première of the film of the same name.
The single was issued as Parlophone R 5305, with the b-side ‘I’m Down’. ‘Help!’ was here issued with a slightly different lead vocal from that on the album of the same name.
It entered the UK charts on 29 July, and from 5 August spent three weeks at number one. In all it spent 14 weeks in the charts.
In 1965 the single retailed at six shillings and eight pence.
Last updated: 4 July 2022
Also on this day...
- 2018: Paul McCartney live: Abbey Road Studios, London
- 2013: Paul McCartney live: Plains of Abraham, Quebec City, Canada
- 1969: Recording: Oh! Darling, Come Together, The End
- 1968: Recording, mixing: Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey, Good Night
- 1967: The Beatles go sightseeing in Greece
- 1964: Live: The Night Of A Hundred Stars
- 1963: Live: Odeon Cinema, Weston-super-Mare
- 1962: Live: Kingsway Club, Southport
- 1961: Live: Blair Hall, Liverpool
- 1960: Live: Grosvenor Ballroom, Wallasey
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I believe the vocal was different from that of the stereo version of the album because only the mono mix was released as a single. In the mono box set the “Help” album also has that different lead vocal.