The last cover version recorded by The Beatles until the Get Back/Let It Be sessions in 1969, ‘Act Naturally’ was sung by Ringo Starr and appeared on the second side of the Help! album.

The country and western song, written by Johnny Russell and Voni Morrison, was first released by Buck Owens in 1963, and topped the US Billboard country singles chart that year. It was recorded by The Beatles as a replacement for the abandoned ‘If You’ve Got Trouble’.

I sang ‘Act Naturally’ in Help!. I found it on a Buck Owens record and I said, ‘This is the one I am going to be doing,’ and they said ‘OK’. We were listening to all kinds of things.
Ringo Starr
Anthology

In America the song was first released on 13 September 1965 on the ‘Yesterday’ single. On 15 June 1966 it appeared on the Yesterday… And Today album.

Although ‘Act Naturally’ was never a part of The Beatles’ live repertoire before they recorded it, they did perform it during their fourth and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, taped on 14 August 1965 and broadcast on 12 September.

In the studio

The Beatles recorded ‘Act Naturally’ on 17 June 1965. They recorded it in 13 takes – the first 12 were essentially rehearsals, with Starr’s vocals making their first and only appearance on the final attempt.

The arrangement was simple, and varied only slightly from the original. Paul McCartney sang backing vocals, and George Harrison performed some suitably country and western lead guitar licks.

Lyrics

They’re gonna put me in the movies
They’re gonna make a big star out of me
We’ll make a film about a man that’s sad and lonely
And all I gotta do is act naturally

Well, I’ll bet you I’m gonna be a big star
Might win an Oscar, you can never tell
The movie’s gonna make me a big star
’cause I can play the part so well

Well I hope you’ll come and see me in the movies
Then I’ll know that you will plainly see
The biggest fool that ever hit the big time
And all I gotta do is act naturally

We’ll make the scene about a man that’s sad and lonely
And begging down upon his bended knee
I’ll play the part and I won’t need rehearsing
All I have to do is act naturally

Well, I’ll bet you I’m gonna be a big star
Might win an Oscar, you can never tell
The movie’s gonna make me a big star
’cause I can play the part so well

Well I hope you’ll come and see me in the movies
Then I’ll know that you will plainly see
The biggest fool that ever hit the big time
And all I gotta do is act naturally


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Next song: ‘It’s Only Love’
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