‘Honey Don’t’, Ringo Starr’s vocal spot on the Beatles For Sale album, was written by Carl Perkins and originally released in 1956.
We didn’t write this one, either. It’s Ringo’s solo piece, a simple and sweet piece which he handles as well vocally as he does his drum kit. Yes, he’s singing! Again it’s another Cavern item of ours only John used to sing it in those days.
Disc, 14 November 1964
The song had been a part of The Beatles’ live set since 1962, when it had been sung by John Lennon. A version recorded for Pop Go The Beatles on 1 August 1963 was included on the Live At The BBC album, with Lennon on vocals.
‘Honey Don’t’ was originally the b-side of Perkins’ single ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, released on 1 January 1956.
We all knew ‘Honey Don’t’; it was one of those songs that every band in Liverpool played. I used to love country music and country rock. I’d had my own show with Rory Storm, when I would do five or six numbers. So singing and performing wasn’t new to me; it was a case of finding vehicles for me with The Beatles. That’s why we did it on Beatles For Sale. It was comfortable. And I was finally getting one track on a record: my little featured spot.
Anthology
In the studio
‘Honey Don’t’ was recorded during the final session for Beatles For Sale. On 26 October 1964 the group recorded five takes, the last of which was the best.
Lyrics
Well how come you say you will when you won’t?
Say you do, baby, when you don’t?
Let me know, honey, how you feel
Tell the truth now, is love real?
But uh-huh, well, honey don’t
Well, honey don’t
Honey don’t
Honey don’t
Honey don’t
I say you will when you won’t
Uh-huh, honey don’t
Well I love you, baby, and you ought to know
I like the way that you wear your clothes
Everything about you is so doggone sweet
You got that sand all over your feet
But uh-huh, well, honey don’t
Honey don’t
Honey don’t
Honey don’t
Honey don’t
I say you will when you won’t
Uh-huh, honey don’t
Oh, rock on George, one time for me
I feel fine
I said
Well sometimes I love you on a Saturday night
Sunday morning you don’t look right
You been out painting the town
Uh-huh, baby, been stepping around
But uh-huh, well, honey don’t
I said, honey don’t
Honey don’t
Honey don’t
Honey don’t
I say you will when you won’t
Uh-huh, honey don’t
Ah, rock on George, for Ringo one time
Well, honey don’t
Well, honey don’t
A little, little, honey don’t
I say you will when you won’t
Uh-huh, honey don’t
John played his acoustic 12-string and he also overdubbed a tambourine.
The track contents are:
1. Ringo’s drums, Paul’s bass
2. George’s Tennessean and John’s 12-string
3. Ringo’s vocal
4. John’s tambourine
Actually, it’s possible that it might’ve been Ringo who played tambourine on “Honey Don’t” and even this page (http://www.beatlesebooks.com/honey-dont) indicates the likelihood as well. I also don’t think that John would’ve played it on a song that Ringo was going to sing, given that the pair were very good friends and John also had very high regard for Ringo as a drummer.
One of my all time favorite Beatle’s song.
The Beatles could really do a cover and sound 300% better than the original without arranging the tune.
My favourite Carl Perkins cover, thanks to Ringo’s laid-back charisma.
liked all their covers of Carls songs. really loved hearing George play Carl because he loved the man so much, and it shows
Oh God, Ringo’s vocals on this are just marvellous. 🙂 The best part is during the first chorus when there’s a hint of an incredulous laugh during one of the “Honey Don’t”s. And of course the pre-solo parts.
The Beatles for Sale page says that this song and “Mr. Moonlight” are the two most pointless covers on the album, but I definitely disagree. For me it would be “Rock and Roll Music” and “Kansas City” (although that one gets reasonably cool from the part where the “bye bye, bye bye” backing vocals start). The organ solo in “Mr. Moonlight” is one of the funniest Beatles moments ever IMO, and of course the vocals are amazing.
I agree their cover of Rock n Roll Music has always left me cold.
I think you should include that a version of this was included in the John Lennon Signature Box Set. I think that version sounds a lot more “raw”.
This song really comes alive on the BBC version. John sings the song the way it was meant to be sung. I think the tempo is also quicker. If you’ve never heard this version you should check it out, it’s a proper Beatles-quality song unlike the Ringo version which, sadly, is a bit flat and plodding.
A simple song from the worst Beatles album (Beatles for sale)
What happened to the bass drum? It’s only audible a a few times throughout the song and whilst I acknowledge the bass drum is quite difficult to pick out on a large number of the Beatles’ earlier tracks – 1962-1964 – it’s practically gone AWOL here!
I think that there’s no drums on this track. The rhythm are made for the acoustic guitar and the tambourine. I don’t hear any cymbals, toms or snare.
What you think?
They seem to be on the far left, being the most obvious at 0:08
Worst Beatle album????? No Reply, I’m A Loser, Baby’s In Black, Rock And Roll Music, I’ll Follow The Sun, Eight Days A Week, Every Little Thing, I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party?????? Some of their best songs recorded 😉
According to Jeff Russel’s book The Beatles album file and copmplete discography Carl Perkins was present at the recording session.
oh wow that is cool
I thought he was at the Matchbox sessions.
Beatles For Sale is far from being their worst album.
I remember when it first came out, we were calling it the ‘Country & Western’ LP. A shift from the previous more R&B rock flavored records.
I think there is little doubt that Revolver/Sgt.Pepper/Abbey Road/White Album/Rubber Soul are the best Beatles albums, followed closely by Magical Mystery Tour (if you consider it a proper album). Then you have Let It Be which would be another great one, if it wasn’t butchered by Phil Spector. Then you have their pop masterpieces, A Hard Day’s Night and Help! (which benefit of having all the concurring singles included due to appearing in the films), and then you have Please Please Me, With the Beatles and Beatles for Sale, and among them I would choose the worst one. So i guess its fair
to say its closer to being their worst to being their best. Still love it though.
Magical Mystery Tour was so bad I passed on buying it.
I agree with you and it’s one of my favourites out of their core catalogue. The 2012 stereo vinyl edition gave me a new appreciation for it as well as the 2009 CD remaster.
I love Ringo, and I love this album, but John definitely did it better in their live show. The best thing I can say about this one is that it’s unmemorable.
Johns version is fantastic.
Ringo’s drums are more restrained on his version (’cause he’s singing – my understanding is this was done live / he sang while playing) and I prefer the sound of that version to the BBC one with John singing. But, John’s singing is never a let down.
I really really like the Ringo version. He also sang this song at the Concert for George and I really wish he had included the “Rock on George” blurbs there, it would have been so beautiful and bittersweet there.
P.S. Beatles For Sale is one of the best Beatles albums!
In the book “All The Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release” it says that at 0:34, Paul “pulls too hard at his bass string, which is a bit out of tune” and that the same mistake happens between 1:00 and 1:04. It doesn’t sound wrong to me, though. Can you hear it?
To me the high E’s played on the G string all sound a tiny bit sharp. I could be wrong, and it never bothered me.
Supposedly Paul’s Hofner was notorious for going off pitch on the upper register notes. I assume this what we are hearing. He had not yet started using the Rickenbacker.
The Beatles were at a party for Carl Perkins, Lennon and Harrison go up to Carl and George asks him, what “ key did you record Honey Don’t in? Carl says “recorded it in E”. George says to John, “I told you we weren’t doing it right!”