A cover version of Buddy Holly’s classic song ‘That’ll Be The Day’ was recorded by the Quarrymen in 1958. A single 78rpm disc was pressed, making it the very first recording to feature John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.
The first thing we ever recorded was ‘That’ll Be The Day’, a Buddy Holly song, and one of Paul’s called ‘In Spite Of All The Danger’.
Anthology
The Quarrymen’s first recording was made in the summer of 1958. A Liverpudlian man, Percy F Phillips, had a small studio in the living room of his Victorian terraced house. According to the studio log book, the budding musicians taped their performances for a fee of 17 shillings and three pence.
I remember we all went down on the bus with our instruments – amps and guitars – and the drummer went separately. We waited in the little waiting room outside while somebody else made their demo and then it was our turn. We just went in the room, hardly saw the fella because he was next door in a little control booth. ‘OK, what are you going to do?’ We ran through it very quickly, quarter of an hour, and it was all over.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
The studio was known as Phillips Sound Recording Service. The Quarrymen’s two songs were played live into a single microphone. After the recording was pressed onto the 10-inch shellac disc, the tape was erased to save costs.
John did ‘That’ll Be The Day’, which was one of our stage numbers, and George played the opening guitar notes and I harmonised with John singing lead.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
The Quarrymen had only 15 shillings between them, so Phillips held onto the disc until they returned with the full amount.
When we got the record, the agreement was that we would have it for a week each. John had it a week and passed it on to me. I had it for a week and passed it on to George, who had it for a week. Then Colin had it for a week and passed it to Duff Lowe – who kept it for 23 years.
Anthology
Astonishingly, Lowe kept the single in a sock drawer until 1981, when it was suggested to him that it may be worth something. It was valued by Sotheby’s, and its existence was reported by Sunday Times journalist Stephen Pile.
Before midday on that Sunday Paul McCartney had called my mum in Liverpool. I eventually spoke to him on the phone and we had long conversations over the next few days because he wanted to buy it from me. I was living in Worcester at the time and he sent his solicitor and his business manager up. I deposited the disc in a small briefcase at the local Barclays Bank and we met up in a small room the bank kindly let me use. The deal was done, I handed the record over and we all went home.
A Hard Day’s Write, Steve Turner
The amount McCartney paid for the disc was undisclosed, although Lowe is known to have rejected an initial offer of £5,000.
I ended up buying it back for a very inflated price. I have since had some replicas made. I don’t want to play the shellac because it would wear out, as demos in those days would. But it’s great to have.
Anthology
The Quarrymen’s version of ‘That’ll Be The Day’ was first played by McCartney during a 1985 documentary on Buddy Holly. Shortly thereafter it was circulated by bootleggers. It was eventually released, along with ‘In Spite Of All The Danger’, in 1995 on the Anthology 1 collection.
I still owe a great debt to Little Richard and a lot of those guys, just because they turned us on. It’s something when people turn you on, something I don’t think you ever forget. It’s so deep when you’re young, too. The turn-on, when you’re younger, is so intense. It burns itself into your soul, hearing ‘That’ll Be The Day’ and ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ and ‘What’d I Say?’ They burned themselves into my being.I wouldn’t want to get them out, ever. That’s something I’m really proud to have burned into my soul, branded in me.
Guitar Player, July 1990
Lyrics
Well that’ll be the day
When you say goodbye
Yeah that’ll be the day
When you make me cry
You say you’re gonna leave
You know it’s a lie
’cause that’ll be the day
When I die
Well you give me all your loving
And all your turtle doving
All your hugs and kisses
And your money too
You say you love me baby
Still you tell me maybe
That someday, well
I’ll be through
’cause that’ll be the day
When you make me cry
That’ll be the day
When you say goodbye
You say you’re gonna leave
You know it’s a lie
’cause that’ll be the day
When I die
Yes that’ll be the day
When you say goodbye
Yeah that’ll be the day
When you make me cry
You say you’re gonna leave
You know it’s a lie
’cause that’ll be the day
When I die
Well when Cupid shot his dart
He shot it at your heart
So if we ever part
And I’ll leave you
You say and hold me
And you tell me boldly
That some day, well
I’ll be through
Well that’ll be the day
When you say goodbye
Yes that’ll be the day
When you make me cry
You say you’re gonna leave
You know it’s a lie
’cause that’ll be the day
When I die
Yeah that’ll be the day, ooh-ooh
That’ll be the day, ooh-ooh
That’ll be the day, ooh-ooh
That’ll be the day
I’m pretty sure George sings on this too, the “Aaahs” in the background sound like him.
Yes.
Anyone else hear “And you tell me Pauly” instead of “and you tell me boldly”?
i am
re-listened this part about 10 times and still can’t get rid of the sensation
Presleys personal recording of “My Happiness” went for $300,000 (£225,000) on January 8th 2015. Imagine what this would fetch if available on the open market………
Everything I have have seen and read over the years has always attributed “In Spite of All the Danger” (see John’s first quote above) to Lennon and Harrison. As a I’ve found Lennon and Harrison to be fairly straight and honest as they can be over the measure of time with what was what, whereby Paul, particularly after 1980 when he saw his legacy tank became embittered and self-promoting, if not occasionally outright manufacturally delusional about his “contributions or credits,” Its odd to see John credit Paul for “In Spite of All the Danger.” Anyone?
Get over your irrational, unfactuall bias against Paul.
Anthology credits it to McCartney-Harrison, while Cry for a Shadow is Lennon- Harrison.
Yes-you are absolutely right.. Cry for a Shadow is Lennon- Harrison. and In Spite of All the Danger was written by McCartney and Harrison and is the only song to credit the two alone> From Wikipedia-“Most commentators conclude that the Presley song used by McCartney as a model was “Tryin’ to Get to You”, which was included in Elvis’s first UK album, back in 1956, and which includes the line “In spite of all that I’ve been through.” Chris Ingram says it was “clearly inspired” by it,and John C. Winn says it was “fashioned after” it.”
thought I remember reading somewhere else this was one of McCartney’s first songs written.
Yes, it’s amazing the information one gleans from actually reading and comprehending.
Very good, Paul.
This may be a minor point for some, but this record is actually what is known as an acetate, which is an aluminum disc covered with a thin coat of lacquer. The disc was put on a lathe, and the grooves were actually cut into it, which is where the phrase “cutting a record” stems from.
If this record were commercially released at the time on 78 rpm, then it would’ve been “pressed” on shellac, which is what mass produced 78s were made of.
Since the lacquer coating on an acetate is very thin, they’re not intended for repeated playing, that’s why many acetates are known as “demo” (as in “demonstration” discs. And yes, they tend to get noisy after too many playings.
Does anyone one know which song was actually the first recorded, between That’ll Be The Day and In Spite of All the Danger? It’s been bugging me, and I cannot find a definitive answer, anywhere; except, that in Lennon’s quote, he did name That’ll Be The Day, first.
That’ll be the Day was first. In Spite of All the Danger was decided on the spot by John and Paul. Duff, Colin, and (probably) George had never heard the song before and followed along. Pretty good result all things considered.