First released in the UK and US as the b-side of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘You Can’t Do That’ was a typically confrontational song written by John Lennon.
The song was originally intended to be The Beatles’ sixth UK single, until Paul McCartney came up with ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’. By 1964 Lennon and McCartney were writing together less frequently, and the quality of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ spurred Lennon on to write the majority of the A Hard Day’s Night album.
Lennon’s autobiographical lyrics show the jealousy and possessiveness he felt towards women at the time. The music, meanwhile, was based around blues changes and US soul and R&B.
That’s me doing Wilson Pickett. You know, a cowbell going four in the bar, and the chord going chatoong!
All We Are Saying, David Sheff
In turn, it is possible that ‘You Can’t Do That’ was an influence on Bob Dylan; it bears musical and lyrical similarities to ‘Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)’ from Blonde On Blonde.
‘You Can’t Do That’ was first released in March 1964. It later reappeared on the second half of the UK album A Hard Day’s Night, and in the US on the Capitol release The Beatles’ Second Album.
The song became a part of The Beatles’ live repertoire in 1964. It was commonly the second song performed – after ‘Twist And Shout’ – during their Australian tour in July, and in their August-September tour of the US and Canada.
The Beatles also performed the song at the New Musical Express Pollwinners’ Concert on 26 April 1964, and for the ITV network TV show Blackpool Night Out on 19 July.
In the studio
‘You Can’t Do That’ was recorded on 25 February 1964. The Beatles also started ‘And I Love Her’ and ‘I Should Have Known Better’ on the same day, although they failed to finish them during the session.
‘You Can’t Do That’ was completed in nine takes, only four of which were complete. It featured George Harrison’s first prominent use of his new Rickenbacker 12 string guitar, given to him while in New York for The Ed Sullivan Show. The instrument gave the song its distinctive chiming sound, heard most prominently in the intro and ending.
Take six of the song, containing a guide version from John Lennon as the band perfected the rhythm track, was included on the Anthology 1 album.
One of the song’s main strengths is in McCartney and Harrison’s answering harmony vocals. The rough-and-ready guitar solo, meanwhile, was performed by Lennon – the first such occurrence on a Beatles release.
I’d find it a drag to play rhythm all the time, so I always work myself out something interesting to play. The best example I can think of is like I did on ‘You Can’t Do That’. There really isn’t a lead guitarist and a rhythm guitarist on that, because I feel the rhythm guitarist role sounds too thin for records. Anyway it drove me potty to play chunk-chunk rhythm all the time. I never play anything as lead guitarist that George couldn’t do better. But I like playing lead sometimes, so I do it.
Melody Maker, 1964
On 22 May 1964, after ‘You Can’t Do That’ had already been released, George Martin overdubbed a piano track onto the song for reasons unknown. It was never used.
‘You Can’t Do That’ was filmed as part of the concert sequence in the A Hard Day’s Night film, though it didn’t make the final cut. Accordingly, the song was then relegated to side two of the album.
The filming took place at the Scala Theatre, London, on 31 March 1964. The clip of the group miming to ‘You Can’t Do That’ was given by United Artists to The Ed Sullivan Show, which broadcast it exclusively on 24 May.
BBC recordings
The Beatles recorded ‘You Can’t Do That’ four times for BBC radio in 1964, none of which was included on Live At The BBC.
The first took place on 28 February 1964 at the BBC Piccadilly Studios, London, for the From Us To You programme. It was first broadcast on 30 March, just days after the ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ single was released.
The Beatles played ‘You Can’t Do That’ again for Saturday Club on 31 March, which had its first transmission on 4 April. The session took place at the Playhouse Theatre, London
On 1 May 1964 they taped a version for From Us To You at the BBC Paris Studio, which was first broadcast on 18 May. And on 14 July 1964 The Beatles were at Broadcasting House, London, for the final radio version, which audiences heard for the first time on the Top Gear programme two days later. This last version can be heard on 2013’s On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2.
Yes, John does an excellent job on the guitar solo! I can’t seem to find any video of the Beatles playing this song where it shows Lennon playing the lead live. The camera always points away!
I can hear similarities between johns lead phrases on this track and the ones he played on the guitar duel on Abbey Road.
I think John purposely told the camera men to not film him when he played a solo…he was too self conscious.
I think the cameramen didn’t know that John would be playing the lead. I think that is why it seems so confusing on the video tape from Germany or wherever it is on the Anthology documentary.
In my experience, film crews don’t often have much of a clue about how to cover rock music in live performance – they don’t perceive guitar solos as such, and so the idea of shooting closeups of the soloist’s hands doesn’t occur to them. If they decide to shoot a closeup of anything, it’ll most likely be a head shot. That still occasionally happens today, and it would’ve been much more prevalent back in the Beatles’ day.
Spot on. One of the most annoying idiosyncrasies of music on video. Drives me nuts!!
That’s in Melbourne, Australia. No big deal. On the TV special they cut it right after Lennin screams before his gtr solo. But the DVD release has the full song. The solo isn’t much anyway. He cuts it short..”flub”so he can begin singing again. And Iit shows Harrison and McCartney smiling at each other..”chuckling” knowingly. That Lennon flubbed. Which john was one of those guys who would forget some words or miss a chord more so than the other two.
I do the same thing. It’s frim getting ahead of myself. I mean..that’s what causes it.
Also to sing that song..it takes an extra breath to finish those verses with strength. An extra quick “gulp” of air.
have heard tha George was the same way. loved that 12 string sound in this song, and Ringos drumming
There is a very clear close up of John playing the lead on this from the extra scenes from “A Hard Day’s Night”. Look it up on YouTube. It would be on the same set as they did the final concert in the film on. It shows John’s solo while cutting to Paul & George singing the bridge.
Enjoy!
In the DVD Anthology, it shows the Beatles playing “You Can’t Do That” in Australia and George plays the solo. (He looks like he misses a note toward the end, and he and Paul smile or chuckle at one another.) In the recorded version, besides his solo, John plays a great rhythm, and gets a very unique, growling or howling sound of his six-string Rickenbacker. A great song.
DQ, correction. Lennon plsys that solo in the Anthology. In Melbourne.
George and Paul chuckle knowingly. John did those flubs sometimes. He doesn’t finish it. He has to get ready to begin singing again. But it is a flub.
John sometimes would forget words or what verse he was singing. It’s getting ahead of himself and not really paying attention. .or taking mental notes while performance.
So Paul and George are aware of that..and that’s why they chuckle.
Dont know how dq thinks george is playing the solo in Ausralia. Have just watched it and it looks like he continues playing the riff he plays throughout the song.In any case the 12 string has a distinctive sound and the solo sounds like a six string.
The solo is definetely John’s, but as George’s 12-string guitar plays the riff throughout the whole song , while John’s plays rhythm except for the solo , maybe more precise would be : John : lead/rhythm guitar ; George : 12-string guitar.
Pablo. How I’d list it is: George/lead gtr. John:Rhythm gtr and gtr Solo.
Also there are shades of G. Martin’s piano that was discarted but still audible , as in Things We Said Today…
If the words were cute, rather than mean, if the three singers were girls not boys, if the tempo was a couple of notches faster, allowing the song to bounce rather than growl, then this would be an excellent girl group song. As it is, its something even better.
In other words, if it were a completely different song. I guess you could say that about any song, then.
And if cows were chickens and pigs could fly……..
Tom Petty writes:
George Harrison and I were once in a car and the Beatles song “You Can’t Do That” came on, with that great riff in the beginning on the 12-string. He goes, “I came up with that.” And I said, “Really? How?” He said, “I was just standing there and thought, ‘I’ve got to do something!’ ” That pretty much sums him up. He just had a way of getting right to the business, of finding the right thing to play. That was part of that Beatles magic – they all seemed to find the right thing to play.
The song is also available on the US release “The Beatles Second Album” and “Live at the Hollywood Bowl”. Great rocker. Simple message – typical Lennon – a little self-loathing, but the tune is happy and snappy.
What a great song. My favourite track on the album. Great vocals by John. Great support from Paul and George.
If that isn’t the best vocal of that era then tell me what is. Listening to the part – “I can’t help my feelings I go out of my mind” I can feel his heart being ripped out!. Then there is the whack to the chest of the backing vocals coming in at the second verse, then the “I told you before” pause and the howl just before John hops on lead for an angry solo. This is the best pop song of its era. Forgot to mention the excellent into from George.
They did You Can’t Do That on Ready Steady Go which of course was the British version of American Bandstand in 1964. It’s available on YouTube. However, they lip synced the song as all artists on the show did
Lip synch or not ,I believe
1 George. 12 string main rhythm guitar.
2 John, backing rythmn chords and the guitar solo. It has his trademark all over it.
3 Paul on bass. Just holding down the bottom, nothing fancy.
4 Ringo, simple 4/4 with his accents.
The YouTube video shows the crowd dancing enthusiastly. I thought it was funny because, lyrically the song is like “hey girl,don’t mess with me! “, but it looks like the band is having a good laugh!
I’ve always thought those rolling phrases on the bass a bit fancy – is there something similar in “Drive My Car”?
The killer hook is Ringo’s drum fill before the title phrase – gets me every time.
JohnP: Right on!!!
“Chinkkk..chtt chtt Boomm” “…Ohhhhh you can’t do thattt….wwwwoWWWwww!!!!(scream)
Great song, that is part of the wonderful side two of “A Hard Days Night”. It also counts as another one of those outstanding B sides, that The Beatles had so many of. A John Lennon song and thematically typical of him in that period. Great lead guitar as well.
Maybe the funkiest Beatles (Lennon) song ever. I always loved how John wrote something very melodic over blues changes in the verse.
Could I suggest you listen to Marvin Gaye’s Hitch-Hike Baby because this is where the inspiration for this song may have come. The Beatles did reference Motown influences.
Look at the Wikipedia page for Marvin Gaye’s Hitch Hike – it clearly states that the cowbells and conga drum rhythm was borrowed by John Lennon from this song.
It appears this Bible is for WHITES ONLY and disregards African American influences on the Beatles music which even the Beatles themselves long acknowledged.
Dear Mr. Mason,
Maybe you are simply trolling in order to draw attention to yourself. In which case it’s not worth anyone’s effort to take your remarks seriously. Or maybe you really do believe that the African American influence on the Beatles’ music is not mentioned thoroughly enough here. In which case I would suggest Mr. Mason that you take a closer look around this website, which you will soon enough find that you have no less a right to do than everyone else who visits this website (all racial matters aside.) No one who has any solid understanding of the roots of the Beatles’s music would dare to deny the impact of Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Smokey Robinson, Little Willie John, Larry Williams, Arthur Alexander, The Coasters, The Isley Brothers, a clear majority of the great studio musicians and anyone else I have in any unintended ignorance failed to mention on the music of the Beatles.
This site is certainly not without it’s flaws and corrections to errors in information are frequently made here. But nobody here is wasting time or energy on racial matters we are not guilty of. So assuming that you are not merely attempting to troll other visitors to this site Mr. Mason, I humbly suggest that you get a hold of yourself and take some time to explore this website further. If you have anything productive to contribute here, then by all means bring it forward. Otherwise, please go and find someone more deserving of your anger, because while it may prove useful in other circumstances it does nothing to further the precise intentions of this particular website.
Best regards,
Richard
P.S. If you were merely trolling, then by all means continue to do so but do not expect any further verbal retaliation from me or anyone else here because we are wise to such acts.
Thank you. You had more patience and eloquence than I could muster. I appreciate it.
First quote on this page: “That’s me doing Wilson Pickett.”
Remember The Beatles themselves refused to play to segregated audiences in the early 60s!!
I have NO INTENTION of trolling but when my comments were initially deleted that’s when I started to get suspicious. I was merely pointing out a similarity in a musical style. I do not see what is wrong with that, I was careful not to suggest plagiarism as I know the Beatles were clever enough not to do that, except George Harrison post-Beatles over My Sweet Lord. I. now fully accept the site isn’t racist and I apologise unreservedly.
You will have to pardon me for considering the possibility that you may have been trolling with that particular comment Mr. Mason. I could not be too careful given that I cannot read minds and was uncertain of your precise intentions at that point.
Having said that, it has been my own experience that comments awaiting moderation often initially disappear from view not because of censorship issues but because Joe (who is the creator and administrator of this website) is within preparation of posting them. He has many things to concern himself with in regard to the running of this website, and new comments may not appear for as many as 3-5 days, but as long as they are appropriately related to the subject matter at hand, they should be visible before too long. Having seen your other comments, I don’t have any reason to believe that there was anything to be perceived as inappropriate.
It’s no secret that the Beatles were heavily influenced by the Motown Sound right down to their covers of “Money”, “Please Mr. Postman” and “You Really Got A Hold On Me.” And here is another case in point: John Lennon is known to have stated, “The Motown drummer hit a snare with so much force it sounded like he hit it with a bloody tree.”
Who has seen the camera cut to the bass player during a lead guitar solo?
I remember Pete Quaife miming a very lively solo to “You Really Got Me on Top of the Pops or Ready, Steady, Go! with his bass turned back to front as well!
What a great rocker! John’s voice, full of attitude, as well as the bass and drums make this one a powerful tune. Vocal harmonies and solo add the cherry on the cake. Just love it!
I think the Melbourne Australia take of this song is killer.
John flubs the ending of the solo just a little but, cutting it short to get back in there to begin singing again.
We can see Paul and George chuckling to each other knowingly. It’s an “inside thing”.
Not sure why you felt the need to post that three times on the same day.
OMG, I just had a flashback to sophomore year in high school, me proudly playing George’s part on my acoustic-12-string-with-DeArmond-Pickup when my band did this song. We were SO UN-PC in those days- with our perfectly harmonized back up: “gonna let you down because you’re flat”.
good grief…
I watched the vid from Australia. I don’t think they are laughing because of John’s playing. Yeah, he cuts off a little short to get back to vocals, but they (Paul/Goerge) just seem to be trying to entertain each other or make each other break up even regardless of John. Or they just have an inside joke about it or something. But he really doesn’t flub any note that badly.
I thought I was the only geek frustrated to not be able to find video of John playing the solo live. Slightly relieved that it’s not just me.
Always my favorite Lennon early Beatles song that I never thought got enough recognition.
John’s voice sounds a lot higher in this song – almost like he used autotune.