With The Beatles

The Beatles second album, ‘With The Beatles’ was released on November 22^nd, 1963. It was a major leap forward for the songs and production to the sleek, stylish black and white cover. On this album, 7 Lennon and McCartney songs where featured, opening with the trio, ‘It Won’t Be Long’, ‘All I’ve Got To Do’ and ‘All My Loving’. It was also George Harrison’s first song contribution to The Beatles, ‘Don’t Bother Me’.  Six covers, three from a little known Motown label, ‘Please Mister Postman’, ‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’, and ‘Money’, this prepared Britain audiences for the Motown sound. The album replaced ‘Please Please Me’ (No.1 for 30 weeks) and kept The Beatles at the top of the UK charts for 21 more weeks.


They once again blew it out of the park with the fantastic Lennon/McCartney songs.  Their teamwork was already showing and paying off with countless number ones on their singles, including the albums themselves. Being the album right before ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, you can tell the difference between both of them, in the next few years, the amount of covers they were doing slowly dwindled until they had none at all.


My favorite song from the album was also the first song written by George called, ‘Don’t Bother Me’. The backstory on it was that George was sick and was forced to stay in bed, and during that time he just decided to write the song. It reminds me of myself, whenever I’m sick in lying in bed, the best poetry I write happens then.


“I know I'll never be the same
If I don't get her back again
Because I know she'll always be
The only girl for me”


I’ll be posting a link with each song so you can go and listen to them!

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It Won’t Be Long –written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by Lennon and McCartney


All I’ve Got To Do –written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by Lennon


All My Loving –written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by McCartney


Don’t Bother Me –written and sung by George Harrison


Little Child –written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by Lennon with McCartney


Till There Was You –written by Meredith Wilson, sung by McCartney


Please Mister Postman –written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland, and Robert Bateman, sung by John Lennon with Paul McCartney and George Harrison


Roll Over Beethoven –written by Chuck Berry, sung by George Harrison


Hold Me Tight –written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by McCartney


You Really Got A Hold On Me –written by Smokey Robinson, sung by John Lennon with Paul McCartney and George Harrison


I Wanna Be Your Man –written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by Ringo Starr


Devil In Her Heart –written by Richard Drapkin, sung by George Harrison


Not A Second Time –written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by Lennon


Money (That’s What I Want) –written by Janie Bradford and Berry Gordy, sung by John Lennon with Paul McCartney with George Harrison

1963 ~ Part 2

August brought the end of The Beatles final Cavern Club show. It took place on August 3^rd – John having a sleeve of his jacket ripped off before he even got into the building. Lennon: “We couldn’t say it but we didn’t really like going back to Liverpool. Being local heroes made us nervous. We felt embarrassed in our suits. We were worried that our friends might think we sold out. Which we had in a way.”

‘She Loves You’ confirmed The Beatles phenomenon. McCartney: “I got the idea for doing one of those answer-type songs where someone says, “She loves you” and the other person goes, “Yeah, yeah, yeah”.  With the advance orders of over 750,000, ‘She Loves You’ became the biggest selling single in Britain until Paul McCartney and Wings ‘Mull of Kintyre’ in 1978 topped it.

The Beatles was the headline act on the most watched TV entertainment show, ‘Sunday Night At London Palladium’ in October of 1963. They opened the show with a brief appearance and after their 4 set songs; they joined the other guests on the shows famous roundabout for the closing credits.



The Beatles on Sunday Night At London Palladium in 1963

The Tour of Sweden was their first foreign tour since Hamburg, but produced the same amount of hysteria and mayhem they received back in the UK, maybe even more. When they got to Stockholm Airport, they were greeted by mobs of screaming girls and police trying to hold back the chaos. The Beatles played five concerts and recorded live on a TV show, during all of these times, they were escorted by police and even had guards that stood outside their hotel rooms. A week later when they returned to Heathrow Airport, another sea of screaming girls greated them. Passing through the airport at the time was a top-rated presenter of an American show, Ed Sullivan, who wondered what all the fuss was about.

The first time British Establishment takes notice of The Beatles came with a summon to appear at the annual Royal Command Performance on November 4th, 1963 in front of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. They were not at the very top of performances but they were most talked about. Paul introduced with 'Till There Was You' and when John played 'Twist and Shout', he famously says for the people in the cheep seats to 'clap your hands' and the rest to 'rattle your jewelry'.

1963 ~ Part 1

January of 1963 was the month of 'Please Please Me'. "Gentlemen, you have just recorded your first number 1" - words by George Martin after The Beatles completed 'Please Please Me'. He was right. It was released in January 11th, the same day they appeared on the influential show, 'Thank Your Lucky Stars'. The single made the Top 20 at the start of February - and soon peaked at No. 2. Not everyone liked the song. Jimmy Saville on Radio Luxemburg commented, "I hope it pleases somebody. It's a terrible noise."

The Beatles on Thank Your Lucky Stars in 1963



When 'Please Please Me' hit No.1, The Beatles were on their first UK package tour. By the end of the tour, they were closing the first half of the show. On their second tour they 'supported' American starts Chris Montez and Tommy Rowe, but closed the show after the second date. The same thing happened on their third tour when Roy Orbison wisely decided not to follow them. By then, getting The Beatles in and out of the theater each night had became a major operation.

 

John with his son Julian

The first Beatles child was born to Cynthia and John Lennon. John Charles Julian Lennon was born April 8th, 1963 in Liverpool, England. He was named after John, Cynthia's father Charles, and John's mother Julia. John hardly had time to see him, Julian having been born just before their first tour. John's aunt Mimi helped Cynthia for the time being with John gone. John had also made The Beatles manager Brian Epstein Julian's godfather.

'From Me to You' was written on the tour bus traveling between York and Shrewsbury. It was soon seized by George Martin for The Beatles third single. He shouldn't have worried. Being released on April 11th, it spent seven weeks at the No.1 spot.  John Lennon fondly remembered, “Paul and I had decided not to do anything complicated. That’s why we always included words like “me” and “you” in titles. It helps the listeners identify with the lyrics.

 

From Me To You, The Beatles third single

 

April also brought along a few rumors between John Lennon and The Beatles manager Brian Epstein. On an arranged break at the end of April, the two flew to Torrerndris, Spain. Cynthia and baby Julian did not join the duo. This soon sparked relationship and affair rumors.  Brian was openly homosexual, which in England during the time was illegal. On the topic, John Lennon said, “The rumors went around that he and I were having a love affair. Well, it was almost a love affair but not quite, it was never consummated…”. A few months later at fellow band member Paul McCartney’s 21^st birthday at Liverpool’s, The Cavern Club, DJ Bob Wooler teased John about the trip and was beat up by Lennon.

 

BBC was the only national radio and TV broadcaster in the United Kingdom, it was vital for them to get exposure for The Beatles.  After an appearance to promote ‘Please Please Me’ on the Light Program Saturday Club (with 10 million listeners), in May they were given their own Tuesday teatime show, ‘Pop Go The Beatles’. In June, John joined a TV pop show called ‘Juke Box Jury’. Being a display of grumpiness, he voted every record a miss.

The Beatles on Juke Box Jury

(Words: 531)