Boys
From BeatlesWiki
Boys is a song originally by The Shirelles. The Beatles covered it on their 1963 album Please Please Me.
Contents |
[edit] Original Version
The song was originally recorded by US girl group The Shirelles in 1960. It was the B-Side to their Will You Love Me Tomorrow single. The Beatles also covered another Shirelles song for this album, Baby, It's You.
[edit] Live
The song had been part of the band's live set since 1961. It had always been the song for the drummer to sing, originally having Pete Best on vocals. It would remain the drummer song until 1964. Ringo was familiar with the song before he joined The Beatles, as Rory Storm and The Hurricanes had also played it.
[edit] Recording
The song was the first song to be sung by Ringo Starr on a Beatles album. The song was completed on February 11, 1963, the day that most of Please Please Me was recorded, in one take. The Beatles did not consider any homosexual connotations that the song might give off. As Paul recalls, "Ringo always used to do a song in the show. Back then he had Boys. It was a little embarrassing because it went, 'I'm talking about boys - yeah, yeah - boys'. It was a Shirelles hit and they were girls singing it, but we never thought we should call it Girls, just because Ringo was a boy. We just sang it the way they'd sung it and never considered any implications." The song was rerecorded for the TV special Around The Beatles in April 1964. This recording appears on Anthology 1. It was also rerecorded for the BBC seven times, none of which appear on 1995's Live At The BBC.
[edit] Recording Sessions
- February 11, 1963: Most of the album Please Please Me recorded. →
[edit] Personnel
[edit] The Beatles
- Lead Vocals: Ringo Starr
- Drums: Ringo Starr
- Backing Vocals: John Lennon
- Rythm Guitar: John Lennon
- Backing Vocals: Paul McCartney
- Bass: Paul McCartney
- Backing Vocals: George Harrison
- Lead Guitar: George Harrison
[edit] Production
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Norman Smith
[edit] Available Versions
- Take 1, February 11, 1963, (Please Please Me)
- Side By Side BBC Radio Rerecording, April 1, 1963, (Bootlegs)
- Side By Side BBC Radio Rerecording, April 4, 1963, (Bootlegs)
- Saturday Club BBC Radio Rerecording, May 21, 1963, (Bootlegs)
- Pop Goes The Beatles BBC Radio Rerecording, June 17, 1963, (Bootlegs)
- Pop Goes The Beatles BBC Radio Rerecording, September 3, 1963, (Bootlegs)
- From Us To You BBC Radio Rerecording, December 18, 1963, (Bootlegs)
- Side By Side BBC Radio Rerecording, April 1, 1963, (Bootlegs)
- Studio Rerecording for Around The Beatles, April 19, 1964, (Anthology 1)
- Live In Seattle, August 21, 1964, (Bootlegs)
- Live In Vancouver, August 22, 1964, (Bootlegs)
- Live In Seattle, August 21, 1964, (Bootlegs)
- Live At The Hollywood Bowl, August 23, 1964, (The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl)
- Live In Philadelphia, September 2, 1964, (Bootlegs)
- Live In Indianapolis, September 3, 1964, (Bootlegs)
- Live On "Shindig" TV Show, October 3, 1964, (Bootlegs)
[edit] Available On
- Please Please Me, 1963
- Rock 'n' Roll Music, 1976.
- The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl, 1977.
- Anthology 1, 1995
