Some Other Guy

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Some Other Guy is a 1962 song by Ritchie Barrett. The Beatles covered it in live performances from 1962 to 1963. They also covered it for BBC Radio and again covered it during the Get Back sessions in January 1969.

Contents

Original Version

Some Other Guy was written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and Ritchie Barrett and was released as a single by Barrett in 1962.

The Beatles' Version

Tony Sheridan sessions

There is speculation that The Beatles recorded a version of this song during the sessions backing Tony Sheridan in 1961 and 1962. During the June 1961 sessions, The Beatles recorded two songs - Cry For A Shadow and Ain't She Sweet - featuring only themselves and not backing Sheridan. Both these were released on the 1995 compilation Anthology 1. According to John Lennon, however, there were three more songs recorded that weren't backing Sheridan, which weren't particularly liked by the record company. Tony Sheridan recalls that these three songs were Rock And Roll Music, Kansas City, and Some Other Guy. The Beatles went back to record with Sheridan in April 1962 to fulfill their contract. They recorded Sweet Georgia Brown. Sheridan recalls that they also recorded during that session versions of Swanee River and Skinny Minny. Sweet Georgia Brown was released, but Skinny Minny wasn't and there is speculation whether The Beatles' version of Swanee River was released or not. If Some Other Guy was recorded by The Beatles during the sessions with Sheridan, it would have to have been recorded during the session in April 1962, as the song had not yet been released at the time of the 1961 sessions. Regardless, the versions of Rock And Roll Music, Kansas City, Some Other Guy, and Skinny Minny have not surfaced and it is likely that if such a recording ever existed, it would be destroyed if not considered for release.

Live Performances

Some Other Guy was originally performed by The Beatles throughout live performances in 1962 and 1963. In fact, a performance of Some Other Guy is the only known surviving film of The Beatles at The Cavern Club. George Harrison recalls discovering the song, "Brian had had a policy at NEMS of buying at least one copy of every record that was released. If it sold, he'd order another one, or five or whatever. Consequently he had records that weren't hits in Britain, weren't even hits in America. Before going to a gig we'd meet in the record store, after it had shut, and we'd search the racks like ferrets to see what new ones were there. That's where we found artists like Arthur Alexander and Ritchie Barrett - Some Other Guy was a great song." The footage of the performance at the Cavern Club was recorded on August 22, 1962 for Manchester-based Granada Television. They filmed the lunchtime performance hoping to use it in the TV program Know The North. Numerous different edits of the footage exist, with some featuring cutaways featuring general views from the club, audience members, and footage of the group from all different angles. The crew filmed the band from a single angle in the audience. It is likely that clips were added that were filmed at different times that day. They also captured a performance of Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!. Ringo Starr only joined a couple days before, leading a disgruntled fan in the audience to shout out "We want Pete!" towards the end of the clip, referring to former drummer Pete Best. The footage was not of broadcast quality and was shelved until The Beatles became famous. It was finally transmitted on November 6, 1963 on Granada's Scene at 6:30 program. John Lennon said of the song in a September 17, 1968 issue of Rolling Stone, "I'd like to make a record like Some Other Guy. I haven't done one that satisfies me as much as that satisfies me." Acetates pressed by Brian Epstein's NEMS store of The Beatles' performance of the song were later circulated in Liverpool. The acetates feature a slightly different audio version, possibly meaning that Granada captured The Beatles singing the song more than once that day.

BBC Radio

The Beatles recorded Some Other Guy for BBC radio three times. The first was recorded at the Playhouse Theatre in London for the Saturday Club program. It was recorded with four other songs on January 22, 1963 and broadcast on January 26. The second BBC version was also recorded on January 22, 1963, at the BBC Paris Studio in London. They performed this song, as well as Please Please Me and Ask Me Why. The final BBC recording was taped on June 19, 1963 and was included on the 1994 compilation Live at the BBC. It was first broadcast on June 23. The show was recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's Playhouse Theatre.

Get Back Sessions

The Beatles once again performed Some Other Guy as part of their "Get Back" sessions at Apple Studios on 3 Savile Row in January 1969. It was performed on January 22 and again on January 29.

Personnel (Based on the June 19, 1963 version)

The Beatles

Production

Available Versions

The Beatles

Paul McCartney

Known Unavailable Versions

Available On

Sources

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