The Beatles made quite a splash on the film world with A Hard Day’s Night. Along with starring in the 1964 film, the group also churned out an album that left most of their peers behind in terms of the depth of the material.
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Many of the songs on A Hard Day’s Night are no less than pop music standards these days. But do you know the stories behind these songs and this album?
John Said It First
The title track of the album and film has gained great notoriety for the memorable opening guitar chord (which is actually a few different instruments playing multiple chords). Many people also know the story of how they came up with the name of the song. Ringo Starr uttered the phrase when he came out of a session and realized that the group had worked into the darkness. But John Lennon had also used the phrase in his book In His Own Write, the publication of which predated the recording of the song.
All Original
The Beatles recorded not only the songs that went into the film but also the remaining tracks that filled out the album. That’s 14 songs in all. And every one of them was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. For the first time, The Beatles had recorded an album of all original material, something that was unheard of in the world of pop music at the time. Because he still wasn’t confident as a writer, George Harrison was relegated to singing a Lennon/McCartney song (“I’m Happy Just To Dance With You”) to get a lead vocal on the album.
Asher’s Influence
Ballads became a much bigger part of The Beatles’ arsenal on A Hard Day’s Night. With 14 songs to compose, John Lennon and Paul McCartney needed to change the pace a bit. It helped that McCartney had just entered into a serious relationship with actress Jane Asher. Both “And I Love Her” and “Things We Said Today”, two softer standouts on the album, were inspired by this romance. Many other McCartney songs, including several prickly, frustrated ones, would emanate from this relationship over the next several years.
A Productive Producer
The Beatles were fortunate to have producer George Martin at their disposal. In later years, Martin would help them translate some of their wilder musical ideas and make them feasible as recordings. In the early years, Martin added the crucial element of understanding both song structure and what elements would set a track apart. He played a big role in the success of “Can’t Buy Me Love”, one of the most memorable tracks on the album. Martin suggested that the band put the chorus at the start to grab people’s attention.
Lennon on Lead
A Hard Day’s Night was The Beatles third full-length LP to be released in Great Britain. On most songs, they carved out their typical roles of George Harrison on lead guitar, Paul McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr on drums, and John Lennon on rhythm guitar. But by that time, the four members wanted to branch out occasionally and try some new things in the studio. Hence, on “You Can’t Do That”, you get Lennon playing the lead guitar break. It was the first time he’d done so on a Beatles song.
Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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