Recently, rare recordings of The Beatles auditioning for Decca Records in 1962 surfaced in a Vancouver record shop. The store’s owner, Rob Frith, posted a demo clip to Instagram. And that clip proved that even in their earliest days, there was something special about The Beatles. And this was before Ringo Starr joined the band, as Pete Best was The Beatles’ drummer until August 1962.
Videos by American Songwriter
Even when the Fab Four rolled through pop and R&B standards of the time, the collective of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and eventually Ringo Starr was undeniable—even in its rawest form.
It’s amusing now to think about Decca rejecting The Beatles, but McCartney said in the Anthology autobiography, “We weren’t that good; though there were some quite interesting and original things.”
Here’s a look at three early Beatles songs that showcase what Decca missed.
“Money (That’s What I Want)” from ‘Anthology 1’ (1995)
“Your loving give me a thrill,
But your loving don’t pay my bills.”
Written by Motown founder Berry Gordy and songwriter Janie Bradford, The Beatles’ cover appeared as the final track on With The Beatles in 1963. The album version features piano overdubs by producer George Martin. However, the version included here was recorded live in Stockholm, Sweden, in October 1963. It’s a raucous and distorted garage rocker and foreshadows their proto-punk classic “Helter Skelter”.
“A Taste Of Honey” from ‘Please Please Me’ (1963)
“A taste of honey
Tasting much sweeter than wine.”
McCartney’s take on this pop standard sounds pretty hallucinatory for 1963. The Beatles’ debut Please Please Me is best known for “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Love Me Do”, but this one feels different from the happy love of the others. “Taste Of Honey” offers a touch of melancholy, and the distant reverb surrounding the vocals recalls the psychedelia present on Rubber Soul.
“All My Loving” from ‘With The Beatles’ (1963)
“Close your eyes and I’ll kiss you,
Tomorrow I’ll miss you;
Remember I’ll always be true.”
McCartney wrote “All My Loving” during a tour with Roy Orbison. He said it was the first song he had written that began with words. Like many McCartney tunes, it immediately feels like a standard. As with “Yesterday”, you can’t imagine this melody not always existing. And the influences are obvious, most notably with Harrison’s Chet Atkins-inspired guitar break. Still, even when they borrowed directly from early R&B, rock and roll, or country music, it sounded distinctly like them. “All My Loving” gave rock and roll its future.
Photo by Screen Archives/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.