This 1962 Gerry Goffin and Carole King Hit Became One of the First Songs George Harrison Sang Lead on for The Beatles

By 1962, the Brooklyn, New York girl group The Cookies were providing the backing vocals for Ray Charles, Mel Tormé, Tony Orlando, and Eydie Gorme and were featured on some of the biggest hits on the charts, including Neil Sedaka’s “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” and Little Eva’s “The Loco-Motion,” while recording under the tutelage of the husband-and-wife songwriting duo Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

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At the time, Goffin and King were also writing songs for the trio to record, including “Will Power,” “Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby),” which went to No. 3 on the R&B chart and peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100. Goffin and King also wrote “Chains” for the trio, which also hit No. 6 on the R&B charts for the group in 1962.

Before the Cookies released “Chains,” the song was originally recorded by the Everly Brothers in July 1962, but it was never released. The lyrics depict a love that feels like a welcome imprisonment.

Chains, my baby’s got me locked up in chains
And they ain’t the kind that you can see
Whoa, these chains of love got a hold on me, yeah

Chains, well, I can’t break away from these chains
Can’t run around ’cause I’m not free
Whoa, these chains of love won’t let me be, yeah

Now, believe me when I tell you
I think you’re fine, I’d like to love you
But darling, I’m imprisoned by these chains

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Shortly after the release of “Chains,” George Harrison was already a fan of the Cookies’ version and picked up a copy of the record at NEMS record store in Liverpool in December of 1962. The Beatles even added the song to their setlist during their Cavern Club days and also performed it several times during appearances on BBC Radio in 1963.

Eventually, the Beatles’ version of “Chains” made its way onto their 1963 debut, Please Please Me.

On the album, George Harrison sang lead on two tracks, “Do You Want to Know a Secret,” and “Chains,” with harmonies by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, who was also on harmonica. Recorded live in four takes, “Chains” was also the fourth track on the album and was the first time fans heard Harrison’s vocals on a Beatles song.

In 1980, King also released her own version of “Chains” on her album Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King, a collection of covers of songs she wrote with Goffin.

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images