Every Little Thing (song)
Encyclopedia
"Every Little Thing" is a song written by Paul McCartney
(credited to Lennon–McCartney) and performed by The Beatles
on their 1964 British album Beatles for Sale
. In North America, Capitol
released it as the last track on Beatles VI
.
where he was living at the time. He had hopes it would be released as a single, but it "didn't have quite what was required", and was released on Beatles for Sale instead.
For a long time people thought "Every Little Thing" was a rare instance in which the composer was not the lead singer, but in reality, the song is sung by Lennon and McCartney together. In the verses, John's voice is the more audible of the two, with Paul's heard more clearly in the chorus.
The song's composer, though, is not in question: McCartney claimed the song as described above, and Lennon said in an interview with Playboy
that McCartney wrote it.
on 29 September 1964, and then five more on 30 September. The Beatles were enjoying themselves on the second night; take six was aborted due to McCartney burping his vocals, and take seven was finished but ended in loud laughter. In this recording it is very likely that Paul and John sang together on the same microphone. It is one of few early Beatles tracks to feature somewhat exotic instrumentation: Ringo Starr
plays the timpani
on the track to add punctuating one-two flourishes to the refrains. This appeared for the first time on the ninth take, along with a guitar intro and piano piece. There is a theory that John Lennon
plays lead guitar on the track owing to George Harrison
arriving at the studio two hours late. In this case, John would have played the riff and solo on his Rickenbacker
12-string while George played the acoustic guitar on his Gibson J160E, but this argument has never been resolved.
praised the song's "emotional depth" and used this song and others as counter-arguments to the caricature of McCartney as an emotional lightweight. Richie Unterberger
of Allmusic also praised the song and its "infectious chorus".
This song was revisited briefly during the stressful rehearsals that were recorded for the Get Back
/Let It Be project, with George playing the lick and Paul joining in.
Yes
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
(credited to Lennon–McCartney) and performed by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
on their 1964 British album Beatles for Sale
Beatles for Sale
Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released in late 1964 and produced by George Martin for Parlophone. The album marked a minor turning point in the evolution of Lennon and McCartney as lyricists, John Lennon particularly now showing interest in...
. In North America, Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
released it as the last track on Beatles VI
Beatles VI
Beatles VI is The Beatles' seventh Capitol Records release in the United States . It was the ninth album released into that market in less than one and a half years...
.
Composition
McCartney wrote the song in a music room at the home of Jane AsherJane Asher
Jane Asher is an English actress. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor.-Early life:...
where he was living at the time. He had hopes it would be released as a single, but it "didn't have quite what was required", and was released on Beatles for Sale instead.
For a long time people thought "Every Little Thing" was a rare instance in which the composer was not the lead singer, but in reality, the song is sung by Lennon and McCartney together. In the verses, John's voice is the more audible of the two, with Paul's heard more clearly in the chorus.
The song's composer, though, is not in question: McCartney claimed the song as described above, and Lennon said in an interview with Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
that McCartney wrote it.
Recording
The released version was recorded in four takes at EMI StudiosAbbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
on 29 September 1964, and then five more on 30 September. The Beatles were enjoying themselves on the second night; take six was aborted due to McCartney burping his vocals, and take seven was finished but ended in loud laughter. In this recording it is very likely that Paul and John sang together on the same microphone. It is one of few early Beatles tracks to feature somewhat exotic instrumentation: Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
plays the timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
on the track to add punctuating one-two flourishes to the refrains. This appeared for the first time on the ninth take, along with a guitar intro and piano piece. There is a theory that John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
plays lead guitar on the track owing to George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
arriving at the studio two hours late. In this case, John would have played the riff and solo on his Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
12-string while George played the acoustic guitar on his Gibson J160E, but this argument has never been resolved.
Reviews
Music critic Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonald
Ian MacCormick was a British music critic and author, best known for Revolution in the Head, his forensic history of The Beatles which borrowed techniques from art historians, and The New Shostakovich, a controversial study of the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich...
praised the song's "emotional depth" and used this song and others as counter-arguments to the caricature of McCartney as an emotional lightweight. Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
of Allmusic also praised the song and its "infectious chorus".
This song was revisited briefly during the stressful rehearsals that were recorded for the Get Back
Get Back
"Get Back" is a song by The Beatles, composed by Paul McCartney and frequently attributed to Lennon–McCartney. The song was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969, and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston." A different mix of the song later became the closing track of Let It Be ,...
/Let It Be project, with George playing the lick and Paul joining in.
Personnel
The Beatles- Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
– vocalLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
– vocalLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
– acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet... - George MartinGeorge MartinSir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Norman Smith – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
Yes
- Jon AndersonJon AndersonJon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
– lead vocals - Peter BanksPeter BanksPeter Banks is an English guitarist. He was the original guitarist of the progressive rock band Yes.-Early career:When Banks was a young boy, his father bought him an acoustic guitar...
– guitars, vocals - Tony KayeTony Kaye (musician)Tony Kaye is a British musician.Kaye was the original keyboard player for the progressive rock group Yes from 1968 to 1971, and rejoined Yes from 1983 to 1995...
– organ - Bill BrufordBill BrufordWilliam Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
– drums - Chris SquireChris SquireChristopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
– bass, vocals
Cover versions
- In 1969, YesYes (band)Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
covered this song on their self-titled debut album. Their cover turned the song into a grungy wall of sound with several tempo and key changes and an extended jam opening that also references the Beatles' "Day TripperDay Tripper"Day Tripper" is a song by The Beatles, released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out". Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the Rubber Soul album...
". They have played their version of the song live many times. - In 1986, Lou Ann BartonLou Ann BartonLou Ann Barton is an American blues singer based, out of Austin, Texas since the 1970s.-Biography:...
did a version on her EP Forbidden Tones. - In 2003, Peter LipaPeter LipaPeter Lipa is a Slovak singer, composer and promoter of jazz.Lipa was born in Prešov, and has mainly worked in Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. His roots are blues, soul and mainstream classical, and his work ranges from jazz standards through to funk and rock.In 2003, he released...
included this song and 15 other Lennon/McCartney songs on his album Beatles in Blue(s). - In 2004, Martin GordonMartin GordonMartin Gordon is an English musician, who plays bass guitar and piano.-Biography:Martin Gordon was born in Ipswich, and grew up Hitchin, Hertfordshire...
released a cover on The Joy of More Hogwash.