I Saw Her Standing There
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "I Saw Her Standing There" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by the Beatles | ||
| A-side(s) | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | |
| Released | December 26, 1963 (U.S.) | |
| Format | 7" | |
| Recorded | Abbey Road Studios: February 11, 1963 | |
| Genre | Rock and roll | |
| Length | 2:55 | |
| Label | Capitol Records (U.S.) | |
| Writer(s) | Lennon/McCartney | |
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |
| the Beatles singles chronology | ||
| "She Loves You" (1963) |
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1963) |
"Can't Buy Me Love" (1963) |
| Please Please Me track listing | ||
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| Meet the Beatles! track listing | ||
| "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (1) |
"I Saw Her Standing There" (2) |
"This Boy" (3) |
"I Saw Her Standing There" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and is the opening track on the Beatles' debut album Please Please Me, released in the United Kingdom by Parlophone on 22 March 1963.
In December 1963, Capitol Records released the song in the United States as the B-side on the label's first single by the Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand". The single topped the U.S. charts for seven weeks starting 18 January 1964. "I Saw Her Standing There" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on 8 February 1964, remaining there for 11 weeks, peaking at number 14.
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[edit] Composition
The song was co-written but based on McCartney's initial idea.[1] Originally titled "Seventeen", the song was conceived by McCartney driving home from a concert in Southport, and later completed at his Forthlin Road home in September 1962. McCartney said: “I had: “She was just seventeen,” and then: “Beauty queen”. When I showed it to John, he screamed with laughter, and said “You’re joking about that line, aren’t you?” And I realised that, in fact, I was, and we changed it” [2]. The lyrics were written on a Liverpool Institute exercise book. Remember, a book by McCartney's brother Mike McCartney, includes a photograph of Lennon and McCartney writing the song while strumming guitars and reading the exercise book. McCartney admits to lifting his bass line directly from a Chuck Berry song called "I'm Talking About You" (1961).[1]
[edit] Recording
The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on 11 February 1963, as part of the marathon recording session that produced 10 of the 14 songs on Please Please Me. The Beatles were not present for the mixing session on 25 February 1963,[3] which was not unusual at that time.
On the album, the song starts with a rousing "one-two-three-FOUR!" count-in by McCartney. Usually, these count-ins are edited off the final audio mix. However, this was left on by record producer George Martin, as it was considered especially spirited, and began the album in an upbeat vein. Music journalist, Richard Williams suggests that the dramatic introduction to their debut album was just as stirring as Elvis Presley’s “Well, it’s one for the money, two for the show…” on his opening track, Blue Suede Shoes, for his debut album seven years earlier [4] and makes the statement that the Beatles were a performing band as they also opened their live set in this way. George Martin initially contemplated recording the Please Please Me LP live at the Cavern in front of their own audience [5] and visited the Liverpool club to experience the Beatles phenomenon for himself. [6] But when time constraints intervened it was decided to book them into the Abbey Road studios instead.
[edit] Release
In the UK, "I Saw Her Standing There" is the opening track on Please Please Me. In the U.S., Vee Jay Records released it as the opening track on both versions of Introducing... The Beatles.In addition to the "I Want to Hold Your Hand" B-side offer, Capitol released it as the second track on Meet the Beatles!, released in late January 1964. Vee-Jay had a limited portfolio of Beatle songs to offer, and re-issued their material using various names including Songs, Pictures and Stories of the Fabulous Beatles and other packages.
Capitol reissued the song twice in the 70's, once on the Rock 'n' Roll Music compilation released on 11 June 1976, and as the opening track in the 14-disc Limited-limited edition boxed set, The Beatles Collection released in December 1978.
[edit] Credits
- Paul McCartney — bass guitar , lead vocals
- John Lennon — rhythm guitar, harmony vocals
- George Harrison — lead guitar
- Ringo Starr — drums
[edit] Critical acclaim
Carr and Tyler, in The Beatles: An Illustrated Record, claimed it was only the third all-British rock classic up to that time, the previous two being Cliff Richard's "Move It" and Johnny Kidd's "Shakin' All Over".
[edit] Cover versions
A 1974 live version was released as a duet by Lennon and Elton John. The song is available on the Lennon Box Set. Lennon's introduction:
| “ | I'd like to thank Elton and the boys for having me on tonight. We tried to think of a number to finish off with so I can get out of here and be sick, and we thought we'd do a number of an old, estranged fiancé of mine, called Paul. This is one I never sang, it's an old Beatle number, and we just about know it. | ” |
Paul McCartney included "I Saw Her Standing There" on his live albums Tripping the Live Fantastic (1990), Back in the U.S. (2002) and Back in the World (2003). In 1987, he recorded a new version for his album CHOBA B CCCP, but left it to outtakes.
Other versions include:
- The Who filmed and recorded a version of the song for their film The Kids Are Alright; Keith Moon sang the lead vocal. However, this was not released on the film or soundtrack album, and has only been available on bootleg recordings.
- Daniel Johnston covered "I Saw Her Standing There" on his album Continued Story/Hi How Are You?
- In 1988, Tiffany released "I Saw Him Standing There" as a single and as a track on her self-titled debut album.
- Santo & Johnny did a version (which features steel guitar) on an LP of Beatle songs.
- In 1977, The Tubes covered "I Saw Her Standing There" on their live CD What Do You Want From Live.
[edit] Young Blood comparison
The "Young Blood" song's Wikipedia article includes a comparison of "Young Blood" and "I Saw Her Standing There". The Beatles sometimes performed "Young Blood" in their Cavern Club repertoire[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Barry Miles (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 93-94. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- ^ Keith Badman The Beatles Off The Record P.50
- ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books, 24. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
- ^ Richard Williams Mojo Beatles Special Edition P.40
- ^ Ian MacDonald Revolution in the Head P.59
- ^ Q Magazine The Beatles Collectors' Limited Edition P.36
- ^ Cavern Timeline. Retrieved on November 3, 2006.
