From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"This Boy" is a song by The Beatles. The song was first released in November 1963 as the B-side of the UK Parlophone single "I Want to Hold Your Hand". The Beatles performed it on 16 February 1964 for their second Ed Sullivan Show appearance in the USA.
According to George Harrison, "This Boy" was an attempt by John Lennon and Paul McCartney at writing a tune in the style of Motown star Smokey Robinson. Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison join together to sing in a three-part harmony in the verses and refrain. The same technique is exercised in later Beatle songs, most famously on the 1969 song "Because" on Abbey Road. Lennon was later quoted saying that the song "Yes It Is", the B-side of the 1965 single "Ticket to Ride", was him trying to re-write this song.[citation needed]
An instrumental version of "This Boy", orchestrated by George Martin, is used as the background musical theme when Ringo does his "walkabout" in the film A Hard Day's Night. The piece, under the title, "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" is included on the American A Hard Day's Night soundtrack album.
[edit] Recordings
Besides the initial recording, alternate recordings have also been officially released. A live version performed on The Morecambe and Wise Show in 1963 was released on Anthology 1 and two incomplete takes from the original recording were released as a track on the single Free as a Bird.
[edit] Cover versions
At the 2001 John Lennon "Come Together" concert in New York City, Rufus Wainwright performed this song with John's son Sean Lennon.
| v • d • e The Beatles |
| Singles (UK - Parlophone, Apple Records) |
|
1962: Love Me Do • 1963: Please Please Me, From Me to You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand • 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I Feel Fine • 1965: Ticket to Ride, Help!, Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out • 1966: Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine • 1967: Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye • 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude • 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together • 1970: Let It Be
1976: Yesterday, Back in the U.S.S.R. • 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life • 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley, Love Me Do (reissue) • 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird • 1996: Real Love
|
| B-sides |
|
1962: P.S. I Love You • 1963: Ask Me Why, Thank You Girl, I'll Get You, This Boy • 1964: You Can't Do That, Things We Said Today, She's a Woman • 1965: Yes It Is, I'm Down • 1966: Rain • 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus • 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution • 1969: Old Brown Shoe • 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number)
1976: I Should Have Known Better, Twist and Shout • 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, P.S. I Love You (reissue) • 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, Christmas Time (Is Here Again) • 1996: Baby's in Black
|
| Singles (U.S. - Capitol Records, Apple Records) |
|
1963: I Want to Hold Your Hand • 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I'll Cry Instead, And I Love Her, Matchbox, I Feel Fine • 1965: Eight Days a Week, Ticket to Ride, Help!, Yesterday, We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper • 1966: Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine • 1967: Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye • 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude • 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together • 1970: Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road
1976: Got to Get You into My Life • 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life • 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley • 1986: Twist and Shout • 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird• 1996: Real Love
|
| B-sides |
|
1963: I Saw Her Standing There • 1964: You Can't Do That, I Should Have Known Better, I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, If I Fell, Slow Down, She's a Woman • 1965: I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, Yes It Is, I'm Down, Act Naturally • 1966: What Goes On, Rain • 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus • 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution • 1969: Old Brown Shoe • 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number), For You Blue
1976: Helter Skelter • 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You • 1986: There's a Place • 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, I Saw Her Standing There / This Boy / Christmas Time (Is Here Again) • 1996: Baby's in Black / Yellow Submarine / Here, There and Everywhere
|
