You Can't Do That
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| "You Can't Do That" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Beatles | ||
| from the album A Hard Day's Night in the UK and The Beatles' Second Album in the [[United States]|U.S.]] |
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| A-side(s) | "Can't Buy Me Love" | |
| Released | 20 March 1964 (UK) 16 March 1964 (US) |
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| Format | 7" | |
| Recorded | Abbey Road Studios 25 February / 22 May 1964 |
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| Genre | Rock and roll | |
| Length | 02:37 | |
| Label | Parlophone (UK) Capitol (U.S.) 5587 |
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| Writer(s) | Lennon/McCartney | |
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |
| The Beatles singles chronology | ||
| "I Want to Hold Your Hand"" (1963) |
"Can't Buy Me Love" (1964) |
"A Hard Day's Night" (1964) |
| A Hard Day's Night track listing | ||
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"You Can't Do That" is a song by The Beatles credited to Lennon & McCartney and released as the B-side of the single "Can't Buy Me Love", and also included on the UK album A Hard Day's Night and the US album The Beatles' Second Album.
"You Can’t Do That" was wholly composed by John Lennon[1] [2] [3]and recorded on Tuesday, 25 February 1964, in Abbey Road Studios in London, for the flip side to their single "Can’t Buy Me Love". With filming due to begin on A Hard Day’s Night, director Dick Lester needed the Beatles to provide him with new material ahead of production, and "You Can’t Do That" was used for the Scala Theatre "live performance" portion of the film, but dropped for the final cut.
Another of Lennon's semi-autobiographical songs,[4] "You Can’t Do That" allows Lennon to vent some of his aggression (the abrasive guitar solo was devised and played by him according to Ian MacDonald) and by take nine—only the fourth complete take—it was finished. The song's jealousy theme was re-visited in other Lennon compositions, such as "Run for Your Life" and "Jealous Guy".
Influenced by the then relatively unknown Wilson Pickett,[5] the song is essentially a twelve bar in its structure, but Lennon introduces a sung discordant flattened 3rd (F) passing note on the D7th chord, pointedly emphasising "…I told you before…" and then pushing the same note for the exasperated “Oh!” before ultimately resolving to the song's key of G[6].
Guitarist George Harrison had acquired a Rickenbacker 360 Deluxe electric 12-string guitar in America worth (in 1964) $900[7]. Only the second one produced, it was heard for the first time on "You Can’t Do That" (although actually used for the first time on "Can't Buy Me Love" but lost in the mix) and gave the song its distinctive chiming sound.[8] It would be played extensively on the A Hard Day’s Night LP, greatly influencing Roger McGuinn, who would later form The Byrds.
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[edit] Credits
- John Lennon — lead vocal, rhythm guitar & 6 string guitar solo
- Paul McCartney — backing vocal, bass guitar, cowbell
- George Harrison — backing vocal, 12 string lead guitar (throughout)
- Ringo Starr — drums, conga
- Credits per Ian MacDonald[5]
[edit] Releases
The song was first released as the B-side of the Beatles' sixth UK single "Can't Buy Me Love". It was later featured in the A Hard Day's Night album. The song was filmed as part of the film's final concert sequence, but not used. Footage can be found on the documentary The Making of "A Hard Day's Night".
[edit] Covers
"You Can't Do That" was covered by Harry Nilsson for his debut album Pandemonium Shadow Show. Rather than simply covering it, Nilsson worked song titles from 20 other Beatles tunes into the mix.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ian MacDonald Revolution In The Head p.96
- ^ Bill Harry The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia p.715
- ^ Paul McCartney & Barry Miles Many Years From Now p.164
- ^ Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 164. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- ^ a b MacDonald, Ian (1994). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 83. ISBN 0-8050-2780-7.
- ^ The Beatles Complete Scores p.1077
- ^ Bill Harry The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia p.715
- ^ Harry, Bill. The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia, 715.
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