Act Naturally

Act Naturally was written by Johnny Russell. Buck Owens and the Buckaroos first recorded it in 1963, and it went to number 1 in the country charts in the US. The Beatles covered the song for their Help! album (UK version). It was the b-side of the Yesterday single in the US. Ringo sings the song on the album, and performed it on an Ed Sullivan broadcast in September of 1965. It was a favorite on the Beatles' US tour in 1965. In the studio it took 13 takes to get a good base track (June 17, 1965). It was slated for Help! in order to give Ringo a track on the album. This was to be the Beatles' last cover of another composer's song until the Get Back/Let it Be era. Capitol did not include this song on the US version of Help! As a single in the US it reached number 47 in the pop charts. In 1989, Buck Owens and Ringo Starr got together and produced a new version of the song, together with a playful video of them in the role of klutzy cowboys.