Roll Over Beethoven
By:
The Beatles
Lyrics:
Roll Over Beethoven
Lead vocals:
George Harrison
Songwriter(s):
Chuck Berry
First released on:
With The Beatles
U.S. release date:
April 10, 1964
U.K. release date:
November 22, 1963
Length (≈):
2:40
Label:
Capitol
Label:
Parlophone
Produced by:
George Martin
Recording date(s):
July 30, 1963
Recorded at:
Abbey Road Studios (EMI)
Musicians :
- George Harrison - lead vocal, lead guitar
- John Lennon - rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney - bass
- Ringo Starr - drums
In their second recording session for their second album, on July 30, 1963, the Beatles performed Roll Over Beethoven, a Chuck Berry classic from 1956 - pure Rock 'n' Roll.
They had been singing this song in performance for nearly seven years. It took five takes to create the keeper. George Harrison sang the lead, and his voice was overdubbed.
The song is the conventional rock version of a twelve bar blues, in this case, with nine iterations. (Numbers 1 and 5 are guitar solos, and the remainder full band vocals.) The original UK release is notable for the four-bar guitar intro, in which Harrison does not play exactly 16 beats, but the group knew the song so well that they came in on time anyway. Ringo's drums and the handclapping track combine to make this song a high-energy classic of the early Beatles. Capitol Records goofed and did not put this song on the first US album. Even though Roll Over Beethoven was not for sale in the States, it rose to #68 just on the strength of imports.
Capitol Records rushed the second album, and put this song prominently on the cover and as the lead-off song on side one.
Recording
July 30, 1963 in 9 takes (5 full band, others overdubbed).
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