So the story goes that Hold me tight was written as a collaborative effort in 1962 by John and Paul even though Paul had the original idea.
The song was apparently recorded for the first LP Please please Me but didn't make it onto the album due to everyone being unhappy with it so it was re recorded at a later date and put on the second album With The Beatles, the original recording has been lost and no one seems to have a copy so we may never hear it unfortunately.
Although official documents do not mention it, the song was speeded up from the original recording, which elevated the key signature from E major to F major. This is sometimes done to create a tighter performance and has been done to good effect at different times throughout The Beatles recording career, as well as slowing down the tape in the cases of “Rain” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” for a completely different effect. In the case of “Hold Me Tight,” it can be assumed that the song was speeded up during the mastering process or when tape copies were made since, according to Geoff Emerick, the process of "vari-speeding" wasn't available at EMI until much later, probably around 1966.
The song has had a lot of criticism of the years for being cliched and simple in its formula however personally I've always liked it. I feel it has some complications for such early songwriting by two young boys, I like the way it changes from major to minor key for the middle 8 and I like the staccato guitar phrases which are followed by the bass, quite clever if you think about it and innovative for the time.
Hold Me Tight”
Written by: John Lennon / Paul McCartney
Song Written: September, 1962
Song Recorded: September 12, 1963
First US Release Date: January 20, 1964
First US Album Release: Capitol #ST-2047 “Meet The Beatles!”
US Single Release: n/a
Highest Chart Position: n/a
British Album Release: Parlophone #PCS 3045 “With The Beatles”
Length: 2:32
Key: F major
Producer: George Martin
Engineers: Norman Smith, Richard Langham
Instrumentation (most likely):
Paul McCartney - Lead and Background Vocals, Bass Guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1), Handclaps
George Harrison – Lead Guitar (Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman), Background Vocals, Handclaps
John Lennon – Rhythm Guitar (1958 Rickenbacker 325), Background Vocals, Handclaps
Ringo Starr – Drums (Ludwig), Handclaps
Author
Topic: Song Of The Week - Hold me Tight (Read 4848 times)