Song Of The Week - This Boy

[Hello Goodbye]

This Boy





This Boy is one of only a few Beatles songs, including Yes It Is and Because, that was written for a vocal trio.

Just my attempt at writing one of those three-part harmony Smokey Robinson songs.

           John Lennon   1980


Paul remembers collaborating on this song in September 1963...

It was very cowritten.  We wanted to do a close-harmony thing.  We liked harmonies and were quite good at them.  We used to do a close-harmony version of The Teddy Bears' to Know Her Is To love Her.

           Paul McCartney   Many Years From Now



On 17 October 1963 The Beatles entered EMI Studio Two at 7:00 PM for a three hour recording session.  This was the session that introduced the techniques of four-track recording to the Beatles.  They first recorded I Want To Hold Your Hand followed by their first Beatles Christmas Record and an aborted attempt at a remake of You Really Got A Hold On Me.  At 9:00 PM they began recording This Boy.  John, Paul and George shared a single microphone for their vocals.  They did fifteen takes of the song and it's very apparent that they knew exactly what they wanted when we listen to Takes 12 and 13...


This Boy (Takes 12 & 13) by The Beatles

They were still flubbing "this" and "that."



Two overdubs (Take 16 and 17) were then recorded, which involved George Harrison performing octave guitar fills at the end of the song.  These overdubs were added to the end of Take 15.

The finished version appears to be an edit of Takes 14 and 15, spliced together just before the final verse, making an obvious abrupt edit that is very noticeable in the finished product...


The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand/This Boy (Parlophone R 5084) 45 rpm




John Lennon –  Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (1962 Gibson J160E)
Paul McCartney - Bass Guitar (1963 Hofner 500/1), Harmony Vocals
George Harrison – Lead Guitar (1962 Gretsch 6122 Country Gentleman), Harmony Vocals
Ringo Starr – Drums (1963 Ludwig Downbeat Black Oyster Pearl)

[Hello Goodbye]

As they did in the studio, John, Paul and George shared one microphone when they performed This Boy live...


The Beatles - This Boy (Subtitulado)

[Hello Goodbye]

And, of course, we remember the instrumental version used in A Hard Day's Night...


Ringo's Theme, (This Boy)


Come in Number 7...your time's up!

[tkitna]

I used to hate this song.  Now its only ok.  Just has never done anything for me.  Boring.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

A great non-album B-side and probably the first outstanding ballad written by the any member of the Beatles.

This Boy is one of only a few Beatles songs, including Yes It Is and Because, that was written for a vocal trio.

We could also mention "Nowhere Man" and "The Word".

[Moogmodule]

It's a nice one. The  three part works well. John's middle eight makes it more memorable than it might have otherwise been.

[Hello Goodbye]

It's a nice one. The  three part works well. John's middle eight makes it more memorable than it might have otherwise been.

The bridge is magnificent!  John's plaintive solo would draw this reaction in live performances...


This Boy - The Beatles Live HD

[Moogmodule]

The bridge is magnificent!  John's plaintive solo would draw this reaction in live performances...

I don't think I've heard it done live like that. It's a great version that brings out the songs high points. They really did sing well in concert. Ta HG.

[Hello Goodbye]

That Washington Coliseum performance of This Boy is my favorite, Moog.

[oldbrownshoe]

I love all the group's b-sides, especially the early ones, and so 'This Boy' is right up my street, and is a fabulous contrast to the up-tempo (you might know it!) A-side, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'.

The song did very well in 'The Beatles Monthly' Poll of 1983, getting to No. 51 with 235 votes, leaving many more famous songs in its wake.

(Always say it, but I'll say it again...I'd love to see a British As/Bs compilation on a 2-CD, 44-track, release)

[Normandie]

I used to hate this song.  Now its only ok.  Just has never done anything for me.  Boring.

That pretty much sums up my opinion, too.

[Bobber]

I really like the middle eight because John really lets himself go. I could do without the rest.

[Klang]

Nice song. Not a special fave, but good for what it aspires to.

[Hello Goodbye]

I love all the group's b-sides, especially the early ones, and so 'This Boy' is right up my street, and is a fabulous contrast to the up-tempo (you might know it!) A-side, 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'.

The song did very well in 'The Beatles Monthly' Poll of 1983, getting to No. 51 with 235 votes, leaving many more famous songs in its wake.

(Always say it, but I'll say it again...I'd love to see a British As/Bs compilation on a 2-CD, 44-track, release)

Here in the United States, the B side of Capitol's I Want To Hold Your Hand was I Saw Her Standing There...







But Capitol's Meet The Beatles! LP, released on 20 January 1964, had If I Fell as the third song on Side 1.  For an extra 25 cents, you could get the LP in "Full Dimensional Stereo..."






This Boy by The Beatles from 1963, Stereo Capitol LP.


The crowd at The Washington Coliseum was reacting to a song they had heard for the first time just three weeks prior.

[Mr Mustard]

Thirteen years later, it gets the thumbs up from George...

George Harrison watching This Boy