Today, I want to share one of my favorite songs of theirs with you, a song that, for me, has a special, mythical, unique, and spectacular energy. I'm referring to "It Won't Be Long." I consider it a masterpiece. Despite its simplicity, it has something very special, from the moment they start singing to the vocal harmony at the end, and with the traditional semi-fade-out that several of their songs featured. Furthermore, the iconic use of that "yeah, yeah, yeah" shout interspersed throughout the song is, for me, the crown jewel of this track.
I should mention that the song was recorded in July 1963 at EMI Studios in London and has strong roots in British Merseybeat. Remember that this musical genre flourished in England in the late 1950s and was a movement on par with American Rock and Roll. It's credited to Lennon and McCartney and produced by George Martin, and it's also the opening track of their second album, "With The Beatles." Ironically, this album was released on November 22nd in the United States, coincidentally the same day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.
I find it very charming that they play with the words "be long" and "belong," they are very similar, however there is a certain difference in meaning in these expressions. Also, George's lead guitar is a tiara in every sense of the word, the vocal chords of John and Paul, and of course Ringo's virtuoso drumming, complete the wonderful song. Seventeen recording sessions were made for this song, and the takes selected to create the final version were between takes 11 and 17. Unfortunately, the song was never performed live in concert, nor was it ever played on BBC radio, although a playback version was used on the program "Ready, Steady...Go" in 1964.
I was surprised to see this song appear in early 1964 on an American compilation called "Meet The Beatles." It was surprising because they combined some songs from the LP "With the Beatles" with some singles that were being released at the time, perhaps, I think, for a more palatable American audience.
The song narrates the vocalist's hope for his girlfriend's return, and many music scholars believe the theme is based on the melancholy of his less-than-happy childhood. Years later, Lennon would incorporate themes of rejection and betrayal into some of his subsequent hits. We can say that this song was one of the first to touch on these somewhat bleak aspects of romantic relationships, unlike others that focused on the opposite. It's a pleasure for me to know that some takes, or rather, releases of this song were published by record labels in early 1964 and that collectors are currently seeking them out due to their historical value. It's very gratifying for me to learn these details.
Well, my dear friends, I've reached the end of this lovely review, written with much love for all of you. I hope you enjoy it. I wish you a wonderful night. We'll see each other, read each other, and comment again soon. Until next time... Blessings...!!!
Original YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ-KST885TA
Original story by @cayitus63
Screenshots from the The Beatles- " It Wong't Belong " -(Anthology 2025) " Video -/1963
Images from the era of singles, EPs and song promotions.
Separators created and edited by me in Canva: https://www.canva.com/
Translated with Google Translate: https://translate.google.com
Rating: 100/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/music.
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