TOP 100 SONGS OF THE BEATLES: 42

"I Feel Fine" (Lennon – November 23, 1964) 



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From Wikipedia, Rolling Stone,  About.com, and Google –

"I Feel Fine" is a riff-driven rock song written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and released in 1964 by The Beatles as the A-side of their eighth British single. The song is notable for the use of feedback on a recording for the first time by any musician.

History –

Written by John on October 3, 1964, and worked on by him during the sessions for "Eight Days A Week," this song was based around a distinctive riff and Latin drum pattern very reminiscent of R&B artist Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step" (which the band was familiar with, having covered it on stage in the Cavern days). Although Paul has claimed some portion of the song's final form, records and hearsay seem to discount any real involvement.

Although many bands have claimed the distinction, "I Feel Fine" was the first recorded song to feature guitar feedback. While recording, Lennon accidentally left his guitar (actually an acoustic Gibson with an electric P-90 pickup) too close to his Vox AC30 amp, producing an interesting whine in tune with the riff's opening note (A). Lennon worked during the ensuing takes to replicate the effect, which in the final version is actually produced by Paul's bass resonating an octave higher in John's pickup.

Although George was the lead guitarist of the group, the main riff is played by John. The famous solo is also played by John, though George joins him when the riff returns.

The "barking dog" noises at the very end of the fade-out are Paul's; several outtakes reveal lots of goofing off during the sessions.

The single reached the top of the UK charts on 12 December of that year, displacing The Rolling Stones' "Little Red Rooster," and remained there for five weeks. It also reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1964. The B-side was "She's a Woman".

"I Feel Fine" was the first of six number one songs in a row on the American charts, a record at the time. The subsequent singles were "Eight Days a Week", "Ticket to Ride", "Help!", "Yesterday", and "We Can Work It Out".

It was also the first Beatles single to be released almost concurrently in the US and the UK.

Origin –

Lennon wrote the guitar riff while in the studio recording "Eight Days a Week". "I wrote 'I Feel Fine' around that riff going on in the background," he recalled. "I told them I'd write a song specially for the riff. So they said, 'Yes. You go away and do that,' knowing that we'd almost finished the album Beatles for Sale. Anyway, going into the studio one morning, I said to Ringo, 'I've written this song but it's lousy.' But we tried it, complete with riff, and it sounded like an A side, so we decided to release it just like that." John Lennon said that the riff was influenced by a riff in "Watch Your Step", a 1961 release written and performed by Bobby Parker and covered by the Beatles in concerts during 1961 and 1962.

Paul McCartney said the drums on "I Feel Fine" were inspired by Ray Charles's "What'd I Say".

At the time of the song's recording, the Beatles, having mastered the studio basics, had begun to explore new sources of inspiration in noises previously eliminated as mistakes (such as electronic goofs, twisted tapes, and talkback). "I Feel Fine" marks the earliest example of the use of feedback as a recording effect. Artists such as The Kinks and The Who had already used feedback live, but Lennon remained proud of the fact that the Beatles were the first group to actually put it on vinyl.

Structure –

The intro to "I Feel Fine" starts with a single, percussive (yet pure-sounding) feedback note produced by plucking the A-note on Lennon's guitar. This was the very first use of feedback on a rock record. According to McCartney, "John had a semi-acoustic Gibson guitar. It had a pick-up on it so it could be amplified... We were just about to walk away to listen to a take when John leaned his guitar against the amp. I can still see him doing it... it went, 'Nnnnnnwahhhhh!" And we went, 'What's that? Voodoo!' 'No, it's feedback.' Wow, it's a great sound!' George Martin was there so we said, 'Can we have that on the record?' 'Well, I suppose we could, we could edit it on the front.' It was a found object, an accident caused by leaning the guitar against the amp."

While sounding very much like an electric guitar, Lennon played it on a semi-acoustic (a Gibson model J-160E), employing the guitar's onboard pickup and 1960s sound effect devices to make the acoustic guitar sound more electronic. The intro riff around a D major chord progresses to a C, then a G, where the G major vocals begin. Just before the coda, Lennon's intro riff (or ostinato), is repeated with a bright sound by George Harrison on electric guitar (a Gretsch Tennessean), followed by the more electric sound of John on amped acoustic.

Takes: 9

Personnel –

John Lennon – Lead vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar (Gibson J160E)

Paul McCartney – Harmony vocals, bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1)

George Harrison – Harmony vocals, lead guitar (Gretsch 6119 "Tennessean")
Ringo Starr – Drums (Ludwig)

Trivia –

The urban legend that the feedback was a mistake made during the final take stems from the band themselves, who told their English label, Parlophone, that it was a mistake in order to allow the use of the feedback (normally deemed unacceptable as a sonic standard).


This song appears in mono on both original singles (UK and US) in slightly different mixes, whereas the version found on the US Beatles 65 LP is "mock stereo" made from mono and the current CD releases are in true stereo (except where noted). The original US single mix is drenched in echo compared to its cleaner UK counterpart.

Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) February 27 – 

1963 – Concert at the Rialto, York (Helen Shapiro tour).

1964 – Studio 2. 10.00am-1.00pm. Recording: "And I Love Her" [re-re-make] (takes 20-21); "Tell Me Why" (takes 1-8). Studio 2. 2.30-5.30pm. Recording: "If I Fell" (takes 1-15). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Norman Smith; 2nd Engineer: Richard Langham.

1965 – 'Beatles For Sale' number 1, 1st and last week, replacing 'Rolling Stones II' (UK Record Retailer chart).

1967 – Brian and Vic Lewis fly to the US, to arrange plans for the Monkees, Cream, the Who, and the Four Tops.

1996 – Recording of 'Flaming Pie' in Sussex, England.