TOP 100 SONGS OF THE BEATLES ― 27

"You’re Going to Lose That Girl” (Lennon – August 13, 1965)

Help! – Side 1, Track 6 (2:17) 

You Tube (Amy Slattery cover)

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

"You're Going to Lose That Girl" is a song by the Beatles from the album and film Help!, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Capitol Records originally titled the song "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" in the United States.

History –

"You're Going To Lose That Girl" (originally printed on the US version of Help! as "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," and sometimes mistakenly listed as such) is a mid-tempo ballad written by John and recorded in just under three hours at the fourth session for the Help!movie soundtrack.

The lyrics are not personal but rather a reversal of the Lennon-McCartney "third-party" gimmick of "She Loves You": here, the singer warns that the girl in question will leave the subject for him if she's not "treated right," a conceit set off nicely by the backing harmonies of Paul and George ("I'll make a point of taking her away from you..." "...that's what you'll do").

The quick recording -- this was the last session before the band flew to the Bahamas to begin filming the movie itself -- led to several unfortunate anomalies. The harmony vocals which lead off the track are off-pitch with the rest of the song (you can hear the trio adjusting when the song itself kicks in), while McCartney's piano, overdubbed the same day, is slightly off-key and seems to hit a few wrong notes in spots.

This song moves from its home key of E major to a bridge of G major and then back again, an extremely odd shift, and not just for pop music. It is often studied by musicologists to determine how the flow could be executed so smoothly.

Composition and recording –

The last song recorded before breaking off to make the film, the song was composed at Lennon's house in Weybridge. In the lyrics the singer tells his "friend" that, if he does not value his girl, the singer will "make a point of taking her away" from him. To the Beatles' familiar twist beat and using variations of familiar doo-wop chords, Lennon's lead singing is set in a call-and-response with the enthusiastic answering harmonies of McCartney and George Harrison, offering a last glimpse of the early Beatles' musical home turf.

The song's bridge has a key change similar to that of the record's previous track "Another Girl", moving up a minor third to G major, the relative major of the tonic minor. In this case the bridge emerges a measure early, diving a semitone down to meet the verse.

To fatten the sound McCartney overdubbed a background piano (a job that once would have been done by producer George Martin "live" on the backing track) and Ringo Starr added bongos, the addition of Latin-American percussion being another way the Beatles often exploited their new-found access to four-track recording.

In the film Help! –

In the film, the group appears singing this song in the recording studio. (In addition to the group's familiar guitar-and-drum setup, there is also footage of Paul McCartney at a piano and Ringo Starr playing the bongos, both miming instruments they had overdubbed onto the recording.) Towards the end, one of the thugs uses a chainsaw to saw a hole in the floor around the drum kit. The producer reports that they will have to re-record the song due to a buzzing noise, at which point Starr and the drums fall through the floor.

Release, pastiche and parody –

The song was released in 1965 on the Help album. In November 1977, Capitol Records scheduled the release of "Girl" backed with "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" as a single (Capitol 4506) to accompany the release of Love Songs, a compilation album which contained both songs. However, the single was cancelled before it was issued.

The Ramones performed a song titled "You're Gonna Kill That Girl" which may have been intended as a parody of the Beatles song. The Rutles' song "Now She's Left You" is a pastiche of this song.

Takes: 3

Personnel –

John Lennon: Lead vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Gibson J160E)

Paul McCartney: Backing vocal, bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1), piano (1905 Steinway Vertegrand "Mrs. Mills")
George Harrison: Backing vocal, rhythm guitar (1961 Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster)
Ringo Starr: Drums (Ludwig), bongo

Trivia –

A second, replacement guitar solo was recorded for this song by George on March 30, 1965, but never used.

This song marks the first use of George's 1961 "Sonic Blue" Fender Strat, one of two Mal Evans had been dispatched to pick up from a shop in Kent, England. (John played the other one, though not on this song.)

The scene in Help! which features this song contains a naughty sort of pun: the producer recording the boys hears a "buzzing" sound, which proves to be someone cutting the floor around Ringo. When Ringo falls through the hole, John shouts, "It was you buzzing! You naughty boy!," a reference to getting high (or getting a "buzz") on marijuana.

Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) March 14 –

1963 – First recording session of Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Recording: "Do You Want To Know A Secret".

– Studio 2 (control room only). 10.00am-1.00pm. Editing: "From Me To You" (of unknown take number). Mono mixing: "From Me To You" (from edit of unknown take number). Stereo mixing: "From Me To You" (from edit of unknown take number). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: unknown; 2nd Engineer: unknown. 
– End of work on "From Me To You"/"Thank You Girl".
– Gerry Marsden is fined 60 pounds at Uxbridge Magistrates Court for attempting to evade customs duty on a guitar bought in Germany when arriving at London Airport from Hamburg, on 1 December 1962.
– Concert at the Gaumont, Wolverhampton (Chris Montez and Tommy Roe Tour).

1964 – With The Beatles number 1, 15th week (UK Record Retailer chart). 

– 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' number 1, 7th and last week; 9th week in the Top 100 (Billboard). 
– "She Loves You" number 2, 8th week in the Top 100 (Billboard). 
– "Please Please Me" number 3, 7th week in the Top 100 (Billboard). 
– "I Saw Her Standing There' number 15, 6th week in the Top 100 (Billboard). 
– "From Me To You" number 73, 2nd week in the Top 100 (Billboard). 
– "Twist And Shout" number 55, 1st week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– Film from the Washington Coliseum concert is broadcast via cable TV to American movie theaters. (Recorded 11 February 1964).
– Brian returns from Holland to England.

1968  – BBC-TV's 'Top Of The Pops' transmits a clip of 'Lady Madonna'.

1970 – "Let It Be" enters the ranking as number 6 (new record), First week in the Top 30 (Billboard). 

– Live Peace In Toronto,  10th week in the ranking (Billboard). 
– "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" number 1, 1st week; 4th week in the ranking (Billboard).

1982 – Startling Studios. Recording basic tracks for LP Old Wave. Producer: Jim Nipar.