TOP 100 SONGS OF THE BEATLES: 36

"I Should Have Known Better" (Lennon – June 26, 1964) 

A Hard Day’s Night – Side 1, Track 2 (2:43)

YouTube (From the film A Hard Day's Night)

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

"I Should Have Known Better" is a song composed by John Lennon(credited to Lennon–McCartney), and originally released by the Beatles on the United Kingdom version of A Hard Day's Night, their soundtrack for the film of the same name.

The song is performed in the train compartment scene of A Hard Day's Night. It was in fact filmed in a van, with crew members rocking the vehicle to fake the action of a train in motion.

An orchestrated version of the song conducted by George Martin appears on the North American version of the album.

Origin –

In January 1964, during a three-week engagement at the Olympia Theatre in Paris, the Beatles first became aware of American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan and, when having acquired a copy of his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, began playing it continuously. American journalist Al Aronowitz introduced them to Dylan when the Beatles visited New York in February 1964, and Dylan subsequently became a big influence on the group, especially Lennon, who even started wearing a copycat Huckleberry Finn cap. One consequence of this “infatuation” (as Ian MacDonald later described it) was the song "I Should Have Known Better." Paul McCartney said Dylan's songs were "great lyrically," and Lennon credited Dylan with inspiring him to write more meaningful lyrics. 

History –

This song was finished in three takes on February 25, but due to John's dissatisfaction with the finished product, was completely redone in 22 takes the next day.

This is the first recorded song on which George Harrison plays the 1963 Rickenbacker 360 12 guitar, the very first electric twelve-string guitar. It had been presented to him by Rickenbacker's Francis C. Hall on February 8 of the same year in New York City, and its use here would make it instantly popular among members of the burgeoning "folk-rock" movement. The Byrds' Roger McGuinn is said to have gotten the idea for the genre after hearing this song.

BBC radio versions: 2 (for the BBC radio programs Top Gear and From Us To You)

Recording –

The first recording session for the song was on 25 February 1964 at Abbey Road Studios when three takes were attempted, but only one was complete. Take 2 was aborted when Lennon broke into hysterics over his harmonica playing. The song was re-recorded the next day after making some changes to the arrangement.

Lennon's harmonica playing opens the track, the last occasion the Beatles were to feature this instrument on an intro ("I'm a Loser," recorded 14 August 1964 has a harmonica solo) and thus draws a line under a significant period of their early music. The song's middle sixteen section features George Harrison's brand new Rickenbacker 360/12 12-string guitar.

The mono and stereo versions have slightly different harmonica introductions. In the stereo version, the harmonica drops out briefly.[10] (A stereo edit that fixes this mistake appears uniquely on the US Capitol release of the 1982 Beatles compilation Reel Music.) Also, a noticeably clumsy and audible tape edit is heard during the second middle eight between "You're gonna say you love me, too" and "And when I ask you to be mine."

Takes: 22

Personnel

John Lennon – Lead vocal (double-tracked), rhythm guitar (Gibson J160E), acoustic guitar, harmonica

Paul McCartney – Bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1)

George Harrison – Lead guitar (Rickenbacker 360-12 "Fire-glo")
Ringo Starr – Drums (Ludwig)

Release –

United Kingdom

In the UK, "I Should Have Known Better" appeared on A Hard Day's Night and was released on 10 July 1964. It was not released as a single at that time. In 1976, it was released as a B-side to "Yesterday.”

United States

In the US, "I Should Have Known Better" was released on 13 July 1964 as the B-side to "A Hard Day's Night" and reached No. 53 in the Billboard Top 100, and No. 43 on the Cash Box chart. Of note, there were four higher-charting Beatles' hits blocking its entrance into the Top 40.

As part of the movie contract, United Artists acquired album rights for the American market. They released a soundtrack album on 26 June 1964 with eight Beatles songs and four instrumentals. "I Should Have Known Better" was performed in the film, and it appears on the soundtrack. Capitol Records released Something New a month later with songs from the UK version of A Hard Day's Night that were not used in the film. It was later released by Capitol on the Hey Jude compilation album in 1970.

Trivia –

This is the last Beatles song on which the harmonica is prominently featured in a main riff, although "I'm A Loser," recorded on August 14 of the same year, features a harmonica solo by John. (The only subsequent Beatles songs to feature any harmonica at all are "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite," which features George and Ringo on the instrument, and two John performances on "All Together Now" and "Rocky Raccoon.")

In the film A Hard Day's Night, this is the song the Beatles sing to the schoolgirls on the train. One of those girls was model Patti Boyd, whom George met while filming the scene. She would later become his first wife, inspiring best friend Eric Clapton, who'd also fallen in love with her by 1970, to write "Layla" about his situation.

Today in Beatles History (From The Internet Beatles Album) March 5 –

1963 – EMI House, George Martin's 4th floor office, London. Photographic session with Angus McBean, changing clothes. 

– EMI House, spiral staircase to the basement, London. Photographic session with Angus McBean.
– Montague Place, London. Photographic session with 3 photographers, between the 2nd and 3rd parking meters nearest to the junction of Montague Place with Malet Street. George Martin is present. They all arrived from EMI House, and later went to EMI Studios in Abbey Road.
– Studio 2. 2.30-5.30pm. Recording: "From Me To You" (takes 1-13); "Thank You Little Girl" (working title of "Thank You Girl") (takes 1-13). Studio 2. 7.00-10.00pm. Recording: "The One After 909" (takes 1-5). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Norman Smith; 2nd Engineer: Richard Langham.
– Start of sessions for "From Me To You"/"Thank You Girl".
– First attempt to record "What Goes On"– Failed.

Abbey Road Studios. Photographic session with EMI staff photographers (Edgar Brind among them). Dezo Hoffmann takes pictures of this session

1964 – Shooting of early scenes for A Hard Day's Night, on board a train leaving from Paddington Station. 

– After a day of filming in the West Country for A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles return to Westbourne Park Station, London.
– Dinner at Brasenose College, organized by Jeffrey Archer, rallying help for Oxfam's 21st anniversary celebrations. The Beatles and Brian attend.

1967 – Performance of Lee Dorsey at Saville Theatre, with Pink Floyd as support act.

1969 – Date after which EMI planned not to pay any author rights to anyone during the EMI-Richenberg trial.

– Yellow Submarine, 7th week in the ranking (UK New Musical Express chart).

1970 – John and Yoko ara admitted into the London Clinic.

1990– Paul's concert in Tokyo ('Get Back Tour').

1993 – Paul's concert in Perth, Australia. Start of the New World Tour.