I Saw Her Standing There
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It has been suggested that I Saw Him Standing There be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since December 2009. |
| "I Saw Her Standing There" | ||||
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| Song by The Beatles from the album Please Please Me | ||||
| Released | 22 March 1963 | |||
| Recorded | 11 February 1963, EMI Studios, London |
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| Genre | Rock and roll, beat | |||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Parlophone | |||
| Writer | McCartney–Lennon | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| Please Please Me track listing | ||||
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| "I Saw Her Standing There" | ||||
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 US single cover |
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| Single by The Beatles | ||||
| A-side | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | |||
| Released | 26 December 1963 (US) | |||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| The Beatles singles chronology | ||||
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"I Saw Her Standing There" is a song written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and is the opening track on The Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me, released in the United Kingdom by Parlophone on 22 March 1963.
In December 1963, Capitol Records released the song in the United States as the B-side on the label's first single by The Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand". While the A-side topped the US Billboard charts for seven weeks starting 18 January 1964, "I Saw Her Standing There" entered the Billboard Hot 100 on 8 February 1964, remaining there for 11 weeks, peaking at #14. The song placed on the Cashbox charts for only one week at #100 on the same day of its Billboard debut. In 2004, "I Saw Her Standing There" was ranked #139 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
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[edit] Composition
The song was a Lennon and McCartney collaboration based on McCartney's initial idea.[1] Originally titled "Seventeen", the song was apparently conceived by McCartney while driving home from a Beatles' concert in Southport, Lancashire [2] and later completed at his Forthlin Road home with Lennon.[1] McCartney later described in Beat Instrumental how he went about the song's composition: "Here’s one example of a bit I pinched from someone: I used the bass riff from 'Talkin’ About You' by Chuck Berry in 'I Saw Her Standing There'. I played exactly the same notes as he did and it fitted our number perfectly. Even now, when I tell people, I find few of them believe me; therefore, I maintain that a bass riff hasn’t got to be original".[3] The lyrics were written on a Liverpool Institute exercise book. Remember, a book by McCartney's brother Mike McCartney, includes a photograph of Lennon and McCartney writing the song while strumming guitars and reading the exercise book. It was typical of how Lennon and McCartney would work in partnership, as McCartney later commented: "I had 'She was just seventeen,' and then 'never been a beauty queen'. When I showed it to John, he screamed with laughter, and said 'You're joking about that line, aren't you?'"[2] "It was one of the first times he ever went 'What? Must change that...'"[4] The songwriting credit on the Please Please Me liner notes is "McCartney–Lennon" which differs from the more familiar "Lennon–McCartney" that appears on subsequent releases.[5]
[edit] Recording
The song was recorded at EMI Studios on 11 February 1963, as part of the marathon recording session that produced 10 of the 14 songs on Please Please Me.[6] The Beatles were not present for the mixing session on 25 February 1963.[7] It was not common practice for bands to be present at such sessions at that time.
On the album, the song starts with a rousing "One, two, three, four!" count-in by McCartney. Usually, these count-ins are edited off the final audio mix. However, record producer George Martin wanted to create the effect that the album was a live performance: "I had been up to the Cavern and I’d seen what they could do, I knew their repertoire, and I said 'Lets record every song you’ve got, come down to the studios and we’ll just whistle through them in a day'".[8] Martin took the count-in from take 9, which was considered 'especially spirited'[4] and spliced it onto take 1.[9] Music journalist Richard Williams suggested that this dramatic introduction to their debut album was just as stirring as Elvis Presley's "Well, it's one for the money, two for the show…" on his opening track, "Blue Suede Shoes", for his debut album seven years earlier.[10] In addition it also made the point that The Beatles were a performing band as, at that time, they opened their live set with this song.[11] On the first American release of the song, issued on Vee Jay Records, the count was edited out—but the "Four!" is still audible.
[edit] Release
- British LP: Please Please Me
- British EP: The Beatles (No. 1)
- American LP: Introducing... The Beatles
- American Single: "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
- American LP: Meet The Beatles!
[edit] Personnel
- Paul McCartney – lead vocal, bass, handclaps
- John Lennon – backing vocal, rhythm guitar, handclaps
- George Harrison – lead guitar, handclaps
- Ringo Starr – drums, handclaps
- Personnel per Ian MacDonald[12]
[edit] Critical acclaim
Carr and Tyler, in The Beatles: An Illustrated Record, claimed it was only the third all-British rock classic up to that time, the previous two being Cliff Richard's "Move It" and Johnny Kidd's "Shakin' All Over".
[edit] Cover versions
A 1974 live version was released as a duet by Lennon and Elton John as the B-side to the latter's "Philadelphia Freedom" single. The song is available on the Lennon box set, and on Elton John's To Be Continued... box set as well as the expanded CD edition of his 1976 live album Here and There. Lennon's introduction:
| “ | I'd like to thank Elton and the boys for having me on tonight. We tried to think of a number to finish off with so I can get out of here and be sick, and we thought we'd do a number of an old, estranged fiancé of mine, called Paul. This is one I never sang, it's an old Beatle number, and we just about know it. | ” |
This was the last major live performance by John Lennon.
McCartney included "I Saw Her Standing There" on his live albums Tripping the Live Fantastic (1990), Back in the US (2002) and Back in the World (2003). In 1987, he recorded a new version for his album CHOBA B CCCP, but left it to outtakes. The song has become a mainstay of McCartney's live sets, and a special version was played when McCartney and his band returned to Liverpool in June 2008. It featured special guest drummer Dave Grohl, the lead singer of the Foo Fighters.
McCartney performed "I Saw Her Standing There" at the 1986 Prince's Trust Rock Gala, as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of HRH Prince Charles' charity. He was supported by an all-star band featuring Elton John, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler, and Ray King. . Interviewed at the time, McCartney said: "It is a good thrill playing with musicians of this calibre...since it was a birthday thing, they wanted to do something silly at the end, and that's me!!"[13] This performance was released to iTunes Stores in October 2009 as part of the Digital Video Singles label. Paul McCartney also performed a duet of this song with Billy Joel during the inaugural concert at Citi Field in Flushing, New York.
Other versions include:
- The Supremes recorded a version of the song under the title "I Saw Him Standing There." It was recorded during the sessions for their A Bit of Liverpool album, but remained unreleased until 2008.
- The Who filmed and recorded a version of the song for their film The Kids Are Alright; Keith Moon sang the lead vocal. However, this was not released on the film or soundtrack album, and has only been available on bootleg recordings. The Who also performed the song on their 1982 Farewell Tour, with John Entwistle on lead vocal, including a performance at Shea Stadium.
- Alvin and the Chipmunks recorded a version of the song for their 1964 album The Chipmunks Sing The Beatles Hits.
- Led Zeppelin performed the song live on 4 September 1970 at the Los Angeles Forum as a "Communication Breakdown" medley featuring "Good Times Bad Times" and "For What It's Worth" on the Live on Blueberry Hill bootleg.
- Daniel Johnston covered "I Saw Her Standing There" on his album Continued Story with Texas Instruments.
- In 1988, Tiffany released "I Saw Him Standing There" as a single and as a track on her self-titled debut album, which reached the top ten in Australia, Ireland, the UK and the US.
- Santo & Johnny did a version (which features steel guitar) on an LP of Beatle songs.
- In 1977, The Tubes covered "I Saw Her Standing There" on their live CD What Do You Want From Live.
- In 1988, Yugoslav band Azra covered "I Saw Her Standing There" on their live album Zadovoljština.
- Carmaig de Forest recorded an acoustic version of "I Saw Her Standing There" in his own kitchen in 1991. Halfway through the song, it turns into his own composition "Julie Among the Redwoods", but reverts back to "I Saw Her Standing There" in the end.
- Peter Grant recorded a jazz version on his debut album New Vintage released in 2006.
- The Punkles did a punk cover on their first album, Beat The Punkles.
- Allister released a cover version on the Japanese-only EP, Guilty Pleasures.
- In 1991, Mexican singer Mimí recorded a Spanish version of this song called "Te Ví Parado Ahí" and included it on her self-titled debut album.
- Serbian doo wop band Vampiri recorded a version with lyrics in Serbian language entitled "Poziv na ples" ("Dance Invitation"), on their 1993 album Bebe.
- N.E.R.D's Pharrell Williams appeared at the 2004 Grammy Awards, performing the song on drums with Sting, Dave Matthews and Vince Gill.
- Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis on Jerry Lee Lewis's 2006 CD Last Man Standing.
- Jerry Garcia recorded the song on his Run for the Roses album in 1982.
- Pink Fairies played the song on their 1972 album What a Bunch of Sweeties.
- Bob Welch who played the song on his 1979 album Three Hearts.
[edit] In popular culture
- In the 1988 motion picture Rain Man, the song is sung by Raymond (portrayed by Dustin Hoffman) to his younger brother Charlie (played by Tom Cruise).
- The CBS sitcom Petticoat Junction featured it as a performance on 24 March 1964 by an all-girl group "The Ladybugs."[14] Two nights earlier the cast members, in Ladybugs character, also performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show.
- Seminal punk rock group Ramones began most of their songs live with the count "1-2-3-4", usually from Dee Dee Ramone, and the count is included in many of their studio songs. They deliberately tried to hark back to "I Saw Her Standing There".[15]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Miles 1997, p. 93–94.
- ^ a b Badman 2000, p. 50.
- ^ Harry 1992, pp. 329.
- ^ a b Lewisohn 1988, p. 9.
- ^ Parlophone 1963, p. 3.
- ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 24.
- ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 28.
- ^ The Beatles 2000, p. 92.
- ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 60.
- ^ Mojo 2002, p. 40.
- ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 68.
- ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 66.
- ^ YouTube 2009.
- ^ Dailymotion 2009.
- ^ Ramones: An American Band. Jim Bessman. St. Martin's Press. pp. i
[edit] References
- Badman, Keith (2000). The Beatles Off the Record. London: Omnibus. ISBN 0-7119-7985-5.
- "The Ladybugs Sing "I Saw Her Standing There"". Dailymotion. 2009. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7pzvf_the-ladybugs-sing-i-saw-her-standin_funLadybugs'. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- Harry, Bill (1992). The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-681-3.
- Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
- MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-844-13828-3.
- Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- Mojo Special Limited Edition # M-04951. London. 2002.
- (1963) Album notes for Please Please Me by The Beatles [booklet]. London: Parlophone (CDP 7 46435 2).
- "The Prince's Trust 1986, "I Saw Her Standing There" by Paul McCartney". YouTube. 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHLgdXnf-G0. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- The Beatles (2000). The Beatles Anthology. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35605-0.
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