Some Other Guy
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| "Some Other Guy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Richie Barrett | ||||
| B-side | "Tricky Dicky" | |||
| Released | 1962 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Label | Atlantic #2142 (USA) | |||
| Writer(s) | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Richard Barrett | |||
| Richie Barrett singles chronology | ||||
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"Some Other Guy" is a rhythm and blues song, written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Richard Barrett.[1] It was first released by Barrett as a single in 1962,[2] with a backing band featuring an electric piano, an unusual sound in pop music at the time.
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[edit] The Beatles
The song was recorded by The Beatles during a live BBC radio session and included on the album Live at the BBC. The song is especially popular in Beatles lore, being featured in the only known existing film with synchronized sound showing the Beatles performing live at the famous Cavern Club. The crude, grainy footage features John Lennon and Paul McCartney singing the song's melody in unison on Wednesday August 22, 1962. It is also the first film of Ringo Starr as the Beatles drummer, Pete Best having been discharged the week before. At the end of the song you can hear someone in the audience screaming "We want Pete!" McCartney stated: "Some Other Guy" is a great song...It really got us started because that's one of the earliest bits of film of The Beatles. It was the song we sang when Granada Television came to the Cavern. It was also a bit of a muso song..."[3] The song as the Beatles play it is in the key of D, with a slow A-C-D intro and second interval I-♭VII-I on every tonic (and the equivalent for IV and V). The "muso song" reference is thought to relate to the fact that it is a rare early example of a rock and roll song being topped and tailed by a ♭VII-I cadence.[4]
| "Some Other Guy" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Beatles from the album Live at the BBC | |
| Released | 30 November 1994 |
| Recorded | 1962 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 2:01 |
| Label | Apple Records |
| Producer | George Martin |
[edit] Other recorded versions
The song was very popular in Liverpool's Merseybeat scene.[2] Both the original and the version by fellow Merseybeaters The Big Three ("Some Other Guy" b/w "Let True Love Begin", Decca F11614, March 63, UK#37) are part of John Lennon's jukebox. The song was covered by the pre-British Invasion group Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, and also by Led Zeppelin during a Whole Lotta Love medley in a live concert on September 4, 1970 at the LA Forum in Inglewood, CA, being found on the famous bootleg Live On Blueberry Hill. Both sides of the single were covered by The Searchers ("Some Other Guy" is included on the album Sugar and Spice, "Tricky Dicky" is included on Meet the Searchers[5]).
This song was also performed/covered by the fictional band The Stray Cats in the 1974 rock film Stardust starring David Essex.
The song was also covered by the Detroit band the Hentchmen featuring Jack White of the White Stripes on lead guitar. The song was released as a 45 on the Detroit label, Italy Records, in 1997. A copy of this record was in John Peel's treasured record box after his death.[citation needed]
John Lennon pays homage to this song by lifting the two chord intro for the intro to his 'Instant Karma' single.
[edit] Parodies
The Rutles' song "Goose-Step Mama" is based on the Beatles' version of this song.
[edit] References
- ^ "ASCAP ACE Database". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). http://www.ascap.com/ace/. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
- ^ a b Harry, Bill (2000). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Revised and Updated. London: Virgin Publishing. pp. 1011–1012. ISBN 0-7535-0481-2.
- ^ Paul McCartney cited in Dominic Pedler. The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles. Music Sales Limited. Omnibus Press. NY. 2003. p232
- ^ Dominic Pedler. The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles. Music Sales Limited. Omnibus Press. NY. 2003. p233
- ^ http://www.rickresource.com/searchers/completesearchers.htm The Searchers songs
