The Night Before (song)

"The Night Before"
Song by the Beatles from the album Help!
Released	6 August 1965
Recorded	17 February 1965, EMI Studios, London
Genre	Pop rock
Length	2:33
Label	Parlophone, Capitol, EMI
Writer	Lennon–McCartney
Producer	George Martin
Help! track listing
14 tracks Side one "Help!" "The Night Before" "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" "I Need You" "Another Girl" "You're Going to Lose That Girl" "Ticket to Ride" Side two "Act Naturally" "It's Only Love" "You Like Me Too Much" "Tell Me What You See" "I've Just Seen a Face" "Yesterday" "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"

"The Night Before" is a song by the Beatles from the album and film Help!. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney.

Composition and recording

Lennon plays a Hohner Pianet electric piano throughout the song accompanied by McCartney's ascending and descending bass lines. The song's verse has a call and response structure, McCartney's lead vocal alternating with Lennon and George Harrison's harmony, singing the chorus "Aaah, the night before . . .", the whole being alternated with a second melody. McCartney plays a guitar solo on the third verse that is recapitulated in part as the coda of the song.

Film performance

The song is performed on Salisbury Plain in the second Beatles film, Help! and, just as it finishes, a bomb explodes. In the movie, the Beatles perform the song in the shadow of Stonehenge. Harrison mimes the terse, stabbing guitar solo — even though McCartney played it on the record.

Live performance

McCartney played the song on 15 July 2011 at Yankee Stadium, stating from the stage that it was the first time he had performed the song in concert.

Personnel

• Paul McCartney – double-tracked vocal, bass, double-tracked lead guitar
• John Lennon – backing vocal, electric piano
• George Harrison – backing vocal, electric guitar
• Ringo Starr – drums, percussion

Personnel per Ian MacDonald

Cover versions

• Restless Heart released a cover version on their 2004 album Still Restless.
• Bulgarian pop star Lili Ivanova sang a cover version in the 1960s.

References

• MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-84413-828-3. 
• Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.