Chains (Cookies song)
| "Chains" | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Cookies | |
| from the album Chains | |
| Released | November 1962 |
| Genre | |
| Songwriter(s) | Gerry Goffin/Carole King |
"Chains" is a song composed by the husband-and-wife songwriting team Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded (but not released) by the Everly Brothers. In 1962 it was a hit for Little Eva’s backing singers, The Cookies (#17 U.S. Pop, #7 R&B),[1] and later covered by English rock group The Beatles.
The Beatles' version
| "Chains" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
The single by the Cookies was a popular cover song for Liverpool bands after its release in November 1962,[2] and was included briefly in the Beatles' live sets.[3] They recorded it on February 11, 1963 in four takes (the first having proven to be the best)[4] for inclusion on their British debut, Please Please Me.[5] Lennon played the introduction on harmonica.[4] Music critic Ian MacDonald criticized the Beatles' performance, writing that it was "slightly out-of-tune" and "lacked spontaneity."[3] George Harrison sings the lead vocal on the Beatles' version; and, as the fourth track from the group's first album, it represents the first time many fans heard Harrison singing lead on a commercially released song.
They played the song live on a number of BBC radio shows, including Side by Side, Here We Go and Pop Go the Beatles (though none of these performances were included on the 1994 compilation Live at the BBC, it was eventually released on the 2013 compilation On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2).[2]
Sylvie Vartan version (in French)
| "Chance / Il revient / Reponds-moi / Tous les gens" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Sylvie Vartan | ||||
| Released | 1963) | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | French adaptation: Georges Aber | |||
| Sylvie Vartan singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was reworked into French under the title "Chance". The French version was recorded and released in 1963 by Sylvie Vartan.
Track listing
EP Sylvie ("Chance" / "Il revient" / "Reponds-moi" / "Tous les gens") RCA Victor 76.617 (1963, France)
- A1. "Chance" ("Chains")
- A2. "Il revient" ("Say Mama")
- B1. "Reponds-moi"
- B2. "Tous les gens" ("Baby You’re So Fine")[6]
Personnel
Cookies' version
- Earl-Jean – lead vocals
- Margaret Ross – backing vocals
- Dorothy Jones – backing vocals
- Eva Boyd – backing vocals
Beatles' version
- George Harrison – lead vocals, lead guitar
- John Lennon – rhythm guitar, harmonica, harmony vocals
- Paul McCartney – bass, harmony vocals
- Ringo Starr – drums
Engineered by Norman Smith
Inspiration
Neil Peart, the drummer with Rush, was ten years old when Chains was released. And 32 years later, he wrote of it: " I still remember the first song that galvanized me: Chains, a simple pop tune by one of those girl groups, with close harmonies syncopated over a driving shuffle. No great classic or anything, but as I listened to that song on my transistor, suddenly I understood. This changed everything."[7]
Notes
References
- Harry, Bill (2000). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Revised and Updated. London: Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0-7535-0481-2.
- 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 1-84413-828-3.