| "Chains" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single by The Cookies | ||
| Released | 1962 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Writer | Gerry Goffin/Carole King | |
| "Chains" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by The Beatles | ||
| Album | Please Please Me | |
| Released | March 22 1963 (mono) April 26 1963 (stereo) |
|
| Recorded | February 11 1963 | |
| Genre | Rock and roll | |
| Length | 2:23 | |
| Label | Parlophone | |
| Writer | Gerry Goffin/Carole King | |
| Producer | George Martin | |
| Please Please Me track listing | ||
|
||
"Chains" was composed by the Brill Building husband-and-wife songwriting team Gerry Goffin and Carole King and was a minor hit for Little Eva’s backing singers, the Cookies, and later covered by the The Beatles.
The Beatles version
"Chains" was a much-covered song by Liverpool groups during 1962,[1] and was included in the Beatles' live sets. They recorded it on 11 February 1963 and it appeared on their first album in the UK, Please Please Me.[2] It was the first of two songs on the album with lead vocals by George Harrison, and it features the early Beatles trademark harmonica introduction with backing vocal harmonies provided by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The Beatles played the song live on a number of BBC radio shows, including Side By Side, Here We Go and Pop Go the Beatles.
Credits
- John Lennon – rhythm guitar, harmonica, harmony vocal
- Paul McCartney – bass guitar, harmony vocal
- George Harrison – lead guitar, lead vocal
- Ringo Starr – drums
Notes
- ^ Bill Harry, The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia, p. 147
- ^ Mark Lewisohn, The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, p. 24
