| "Misery" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by The Beatles | ||
| Album | Please Please Me | |
| Released | 22 March 1963 (mono) 26 April 1963 (stereo) |
|
| Recorded | 11 February 1963 | |
| Genre | Pop Rock | |
| Length | 1:47 | |
| Label | Parlophone | |
| Writer | McCartney/Lennon | |
| Producer | George Martin | |
| Please Please Me track listing | ||
|
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"Misery" is a song performed by the The Beatles on their album Please Please Me. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. According to Lennon, "it was kind of a John song more than a Paul song, but it was written together."[1] McCartney was to say: "I don't think either one of us dominated on that one, it was just a hacking job".[2] In February 1963, Helen Shapiro was Britain's most successful female singer,[3] and the Beatles were fifth on the bill for her nationwide tour of the UK. Shapiro's artist and repertoire manager, Norrie Paramor was looking for new material for a country and western album she planned to record in Nashville, Tennessee, and suggested the Beatles compose a song for her.[4] Shapiro had first achieved chart success in 1961 at the age of 14, and Lennon and McCartney took the opportunity to have her record one of their songs. "Misery" was written especially for her, and was started backstage before their performance at the King's Hall, Stoke-on-Trent on 26 January, and later completed at McCartney's Forthlin Road home.[2] At the time, McCartney commented: " We've called it "Misery", but it isn't as slow as it sounds, it moves along at quite a pace, and we think Helen will make a pretty good job of it".[5] Ultimately, Paramor considered it unsuitable, but British singer and entertainer Kenny Lynch, who was on the same tour, did record it (HMV Pop 1136), and became the first artist to cover a Lennon/McCartney composition [2] although he failed to chart with it.[6] (Kenny Lynch was later to appear on the cover of Paul McCartney's Band On The Run album). When the Beatles needed original material for their Please Please Me LP they recorded it themselves, giving its treatment, according to writer Ian MacDonald, "a droll portrait of adolescent self-pity".[7] It was credited to McCartney and Lennon in that order, as were all other Lennon & McCartney originals on the Please Please Me album. The songwriting credit was changed to what would become the more familiar "Lennon & McCartney" for their second album, With The Beatles.
- Helen Shapiro had starred in her own film called It's Trad, Dad (released UK 16 April 1962) directed by Richard Lester, who would later direct the Beatles' films A Hard Day's Night and Help! [3]
Personnel
- John Lennon – rhythm guitar, lead vocal
- Paul McCartney – bass, lead vocal
- George Harrison – lead guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums
- George Martin – piano
- Credits per Ian MacDonald[7]
References
- ^ Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press, 169. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
- ^ a b c Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 94. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- ^ a b Harry, Bill (1992). The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books, 598. ISBN 0-86369-681-3.
- ^ Harry, Bill (1992). The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia, 599.
- ^ Badman, Keith (2000). The Beatles Off The Record. London: Omnibus, 51. ISBN 0-7119-7985-5.
- ^ Harry, Bill (1992). The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia, 468.
- ^ a b MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties, Second Revised Edition, London: Pimlico (Rand), 70-71. ISBN 1-844-13828-3.
