Record #0807: I Want To Hold Your Hand / I Saw Her Standing There – THE BEATLES

 

Capitol 5112 (original) USA, 26. December 1963
Words & Music by:  Side A – John Lennon, Paul McCartney; Side B - John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Musicians: John Lennon (harmony vocals, rhythm guitar, hand claps), Paul McCartney (lead vocals on side B, harmony vocals on side A, bass, hand claps), George Harrison (lead guitar, hand claps), Ringo Starr (drums, hand claps)
Recording sessions: EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London, UK; Side A – 17. October 1963; Side B - 11. February 1963
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #1, Canada #1, UK #1, Ireland #2, Australia #1, New Zealand #1, Germany #1, Netherlands #1, Denmark #1, Sweden #1, Norway #1, Finland #6; Side B – US #14, Canada #1, Australia #1, New Zealand #1, Denmark #1, Sweden #14

Capitol Records resisted issuing the Beatles recordings until they agreed to release this (and many more later). Basically, this really kicked off the “British Invasion” in the States. 250 000 copies of the single were sold in the first three days.

The flip side was not released as a single in the UK. The B-side for “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (Parlophone R 5084) was “This Boy”.

In Finland “I Saw Her Standing There” was the B-side of “All My Loving” (Parlophone 45-DPY 659), which topped the charts for three months starting in April 1964.

You can tell the pressing by the publisher information on side B. The photo shows the first pressing (“Walter Hofer”) on the left and the second pressing (“George Pincus & Sons”) on the right.

List price:  First pressing Very Good+ is $20, Near Mint is $40; 2^nd pressing VG+ $17,50, NM $35; 3^rd pressing (publisher “Gil Music”) VG+ $15, NM $30