Record #0809: And I Love Her / If I Fell – THE BEATLES

Capitol 5235 (original, 1^st pressing) USA, 20. July 1964
Words & Music by:  Side A – John Lennon, Paul McCartney; Side B - John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Musicians: John Lennon (rhythm guitar, double lead vocals on side B), Paul McCartney (lead vocals on side A, double lead vocals on side B , bass), George Harrison (classical lead guitar on side A, 12-string guitar on side B), Ringo Starr (bongos and claves on side A, drums on side B)
Recording sessions: Produced by George Martin at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London, UK; Side A – 25.-27. February 1964; Side B - 27. February 1964
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #12, Canada #15; Side B – US #53, Canada #15, Australia #1, Germany #25, Norway #1, Finland #32

This release has two very fine ballads for the US market. As such it is unique as the Beatles' singles tended to have an up- or mid-tempo song on at least one side.
“And I Love Her” is a delicate, acoustic ballad driven by George’s classical nylon-string guitar riffs and Ringo’s subtle bongos. “If I Fell” is a tender, quite complex, and emotionally vulnerable acoustic ballad with great harmonies by John and Paul.

Side A was never released as a single in the UK. Side B was released there for export only (hence it didn’t chart there) and it had “Tell Me Why” as the flipside (Parlophone DP 562).

In Finland “If I Fell” was released as an A-side with “I’m Happy Just To Dance With You” on the flip (Parlophone 45-DPY 671). “And I Love Her” was the flipside of “I Should Have Known Better” (Parlophone 45-DPY 672).

The first pressing published by Unart Music and Maclen Music. Later pressings were by Maclen only.

List price:  First pressing Very Good+ is $15, Near Mint is $30 (same prices for subsequent pressings); Picture sleeve VG+ $60, NM $120.

 

Record #0808: Can’t Buy Me Love / You Can’t Do That – THE BEATLES

 

Capitol 5150 (original, 1^st pressing) USA, 16. March 1964
Words & Music by:  Side A – John Lennon, Paul McCartney; Side B - John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Musicians: John Lennon (lead vocals on side B, lead guitar on side B, rhythm guitar), Paul McCartney (double lead vocals on side A, backing vocals on side B , bass, cowbell on side B), George Harrison (lead guitar on side A, 12-string guitar, backing vocals on side B), Ringo Starr (drums, bongos on side B)
Recording sessions: Produced by George Martin at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London, UK; Side A – 29. January (at Pathe Marconi Studios, Paris, France) and 25. Febryary 1964; Side B - 25. February 1964
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #1, Canada #1, UK #1, Ireland #2, Australia #1, New Zealand #1, Netherlands #1, Denmark #1, Sweden #1, Norway #3, Finland #3; Side B – US #122, Canada #10

This Beatles single was released with same songs both in the US and the UK. The latter (Parlophone  R 5114) was out four days later, on 20. March. This record was a major commercial success as it sold 2,1 million copies in the States, over 1,5 million copies in the UK and 6 million worldwide.

Side A was written by McCartney, and the flip was penned by Lennon, though both are credited for “Lennon – McCartney”, as usual.

This was #3 in the Finnish charts in June 1964, when “All My Loving” was #1.

List price:  First pressing Very Good+ is $15, Near Mint is $30; 2^nd pressings have publisher “Northern Music Limited” on the label. Same prices.

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