Every Little Thing (song)

Song_infobox
Name = Every Little Thing


Artist = The Beatles
Album = Beatles for Sale
Released = 4 December 1964
track_no = 11
Recorded = Abbey Road 29-30 September 1964
Genre = Rock
Length = 2:01
Writer = Lennon/McCartney
Label = EMI, Parlophone, Capitol
Producer = George Martin
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Beatles for Sale
Type = studio
Tracks = ;Side one
# "No Reply"
# "I'm a Loser"
# "Baby's in Black"
# "Rock and Roll Music"
# "I'll Follow the Sun"
# "Mr. Moonlight"
# Medley: "Kansas City"/"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey";Side two
# "Eight Days a Week"
# "Words of Love"
# "Honey Don't"
# "Every Little Thing"
# "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"
# "What You're Doing"
# "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby"

"Every Little Thing" is a song written by Paul McCartneyBarry Miles, "Many Years From Now" (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997, ISBN 0-8050-5249-6), p. 174] (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and performed by The Beatles on their 1964 UK album "Beatles for Sale".

McCartney wrote the song in a music room at the home of Jane Asher where he was living at the time.Barry Miles, p. 108] He had hopes it would be released as a single, but it "didn't have quite what was required," and was released on "Beatles for Sale" instead.

The song is somewhat unusual for Lennon/McCartney in that the lead singer, John Lennon, was not the primary composer. McCartney sings harmony, although one can hear him better in the refrain.Ian MacDonald, "Revolution in the Head, The Beatles' Records in the Sixties", (New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., ISBN 0-8050-4245-8)] The song's composer is not in question: McCartney claimed the song as described above, and Lennon said in an interview with "Playboy" that McCartney wrote it.David Sheff, "All We Are Saying" (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000, ISBN 0-312-25464-4), p. 205]

The released version was recorded with 4 takes at Abbey Road Studios on 29 September 1964, and then five more on 30 September. The Beatles were enjoying themselves on the second night; take six was aborted due to McCartney burping his vocals, and take seven was finished but ended in loud laughter. It is one of the few early Beatles songs to feature an instrument that did not usually appear on rock 'n roll songs: Ringo Starr plays the timpani on the track to add punctuating one-two flourishes to the refrains. This appeared for the first time on the ninth take, along with a guitar intro and piano piece. Mark Lewisohn, "The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions" (London: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1988, ISBN 0-681-03189-1), p. 49]

Cover versions

* In 1966, the Richard Carpenter Trio, a precursor to The Carpenters, covered an instrumental version of this song. To this day, it is still unreleased
* In 1969, the progressive rock band Yes covered this song on their first album, "Yes".
* In 1986, Lou Ann Barton did a version.
* In 2003, Peter Lipa included this song and 15 other Lennon/McCartney songs on his album "Beatles in Blue(s)"

Notes