I Feel Fine

As the Beatles worked on their fourth album at sporadic sessions in 1964, they had a few contenders for their next single among the songs recorded.  Two moody, downbeat numbers, No Reply and I'm a Loser, were under consideration until the relentlessly cheery Eight Days a Week emerged as the frontrunner on October 8th.  An extremely productive session on October 18th yielded the eventual winner, however, with another sunny burst of optimism entitled I Feel Fine.

It was a literal burst of electronic feedback that heralded the continuous riff that runs throughout the song.  Chief composer John Lennon had actually been playing that riff between takes of Eight Days a Week ten days earlier.  He now played it in tandem with George Harrison, creating an almost nonstop wave of energy that carries the song along with Ringo's Latin-tinged drum pattern.  The lyrics are as lightweight as can be, yet they cannot detract from the sheer joy of this recording.

It took nine takes before John and George could play the best version of their guitar duet.  John gave up trying to sing after take one, which was also in a key too high for him to sing comfortably.  His double-tracked lead vocal was recorded as an overdub, as were Paul and George's backing vocals and George's guitar solo.  What is most remarkable is that this was achieved in the middle of a day in which the group completed work on eight songs.

Stories abound as to how the feedback was "discovered" and used as the opening moment of the song.  Some say that it was accidental while most agree that it was preplanned.  Whatever the truth is, Lennon was always proud enough to proclaim that it was the first deliberate use of feedback on any recording..."before Hendrix, before the Who, before anybody."

The single was a worldwide number one.  In the US, it was simultaneously released as part of the album Beatles '65.  In the UK, it later appeared on the EP The Beatles' Million Sellers and the album A Collection of Beatles Oldies.  Post career releases include the Red Album, 20 Greatest Hits, Past Masters and 1.  A live version from Blackpool Night Out appears on Anthology 2.  The group also recorded the song for BBC Radio on November 17th, 1964.  While this version appears on Live at the BBC, a sequence from On Air - Live at the BBC Volume 2 reveals just how difficult it was to replicate the feedback opening at that session.

The song became part of the group's stage act for the remainder of their performing days, right up to their final concert at Candlestick Park in 1966.

On November 23rd, 1965, the Beatles reported to Twickenham Film Studios to shoot promotional videos for several of their hit singles for worldwide distribution.  This was done to lessen the need to make live television appearances all of the time.  Two videos were shot of I Feel Fine.  The first had the boys miming to the song as they fooled around with some exercise equipment.  The second (pictured above) showed them eating fish and chips while barely pretending to sing along.  Manager Brian Epstein was unhappy with the second video, so obviously shot during what should have been a break, and it was never aired.  Happily, both versions are now available on the collection 1+.