Till There Was You

Even in the highly competitive Liverpool beat group scene of the early 60's, there were few bands with such a broad-ranging knowledge of popular music as the Beatles.  Not only were John, Paul, George and Pete aware of more than most other rock and roll groups, they incorporated some of the tunes they knew from other genres in their live act, especially when they had to fill countless hours of stage time in Hamburg.  Paul McCartney was particularly keen on singing ballads such as The Honeymoon Song, September in the Rain, or Falling in Love Again, which suited both his voice and his personality.  This versatility proved crucial once Brian Epstein latched onto the band as manager, and often dictated the song choices for various venues.

For Epstein and the Beatles, January 1st, 1962, was the ultimate opportunity to display all that they were capable of as performers at their audition for Decca Records.  Epstein personally selected the fifteen songs they would record on that day, downplaying the rock and roll somewhat and favoring more numbers that he felt would appeal to all ages.  One of the foremost among these was a standard from the Broadway musical comedy The Music Man - Till There Was You.  Paul had been singing an arrangement based on Peggy Lee's version of the song for some time, so it was a natural choice for the all-important audition.

The powers that be at Decca passed on the Beatles, but Epstein now had a record of that audition which he could carry around to other labels in the hopes of getting a deal for his band.  A producer at EMI's Parlophone label named George Martin heard that record and decided to bring the Beatles in for a test.  The rest, of course, is history.  Still, when it came time to record their first album, Martin chose A Taste of Honey for Paul's spotlight ballad.  It was not until sessions began for their second album that they returned to the Broadway tune. 

The first session for that album took place on July 18th, 1963.  After recording several other numbers, the Beatles made three attempts at Till There Was You before calling it a night.  They returned to the song on July 30th with a fresh approach.  Though they were used to playing the number on their usual instruments, it was decided that George would switch to an acoustic rather than his electric guitar, and Ringo would forgo his drum kit and play bongos instead.  By take eight, the song was complete.

Till There Was You was released on the album With the Beatles, as well as on the American equivalent Meet the Beatles!  On each of these albums, it serves as a quiet oasis in contrast to the many rocking numbers surrounding it.  Paul's simple, clear vocal delivery is paired with an impressive performance on guitar by George, much stronger than most of the solos that he was playing at this point in his development as a lead guitarist.

Brian Epstein's most strategic use of the song in the band's setlist was for the Royal Command Performance on November 4th, 1963.  It was preceded by a seemingly off the cuff, yet well-planned introduction in which Paul stated that the song had also been recorded "by our favorite American group, Sophie Tucker."  This momentous performance, including Paul's introduction, can be heard on Anthology 1.  It is interesting to note that George remained on electric guitar and Ringo quietly played on his full drum kit whenever the group played the song live.

When the Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th, 1964, Till There Was You was their second number, immediately following the rollicking All My Loving.  This was once again most likely due to Epstein's calculated strategy to display the band's versatility to a new audience.  Other notable performances of the song include at the Washington Coliseum, Carnegie Hall, and throughout the three-week run of The Beatles' Christmas Show of '63-'64.

They played Till There Was You several times for BBC Radio.  The collection Live at the BBC includes a version from early '64 for one of their special programs titled From Us to You.  And On Air - Live at the BBC Volume 2 presents a performance of the song for an episode of Pop Go the Beatles from July of 1963, a few weeks before they made the official recording for With the Beatles.

The song was retired from their stage act during the Australian leg of their 1964 world tour.