I'll Be Back

After completion of the film A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles took a well-deserved vacation before returning to the studio to record a new batch of songs for the non-soundtrack side of their third album.  Continuing his domination of the songwriting at the time, John Lennon had composed three numbers in May during a stay in Tahiti with his wife Cynthia, George Harrison and George's new girlfriend Patti Boyd.  Among them was I'll Be Back.

Following a productive afternoon session which saw three songs completed on June 1st, 1964, the evening session was entirely devoted to this complex, moody tune.  John was unsure of what sort of an arrangement he wanted, so when it was suggested that the group attempt the number in waltz time, they gamely gave it a go, as can be heard on Anthology 1.  This take, take two, breaks down in short order, as John proclaims it is "too hard to sing."

Take three is also available on Anthology 1, and it shows how quickly the Beatles were able to adapt as they easily change to 4/4 time and find a better groove.  There are still some significant differences between this take and the master, take sixteen.  For instance, there is no introduction, George is not singing and there is no final repeat of a verse before the fadeout.  The most striking difference, however, is the fact that John and George are playing electric guitars in the early takes.

The switch to acoustic guitars gives the track its distinctive touch, with George adding some subtle but dramatic flourishes for great effect.  And, though John's vocal melody line and Paul's harmony are the main focus of the verses, George's voice gives some extra texture to the overall sound.  John's lead vocal is also double-tracked throughout, not only in the three (!) bridges that he sings solo.

In the absence of a rousing fourteenth track, producer George Martin's decision to end the album with this song is rather bold.  It demonstrates a new maturity developing in the writing and recording of the Beatles.  Also, as Tim Riley states in his excellent book Tell Me Why, "The song links together the harmonic motif of the entire record..."  The number trails off alternating between major and minor keys, reflecting Lennon and McCartney's growing use of different keys for their verses and bridges.

I'll Be Back is the only song from the British version of A Hard Day's Night that we did not get here in the US during the summer of 1964.  We had to wait until December for Beatles '65, though it actually sits quite nicely on side two of that album.

In addition to the early takes featured on Anthology 1, the song also appeared on the post-career compilation Love Songs in 1977.