''Ain't She Sweet'' is an American compilation album featuring four tracks recorded in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
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, postal ...
by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
in 1961 and 1962. Cover versions of Beatles and
British Invasion
The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" on ...
-era songs recorded by the
Swallows complete the tracklist.
History
This compilation album was issued by
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the comp ...
in order to cash in on Beatlemania. Six songs were recorded by the Beatles in Hamburg in 1961 and 1962, with their original drummer
Pete Best
Randolph Peter Best (né Scanland; born 24 November 1941) is an English musician known as the drummer of the English rock band the Beatles who was dismissed immediately prior to the band achieving worldwide fame. Fired from the group in 1962 ...
, as a backup band for singer and guitarist
Tony Sheridan
Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity (21 May 1940 – 16 February 2013), known professionally as Tony Sheridan, was an English rock and roll guitarist who spent much of his adult life in Germany. He was best known as an early collaborator of th ...
. This album's title track, sung by
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
, is one of two more songs that were recorded solely by the fledgling British band during these sessions produced by
Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert (born Berthold Heinrich Kämpfert; 16 October 1923 – 21 June 1980) was a German orchestra leader, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, arranger, and composer. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records and wrote the mus ...
. As
Atlantic Records only had rights to four Sheridan/Beatle recordings by
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
, they filled the rest of the album with Beatle and British Invasion cover songs by an obscure band called The Swallows. This material was released by
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the comp ...
in
mono
Mono may refer to:
Common meanings
* Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease"
* Monaural, monophonic sound reproduction, often shortened to mono
* Mono-, a numerical prefix representing anything single
Music Performers
* Mono (Japanese b ...
(catalogue number 33-169) and
stereo (SD 33-169) editions. The label also added additional drum overdubs to three of the four Hamburg cuts on top of the original drum tracks with some guitar and harmonica also added; "
Nobody's Child" was edited down but the instrumentation not modified.
American drummer
Bernard Purdie has long claimed, the first time in a 1978 interview, to have remade the recording of the drums on no less than 21 Beatles tracks.
But today, there is no mention of this on the musician's official website or his autobiography, ''Let the Drums Speak !'', released in 2014. The vast majority of sources say that it is indeed
Ringo Starr who officiates behind the drums. Rather, it is likely that Purdie was the studio drummer hired by Atco Records in 1964 to add a punchier sound for the US market
to the songs "
Ain't She Sweet
"Ain't She Sweet" is a song composed by Milton Ager, with lyrics by Jack Yellen. It was published in 1927 by Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, Inc. It became popular in the first half of the 20th century and typified the Roaring Twenties. Like ''Happy ...
", "
Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby" and "
Sweet Georgia Brown
"Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard composed in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard, with lyrics by Kenneth Casey.
History
Reportedly, Ben Bernie came up with the concept for the song's lyrics – although he is not the credited lyricis ...
". It is also probable that he played on covers of Fab Four songs performed by groups of imitators with names like
the Buggs, the Liverpools or the Beetles, created by unscrupulous record companies in order to take a piece of the pie. Over time, the drummer could therefore have mistakenly remembered that he embellished the original recordings.
The other four songs featuring the Beatles that were recorded in Hamburg were licensed to
MGM Records and had already been released, unadulterated, on an album called ''
The Beatles with Tony Sheridan and Their Guests'' in February, similarly augmented by other musician's songs.
All eight songs, with four others by Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers, were compiled that same year by
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States ...
in Germany under the title ''
The Beatles' First!'', reissued in the UK in 1967 and released in the United States in 1970 under the title ''
In the Beginning (Circa 1960)
''In the Beginning (Circa 1960)'' is the first American packaging of the 1964 German album by Tony Sheridan and the Beatles, called " The Beatles' First !".
History
''In the Beginning (Circa 1960)'' was released by Polydor Records in 1970 (ca ...
''.
Track listing
Songs are written by
John Lennon and Paul McCartney unless otherwise indicated. Tracks 2, 3 and 4 performed by Tony Sheridan with the Beatles as a backing band. Tracks 5 to 12 performed by The Swallows.
;Side one
#"
Ain't She Sweet
"Ain't She Sweet" is a song composed by Milton Ager, with lyrics by Jack Yellen. It was published in 1927 by Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, Inc. It became popular in the first half of the 20th century and typified the Roaring Twenties. Like ''Happy ...
"
(Milton Ager
Milton Ager (October 6, 1893 – May 6, 1979) was an American composer, regarded as one of the top songwriters of the 1920s and 1930s. His most lasting compositions include " Ain't She Sweet?” and “ Happy Days Are Here Again”.
Biography
...
, Jack Yellen
Jack Selig Yellen (Jacek Jeleń; July 6, 1892 – April 17, 1991) was an American lyricist and screenwriter. He is best remembered for writing the lyrics to the songs " Happy Days Are Here Again", which was used by Franklin Roosevelt as the th ...
) (performed by The Beatles)
#"
Sweet Georgia Brown
"Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard composed in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard, with lyrics by Kenneth Casey.
History
Reportedly, Ben Bernie came up with the concept for the song's lyrics – although he is not the credited lyricis ...
"
(Ben Bernie
Benjamin Anzelwitz, known professionally as Ben Bernie (May 30, 1891 – October 23, 1943),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...
Kenneth Casey
Kenneth Casey (January 10, 1899 – August 10, 1965) was an American composer, publisher, author, and child movie star in early silents.
Biography
Born in New York City, Casey worked as a child actor in over thirty films for Vitagraph Studios b ...
, Maceo Pinkard)
#"
Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby"
( Charles Singleton, Waldenese Hall)
#"
Nobody's Child"
( Cy Coben, Mel Foree)
#"
I Wanna Be Your Man
"I Wanna Be Your Man" is a Lennon–McCartney-penned song first recorded and released as a single by the Rolling Stones, and then recorded by the Beatles. The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney, and finished by Lennon and McCartney in ...
"
#"
She Loves You
"She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded by English rock band the Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several sales records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record i ...
"
;Side two
#
"How Do You Do It?
"How Do You Do It?" is the debut single by Liverpudlian band Gerry and the Pacemakers. It was written by Mitch Murray. The song reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 11 April 1963, where it stayed for three weeks.
History
The song was wr ...
" (Mitch Murray
Mitch Murray (born Lionel Michael Stitcher; 30 January 1940) is an English songwriter, record producer and author. He has won two Ivor Novello Awards, including the Jimmy Kennedy Award. Murray has written, or co-written, songs that have produ ...
)
#"Please Please Me
''Please Please Me'' is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Produced by George Martin, it was released on EMI's Parlophone label on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom, following the success of the band's first two s ...
"
#" I'll Keep You Satisfied"
#"I'm Telling You Now
"I'm Telling You Now" is a 1963 song by Freddie Garrity and Mitch Murray, originally performed by Freddie and the Dreamers, which, in 1965, reached number one on the American ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
"I'm Telling You Now" was first released in ...
" (Freddie Garrity
Frederick Garrity (14 November 1936 – 19 May 2006) was an English singer and actor. He was best known as the frontman of Freddie and the Dreamers from 1959 until his retirement in 2001.
Biography
Born in Crumpsall, Manchester, the eldest ...
, Mitch Murray)
#"I Want to Hold Your Hand
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and recorded on 17 October 1963, it was the first Beatles record to be made using four-track equipment.
With advance orders ...
"
#"From Me to You
"From Me to You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in April 1963 as their third single. It was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The song was the Beatles' first number 1 hit on what became the official U ...
"
References
{{Authority control
1970 compilation albums
Albums produced by Bert Kaempfert
The Beatles with Tony Sheridan albums
Atco Records compilation albums
British rock-and-roll albums