A World Without Love

Last updated

"A World Without Love"
A World Without Love Peter and Gordon.jpg
Norwegian picture sleeve
Single by Peter and Gordon
from the album A World Without Love
B-side "If I Were You"
Released28 February 1964 [1]
Recorded21 January 1964 [2]
Studio EMI, London
Genre Pop
Length2:41
Label Columbia, Capitol
Songwriter(s) Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s) Norman Newell
Peter and Gordon singles chronology
"A World Without Love"
(1964)		"Nobody I Know"
(1964)

"A World Without Love" is a song recorded by the British duo Peter and Gordon and released as their first single in February 1964. It was included on the duo's debut album in the UK, and in the US on an album of the same name. The song was written by Paul McCartney [3] and attributed to Lennon–McCartney. [4] The B-side was "If I Were You", written by Peter and Gordon. [5]

Contents

In the United Kingdom, the song reached No. 1 on both the Record Retailer chart [6] and the New Musical Express chart. [7] In the United States, "A World Without Love" topped both the Billboard Hot 100 [8] and the Cash Box Top 100. [9] The song also reached No. 1 on the Irish Singles Chart, [10] No. 1 on New Zealand's "Lever Hit Parade", [11] No. 2 in Australia, [7] and No. 8 on Norway's VG-lista. [4]

Background

McCartney wrote the song when he was 16. When he moved into the London home of his then-girlfriend Jane Asher in 1963, sharing a room with her brother Peter Asher, who asked McCartney if he could use the song after he and Gordon Waller had signed a recording contract as Peter and Gordon. [12] McCartney described John Lennon's reaction to the song: "The funny first line always used to please John. 'Please lock me away –' 'Yes, okay.' End of song." [13] Lennon said of the song that "I think that was resurrected from the past. ... I think he had that whole song before the Beatles. ... That has the line 'Please lock me away' that we always used to crack up at." [14]

McCartney did not think the song was good enough for The Beatles. [13] As such, the song was never released by the Beatles, and the only known recording of the song by any member of the Beatles is the original demo of the song performed by McCartney, which is now in the possession of Peter Asher. [15] In January 2013, Paul McCartney's demo was posted to YouTube. [16] [ non-primary source needed ] The clip was played at Asher's most recent string of concerts.

It is one of two songs credited to Lennon–McCartney to reach number one in the US by an artist other than the Beatles. [17] The other is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (which was recorded by the Beatles but not released as a single), covered by Elton John in 1974. [17] "Bad to Me", written by Lennon and McCartney in 1963, was given to Billy J. Kramer and reached number 1 in the UK, but it failed to do so in the US. Before giving the song to Peter and Gordon, McCartney offered "A World Without Love" to Kramer, who rejected it. [13] The song was one of the seven number ones credited to Lennon-McCartney that charted in the US in 1964, an all-time songwriting record for most songs to top the US charts in a calendar year.

Cash Box described it as "a tantalizing, easy-beat thumper." [18]

The lead guitarist on this recording is studio musician Vic Flick who also played the guitar lick for the James Bond Theme. [19] "A World Without Love" is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. [12]

Chart history

Bobby Rydell version

A cover version by Bobby Rydell released May 1964 was a strong regional hit in many markets. It reached No. 80 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [27] and No. 2 in a tandem ranking with the Peter and Gordon version on the Cash Box Top 100, before Rydell's name was dropped from the entry. [28] In Canada, Rydell's version reached No. 9 co-charting with the Peter and Gordon version. [29]

In his native Philadelphia the paired versions reached No. 1, [30] while in the Pittsburgh market Rydell's version reached No. 4 to the exclusion of the Peter and Gordon original. In Chicago, Rydell's version reached No. 10 on the WLS "Silver Dollar Survey", in a tandem ranking with the Peter and Gordon version, [31] while reaching No. 13 independently. [32] Rydell's version also reached No. 5 in Singapore [33] and No. 9 in Hong Kong. [34]

Other notable versions

In 1964, the Supremes released a version of the song on the album A Bit of Liverpool . [35] Their version was a hit in some countries in Southeast Asia, reaching No. 7 in Malaysia. [36]

Notes

  1. ↑ Unterberger 2006, p. 345.
  2. ↑ Unterberger 2006, pp. 115, 345.
  3. ↑ Miles 1997, p. 111.
  4. 1 2 3 Peter & Gordon - World Without Love, norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  5. ↑ Peter & Gordon - If I Were You, norwegiancharts.com. Accessed July 27, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Peter and Gordon - Full Official Chart History, Official Charts Company . Accessed July 26, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Hits of the World", Billboard , May 9, 1964. p. 30. Accessed July 26, 2016.
  8. ↑ Hot 100 - Peter and Gordon A World Without Love Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100", Cash Box , June 27, 1964. p. 4. Accessed July 26, 2016.
  10. ↑ Song Title Search Results for "World Without Love", The Irish Charts. Accessed July 27, 2016.
  11. 1 2 "Lever Hit Parade" 28-May-1964 Archived 9 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine , Flavour of New Zealand. Accessed July 27, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Jackson, Andrew Grant (22 April 2013). "The Songs the Beatles Gave Away". Slate. Brow Beat: Slate's Culture Blog. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 Miles 1997, p. 112.
  14. ↑ Sheff 2000, p. 173.
  15. ↑ "Rare Paul McCartney Recording of 'A World Without Love' Surfaces". Rolling Stone. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "A World Without Love – Home Demo by Paul McCartney". YouTube. 23 January 2013. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  17. 1 2 Songs written by John Lennon, MusicVF.com. Accessed July 26, 2016.
  18. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 25 April 1964. p. 12. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  19. ↑ "Peter Asher Shares Beatles Memories, Excerpt from His Inventive Fab Four Book". Billboard .
  20. ↑ "CHUM Hit Parade - June 8, 1964".
  21. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – World Without Love". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  22. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  23. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box . 27 June 1964. p. 4. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  24. ↑ "Australian Chart Book". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  25. ↑ Musicoutfitters.com
  26. ↑ "Top 100 Chart Hits of 1964", Cash Box , December 26, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Bobby Rydell Hot 100 - A World Without Love Chart History", Billboard.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box . 13 June 1964. p. 4. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  29. ↑ "CHUM Hit Parade - May 18, 1964".
  30. ↑ "Top 99 Records of the Week", WIBG Radio 99, Survey No. 230, June 15, 1964. Accessed July 26, 2016.
  31. ↑ "WLS Silver Dollar Survey", WLS, May 29, 1964. Accessed July 26, 2016.
  32. ↑ "WLS Silver Dollar Survey", WLS, June 12, 1964. Accessed July 26, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Hits of the World", Billboard , July 18, 1964. p. 27. Accessed July 26, 2016.
  34. ↑ "Hits of the World", Billboard , August 8, 1964. p. 39. Accessed July 26, 2016.
  35. ↑ The Supremes - World Without Love, norwegiancharts.com. Accessed July 27, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Billboard Hits of the World", Billboard , March 27, 1965. p. 28. Accessed July 27, 2016.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Back</span> 1969 single by the Beatles with Billy Preston

"Get Back" is a song recorded by the British rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, and written by Paul McCartney though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston". The song is one of the few examples of John Lennon featuring prominently as lead guitarist. The album version of this song contains a different mix that features a studio chat between Paul McCartney and John Lennon at the beginning which lasts for 20 seconds before the song begins, also omitting the coda featured in the single version, and with a final dialog taken from the Beatles' rooftop concert. This version became the closing track of Let It Be (1970), which was released just after the group split up. The single version was later issued on the compilation albums 1967–1970, 20 Greatest Hits, Past Masters, and 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter and Gordon</span> British pop duo

Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, composed of Peter Asher and Gordon Waller (1945–2009), who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling single "A World Without Love". The duo had several subsequent hits in America in the British Invasion era including "I Go to Pieces", "Lady Godiva", "Woman", "True Love Ways" and "Nobody I Know".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want to Hold Your Hand</span> 1963 single by the Beatles

"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 recording equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Loves You</span> 1963 single by the Beatles

"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 in the United States as one of the five Beatles songs that held the top five positions in the charts simultaneously, on 4 April 1964. It remains the band's best-selling single in the United Kingdom and was the top-selling single of the 1960s there by any artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">From Me to You</span> 1963 single by the Beatles

"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 UK singles chart but the second, after "Please Please Me", on most of the other singles charts published in the UK at the time. "From Me to You" failed to make an impact in the United States at the time of its initial release. Instead, a 1963 cover version released by Del Shannon resulted in the song's becoming the first Lennon–McCartney track to enter the US pop charts. The Beatles' original was rereleased in the US in January 1964 as the B-side to "Please Please Me", and reached number 41.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Me Do</span> 1962 single by the Beatles

"Love Me Do" is the debut single by the English rock band the Beatles, backed by "P.S. I Love You". When the single was originally released in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1962, it peaked at number 17. It was released in the United States in 1964 and topped the nation's song chart. Re-released in 1982 as part of EMI's Beatles 20th anniversary, it re-entered the UK charts and peaked at number 4. "Love Me Do" also topped the charts in Australia and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Please Please Me (song)</span> 1963 song by the Beatles

"Please Please Me" is a song released by the English rock band the Beatles. It was their second single in the United Kingdom, and their first in the United States. It is also the title track of their first LP, which was recorded to capitalise on the success of the single. It is a John Lennon composition, although its ultimate form was significantly influenced by producer George Martin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Feel Fine</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"I Feel Fine" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in November 1964 as the A-side of their eighth single. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The recording includes one of the earliest uses of guitar feedback in popular music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Madonna</span> 1968 single by the Beatles

"Lady Madonna" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. In March 1968, it was released as a mono single, backed with "The Inner Light". The song was recorded on 3 and 6 February 1968 before the Beatles left for India, and its boogie-woogie style signalled a more conventional approach to writing and recording for the group following the psychedelic experimentation of the previous two years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Want to Spoil the Party</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on the album Beatles for Sale in the United Kingdom in December 1964. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" was also released on the Beatles for Sale EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Should Have Known Better</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"I Should Have Known Better" is a song by English rock band the Beatles composed by John Lennon, and originally issued on A Hard Day's Night, their soundtrack for the film of the same name released on 10 July 1964. "I Should Have Known Better" was also issued as the B-side of the US single "A Hard Day's Night" released on 13 July. An orchestrated version of the song conducted by George Martin appears on the North American version of the album, A Hard Day's Night Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Happy Just to Dance with You</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded in 1964 by the English rock band the Beatles for the film soundtrack to A Hard Day's Night. Lead vocals are by George Harrison, whose performance in the film marked the first mass media depiction of Harrison singing lead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And I Love Her</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"And I Love Her" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It is the fifth track of their third UK album A Hard Day's Night and was released 20 July 1964, along with "If I Fell", as a single release by Capitol Records in the United States, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do You Want to Know a Secret</span> 1963 single by the Beatles

"Do You Want to Know a Secret" is a song by English rock band the Beatles from their 1963 album Please Please Me, sung by George Harrison. In the United States, it was the first top ten song to feature Harrison as a lead singer, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 1964 as a single released by Vee-Jay, VJ 587. In the UK, Billy J. Kramer released a cover of the song as his debut single, reaching No. 1 on the NME singles chart and No. 2 on the Record Retailer chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coming Up (song)</span> 1980 single by Paul McCartney

"Coming Up" is a song written and performed by the English rock musician Paul McCartney, released as the opening track on his second solo studio album McCartney II (1980). Like other songs on the album, the song has a synthesised sound, featuring sped-up vocals created by using a vari-speed tape machine. McCartney played all instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">To Know Him Is to Love Him</span> 1958 single by The Teddy Bears

"To Know Him Is to Love Him" is a song written by Phil Spector, inspired by words on his father's tombstone, "To Know Him Was to Love Him." It was first recorded by the only vocal group of which he was a member, the Teddy Bears. Their recording spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, while reaching No. 2 on the UK's New Musical Express chart. Peter & Gordon and Bobby Vinton later had hits with the song, with its title and lyrics changed to "To Know You Is to Love You". In 1987, the song was resurrected by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, whose Trio recording topped the U.S. country singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Do You Do It?</span> 1963 single by Gerry and the Pacemakers

"How Do You Do It?" is a song, written by Mitch Murray. It was recorded by Liverpudlian band Gerry and the Pacemakers, and became their debut single. This reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 11 April 1963, where it stayed for three weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman (Paul McCartney song)</span> Paul McCartney song recorded by Peter and Gordon

"Woman" is a 1966 single written by Paul McCartney and recorded by Peter and Gordon. McCartney intended the song to test whether one of his compositions could be successful based on its own merits without being associated with the hit-making Lennon-McCartney songwriting team, which had produced dozens of hit records for the Beatles and other acts. The duo's single did become a minor hit, reaching number 14 in the US and number 28 in the UK, but not before its author's true identity was publicly revealed.

Nobody I Know is a song written by Paul McCartney which Peter and Gordon recorded in an April 1964 session at Abbey Road Studio. Peter and Gordon had had a UK and US #1 hit with the McCartney composition "A World Without Love" and McCartney wrote "Nobody I Know" with the specific intent of providing a follow-up hit for the duo. Billboard described the song as a "strong follow-up" to "A World Without Love." Cash Box described it as "a captivating uptempo romancer...that the twosome wraps up with loads of charm."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forget Him (Bobby Rydell song)</span> 1963 single by Bobby Rydell

"Forget Him" is a song written by Tony Hatch and released in 1963 by Bobby Rydell. The song spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 4 on January 18, 1964, while it spent 14 weeks on the United Kingdom's Record Retailer chart, reaching No. 13. The song also reached No. 3 on Billboard's Middle-Road Singles chart, No. 3 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade, No. 8 on the Irish Singles Chart, and No. 2 in Hong Kong.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.