I'm Happy Just to Dance with You

Last updated
"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"
Imhappyjusttodancewithyou.png
US picture sleeve (reverse)
Single by the Beatles
from the album A Hard Day's Night
A-side "I'll Cry Instead"
Released20 July 1964 (1964-07-20) [1]
Recorded1 March 1964
Studio EMI, London
Genre Rock
Length1:58
Label Capitol (US)
Songwriter(s) Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s) George Martin
The Beatles USsingles chronology
"And I Love Her"
(1964)
"I'll Cry Instead" / "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"
(1964)
"Matchbox"
(1964)

"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney [2] 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.

Contents

Composition

The song was written specifically for George Harrison to sing at a time when he lacked the confidence to compose his own material. Years later, McCartney described it as a "formula song", [2] and Lennon said, "I would never have sung it myself." [3]

The song features a hectic style rhythm guitar in juxtaposition with Harrison's placid vocal. Its composers give it an unexpected choice of chord at the crux of its chorus, augmenting the B7th on "I'm happy just to dance with you". The song is also distinctive in that it begins not with a verse or chorus but with the last four bars of the bridge. [4] According to musicologist Ian MacDonald, its guitar part derives its inspiration from the Rolling Stones' cover of Buddy Holly's song, "Not Fade Away".

Cash Box described it as "a stomp-a-rhythmic delight." [5]

Recording

The Beatles recorded "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" on a Sunday, the first time they had used Abbey Road Studios on a day other than a normal work day. [3] United Artists released the song on the album A Hard Day's Night on 26 June. It was also included on the album Something New , released by Capitol Records on 20 July. [1] It hit #95 on the Billboard Top 100 chart on 1 August 1964, its only appearance on that chart. [6] [7] It is one of only two Lennon–McCartney songs sung by Harrison during the group's career, the other song being "Do You Want to Know a Secret".

The group also recorded a version for the BBC's From Us to You radio show. The session took place on 17 July 1964 at the BBC Paris Studio in London, and was first broadcast on 3 August that year. [8] An instrumental piano-only version is heard in the A Hard Day's Night film, during rehearsals for a musical television broadcast.

Personnel

According to Ian MacDonald: [9]

Anne Murray cover

"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"
Anne-murray-im-happy-just-to-dance-with-you-mono-capitol-s-removebg-preview.png
Single by Anne Murray
from the album Somebody's Waiting
B-side "What's Forever For"
ReleasedJune 1980 (1980-06)
Genre Easy listening, adult contemporary
Label Capitol (US)
Songwriter(s) Lennon–McCartney

Anne Murray included a cover of "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" on her 1980 album Somebody's Waiting . Murray had had some success in previous years covering other Beatles songs such as "You Won't See Me" and "Day Tripper." Unlike the Beatles' original, Murray's version of "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" is an adult-contemporary ballad. Murray's version of the song was released as a single in mid-1980, reaching No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 23 on the Billboard country chart, and No. 13 Adult Contemporary.

Chart performance

The Beatles
Chart (1964)Peak
position
CAN CHUM Chart [10] 20
CAN RPM [11] 32
US Billboard Hot 100 [6] [7] 95
US Cash Box Top 100 [12] 91
Anne Murray
Chart (1980)Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary [13] 1
Canada RPM Country10
Canada RPM Top Singles74
US Billboard Hot 100 [14] 64
US Billboard Hot Country Songs [15] 23
US Billboard Adult Contemporary 13

Other cover versions

Later uses

Tori Kelly sang the song as the character Millie Pede in Beat Bugs , an Australian-Canadian animated children's television series.

Related Research Articles

<i>A Hard Days Night</i> (album) 1964 studio album by the Beatles

A Hard Day's Night is the third studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 by Parlophone, with side one containing songs from the soundtrack to their film of the same name. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing that included selections from George Martin's film score. In contrast to the Beatles' first two albums, all 13 tracks on A Hard Day's Night were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, showcasing the development of their songwriting partnership.

<i>Beatles for Sale</i> 1964 studio album by the Beatles

Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 4 December 1964 in the United Kingdom on EMI's Parlophone label. The album marked a departure from the upbeat tone that had characterised the Beatles' previous work, partly due to the band's exhaustion after a series of tours that had established them as a worldwide phenomenon in 1964. Beatles for Sale was not widely available in the US until 1987, when the Beatles' catalogue was standardised for release on CD. Instead, eight of the album's fourteen tracks appeared on Capitol Records' concurrent release, Beatles '65, issued in North America only.

<i>Help!</i> 1965 studio album by The Beatles

Help! is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965 by Parlophone. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles "Help!" and "Ticket to Ride", appeared in the film and take up the first side of the vinyl album. The second side includes "Yesterday", the most-covered song ever written. The album was met with favourable critical reviews and topped the Australian, German, British and American charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Hard Day's Night (song)</span> 1964 single by The Beatles

"A Hard Day's Night" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was primarily written by John Lennon, with some minor collaboration from Paul McCartney. It was released on the film soundtrack of the same name in 1964. It was also released as a single in the UK, and in the US

<i>Something New</i> (Beatles album) 1964 studio album by the Beatles

Something New is an album by English rock band the Beatles, released in 1964 for the North American market only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Buy Me Love</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in March 1964 as the A-side of their sixth single. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song was included on the group's album A Hard Day's Night and was featured in a scene in Richard Lester's film of the same title. The single topped charts in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the Netherlands, France and Sweden. In the UK, it was the fourth highest selling single of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Won't See Me</span> 1965 song by the Beatles

"You Won't See Me" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. As with songs such as "We Can Work It Out" and "I'm Looking Through You" from the same period, the lyrics address McCartney's troubled relationship with Jane Asher and her desire to pursue her career as a stage and film actress. The Beatles recorded the song during what author Mark Lewisohn describes as a "marathon" final recording session for Rubber Soul, to ensure the album's pre-Christmas release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Day Tripper</span> 1965 single by the Beatles

"Day Tripper" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out" in December 1965. The song was written primarily by John Lennon with some contributions from Paul McCartney and was credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the band's Rubber Soul album. The single topped charts in Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway. In the United States, "Day Tripper" peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and "We Can Work It Out" held the top position.

<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">You Can't Do That</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"You Can't Do That" is a song written by John Lennon and released by the English rock band the Beatles as the B-side of their sixth British single "Can't Buy Me Love". It was later released on their third UK album A Hard Day's Night (1964). A live rendition of the song was released on the 2016 re-release of The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Boy</span> 1963 single by the Beatles

"This Boy" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney). It was released in November 1963 as the B-side of the band's Parlophone single "I Want to Hold Your Hand". In the United States, it was issued in January 1964 on Meet the Beatles! which was Capitol Records' reconfigured version of the With the Beatles album. The Beatles performed the song live on 16 February 1964 for their second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. An instrumental easy listening arrangement by George Martin, re-titled "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)", was featured in the film A Hard Day's Night and the United Artists soundtrack album. This version was also issued as a single, reaching number 53 in the US and number one in Canada.

<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 featured as the twelfth track on the 1964 album Beatles for Sale. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" was also released on the Beatles for Sale EP. It was later released as the B-side of the US single "Eight Days a Week", and then as the fifth track on the North America-only album Beatles VI. The song reached number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<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">If I Fell</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"If I Fell" is a song by English rock band the Beatles which first appeared in 1964 on the album A Hard Day's Night in the United Kingdom and United States, and on the North American album Something New. It was written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. "That's my first attempt at a ballad proper. ... It shows that I wrote sentimental love ballads way back when", Lennon stated in his 1980 Playboy interview. Paul McCartney stated that he contributed to the song: "We wrote 'If I Fell' together."

<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">I'll Cry Instead</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"I'll Cry Instead" is a song written by John Lennon, and recorded by the English rock band the Beatles for their third studio album, A Hard Day's Night (1964), a part-studio and part-soundtrack album to their film of the same name (1964). In the United States, the song originally appeared in the US version of A Hard Day's Night before it was released as a single backed with "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" along with the US album Something New.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Saw Her Standing There</span> 1963 single by the Beatles

"I Saw Her Standing There" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It is the opening track on the band's 1963 debut UK album Please Please Me and their debut US album Introducing... The Beatles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's a Woman</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"She's a Woman" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single in November 1964 as the B-side to "I Feel Fine", except in North America, where it also appeared on the album Beatles '65, released in December 1964. Though it was the B-side, it charted in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eight on the Cash Box Top 100. The song originated in McCartney's attempt to write a song in the style of Little Richard. The lyrics include the first reference to drugs in a Beatles song, with the line "turn(s) me on" referring to marijuana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eight Days a Week</span> 1964 single by the Beatles

"Eight Days a Week" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon based on McCartney's original idea. It was released in December 1964 on the album Beatles for Sale, except in the United States and Canada, where it was first issued as a single A-side in February 1965 before appearing on the album Beatles VI. The song was the band's seventh number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, a run of US chart success achieved in just over a year. The single was also number 1 in Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got to Get You into My Life</span> 1966 song by The Beatles

"Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album Revolver. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, with colourful brass instrumentation and lyrics that suggest a psychedelic experience. "It's actually an ode to pot," McCartney explained.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You". Beatlesebooks.com. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Miles 1997, p. 163.
  3. 1 2 Harry 2000, p. 546.
  4. Hal Leonard 1993, p. 492.
  5. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 18, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. 1 2 "The Hot 100 - August 1, 1964". Billboard . Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "The Beatles - Chart History". Billboard. August 1, 1964. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  8. The Beatles Bible 2008.
  9. MacDonald 2005, p. 112.
  10. "CHUM Hit Parade - August 31, 1964".
  11. "RPM Top 40-5s - August 17, 1964" (PDF).
  12. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 8, 1964". Archived from the original on March 14, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  13. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1980-08-23. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  14. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
  15. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 242.
  16. The Cyrkle, Neon Retrieved January 10, 2016
  17. Deming, Mark. B-Sides the Beatles at AllMusic . Retrieved December 27, 2016.

Bibliography