“Baby It’s You” is a Beatles’ song which comes from their 1963 album, “Please Please Me”, of course.
In Detail
Albums
Recorded: 11th & 20th February, 1963
Studio: EMI Studios
Genre: Merseybeat
Track Duration: 2:24
Record Label: Parlophone
Songwriters: Burt Bacharach, Mack David and Barney Williams
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers
John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
George Martin: celesta
Track Sources
Please Please Me Album (1963)
Live At The BBC Album (1994)
Baby It’s You
In America during 1961, girl band The Shirelles released the single, “Baby It’s You” and it made the top ten. The Beatles were big fans of The Shirelles, of course. In fact, they recorded their other song, “Boys” for the same album, “Please Please Me”. Not only that, but John Lennon once said of Paul McCartney’s “PS I Love You“, “He was trying to write a Soldier Boy like The Shirelles”.
On Merseyside in the UK, many bands in the early 1960s would often sing cover songs, including The Quarrymen aka The Beatles. The Fab Four would regularly sing “Baby It’s You” during their live act including at the Cavern Club and other venues in Liverpool. The Beatles admired the vocal arrangements on The Shirelles’ version, in particular, its minor-to-major key chord changes on the verses. So they didn’t try it to change too much.
Recording Studio
The Beatles began recording “Baby It’s You” on the 11 February 1963 in Studio Two at the EMI Studios, London, during which they recorded 9 other songs. The band recorded 3 takes on this day when they practically recorded the whole of the “Please Please Me” album between 10am and 10.45pm.
George Martin then overdubbed his celesta piece on 20 February 1963 to complete the song. On the “Please Please Me” album, this song is track 3 on side 2, just before, “Do You Want To Know A Secret“.
In the early sixties, The Beatles would also make many appearances on BBC Radio. Many radio programmes featured the band and they sang this song for one of those shows too.
They recorded the song on 1 June 1963 for airing on the “Pop Go The Beatles” on 11 June 1963. As a result, this version appears on their 1994 album, “Live At The BBC”. There it sits on disc 1 as track 14, just before “That’s All Right (Mama)“. Track 13 (Sha La La La La!) is a spoken word introduction track with The Beatles having fun with presenter Brian Matthew.
