“Eight Days A Week” is a Fab Four song which is on the 1964 album, “Beatles For Sale”.
In Detail
Albums
Recorded: 6th and 18th October, 1964
Studio: EMI Studios, London
Genre: Rock
Track Duration: 2:44
Record Label: Parlophone
Songwriters: Lennon-McCartney
Publisher: Northern Songs
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers
John Lennon: lead vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, handclaps
Paul McCartney: lead vocals, bass guitar, handclaps
George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitars, handclaps
Ringo Starr: drums, handclaps
Track Sources
Beatles For Sale
Anthology 1
1 (One)
Fade In
This song is unusual in that the intro fades in which makes it the first pop recording to do so. But then again, this was The Beatles with George Martin at the helm. That partnership was to come up with a lot of “firsts” in the studio during their time together. For example, backmasking as in “I’m Only Sleeping” etc. So, even in 1964 their experimental stage was already in full swing!
Beatles For Sale Album (1964)
Anthology 1 Album (1995)
1 Album (2000)
Eight Days A Week
Paul McCartney says the idea came for the title “Eight Days A Week” came about from two sources. Firstly, he credits it one of Ringo Starr’s malapropisms. In fact, some of the unusual things that Starr said produced other song titles too. For example, “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Tomorrow Never Knows“.
Linda: “Ringo also said, ‘Eight days a week.'”
Paul: “Yeah, he said it as though he were an overworked chauffeur. (in heavy accent) ‘Eight days a week.’ (laughter) When we heard it, we said, ‘Really? Bing! Got it!'”
Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney
Playboy Magazine (1984)
Secondly, McCartney credits his chauffeur who drove him to John Lennon’s house in Weybridge one day.
“I usually drove myself there, but the chauffeur drove me out that day and I said, ‘How’ve you been?’ – ‘Oh, working hard,’ he said, ‘working eight days a week.’ I had never heard anyone use that expression, so when I arrived at John’s house I said, ‘Hey, this fella just said, “eight days a week”.’ John said, ‘Right – “Ooh I need your love, babe…” and we wrote it.”
Paul McCartney
Anthology
It’s clear that the title was a prompt from Ringo Starr, or is it, because he once said he is not the source of the song title. If McCartney did hear the phrase earlier, he possibly put it on the back burner until prompted again. Whether or not the phrase is a “Rigoism” is open to debate.
Recording Studio
The Beatles began recording “Eight Days A Week” on the 6th October, 1964, in Studio Two of the EMI Studios, London, during the 3.00pm-6.45pm session. Apart from the fade in which was unusual at the time, this was another “first” for the band because the song was not even complete
The Fab Four experimented with the intro for a while before the 6th and final take which became the master track. Takes 2-5 began with a stretched out “ooh” but they eventually decided upon a guitar intro.
The 1995 album, “Anthology 1” has 2 numbered tracks for the song. The first is takes 1, 2 and 4 while the other is the complete take 5.
On the 18th October, 1964, after more overdubbing, the song was complete. On the “Beatles For Sale” album, it it the first track on side 2, just before another fine song, “Words Of Love“.
Although it was an album track in the UK and some other countries, “Eight Days A Week” was a single release elsewhere. In fact it was a number 1 single in America, Canada and Belgium. Therefore it qualifies for inclusion on the 200 album, “1”.
