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"Eight Days a Week"
US picture sleeve
Single by the Beatles
from the album Beatles for Sale
B-side"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"
Released
  • 4 December 1964 (1964-12-04) (UK Beatles for Sale album)
  • 15 February 1965 (1965-02-15) (US single)
Recorded6 and 18 October 1964
StudioEMI, London
GenrePop rock[1]
Length2:44
LabelCapitol
SongwriterLennon–McCartney
ProducerGeorge Martin
The Beatles US singles chronology
"I Feel Fine"
(1964) 		"Eight Days a Week"
(1965) 		"Ticket to Ride"
(1965)
Music video
"Eight Days a Week" on YouTube

"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.[2] 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.

The Beatles recorded "Eight Days a Week" at EMI Studios in London in October 1964. The track opens with a fade-in, marking one of the first times that this technique had been used on a pop studio recording. The song was reissued worldwide in 2000 on the Beatles compilation album 1. It also provided the title for director Ron Howard's 2016 documentary film on the band's years as live performers, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week.

Inspiration

[edit]

Paul McCartney has attributed the inspiration of the song to at least two different sources. In a 1984 interview with Playboy magazine, he credited the title to one of Ringo Starr's malapropisms, which similarly provided titles for the Lennon–McCartney songs "A Hard Day's Night" and "Tomorrow Never Knows". McCartney recalled: "He said it as though he were an overworked chauffeur: 'Eight days a week.' When we heard it, we said, 'Really? Bing! Got it!'"[3]

McCartney subsequently credited the title to an actual chauffeur who once drove him to Lennon's house in Weybridge. In the Beatles Anthology book, he states: "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.'"[4] In a 2016 interview alongside Starr and Ron Howard, in preparation for the release of the documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years, McCartney reiterated that he had heard it from a chauffeur who was driving him to Lennon's house while he was banned from driving. Starr has said he is not the source of the phrase.[5]

Recording

[edit]
"Eight Days a Week" sample
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"Eight Days a Week" was the first song that the Beatles took into the studio unfinished to work on the arrangement during the session, a practice that would become common for the band.[6] The song was recorded on 6 October 1964 during two sessions that together lasted nearly seven hours, with a fifteen-minute break in between.[6] The band tried out several ideas for the intro and outro of the song. The first take featured a simple acoustic guitar introduction. The second take introduced an "oo"-ing vocal that was experimented with until the sixth take, when it was abandoned in favour of a guitar intro.[6] The final outro (along with unused intro takes) was recorded separately, on 18 October.[7]

The completed song incorporated another Beatles' first, in that it begins with a fade-in.[6] "Eight Days a Week" was one of the first pop songs to open with a fade-in (only select examples exist prior such as Johnny Horton's "The Wild One").[8][9] The instrumentation on the track consists of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, bass and overdubbed handclaps. The fade-in and coda both include guitar overdubs, played by George Harrison on his Rickenbacker 12-string.[10]

Release and reception

[edit]

"Eight Days a Week" was released on Beatles for Sale on 4 December 1964.[11] It was sequenced as the opening track on side two of the LP.[12] Describing the unusual effect provided by the fade-in, particularly at the start of an LP side, author Mark Hertsgaard writes that it gave listeners "the sensation of hearing the music before the song actually arrived; it was as if the sound arose out of the distance, like a flock of migrating birds that suddenly fills the sky."[8]

The song, along with two others from the album ("Baby's in Black" and "No Reply"), was considered for a single release. In the end, it was released as a single in the United States on 15 February 1965 (as Capitol 5371),[13] becoming a number-one hit (their seventh in that country).[14] Cash Box described it as "a hard-driving, rollicking pledge of romantic devotion with a contagious repeating rockin’ riff."[15] Record World said "More happy sounds from the Britishers who recently announced their second summer tour of the States."[16] The B-side was "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party".[17] The single release in the US was the result of DJs playing the song from imported copies of the Beatles for Sale album as an exclusive since it did not appear on the album's US counterpart, Beatles '65, nor did the B-side. Both tracks were included on the North American album Beatles VI, released in June 1965.[18]

"Eight Days a Week" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on 16 September 1965.[19] It was the last of seven songs by the Beatles to top the Billboard Hot 100 over a one-year period, marking an all-time record for a single act. In order, the seven songs were "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "She Loves You", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Love Me Do", "A Hard Day's Night", "I Feel Fine" and "Eight Days a Week". The song was also the second of six Hot 100 chart toppers in a row (not counting the EP 4 by the Beatles) by one act, another record at the time. The other singles in this run were "I Feel Fine", "Ticket to Ride", "Help!", "Yesterday" and "We Can Work It Out".[20]

Personnel

[edit]

According to Ian MacDonald, except where noted:

Live performances

[edit]

Although it was a huge American hit, the group did not think highly of the song (Lennon called it "lousy")[21] and they never performed it live or at any of their radio sessions for the BBC. The only live performance was for UK television on 3 April 1965 edition of the ITV series Thank Your Lucky Stars. No film or videotape of this episode is available and it is considered lost. Because of the lack of filmed performance, for The Beatles: 1+, a music video was created using snippets throughout the band's 1965 Shea Stadium performance.[citation needed]

Paul McCartney performed the song live – the first time for any Beatle – on 4 May 2013 at the Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and used it as the opening song for almost all of his 2013–2015 Out There tour shows.[22]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
France — 50,000[31]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[32] Gold 15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Eight Days a Week

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
"Eight Days a Week" is a song by the English rock band , credited to the songwriting partnership and primarily composed by with contributions from . The track, inspired by a chauffeur's remark about working "eight days a week" to convey relentless effort, features innovative production elements including the first fade-in introduction in a pop song. Recorded at EMI Studios in London on 6 and 18 October 1964, the song was initially considered as a potential title track for the Beatles' second feature film, then titled Eight Arms to Hold You (later released as Help!). It appeared on the band's 1964 UK album Beatles for Sale but was not issued as a single there; in the United States, it was released as a single on 15 February 1965, backed with "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," and included on the Capitol Records compilation Beatles VI. The single topped the chart for two weeks starting 13 March 1965, marking the ' seventh number-one hit in the US within just over a year. Despite its commercial success, Lennon later expressed dissatisfaction with the song, describing it as "lousy" in a 1980 interview. The Beatles never performed "Eight Days a Week" live during their career.

Background and Inspiration

Title Origin

The title of the song "Eight Days a Week" originated from a phrase Paul McCartney overheard from his chauffeur while being driven to John Lennon's home in Weybridge for a songwriting session. McCartney, who had temporarily lost his driver's license due to speeding violations, asked the driver how he was doing, and the chauffeur replied that he was working "eight days a week" to convey his exhaustive schedule. McCartney immediately noted the expression as a potential hook, later developing it into the song's central refrain. Earlier recollections by McCartney attributed the phrase to Ringo Starr, describing it as one of the drummer's characteristic malapropisms uttered during a limousine ride, where Starr allegedly twisted "working eight days a week" into a casual complaint about overwork. In a 1984 interview, McCartney recounted Starr delivering the line in a heavy accent as if impersonating an exhausted chauffeur, which inspired the band to build the song around it. However, McCartney later clarified in his 2021 memoir that the Ringo anecdote was a fabricated rumor he had propagated, with the actual source being the real chauffeur's remark. John Lennon, in multiple interviews, confirmed the title's roots in a driver's offhand comment rather than emerging directly from the song's during initial writing. In a discussion, Lennon described the phrase as something "Ringo had said," aligning it with the band's collaborative tradition of drawing from everyday verbal slips, though he emphasized its utility as a title before the verses were fleshed out. Lennon later critiqued the song overall but acknowledged the phrase's catchy, non-literal appeal in capturing relentless activity. The phrase also reflected the grueling demands of ' 1964 schedule, which included a world tour of , , , and from June to late June with 19 performances across multiple continents, followed by a 32-show North American tour from to that left physically drained. Concurrently, they balanced intense recording sessions for their album in September and October, often working late nights amid constant travel and public appearances, mirroring the overwork implied in the title.

Songwriting Process

"Eight Days a Week" is credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership, though Paul McCartney originated the core idea and melody for the verses, with John Lennon contributing the chorus and middle eight section. McCartney developed the song during a visit to Lennon's home in Weybridge, Surrey, in 1964, where they worked together at the piano to refine the structure. The collaboration reflected their typical process of one partner providing the foundational elements and the other adding complementary parts to enhance the arrangement. McCartney created an initial demo at home, which included the seed of the song's distinctive fade-in introduction—a novel technique later realized in the studio. This demo captured the basic melody and , serving as the starting point for further development with Lennon. The song's theme evolved from the literal notion of , inspired by the title's origin in a chauffeur's about long hours, into a declaration of unending romantic devotion. This shift mirrored the ' own grueling 1964 schedule of tours, recordings, and appearances, transforming personal exhaustion into an expression of boundless .

Composition and Structure

Musical Elements

"Eight Days a Week" is classified as a song with folk influences, characterized by its upbeat and rhythmic complexity. The track is composed in 4/4 with a swung , which imparts a , feel despite its energetic drive, and it maintains a of approximately 138 beats per minute (BPM). This combination of pop rock accessibility and folk-derived phrasing contributes to the song's infectious, driving quality. The song is written in the key of , providing a bright and optimistic tonal center that aligns with its lyrical . A prominent feature is the descending bass line in the verses—progressing from D to C#, B, and A—which creates a compelling rhythmic drive and forward momentum, underpinning the structure with a sense of . This bass pattern, played on , reinforces the song's theme of endless activity through its repetitive, stepwise descent. The introduction stands out for its innovative fade-in effect, achieved by reversing a fade-out from the end of the recording, which builds tension in a manner opposite to the conventional fade-out used in many pop songs of the era. This opening is layered with handclaps for rhythmic emphasis and a distinctive 12-string guitar that adds a jangly, resonant texture, immediately establishing the song's lively groove. The 12-string guitar, a model, contributes to the folk-rock while enhancing the fullness. Structurally, "Eight Days a Week" follows a straightforward yet effective form: intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-outro, which emphasizes cyclic repetition to mirror the notion of unending devotion. The verses and choruses alternate in a balanced manner, with the bridge providing a brief harmonic contrast before returning to the refrain, creating a sense of looping continuity without instrumental solos. This repetitive form, common in early Beatles pop rock, amplifies the song's hook-driven appeal and reinforces its thematic endurance.

Lyrics and Themes

The lyrics of "Eight Days a Week" depict an obsessive romantic devotion, likening the singer's unending affection to toiling "eight days a week," a hyperbolic expression that underscores the emotional intensity of love that defies the constraints of time. Co-written by and , the song employs repetitive pleas such as "hold me, love me" in the chorus to convey a desperate need for constant reassurance and closeness, portraying love as an all-consuming force. The verses express this devotion through declarations of needing the loved one's affection every day and always having them on mind, emphasizing the constant nature of the emotion. The bridge reinforces the theme by stating "Eight days a week / I love you / Eight days a week / Is not enough to show I care," highlighting the insufficiency of time to express the depth of feeling. later dismissed the song as "lousy" and "manufactured," viewing it as a straightforward, cheesy pop tune rather than a for deeper , in contrast to the more introspective or provocative themes in later compositions. Notably, the title phrase "eight days a week" is absent from the main verses, reserved exclusively for the chorus and extended coda, creating a structural surprise that amplifies its thematic punch upon revelation.

Recording and Production

Studio Sessions

The recording of "Eight Days a Week" took place during the sessions for the Beatles' album Beatles for Sale at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in Studio Two, London. The initial session occurred on 6 October 1964, from 3:00 to 6:45 p.m., where the band laid down the basic rhythm track consisting of drums, bass, and guitars across takes 1 through 6. These early takes focused on establishing the song's structure, with producer George Martin overseeing the proceedings alongside engineer Norman Smith and second engineer Ken Scott. That same evening, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., the group continued with takes 7 through 13, adding overdubs such as double-tracked lead vocals by , initial harmonies, and handclaps performed by all four . A total of 13 takes were completed over the course of the day, reflecting the band's collaborative refinement of the arrangement during what was described as an unfocused period influenced by their exhaustion from an intense touring schedule earlier in 1964. , aiming to inject a renewed energy into their work amid this fatigue, guided the sessions to explore fresh elements while drawing on the group's live-honed instincts. The second session on 18 October , running from 2:30 to 11:30 p.m., addressed final enhancements to the track. The Beatles recorded edit pieces (takes 14 and 15) for a potential introduction and coda, though the intro edit piece was ultimately discarded. Under Martin's direction, the session also included work on several other tracks for , with the final mono and stereo mixes for "Eight Days a Week" completed on 27 October .

Technical Innovations

One of the most notable technical innovations in "Eight Days a Week" was the reverse fade-in introduction, achieved by recording a fade-out of the song's conclusion and playing the tape backwards to create a gradual build-up from silence, marking a effect for 1964 . This technique, suggested by engineer Norman Smith during the mixing session on October 27, 1964, reversed the conventional fade-out ending, providing a fresh auditory experience that opened the track dynamically. The production also featured extensive overdubbing to enhance the organic percussion and texture, including handclaps performed and layered by all four Beatles—, , , and —over the core rhythm section during takes 7 through 13 on October 6, 1964. These handclaps were integrated with acoustic and layers, adding a lively, communal feel to the arrangement without relying on additional studio percussion. George Harrison's twelve-string contributed the signature jangly , particularly prominent in the intro and coda, which was mixed alongside Paul McCartney's bass and Ringo Starr's to form a balanced, driving foundation. This combination of instruments, overdubbed and edited across multiple sessions in October 1964, emphasized clarity and rhythmic interplay. Prioritizing mono mixing for radio broadcast compatibility, the team completed the mono version on October 27, 1964, with the stereo mix produced later that same day for album inclusion, allowing the song's innovations to reach diverse playback formats effectively.

Release and Commercial Performance

Initial Release

In the United Kingdom, "Eight Days a Week" debuted as an album track on Beatles for Sale, released on 4 December 1964 by Parlophone Records. Parlophone adhered to a policy of not issuing singles from studio albums during this period, prioritizing standalone releases like the preceding double A-side "I Feel Fine"/"She's a Woman," so the song received no separate single treatment in the UK market. In the United States, Capitol Records issued "Eight Days a Week" as a single (catalog number 5371) on 15 February 1965, with "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" as the B-side—both tracks drawn from the UK Beatles for Sale album. As part of Capitol's strategy to maximize output from Beatles material, the label withheld the song from the concurrent US album Beatles '65 (released 15 December 1964) to build anticipation for the single release. The single benefited from heavy radio promotion, becoming a staple on Top 40 stations and driving early airplay ahead of physical sales tracking. "Eight Days a Week" later appeared on the US EP Beatles VI, released by Capitol on 14 June 1965, alongside tracks like "Kansas City" and "Bad Boy." Regional variations in the initial rollout were notable: while the UK emphasized album cohesion without singles, the US single format targeted the growing demand for 45 RPM discs, with no differing B-sides reported across North American markets; early sales momentum was evident in the first weeks, though formal charting followed later.

Chart Performance

"Eight Days a Week" achieved significant commercial success upon its release as a single in the United States on February 15, 1965, debuting on the at number 53 on February 20, 1965. It climbed to the top spot, holding number 1 for two weeks beginning March 13, 1965, marking the seventh overall number 1 hit for on the chart within just over a year of their U.S. breakthrough. The single spent a total of 10 weeks on the . Internationally, the song performed strongly in several markets. It reached number 1 on the RPM 100 in , the in Ireland, and the Dutch Singles Chart in the . In , it peaked at number 1 on both the 50 and Box charts; in it peaked at number 4 on the ; and in it reached number 8 on the chart. Although not released as a single in the United Kingdom, "Eight Days a Week" received notable radio airplay. Its inclusion on the album Beatles for Sale, released December 4, 1964, contributed to the album's chart dominance, as it debuted at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart (via Record Retailer) and held the position for 11 consecutive weeks. On the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart for 1965, "Eight Days a Week" ranked at number 55, reflecting its early-year peak amid a competitive field of hits throughout the calendar.
CountryPeak PositionChartSource
1Billboard
1RPM 100RPM
1Irish Charts
1Dutch Singles ChartDutch Charts
1 / Cash BoxUltratop
4Australian Charts
8Norwegian Charts

Certifications

"Eight Days a Week" received its initial certification from the (RIAA) on September 16, 1965, when it was awarded Gold status for exceeding 1 million units . This certification recognized the strong performance of the single, which was released exclusively in the US market with "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" as the B-side. In the , the (BPI) awarded the single Silver certification in 2013 for combined sales and equivalent units of 200,000. The song has also been certified Gold in by on September 19, 2025, for sales of 15,000 units. Globally, "Eight Days a Week" is recognized as one of ' million-selling singles, with estimates indicating over 2 million units sold worldwide (physical + streaming equivalents) as of 2025. As of November 2025, no further upgrades to multi-platinum status have been reported for major markets, though ongoing streaming contributes to its enduring commercial legacy.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Response

Upon its release as a single in the United States on February 15, 1965, "Eight Days a Week" garnered favorable attention from music trade publications for its upbeat energy and production touches. Billboard highlighted the track's strong commercial appeal in its singles reviews, while Cash Box praised elements like the handclaps for adding a refreshing percussive layer to the Beatles' pop sound. John Lennon offered a more critical of the in a 1980 interview with magazine, describing it as "never a good " despite acknowledging the challenges in recording it and its ultimate commercial . He noted that the band "struggled to record it and tried to make it as funky as possible," reflecting a sense of dissatisfaction with its quality even as it became one of their major hits. In modern evaluations, the song is often celebrated for its buoyant melody and subtle innovations, such as George Harrison's use of a 12-string guitar, which imparts a jangly twang that anticipates proto-folk rock influences in the mid-1960s. describes it as one of the few Lennon-McCartney compositions that stands out for its cheeriness, tempered by the "yearning grit" in Lennon's vocal delivery. placed "Eight Days a Week" at number 62 on its list of the 100 greatest songs, commending its role as an early example of the band's evolving studio experimentation. Retrospective reappraisals in the streaming era have further underscored the song's enduring popularity, with renewed attention to its infectious hook amid high streaming numbers on platforms like , where it ranks among the ' most-played early tracks. A 2024 analysis in emphasized its chart-topping legacy 59 years later, positioning it as a quintessential example of the band's knack for crafting timeless pop anthems despite internal critiques.

Cultural Impact and Covers

The song "Eight Days a Week" has left a lasting mark on popular culture, most notably serving as the title and thematic cornerstone for the 2016 documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years, directed by Ron Howard. The film chronicles the band's exhaustive touring schedule from 1962 to 1966, using the song's lyrics to symbolize the relentless pace of their early career and the phenomenon of Beatlemania. It premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and received widespread acclaim, winning the Grammy Award for Best Music Film at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017. Beyond the documentary, the track has appeared in various films and television shows, enhancing scenes of and romance. In the 1997 romantic comedy , it underscores a pivotal moment of emotional reconciliation between characters played by and . Similarly, it featured in an episode of the medical comedy-drama Scrubs in 2004, providing a lighthearted backdrop to the show's blend of humor and heartfelt storytelling. These placements highlight the song's enduring appeal as an anthem of devoted affection. The song has inspired numerous cover versions across genres, demonstrating its versatility and timelessness. Soul musician , who later collaborated with , released a funk-infused rendition in 1965 on his album Early Hits of 1965. In 1978, the all-female rock band delivered a high-energy punk-rock take on their album , infusing the original's pop structure with raw attitude. British rock group covered the song in 1975 on their album . These adaptations underscore the song's adaptability while preserving its core theme of unwavering love. "Eight Days a Week" has also permeated hip-hop through sampling, particularly in tracks from the 2000s onward that repurpose its melodic hooks for modern rhythms. Such uses reflect ' broader influence on hip-hop production, where elements are recontextualized to bridge generational gaps. In broader cultural legacy, the phrase "eight days a week" from the song's title has become an idiomatic expression in English, symbolizing excessive dedication—whether to work, , or passion—and capturing the exuberant, overcommitted spirit of . This linguistic impact mirrors ' role in shifting societal norms toward greater emotional openness and productivity in . The track's inclusion in the consideration discussions further cements its status as a of rock history, though it has not yet been inducted.

Performances

Beatles' Live Versions

The Beatles rarely performed "Eight Days a Week" during their active years, with no verified concert appearances despite its popularity as a single and album track. The song's only known "live" rendition came during a mimed television appearance on the British program Thank Your Lucky Stars on 28 March 1965, where the band lip-synced to the studio recording alongside "Yes It Is" and "Ticket to Ride" before a studio audience in Birmingham. This marked the track's debut in any public performance context, though it was not a sung live effort. The song was absent from the Beatles' concert setlists throughout 1965 and 1966, including their tour and final shows, due to practical challenges in adapting its studio production for the stage. Its demanding vocal harmonies, particularly the high-range elements in the chorus, proved difficult to sustain amid the chaotic acoustics of large venues and screaming crowds, while the layered handclap percussion—achieved through multiple overdubs in the studio—could not be effectively simulated without pre-recorded backing tracks, which the band avoided. The innovative fade-in intro, created by splicing a separately recorded segment and gradually increasing volume, was similarly not replicable in real-time live settings. These production complexities, combined with John Lennon's personal dissatisfaction with the song—describing it as "lousy" in later interviews—contributed to its exclusion from their repertoire. In the limited context of the Thank Your Lucky Stars appearance, "Eight Days a Week" functioned as an upbeat mid-segment energizer to showcase recent material from Beatles for Sale, but the band's live shows increasingly prioritized newer compositions from Help! and Revolver to reflect their evolving sound. The final Beatles concert occurred on 29 August 1966 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, where the setlist focused on established hits like "Twist and Shout" and "Long Tall Sally," omitting "Eight Days a Week" entirely. Unofficial audio bootlegs sometimes claim origins from 1965 Hollywood Bowl concerts, but verified setlists and recordings from those dates—such as 29 and 30 August—confirm the song was not played there.

Post-Beatles Performances

Paul McCartney first performed "Eight Days a Week" live in its entirety on May 4, 2013, during the opening show of his Out There tour at Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where it opened the set and marked the song's debut outside the Beatles' unified performances. The track, which the Beatles themselves rarely included in their live repertoire despite its popularity, quickly became a recurring highlight in McCartney's concerts, appearing in over 50 shows through the mid-2010s, including multiple dates on the 2013-2015 Out There tour and the 2017-2018 One on One tour. These renditions emphasized the song's upbeat, nostalgic charm, often eliciting enthusiastic sing-alongs from crowds and reinforcing its status as a fan favorite from the Beatles' early catalog. In more recent years, McCartney has not featured "Eight Days a Week" in his standard setlists, including during the South American leg and the 2025 North American and Canadian dates of the tour, where the focus has shifted to other classics like "Help!" and "Got to Get You Into My Life." Nonetheless, the song's occasional revivals in prior tours highlight its lasting nostalgic appeal, bridging McCartney's solo career with the ' legacy for multigenerational audiences. George Harrison never performed "Eight Days a Week" live during his solo career, consistent with his selective approach to Beatles material in concerts, which favored his own compositions over group-era hits. Similarly, did not record or perform a solo version of the song, though he referenced it critically in a 1980 interview, calling it "lousy" and noting the challenges in its creation. has incorporated various Beatles tracks into his All-Starr Band shows since the 2000s, but "Eight Days a Week" has not been a documented staple, aligning with the band's format of spotlighting individual members' hits alongside select group songs like "Yellow Submarine" and "Boys."

References

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  36. https://www.beatlesbible.com/1965/03/28/television-thank-your-lucky-stars-8/
  37. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-beatles/1965/alpha-television-studios-birmingham-england-23da34ff.html
  38. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-beatles/1965/hollywood-bowl-los-angeles-ca-63de460b.html
  39. https://www.beatlesbible.com/1965/08/30/live-hollywood-bowl-los-angeles-3/
  40. https://consequence.net/2013/05/watch-paul-mccartney-perform-five-beatles-songs-live-for-first-time/
  41. https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/paul-mccartney-13d6bd15.html?songid=2bd0806a
  42. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/09/30/paul-mccartney-2025-got-back-tour-setlist/86430176007/
  43. https://www.beatlesbible.com/forum/the-songs/beatles-songs-that-have-never-been-performed-live-together-or-solo/
  44. https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/ringo-starr-and-his-all-starr-band-63c6b20b.html
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