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"This Boy"
Canadian picture sleeve
Single by the Beatles
A-side
Released
  • 29 November 1963 (1963-11-29) (UK)
  • 1964 (Canada)
Recorded17 October 1963
Genre
Length2:13
Label
SongwriterLennon–McCartney
ProducerGeorge Martin
The Beatles UK singles chronology
"She Loves You"
(1963) 		"I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "This Boy"
(1963) 		"Can't Buy Me Love"
(1964)

"This Boy" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon[3][4] (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.

"This Boy" was remastered for compact disc by George Martin and released in 1988 on the Past Masters, Volume One compilation. On 9 September 2009, it was re-released on the two CD set Past Masters, as part of the remastering of the original Beatles' catalogue, and was included in The Beatles Stereo Box Set and in The Beatles in Mono box set.

Composition

[edit]

The track's composition was Lennon's attempt[3][4] to write a tune in the style of Motown star Smokey Robinson,[5] and specifically his song "I've Been Good to You", which has similar circular doo-wop chord changes, melody and arrangement. The tune and arrangement also draw from "You Don't Understand Me", a B-side to a Bobby Freeman single.[6] Paul McCartney cites the Teddy Bears' 1958 hit "To Know Him Is to Love Him" also as being influential.[4]

Lennon, McCartney, and George Harrison joined in singing an intricate three-part close harmony in the verses and refrain, and a similar technique is employed in later Beatles songs, notably "Yes It Is" and "Because". Originally the middle eight was conceived as a guitar solo but was altered during the recording process.[7] Written in D major, the song revolves around a 1950s-style I-vi-ii-V doo-wop sequence in 12
8 time before moving to the harmonically complex middle eight (G-F♯7-Bm-D7-G-E7-A-A7) and back again for the final verse and fade-out.[4] William Mann describes the song as "harmonically ... one of their most intriguing, with its chains of pandiatonic clusters".[8]

Recordings

[edit]

The Beatles recorded "This Boy" on 17 October 1963, the same day they recorded "I Want To Hold Your Hand", the group's first fan club Christmas single, and a version of "You Really Got a Hold on Me".

They recorded fifteen takes of "This Boy" followed by two overdubs. The song was recorded with a rounded ending, although it was faded out during a mixing session on 21 October. Two takes were joined to make the final master, with the edit between the middle eight and the final verse (1:28).[4]

Alternative recordings have also been officially released. A live version performed on Two of a Kind in 1963 was released on Anthology 1 and two incomplete takes from the original recording were released as a track on the single "Free as a Bird".

Ringo's Theme

[edit]
"Ringo's Theme (This Boy)"
US picture sleeve
Single by George Martin and His Orchestra
from the album A Hard Day's Night
B-side"And I Love Her" (instrumental)
ReleasedJuly 1964 (1964-07) (US)
Recorded1964
Genre
Length3:08
LabelUnited Artists
SongwriterLennon–McCartney
ProducerGeorge Martin

An instrumental version of "This Boy", orchestrated by George Martin, is used as the incidental music during Ringo Starr's towpath scene in the film A Hard Day's Night. The piece, under the title, "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)", was released as a single—but failed to chart in the UK—on 7 August 1964 with "And I Love Her" on the B-Side,[11] although it did reach number 53 in the American Top 100 later that year. It was also included on Martin's Parlophone album Off the Beatle Track and the EP Music From A Hard Day’s Night by the George Martin Orchestra, released 19 February 1965. It was also included on the American A Hard Day's Night soundtrack album. Vic Flick's lead guitar work can be heard on "Ringo’s Theme", which plays as the Beatles drummer wanders around London on his own.

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (1965) Peak
position
Canada 1
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 53

Personnel

[edit]
Production staff


Ringo’s Theme (This Boy)

[edit]

The instrumental version from the film is performed by:

Notes

[edit]

References

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

This Boy

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
"This Boy" is a song by the English rock band , written primarily by and credited to the songwriting partnership. Released on 29 November 1963 as the B-side to the single "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on Records in the , it is a close-harmony clocking in at 2:13 in length. The track exemplifies the band's early experimentation with vocal arrangements, drawing inspiration from the group , particularly and . The song was composed during a tour and recorded in a single session on 17 October at Studios in , requiring 15 takes plus vocal overdubs. Produced by and engineered by Norman Smith, it features on lead vocals and acoustic rhythm guitar, on bass and backing vocals, on lead guitar and backing vocals, and on drums. An initial was replaced with a fade-out ending in , emphasizing the layered harmonies that became a hallmark of ' sound. Upon release, "This Boy" contributed to the Beatles' rising international fame, appearing on the album Meet the Beatles! in January 1964 and later compilations such as Past Masters Volume One (1988) and the 2009 remastered stereo and mono box sets. The band performed it live on on 16 February 1964, marking a key moment in their American breakthrough. Music critic William Mann of praised its "lugubrious music" and "chains of pandiatonic clusters" in a 27 December 1963 review, highlighting its harmonic intrigue. An instrumental orchestral version, arranged by as "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)", was featured in the 1964 A Hard Day's Night.

Background and Composition

Songwriting Process

"This Boy" was primarily written by in late 1963, during a highly productive period for as they prepared material for their second album, With the Beatles. Lennon composed the song quickly, completing it in approximately two hours during a hotel room session with while the band was on tour. Although credited to the partnership as was customary, McCartney's contributions were minimal, with Lennon taking the lead on both melody and lyrics; McCartney later recalled the collaborative effort as a spontaneous afternoon exercise where they wrote, rehearsed, and prepared the piece together. Lennon drew significant inspiration from and ' 1961 track "I've Been Good to You," adopting its circular and melodic structure to craft "This Boy" as an homage to Robinson's style of three-part harmony ballads. In a 1980 interview, Lennon described the song as "just my attempt at writing one of those three-part harmony songs," emphasizing the harmonic focus over lyrical depth. Additionally, McCartney noted the influence of ' 1958 hit "To Know Him Is to Love Him" on the song's harmonic framework, reflecting ' admiration for Phil Spector's production techniques in early and close-harmony arrangements. The lyrics of "This Boy" center on themes of unrequited love and regret, with the narrator expressing longing for a lost partner despite the pain caused by a rival. Structured in a straightforward verse-chorus form, the song's simple, repetitive phrasing—such as "That boy won't be happy / Till he's seen you cry"—underscores the emotional , prioritizing melodic flow and vocal interplay over complex narrative development. This approach aligned with Lennon's goal of emulating Motown's emotive simplicity while adapting it to the ' evolving harmonic sensibilities.

Musical Elements

"This Boy" is composed in the key of . The song features a slow of approximately 110 beats per minute, with a 3/4 waltz-like driven by jumping that impart a gentle, swaying motion. Its follows a primarily I–vi–ii–V pattern in the verses (D–Bm–Em–A), a classic sequence that evokes emotional introspection through its cyclical resolution. This structure is enhanced by close three-part vocal harmonies performed by , and Harrison, which incorporate appoggiaturas to form lush seventh and ninth chords, heightening the ballad's romantic yearning. The arrangement is minimalistic, centering on vocals supported by acoustic guitars strumming the rhythmic foundation, bass providing subtle harmonic depth, drums maintaining the triplet pulse, and occasional flourishes. This sparse underscores the song's and Motown-inspired qualities, prioritizing vocal interplay over elaborate . In the bridge, the harmonic rhythm slows with chromatic inflections (such as G to F♯ leading to Bm), building tension through a dramatic pause before resolving back to the tonic, while the outro reprises the intro motif with a fading counter-melody for a poignant release.

Recording and Production

Studio Sessions

The Beatles recorded "This Boy" on 17 October 1963 at (now ) in , during the same session that produced "I Want to Hold Your Hand," marking the group's first use of four-track recording technology. The session began after 7pm and focused on laying down the basic rhythm track of guitars, bass, and drums, with the band completing 15 takes before selecting the last as the foundation for overdubs. Following take 15, John Lennon overdubbed his lead vocal for the middle eight, while Paul McCartney and George Harrison added backing vocals; takes 16 and 17 consisted of brief false starts for that section. George Martin produced the session, assisted by balance engineer Norman Smith, emphasizing the capture of tight three-part harmonies by having , and Harrison perform them live together in the studio for a cohesive sound. Two mono mixes (remixes 1 and 2) were created from the overdubbed take 15 on 21 October 1963, which were then edited together to form the master tape. No stereo mix was made during the original session; the first appeared in 1966 for later compilations, derived from takes 15 and 17. The finished track has a duration of 2:11.

Ringo's Theme Version

"Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" is an original instrumental of the Beatles' song "This Boy," composed specifically for the 1964 film A Hard Day's Night. Arranged and conducted by , the piece adapts the original melody into an orchestral underscore tailored to Ringo Starr's storyline, evoking a poignant and sentimental mood to complement the character's emotional moments on screen. The recording took place on 1 June 1964 at Studios (now ) in , distinct from the Beatles' vocal sessions for the song. directed a session comprising studio musicians, with no involvement from beyond providing the source melody; the highlights lush strings and for a warm, symphonic texture. Clocking in at approximately 3:10, "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" was included on the film's soundtrack album and released as a single in markets such as the , where it served as the B-side to Martin's instrumental version of "."

Release History

Single and Album Releases

"This Boy" was first released as the B-side to the Beatles' single "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in the on 29 November 1963 by Records, under catalogue number R 5084. In the United States, the song appeared on Capitol Records' album Meet the Beatles! , released on 20 January 1964 as catalogue number T 2047. It was also issued as the B-side to "All My Loving" in Canada by Capitol Records on 9 March 1964. An instrumental version arranged by George Martin and retitled "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" was released as a single in the United States and Canada in July 1964 to promote the film A Hard Day's Night, as the B-side to "And I Love Her" on United Artists Records (UA 745). The original vocal recording has been featured on later compilations, including in 1988 by / and the remastered in 2009. It also appears in various Beatles singles collections, such as the 2015 stereo remixes edition.

Chart Performance

"This Boy" was primarily released as the B-side to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in the on November 29, 1963, where the single topped the Official Singles Chart for six weeks, though the B-side did not chart independently due to its supporting role. In , a different configuration paired "This Boy" as the B-side to "," with the single reaching number 1 on the RPM 100 chart for five consecutive weeks from March 23 to April 20, 1964, reflecting strong regional promotion as a double A-side. The song's standalone charting was limited by its B-side status across most markets, though it benefited from dual-sided promotion in select areas like , contributing to its commercial visibility without separate entry on major charts for the Beatles' version. An instrumental version titled "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)," arranged by and his orchestra for the A Hard Day's Night film soundtrack, was released as a single in the on July 18, 1964, peaking at number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100. This version also reached number 1 in , underscoring the song's adaptability and appeal in orchestral form.

Personnel

Vocals and Instrumentation

In the original recording of "This Boy," provides the lead vocals, delivering the primary melody with a slightly echoed tone that emphasizes the song's introspective influence. and contribute vocals, forming a three-part where Lennon sings the low part, Harrison the middle, and McCartney the high, creating a tight, layered vocal blend characteristic of the group's early harmonic style. does not participate in the vocals, leaving the singing to the other three and highlighting their collective vocal interplay. Instrumentally, the track relies solely on the ' core quartet without additional musicians, showcasing their ability to achieve a delicate, chamber-like sound through precise collaboration. Lennon plays on his 1962 , providing a steady, understated chordal foundation that supports the waltz-like 12/8 . Harrison complements this with lead lines on his instrument, adding subtle melodic fills and a brief solo in the middle eight before it was overdubbed with vocals. McCartney handles bass on his 1963 , delivering a simple yet melodic line that locks in with the harmonies and underscores the song's emotional depth. Ringo Starr's drumming features subtle brushwork on his 1963 Ludwig kit, employing a gentle pattern in 12/8 time to maintain a soft, swinging without overpowering the vocals or guitars, which exemplifies the band's restrained ensemble dynamic in ballads. This configuration allows the instrumentation to serve the vocal-centric arrangement, with each member's contribution interweaving to evoke a sense of intimacy and unity.

Production Credits

The production of "This Boy" was overseen by , who served as the producer for the ' sessions at EMI Studios (now ). Norman Smith acted as the recording engineer for the track's basic recording on October 17, 1963, and the subsequent mono mixing on October 21, 1963. No further engineering or production credits were assigned to the original basic track beyond Martin and Smith. The song's mono mix was specifically prepared for its release as the B-side to the single "I Want to Hold Your Hand," emphasizing the format's prominence for Beatles singles at the time. For the 2009 digital remastering of the Beatles catalog, including "This Boy" on the compilation Past Masters, a team of engineers at Abbey Road Studios handled the audio restoration and remastering, led by figures such as principal engineer Allan Rouse, mastering engineer Sean Magee, and restoration specialist Simon Gibson.

Live Performances and Legacy

Notable Performances

One of the most notable live renditions of "This Boy" occurred during The Beatles' second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on 16 February 1964, broadcast from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. The performance featured the band's signature three-part harmony arrangement, delivered with precision and a relaxed stage presence by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison on vocals, accompanied by Ringo Starr on drums. "This Boy" was a staple in The Beatles' setlists during their early 1964 tours, including the North American tour in February (e.g., Washington Coliseum on 11 February and on 12 February) and the world tour extending into (e.g., Festival Hall in on 17 ). However, as the band's repertoire evolved to incorporate newer material from albums like A Hard Day's Night, the song was phased out of live performances by mid-1964, with no inclusions in subsequent tours such as the August North American leg. The only commercially available full-band live recording of "This Boy" by The Beatles is from their 2 December 1963 appearance on the British TV show The Morecambe and Wise Show, included on the 1995 compilation Anthology 1. No other complete live band recordings from their performances exist, though incomplete studio takes from a 17 October 1963 recording session—capturing early harmony experiments—were later released as the B-side to the 1995 single "Free as a Bird."

Covers and Cultural Impact

"This Boy" has been covered by numerous artists, highlighting its enduring appeal as a . One of the earliest notable covers is by vocalist , who recorded a gender-swapped version titled "This Girl" in 1964 for her album Sings the John Lennon–Paul McCartney Songbook, adapting the song's close harmonies to a lounge style. Another prominent cover came from British duo in 1995, whose orchestral rendition reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, demonstrating the song's versatility in pop interpretations. In 1972, performed a live acoustic cover during his in , infusing it with a folk-rock intimacy that showcased his . The song also appeared in film contexts through instrumental adaptations. George Martin arranged an orchestral version titled "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" for the soundtrack of The Beatles' 1964 film A Hard Day's Night, where it underscored Ringo Starr's solo sequence along the , emphasizing the melody's emotional depth without vocals. This arrangement was later released as a single, peaking at number 53 on the Hot 100. In terms of musical influence, "This Boy" contributed to the evolution of harmonic ballad styles in 1960s pop by blending doo-wop influences with sophisticated three-part vocal arrangements, drawing inspiration from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. John Lennon, who primarily composed the melody, later reflected on it as an example of his melodic songwriting prowess, stating in a 1980 interview, "But, of course, when I think of some of my own songs—'In My Life' or some of the early stuff, 'This Boy'—I was writing melody with the best of them." The track exemplifies the Lennon-McCartney songwriting dynamic, credited jointly despite Lennon's lead role, and highlights the vocal talents of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison in their layered harmonies. Culturally, "This Boy" has been referenced in Beatles documentaries as a staple of their early catalog. In the 2011 film George Harrison: Living in the Material World, Harrison reminisces about the band's 1963 performances of the song, providing insight into its live energy during the pre-fame period. It also features in discussions of the band's 1964 U.S. arrival in the documentary Beatles '64 (2024), contextualizing its role as the B-side to the chart-topping "I Want to Hold Your Hand." These appearances underscore the song's legacy in assessments of The Beatles' formative sound and collaborative innovation.

References

  1. https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/this-boy/
  2. https://www.thebeatles.com/boy
  3. http://www.beatlesinterviews.org/dba02with.html
  4. https://www.beatlesebooks.com/this-boy
  5. https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/song/this-boy/
  6. https://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/tb.shtml
  7. https://tunebat.com/Info/This-Boy-2023-Mix-The-Beatles/5P4CWxatRti2grRSn1mywW
  8. https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/session/i-want-to-hold-your-hand-this-boy-session-1/
  9. https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/session/i-want-to-hold-your-hand-this-boy-session-2/
  10. https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/session/mixing-this-boy-day-tripper-we-can-work-it-out/
  11. https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/album/a-hard-days-night-2/
  12. https://www.discogs.com/release/1954495-George-Martin-His-Orch-Ringos-Theme-This-Boy
  13. https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/album/i-want-to-hold-your-hand-this-boy/
  14. https://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beatles/uk.records.html
  15. https://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beatles/capitol.html
  16. https://capitol6000.com/beatles45.html
  17. https://www.beatle.net/a-hard-days-night-united-artists-releases/
  18. https://www.discogs.com/release/6651129-George-Martin-His-Orch-Ringos-Theme-This-Boy
  19. https://www.discogs.com/master/123245-The-Beatles-Past-Masters-Volumes-One-Two
  20. https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1964-09-19/
  21. http://www.beatlesebooks.com/this-boy
  22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4zgURJxBbM
  23. https://www.beatlesbible.com/1963/10/17/recording-you-really-got-a-hold-on-me-i-want-to-hold-your-hand-this-boy/
  24. https://www.beatlesbible.com/1963/10/21/mixing-i-want-to-hold-your-hand-this-boy/
  25. https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/remastering-beatles
  26. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-beatles/1964/washington-coliseum-washington-dc-53d20701.html
  27. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-beatles/1964/festival-hall-melbourne-australia-13dea55d.html
  28. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-beatles/1964/cow-palace-daly-city-ca-13d2f1c1.html
  29. https://www.beatlesbible.com/albums/anthology-1/
  30. https://genius.com/The-beatles-this-boy-sample/covers
  31. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/david-bowie-the-beatles-this-boy-rare-cover/
  32. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYzttKe0a-U
  33. http://www.beatlesinterviews.org/db1980.jlpb.beatles.html
  34. https://www.facebook.com/beatlesreverything/videos/george-harrison-reminiscing-about-the-beatles-performing-this-boy-from-1963taken/1332129293492391/
  35. https://ontherecords.net/2024/09/beatles-64-documentary-updates-trailer/
  36. https://www.whosampled.com/The-Beatles/This-Boy/covered/
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