Beatles A Day in the Life Blog posts of '1965' 'February'

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

This full day's work at Abbey Road began quietly with a 10:00am - 1:00 pm mono mix session for "Ticket To Ride", "Another Girl", "I Need You", and "Yes It Is". Between 3:30 and 5:15 pm, the Beatles began and completed, in nine all-acoustic takes, John's Bob Dylan-influenced ballad "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". From a recording point of view, this song is especially note-worthy in that it marked the first time the Beatles called in a session musician to augment their line-up. (Andy White, who drummed on "Love Me Do" and "PS, I Love You", was called in to replace Ringo for those early recordings, not complement his contribution.) The musician was musical arranger and flautist Johnnie Scott, and in return for his £6 session fee (but no sleeve credit) he contributed tenor flute and alto flute parts.

Ringo had secured a lead vocal on all Beatles albums to date excepting "A Hard Day's Night". But since he had yet to provide a self-composition for his outings a suitable "vehicle" was always provided. For Please Please Me it was the Shirelles' song "Boys". For With The Beatles John and Paul gave him "I Wanna Be Your Man'. On Beatles For Sale he had sung Carl Perkins' "Honey Don't, and he had sung another Perkins song, "Matchbox", on the EP Long Tall Sally. But what would be his contribution to this new LP? Written especially for the occasion by John and Paul, the answer was a rocker entitled "If You've Got Trouble". To this day, the song remains unreleased, locked in the EMI vault - and it's not difficult to see why. It wasn't one of the better Lennon-McCartney numbers by any stretch of the imagination, nor was it brilliantly performed in the one and only take (with overdubs) recorded in the early part of a 6:30-10:30 session this evening.

In the latter part of the same session, Paul's Tell Me What You See" was started and completed in four takes. As with George's "You Like Me Too Much", this was submitted, but not selected, for the new film, so it ended up on the non-soundtrack side of the associated album.

The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

The recording of two more songs for the film soundtrack, Paul's "The Night Before" and George's "You Like Me Too Much", although the latter was later relegated to the non-soundtrack side of the HELP! album. "The Night Before" was taped and completed in two takes from 2:00 until 7:00 pm. "You Like Me Too Much" was done to a finish in eight takes from 7:00 until 11:00pm.

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

This second of six consecutive days of EMI began with a 2:30-5:00 pm session that saw "I Need You" and then "Another Girl" completed wit the overdubbing of George's vocal, cowbell and tone-pedal guitar onto "I Need You" and guitar onto "Another Girl".

The Beatles spent the remainder of the session, from 5:00 until 10:00 pm, recording and perfecting in 14 takes "Yes Is Is", and exquisite three-part harmony ballad written by John and sung by John, Paul, and George in a style reminiscent of "This Boy". "Yes It Is" was not selected for the film soundtrack, nor was it included on the non-soundtrack side of what was to become the Help! album, Instead, it appeared merely as the B-side of the Beatles' next single, such as their songwriting wealth.

The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

Studio Two, EMI Studios, London

Another year, another film, another set of recording sessions, and yet more furious industry. Work this day began at 2:30 pm with the recording of two takes of John's "Ticket To Ride", and the song was completed and ready for mixing by 5:45. Released as the A-side of the Beatles' next single on Friday, April 9th, as well as on the soundtrack album for the yet to be started film. "Ticket To Ride" was the result of much more work than the two-take figure would suggest, with - from this year - overdubs onto the multi-track tape not being given separate numbers as before. Here, the Beatles twice taped a rhythm track (the first was a false-start, the second was 'best') and then recorded any amount of overdubs - numbers were never specified on recording documents - onto vacant tracks of the tape, perfecting vocals and anything else that they felt needed more attention.

Between 7:00 and 10:30 pm the Beatles recorded Paul's "Another Girl" (one take, plus ten edit pieces) and George's "I Need You" (five takes), both of which were completed with overdubs the next day.

Source: The Complete Beatles Chronicle - Mark Lewisohn

Valentine's Day, but no Beatle's performances.

No events occurred today

Ringo Starr and Maureen Cox were married on February 11th 1965. News of their quiet honeymoon in Sussex somehow leaked to the press, and the newlywed couple awoke the next morning to reporters, film crews, and flashbulbs. Ringo was disappointed at the sudden lack of privacy but still granted brief interviews, while getting in a few light-hearted jibes at the press. Here is what was said.

Q:"Congratulations."

RINGO: "Thanks alot. (comically) If I may shake your hand as you congratulate me."

Q: "Congratulations too, Mrs. Starkey."

RINGO: (look of amazement) "Ha. I'm still not used to that yet, you know."

Q: "Are you really going to get a honeymoon?"

RINGO: "No, I don't think so. Not with the likes of you chaps around." (laughs)

Q: "No. Are you thinking of a honeymoon?"

RINGO: "Well, this was supposed to be it, but it didn't work."

Q: "Well, for how long was it supposed to be?"

RINGO: "Well, I have to start work on Monday-- so I was going back Sunday or Monday, you know."

Q: "What do the other Beatles think of your marriage?"

RINGO: "John and George were at the wedding, and they were made up, you know. They're happy. But we don't know about Paul yet, 'cuz he's away on holiday."

Q: "He hasn't been in contact? Did he know you were getting married?

RINGO: "No. No."

Q: "Where is he?"

RINGO: "He's away."

Q: "Do you know where?"

RINGO: "Umm, yes. But I'm not telling you. (laughs) Well, he might as well have a bit of peace, I'm not getting it!"

(laughter)

Q: "Maureen, you presumably met Ringo before the group were very successful. Did you?"

MAUREEN: "Yes, yes."

Q: "Did you expect he was going to become a public monument like this?"

MAUREEN: "Well, in Liverpool I did. I didn't think sort of, more or less all over the world, you know."

Q: "Does that worry you-- the fact that you can't go anywhere with him?"

MAUREEN: "Umm, no not really. I just sort of enjoy myself."

Q: "Do you intend to keep out of the limelight like Mrs. Lennon for example, John Lennon's wife?"

MAUREEN: "Well, I don't like reporters and things."

RINGO: (jokingly) "She's on OUR side!" (laughs)

(Questions from a different reporter)

Q: "How long have you known each other?"

RINGO: "About two and a half years now."

Q: "So this means, Maureen, that you knew Ringo before he was right at the top of the tree."

MAUREEN: "Yes."

Q: "How does it feel to be married to a very famous man?"

MAUREEN: "Very nice."

Q: "Well, I'm sure you wanted a rather different honeymoon from this. What do you think about all this?"

RINGO: "Well, you know-- We took a chance. We tried to keep it quiet and we tried to arrive here quiet, but we must've been spotted and that's the end of it, you know. So from now on, it's not really a honeymoon, it's just-- we're just stayin' here."

Q: "How do you think the other Beatles reacted?"

RINGO: "Well, John and George were great, you know. They were happy and congratulated us and everything. And they, in fact, went to the wedding."

Q: "When are the rest of you going to get married?"

RINGO: "When are the rest of them? I don't know. I've no idea. As I said before, I don't think 'cuz I'm married, next week they'll all pop up and say, 'We're gettin' married 'cuz Ringo is,' you know."

Q: "What sort of an effect, really, do you think the marriage is going to have on the Beatles' future?"

RINGO: "On the Beatles as a whole, I don't think any great effect-- as much as that everyone will sort of say, 'Well, we can't sorta like them anymore 'cuz Ringo's married,' you know. I don't think I've got that image. I don't think it'll bother them too much. It may help, in fact, you know. We don't know yet. It's too early to say."

Q: "Have you decided where you're going to live?"

RINGO: "Only in the flat I've already got in London, up to now. Then we have to move and get a house or something, but it'll be a while yet."

Q: "Maureen, what do you think of the flat and the furnishings? Are there any changes you'd like to make?"

MAUREEN: "No, it's great."

RINGO: (jokingly) "It's a big flat, you know!" (laughs)

Q: "Ringo, where did you propose?"

RINGO: "In a club."

Q: "Can you tell me which club?"

RINGO: "Yes, if you don't mind a plug. The Ad Lib club."

Q: "You mean, you made it up as you went along?"

RINGO: "Oh, ho!! Bad joke!! No, you know-- I was sort of thinking about it, and I just sorta said, 'Will you marry me?' and she said, 'Yes... Have another drink!' (laughs) And we did, and that was it."

Q: "Congratulations. Thank you both very much."

RINGO: "Thank you. Alright? Goodbye! ...hope not to see you out my window again!"

(laughter)

Source: Transcribed by www.beatlesinterviews.org from audio and video copies of interview

Ringo Starr, 24, marries his hometown girlfriend Maureen Cox, 18. They were married in a civil ceremony at London's Caxton Register Hall under their legal names, Richard Starkey and Mary Guy. They slipped away in a limousine for a four day honeymoon in the South Coast resort town of Hove. Ringo and The Beatles begin work on their second film, Monday. John Lennon showed up in his Rolls Royce and George Harrison came to the wedding on a bicycle. Paul McCartney was out of the country on vacation. Ringo had gone steady with the hairdresser since she was 15.

Ringo Starr, on the eve of his honeymoon. Twenty-two days after he proposed to her in the Ad Lib Club, London, Ringo Starr is about to be married to Maureen Cox.

No events occurred today