Another Girl
Encyclopedia
"Another Girl" is a song by the Beatles
released in 1965 on the album Help!
and included in the film of the same name. The song was written by Paul McCartney
but credited to Lennon–McCartney.
. With an up-tempo swing-beat that the writer favoured ("Can't Buy Me Love
", "She's a Woman
") the song opens with a short refrain, powered by block vocal harmonies, that segues straight into the verse, which is constructed on the blues-mode chord changes the group currently favoured. The bridge
theme makes a sudden key change
up a minor third from A to C (a harmonic strategy also used on the record's next track "You're Going to Lose That Girl
") and features more close three-part harmonies as the aggressively sung verse's apparent threat to a jealous girl turns into a sweet tribute to the "other" girl who "will always be my friend".
The Beatles recorded the song on 15 February 1965, having also worked on "Ticket to Ride
" and "I Need You". The backing track was quickly recorded in a single take
. George Harrison
added a guitar "flourish" at the end which was omitted from the final mix: McCartney added lead guitar the next day. This is one of several Beatles songs recorded at the time on which McCartney played lead guitar in addition to his usual bass. Four-track recording allowed the group to refine songs' arrangements in the studio and McCartney often had clear ideas about the guitar lines he wanted. He also contributed lead guitar to "Ticket to Ride" and played an electric guitar duet with Harrison on "The Night Before". The song was mixed down on 18 February and again on 23 February.
McCartney said of this song and other album tracks, "It's a bit much to call them fillers because I think they were a bit more than that, and each one of them made it past the Beatles test. We all had to like it."
, McCartney lip-syncs
"Another Girl" while standing on a coral reef on Balmoral Island in the Bahamas
, and plays a girl in a bikini as if she is a guitar. Since McCartney's hands are occupied (with either bass or girl), George Harrison mimes McCartney's guitar fills as if playing them himself. The four of them each change instruments. For instance, Harrison is seen playing McCartney's bass and looks confused.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
released in 1965 on the album Help!
Help! (album)
Help! is the title of the fifth British and ninth American album by The Beatles, and the soundtrack from their film of the same name. Produced by George Martin for EMI's Parlophone Records, it contains fourteen songs in its original British form, of which seven appeared in the film...
and included in the film of the same name. The song was written by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
but credited to Lennon–McCartney.
Composition and recording
McCartney wrote the song while holidaying in Hammamet, a resort in TunisiaTunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. With an up-tempo swing-beat that the writer favoured ("Can't Buy Me Love
Can't Buy Me Love
"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song composed by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on the A-side of their sixth British single, "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That".-Interpretation:...
", "She's a Woman
She's a Woman
"She's a Woman" is a song by The Beatles. It was released as the B-side to "I Feel Fine" in 1964, their last single release that year. It reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 from frequent airplay.-Composition:...
") the song opens with a short refrain, powered by block vocal harmonies, that segues straight into the verse, which is constructed on the blues-mode chord changes the group currently favoured. The bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
theme makes a sudden key change
Modulation (music)
In music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest...
up a minor third from A to C (a harmonic strategy also used on the record's next track "You're Going to Lose That Girl
You're Going to Lose That Girl
"You're Going to Lose That Girl" is a song by the Beatles from the album and film Help!, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Capitol Records originally titled the song "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" in the United States.-Composition and recording:...
") and features more close three-part harmonies as the aggressively sung verse's apparent threat to a jealous girl turns into a sweet tribute to the "other" girl who "will always be my friend".
The Beatles recorded the song on 15 February 1965, having also worked on "Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride
"Ticket to Ride" is a song by The Beatles from their 1965 album, Help!. It was recorded 15 February 1965 and released two months later. -Composition:...
" and "I Need You". The backing track was quickly recorded in a single take
Take
A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.-Film:In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup"...
. George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
added a guitar "flourish" at the end which was omitted from the final mix: McCartney added lead guitar the next day. This is one of several Beatles songs recorded at the time on which McCartney played lead guitar in addition to his usual bass. Four-track recording allowed the group to refine songs' arrangements in the studio and McCartney often had clear ideas about the guitar lines he wanted. He also contributed lead guitar to "Ticket to Ride" and played an electric guitar duet with Harrison on "The Night Before". The song was mixed down on 18 February and again on 23 February.
McCartney said of this song and other album tracks, "It's a bit much to call them fillers because I think they were a bit more than that, and each one of them made it past the Beatles test. We all had to like it."
In the film Help!
In the film Help!Help! (film)
Help! is a 1965 film directed by Richard Lester, starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal, Roy Kinnear and Patrick Cargill. Help! was the second feature film made by the Beatles and is a...
, McCartney lip-syncs
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
"Another Girl" while standing on a coral reef on Balmoral Island in the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, and plays a girl in a bikini as if she is a guitar. Since McCartney's hands are occupied (with either bass or girl), George Harrison mimes McCartney's guitar fills as if playing them himself. The four of them each change instruments. For instance, Harrison is seen playing McCartney's bass and looks confused.
Personnel
- Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
– double-tracked vocal, bass, lead guitar (Epiphone Casino) - John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
– harmony vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar (Gibson J-160E) - George HarrisonGeorge HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
– harmony vocal, electric lead guitar (Fender Stratocaster) - Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
– drums
- Personnel per Ian MacDonaldIan MacDonaldIan MacCormick was a British music critic and author, best known for Revolution in the Head, his forensic history of The Beatles which borrowed techniques from art historians, and The New Shostakovich, a controversial study of the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich...