I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
Encyclopedia
"I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" is a song by The Beatles
, written primarily by John Lennon
and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on the album Beatles for Sale
in the United Kingdom in 1964. In the United States, Capitol
released the song on the Beatles VI
album and also as the B-side
of the single "Eight Days a Week
" in 1965. The single peaked at number one in the US; it was not released in the UK. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" charted as a B-side, reaching number thirty-nine on Billboard.
In the UK, "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" was also released on the Beatles for Sale (No. 2)
EP
.
" and "I'm a Loser
".
covered the song for her Hits 1979-1989
compilation. Her version went to number one on Billboard
s Hot Country Songs
chart in 1989. It is also Cash's last number one hit to date.
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...
, written primarily by John Lennon
John Lennon
John 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...
and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on the album Beatles for Sale
Beatles for Sale
Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released in late 1964 and produced by George Martin for Parlophone. The album marked a minor turning point in the evolution of Lennon and McCartney as lyricists, John Lennon particularly now showing interest in...
in the United Kingdom in 1964. In the United States, Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
released the song on the Beatles VI
Beatles VI
Beatles VI is The Beatles' seventh Capitol Records release in the United States . It was the ninth album released into that market in less than one and a half years...
album and also as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the single "Eight Days a Week
Eight Days a Week (song)
"Eight Days a Week" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, based on Paul's original idea, recorded by The Beatles and released on their December 1964 album Beatles for Sale.-Inspiration:...
" in 1965. The single peaked at number one in the US; it was not released in the UK. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" charted as a B-side, reaching number thirty-nine on Billboard.
In the UK, "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" was also released on the Beatles for Sale (No. 2)
Beatles for Sale (No. 2)
Beatles for Sale is an EP released by The Beatles on 4 June 1965. The EP was only released in mono and never released in stereo. Its catalogue number is Parlophone GEP 8938. It was also released in Australia.-Track listing:Side A...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
Lyrics
The lyrics revisit Lennon's familiar themes of alienation and inner pain. In this song, he is at a party, waiting for his girl to show up. When it becomes clear that she has stood him up, he decides to go, rather than spoil the party for everyone else. Both the lyrics and melody share a melancholy sound and theme with previous songs on Beatles for Sale, such as "No ReplyNo Reply (song)
"No Reply" is a song by The Beatles from the British album Beatles for Sale and the American album Beatles '65. It was written mainly by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Lyrics:...
" and "I'm a Loser
I'm a Loser
"I'm a Loser" is a song by The Beatles, originally released on Beatles for Sale in the United Kingdom, later released on Beatles '65 in the United States...
".
Recording
The Beatles recorded the song on 29 September 1964 in 19 takes, the last of which was released.Personnel
- 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...
– vocalLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, acousticAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - 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...
– harmony vocalBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - 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...
– vocal, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - 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...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
- 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...
Chart positions
| Chart (1964) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 39 |
Rosanne Cash version
Rosanne CashRosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of the late country music singer Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin....
covered the song for her Hits 1979-1989
Hits 1979-1989
Hits 1979-1989 is a compilation album by Rosanne Cash, released in 1989. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts and No...
compilation. Her version went to number one on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart in 1989. It is also Cash's last number one hit to date.
Chart positions
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |