You Can't Do That
Encyclopedia
"You Can't Do That" is a song written by John Lennon
(credited to Lennon–McCartney) and released by The Beatles
as the B-side
of their sixth British single "Can't Buy Me Love
".
" and "Jealous Guy
".
Lennon played the guitar solo, which he also conceived. Influenced by the then relatively unknown Wilson Pickett
the song is rooted in twelve-bar, with Lennon introducing a discordant Sharp 9th (F) on the D7th chord, pointedly emphasising "…I told you before…" and then pushing this note for the exasperated "Oh!" before resolving to the song's key of G.
With filming due to begin on A Hard Day's Night
film director Dick Lester needed the Beatles to provide him with original material ahead of production and "You Can't Do That" was selected as part of the Scala Theatre
"live performance" scene in the film, but was dropped for the final cut along with I'll Cry Instead
and I Call Your Name
. The recording took nine takes to complete, and was considered for the A-side of their next single until McCartney wrote Can't Buy Me Love.
in London. An early take
with a guide vocal is included on Anthology 1
. It was the first song completed in the week before the Beatles began filming A Hard Day's Night, though "I Should Have Known Better
" and "And I Love Her
" were also started on the same day.
While in New York for The Ed Sullivan Show
guitarist George Harrison
was presented with a Rickenbacker
360 Deluxe electric 12-string guitar worth (in 1964) $900. Only the second one produced, it was heard for the first time on "You Can't Do That" (although actually used for the first time on "Can't Buy Me Love
" but lost in the mix) and gave the song its distinctive chiming sound. It would be played extensively on the A Hard Day's Night
LP, greatly influencing Roger McGuinn
, who later went on to form The Byrds
.
The song was first released as the B-side of the "Can't Buy Me Love" single on 16 March 1964 in the United States by Capitol Records
and on 20 March 1964 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone
. it was the seventh US single and sixth UK single. It was later included in the A Hard Day's Night
album in the UK, and The Beatles' Second Album in the US.
The Beatles were filmed miming to "You Can't Do That" as part of the final concert sequence in the A Hard Day's Night
film. The filming took place on 31 March 1964 at the Scala Theatre
, London
, but was not used. It was, however, broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show
on 24 May. The performance is included in the documentary The Making of "A Hard Day's Night".
The Beatles recorded "You Can't Do That" four times for BBC radio in 1964. It also became a part of the group's live repertoire that year, and was the second song in their set—after "Twist And Shout
"—during their Australia
n and North America
n tours.
According to Mark Lewisohn
's The Beatles Recording Sessions book, George Martin overdubbed a piano track to Take 9 on 22 May 1964 ostensibly for the album version of this song, but it was never used.
for his debut album Pandemonium Shadow Show
(1967). Nilsson re-arranged the song making it somewhat slower. He also worked references to 20 other Beatles tunes in the mix, usually by quoting snippets of Beatles lyrics in the multi-layered backing vocals.
The track was Nilsson's first hit as a performer; though it stalled at #122 on the US charts, it hit top 10 in Canada. It also (along with the rest of the album) established Nilsson as a favourite performer of the Beatles. Famously, Lennon listened to Pandemonium Shadow Show for 36 hours straight after being given a copy by Derek Taylor
; he then called Nilsson to congratulate him, which started a friendship that would last for the rest of Lennon's life. Later, in a 1968 press conference to announce the formation of Apple Corps
, Lennon was asked to name his favourite American artist. He replied, "Nilsson". McCartney was then asked to name his favourite American group. He replied, "Nilsson".
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...
(credited to Lennon–McCartney) and released by The Beatles
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...
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 their sixth British single "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:...
".
Composition
One of Lennon's semi-autobiographical songs You Can't Do That "contradicted the genial tone with its tense threats, sexual paranoia and nagging, dragging groove" ... so wrote Robert Sandall. The song's jealousy theme was re-visited in other Lennon compositions, such as "Run for Your LifeRun For Your Life
"Run for Your Life" is a song recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Rubber Soul. The song, while credited to "Lennon–McCartney", was primarily a John Lennon composition.-Background:...
" and "Jealous Guy
Jealous Guy
"Jealous Guy" is a song written and performed by John Lennon which first appeared on his 1971 album Imagine. It is one of the most commonly covered Lennon songs, with at least ninety-two recorded cover versions, the most notable being Roxy Music's version, which reached number one in several...
".
Lennon played the guitar solo, which he also conceived. Influenced by the then relatively unknown Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
the song is rooted in twelve-bar, with Lennon introducing a discordant Sharp 9th (F) on the D7th chord, pointedly emphasising "…I told you before…" and then pushing this note for the exasperated "Oh!" before resolving to the song's key of G.
With filming due to begin on A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
film director Dick Lester needed the Beatles to provide him with original material ahead of production and "You Can't Do That" was selected as part of the Scala Theatre
Scala Theatre
The Scala Theatre was a theatre in London, sited on Charlotte Street, off Tottenham Court Road, in the London Borough of Camden. The first theatre on the site opened in 1772, and the theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by fire...
"live performance" scene in the film, but was dropped for the final cut along with I'll Cry Instead
I'll Cry Instead
"I'll Cry Instead" is a John Lennon composition credited to Lennon–McCartney, and recorded by The Beatles for the soundtrack to their film A Hard Day's Night.-Background:Lennon wrote the song for the "break-out" sequence in the film...
and I Call Your Name
I Call Your Name
"I Call Your Name" is a song written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Overview:Lennon wrote the song prior to the formation of the Beatles. In 1963, he gave the song to Billy J. Kramer of The Dakotas, another Liverpool band who was signed to Parlophone by George Martin...
. The recording took nine takes to complete, and was considered for the A-side of their next single until McCartney wrote Can't Buy Me Love.
Recording and release
"You Can't Do That" was recorded on Tuesday, 25 February 1964, in Abbey Road StudiosAbbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in London. An early 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"...
with a guide vocal is included on Anthology 1
Anthology 1
Anthology 1 is a compilation album by The Beatles, released by Apple Records in November 1995. It was released as the first part of the Anthology trilogy of albums with Anthology 2 and Anthology 3, all of which tie-in with the televised special The Beatles Anthology. It contains "Free as a Bird",...
. It was the first song completed in the week before the Beatles began filming A Hard Day's Night, though "I Should Have Known Better
I Should Have Known Better
"I Should Have Known Better" is a song composed by John Lennon , and originally released by The Beatles on the United Kingdom version of A Hard Day's Night, their soundtrack for the film of the same name....
" and "And I Love Her
And I Love Her
"And I Love Her" is a song recorded by The Beatles, written mainly by Paul McCartney . The fifth track on their third album, A Hard Day's Night, it was released 20 July 1964 with "If I Fell" as a single by Capitol Records in the United States, reaching #12 in Billboard.The Beatles performed "And I...
" were also started on the same day.
While in New York for The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
guitarist 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...
was presented with a Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
360 Deluxe electric 12-string guitar worth (in 1964) $900. Only the second one produced, it was heard for the first time on "You Can't Do That" (although actually used for the first time on "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:...
" but lost in the mix) and gave the song its distinctive chiming sound. It would be played extensively on the A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (album)
A Hard Day's Night is the third studio album by The Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 as the soundtrack to their film A Hard Day's Night. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing...
LP, greatly influencing Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, who later went on to form The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
.
The song was first released as the B-side of the "Can't Buy Me Love" single on 16 March 1964 in the United States by Capitol Records
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...
and on 20 March 1964 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
. it was the seventh US single and sixth UK single. It was later included in the A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (album)
A Hard Day's Night is the third studio album by The Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 as the soundtrack to their film A Hard Day's Night. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing...
album in the UK, and The Beatles' Second Album in the US.
The Beatles were filmed miming to "You Can't Do That" as part of the final concert sequence in the A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
film. The filming took place on 31 March 1964 at the Scala Theatre
Scala Theatre
The Scala Theatre was a theatre in London, sited on Charlotte Street, off Tottenham Court Road, in the London Borough of Camden. The first theatre on the site opened in 1772, and the theatre was demolished in 1969, after being destroyed by fire...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but was not used. It was, however, broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
on 24 May. The performance is included in the documentary The Making of "A Hard Day's Night".
The Beatles recorded "You Can't Do That" four times for BBC radio in 1964. It also became a part of the group's live repertoire that year, and was the second song in their set—after "Twist And Shout
Twist and Shout
"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles with John Lennon on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album...
"—during their Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n tours.
According to Mark Lewisohn
Mark Lewisohn
Mark Lewisohn is an English author and historian, regarded as the world's leading authority on the English rock band The Beatles.-The Beatles and related subjects:...
's The Beatles Recording Sessions book, George Martin overdubbed a piano track to Take 9 on 22 May 1964 ostensibly for the album version of this song, but it was never used.
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...
– lead vocal, lead guitar - 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...
– backing vocal, bass guitar, cowbell - 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...
– backing vocal, 12 string rhythm guitar - 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, conga
- 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...
Nilsson version
"You Can't Do That" was covered by Harry NilssonHarry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
for his debut album Pandemonium Shadow Show
Pandemonium Shadow Show
Pandemonium Shadow Show is the second album by Harry Nilsson. It was the first product of his three-year, $50,000 recording contract with RCA Records, and was recorded in their Hollywood studio...
(1967). Nilsson re-arranged the song making it somewhat slower. He also worked references to 20 other Beatles tunes in the mix, usually by quoting snippets of Beatles lyrics in the multi-layered backing vocals.
The track was Nilsson's first hit as a performer; though it stalled at #122 on the US charts, it hit top 10 in Canada. It also (along with the rest of the album) established Nilsson as a favourite performer of the Beatles. Famously, Lennon listened to Pandemonium Shadow Show for 36 hours straight after being given a copy by Derek Taylor
Derek Taylor
Derek Taylor was an English journalist, writer and publicist, best known for his work as press officer for The Beatles...
; he then called Nilsson to congratulate him, which started a friendship that would last for the rest of Lennon's life. Later, in a 1968 press conference to announce the formation of Apple Corps
Apple Corps
Apple Corps Ltd. is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. Its name is a pun. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year...
, Lennon was asked to name his favourite American artist. He replied, "Nilsson". McCartney was then asked to name his favourite American group. He replied, "Nilsson".
Other covers
- Vanilla FudgeVanilla FudgeVanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
covered it on their second album, The Beat Goes On. - Andy EllisonAndy EllisonAndrew "Andy" Ellison is a musician and vocalist best known as the frontman in John's Children, Jet and Radio Stars....
recorded a version. - Amanda OvermyerAmanda OvermyerAmanda Lindsay Overmyer is an American rock singer-songwriter from Camden, Indiana who was the eleventh place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. Following her run on Idol, Overmyer released her debut album Solidify on December 10, 2008 and is currently working on her second album...
sang a faster rendition of the song on the Top 12 show of American Idol (season 7)American Idol (season 7)The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
and likewise recorded a studio version of the song. - The PunklesThe PunklesThe Punkles were a band performing songs by The Beatles in punk style. They formed in 1998 in Hamburg, Germany and it was actually a side project of Prollhead!....
did a cover of this song on their 1998-2003 album. - The SupremesThe SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
covered the song on their 1964 album A Bit of LiverpoolA Bit of LiverpoolA Bit of Liverpool is an album by singing group The Supremes, released in the fall of 1964 on the Motown label.-Track listing:#"How Do You Do It?" #"A World Without Love"...
. - The Head CatThe Head CatThe Head Cat is an American rockabilly supergroup formed by vocalist Lemmy , drummer Slim Jim Phantom and guitarist Danny B. Harvey .-History:...
covered on their latest album Walk the Walk...Talk the Talk.