A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues: Introduction
Like a lot of bands in their early development, The Beatles would cover certain songs. Indeed, this Fab Four song, “A Shot of Rhythm and Blues,” is one of those cover versions.
In Detail
- Release Date: November 30, 1994
- Genre: Rock and roll, rhythm and blues
- Track Duration: 2:14
- Record Label: Apple Records
- Songwriter: Terry Thompson
- Producer: George Martin
Performers And Instruments
- John Lennon: vocals, rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, bass guitar
- George Harrison: harmony vocals, lead guitar
- Ringo Starr: drums
Where To Find A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues
The only way to buy this song is on the following album:
A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues (The Beatles Version)
Firstly, Terry Thompson wrote the song originally. Arthur Alexander then sang the song, and it was a single release in the US in 1961. It was also a single release in the UK in 1962 with the B-side “You Better Move On.” Obviously, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Therefore, it is clear that at least one of the Fab Four admired Arthur Alexander’s release. As the title suggests, the song is an R&B number.
The Beatles were masters at their game, and their cover versions of various songs allowed the band to become favourites on the live scene. Although they never sang “A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues” in the Cavern Club, they did perform it on occasions elsewhere.
“Recording was always the thing. Rather than TV and films. TV and films were a possibility if we became stars, but records were the main objective. That was what we bought that was what we dealt in. It was the currency of music: records. That’s where we got our repertoire from—the B-sides, the Shot of Rhythm and Blues, the lesser-known stuff that we helped bring to the fore, the R&B stuff.”
Paul McCartney
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
The Beatles also covered a few of Arthur Alexander’s songs. For example, they covered Alexander’s “Soldier Of Love” and “Anna (Go To Him).”
Recording Studio: A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues
Although The Beatles didn’t record “A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues” professionally at Abbey Road, they did for BBC Radio. In fact, they recorded it three times for various BBC radio programmes. Luckily for Beatlemaniacs, those recordings still exist, and at least one version is commercially available.
The version on their 1994 album, “Live at the BBC,” comes from a recording on August 1, 1963, at the Playhouse Theatre, Manchester. The BBC broadcast this recording on August 27, 1963, during an episode of the “Pop Go The Beatles” show.
The first few notes of the song sound similar to those of “Twist and Shout,” but other than that, they stay close to the version by Arthur Alexander. On the album, the song is track 9 on disc 1, where it comes after “Young Blood” and before “Sure To Fall (In Love With You).”
Take A Listen
Have a listen to the track, then leave your thoughts below.
