If I Needed Someone: Introduction
“If I Needed Someone” is a song on The Beatles’ 1965 album “Rubber Soul.” It was also a successful single by The Hollies.
In Detail
- Publisher: Northern Songs
- Release Date: December 3, 1965 (UK) and June 15, 1966 (US)
- Recorded: October 16 & 18, 1965
- Studio: EMI Studios, London
- Genre: Folk rock, pop rock, power pop
- Track Duration: 2:23
- Record Label: Parlophone
- Songwriter: George Harrison
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Norman Smith
Artists And Instruments
- George Harrison: double-tracked lead vocal and lead guitar
- John Lennon: harmony vocal and rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney: harmony vocal, bass guitar
- Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine
- George Martin: harmonium
Where To Find “If I Needed Someone”
You can still buy this track on the following album:
If I Needed Someone: Background
Written and sung by lead guitarist George Harrison, this song was for Pattie Boyd, the British model whom he married on January 21, 1966. The song is the only Harrison composition to play a part in The Beatles live performances. In fact, they played it at every concert throughout 1966.
Harrison’s guitar riff has a striking similarity to that on the Byrds‘ song, “The Bells Of Rhymney.” But the rhythm closely resembles that on another Byrd’s song, “She Don’t Care About Time.” So, we can safely say that musically, the influence come from the American group, even if his future wife was influential for the lyrics.
Of course, this was more or less a reciprocal influence. This is because The Byrds’ influence was that of The Beatles after the American band saw the 1964 film “A Hard Day’s Night.” So, what we see is an exchange of influences between the bands. Both bands also formed a bond when The Byrds came to London in August 1965.
The Hollies Version
Apart from bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, the 1960s gave us other great bands. Indeed, The Hollies were one of those iconic bands too. They gave us some memorable songs of their own as well as releasing “If I Needed Someone” as a single.
This was The Hollies follow-up to their recent hit “Look Through Any Window,” which reached number 4 in the UK charts. However, “If I Needed Someone” only managed to reach number 20 in the charts for them. Be that as it may, it gave Harrison his first chart hit as a songwriter.
The Hollies’ Graham Nash claims that the low position of the single was because of comments made by Harrison. In this case, Harrison allegedly said that The Hollies’ version was “rubbish.” Obviously, this caused some friction between the two bands.
Recording Studio
The Beatles began recording “If I Needed Someone” on October 16, 1965, in Studio Two of the EMI Studios, London, during the 7.00pm–12.00pm session. In essence, the band only needed one take to grab the basic rhythm track.
The song was complete on the 18th of October, with overdubbing of Harrison’s lead vocals and instrumentation from the other band members.
Take A Listen: “If I Needed Someone.”
So, was George Harrison right? Listen to both versions, and leave your comments below or in the forum.
