“Matchbox” is a Carl Perkins rockabilly song that The Beatles recorded in 1964 with Ringo Starr on lead vocal. It was issued in the UK on the Long Tall Sally EP, appeared in the US on Something New, and later became a core catalogue track via Past Masters.
The Beatles treated it as a straight club-style cover, not a radical rewrite. That is the appeal: a tight two-minute blast with George Harrison pushing the lead guitar, George Martin adding piano, and Ringo singing from behind the drum kit.
Key Facts
- Release Date: 19 June 1964 (UK EP) / July 1964 (US album) / 24 August 1964 (US single)
- Recorded: 1 June 1964
- Studio: EMI Studios, London (Studio Two) (now Abbey Road Studios)
- Genre: Rock and roll / rockabilly
- Track Duration: 1:58
- Record Label: Parlophone (UK), Capitol (US)
- Songwriter: Carl Perkins
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers And Instruments
- Ringo Starr: lead vocals, drums
- John Lennon: rhythm guitar
- George Harrison: lead guitar
- Paul McCartney: bass
- George Martin: piano
Where To Find “Matchbox”
The main Beatles releases to use are:
- Long Tall Sally EP (original UK release)
- Something New (original US album appearance)
- Past Masters (standard catalogue compilation)
- Anthology 4 (2025 release of “Matchbox (Take 1)”)
You can also hear a separate BBC performance, not the 1964 studio master, on Live At The BBC.
Matchbox Background
The story starts before The Beatles and before Carl Perkins. Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded “Match Box Blues” in 1927, and the matchbox image had already appeared in earlier blues tradition. Perkins then reshaped the idea into his own rockabilly “Matchbox”, recorded at Sun in December 1956 and issued in 1957 as the B-side of “Your True Love”. That Perkins version is the record The Beatles learned and performed.
“Matchbox” also had a practical role in the early live set: it was a drummer’s spotlight number. In the pre-Ringo days, Pete Best used it as a vocal feature, then John Lennon took the lead onstage for a period after Best left. By 1963-64, however, The Beatles put it where it belongs: Ringo on lead vocal, with the band powering behind him.
Recording At EMI Studios
The Beatles recorded “Matchbox” on 1 June 1964 in Studio Two at EMI Studios, cutting five takes during the afternoon session. The final take became the released master for the Long Tall Sally EP, while take one later gained new importance when it appeared on Anthology 4 in 2025.
Carl Perkins was in London at the time and is widely reported to have observed the session, but he did not play on the released Beatles recording. Ringo’s vocal has extra context too: he was struggling with his throat, and two days later Jimmy Nicol had to replace him temporarily when Ringo was hospitalised before the world tour.
The BBC Version
The Beatles also performed “Matchbox” for BBC radio in 1963 for Pop Go The Beatles. The version later released on Live At The BBC comes from the programme broadcast on 30 July 1963, and it is useful because it sounds closer to a stage run-through than the tighter 1964 studio master.
The US Single
Capitol issued “Matchbox” in the US on 24 August 1964, paired with “Slow Down“. “Matchbox” peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Ringo one of his most visible lead-vocal moments in the mid-Beatlemania period.
Take A Listen
Listen to “Matchbox”, then share your thoughts in the Beatles Fan Club Forum.
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Sources And References
- The Beatles – Official “Matchbox” catalogue entry.
- The Paul McCartney Project – Song background and release history.
- The Beatles Store – Past Masters tracklisting and timing.
- The Beatles – Anthology 4 tracklisting with “Matchbox (Take 1)”.
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