Mr Moonlight: Introduction
To begin with, “Mr Moonlight” is a Fab Four cover song on their 1964 album, “Beatles For Sale.” Before signing up with a record label, The Beatles would use this song regularly for their live acts. Takes 1 and 4 are also on their 1995 album “Anthology 1.”
In Detail
- Release Date: December 4, 1964 (UK) and December 15, 1964 (US)
- Recorded: August 15 & October 18, 1964
- Studio: EMI Studios, London
- Genre: Folk rock
- Track Duration: 2:38; also 2:41 (US stereo version)
- Record Label: Parlophone
- Songwriter: Roy Lee Johnson
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers And Instruments
- John Lennon: lead vocals and the acoustic rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass guitar, and also the Hammond organ
- George Harrison: backing vocals, lead guitar, African drum
- Ringo Starr: percussion instruments
Where To Find “Mr Moonlight”
You can still buy this song on the following albums:
Of course, the original recording, which we know well, is on their 1964 album above.
Mr Moonlight: Background
The earliest known recording of this track is by “Dr. Feelgood and The Interns.” Their version of Mr. Moonlight was actually a B-side to the “Dr Feel-Good” single, which eventually gave the British band “Dr Feelgood” its name.
The original singer was a blues/R&B artist whose real name was Willie Lee Perryman, aka Piano Red. He and his band had a minor hit with their record in 1962 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
The Merseybeats recorded “Mr Moonlight” before The Beatles; this was also a B-side to “I Think Of You“. In fact, that record got to number 5 in the UK charts (most labels have the B-side as “Mister Moonlight”). The Hollies also recorded the song before The Beatles, and their version is on the January 1964 album “Stay With The Hollies.”
Beatles’ Versions
Although The Beatles were late in recording this song compared to some groups, they did sing it as part of their live repertoire for a while beforehand.
John Lennon sings the song passionately, and it’s a very tuneful track. The backing vocals from Paul McCartney and George Harrison also perfectly match the song. However, McCartney’s Hammond organ solo is a bit of a letdown. Be that as it may, The Beatles have always been playful with instrumentation, which also shows here through the use of Harrison’s African drum.
Perhaps this track is the Fab Four doing a “tongue-in-cheek” number for fun or even just an album filler. Either way, the song is on the band’s fourth album, “Beatles For Sale,” from 1964.
Before the instruments begin playing, John Lennon screams out the title of the song, lasting around 4 seconds. Not surprisingly, there were many takes to get that part right. The version on their Anthology 1 album has takes 1 and 4 from the sessions on August 14, 1964. That version doesn’t have the cheap-sounding, cheesy organ solo but a quivering guitar solo from Harrison instead.
Recording Studio
The Beatles began recording “Mr Moonlight” on August 14, 1964, in Studio Two at the EMI Studios, London, during the 7.00 p.m.–9.00 p.m. session. The Fab Four recorded 4 takes that day.
They re-made the song on October 18 in the same studio during the 2.30–11.30 sessions. They also recorded 4 takes on that day (takes 5-8). Take 8 was suitable for further tweaking and releasing on the album “Beatles For Sale.”
Take A Listen To “Mr Moonlight.”
Give this song a spin again, then leave your thoughts about it below.
