Things We Said Today: Introduction
“Things We Said Today” is the B-side to the Beatles single “A Hard Day’s Night” from 1964. Obviously, the song is on the album of that name too. Furthermore, this record was one of the 18 other Beatles’ single releases that got to number one in the UK.
After they released this song, they sang it live on their North American tour that year. However, it wasn’t part of their live repertoire for too long.
In Detail
- Release Date: July 10, 1964 (UK), July 20, 1964 (US)
- Recorded: June 2, 1964
- Studio: EMI Studios, London
- Format: 7-inch single (B-side) (A-side is “A Hard Day’s Night”), also from the album
- Genre: Rock
- Track Duration: 2:38
- Record Label: Parlophone
- Songwriters: Lennon-McCartney
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers And Instruments
- Paul McCartney: double-tracked vocal, also the bass guitar
- John Lennon: acoustic rhythm guitar, piano
- George Harrison: lead guitar, backing vocals
- Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine
Where To Find “Things We Said Today”
You can still buy this song because it is on the following releases:
**The original recordings are from the single and album from 1964.
Things We Said Today: Background
Paul McCartney wrote “Things We Said Today” in May 1964 while on holiday in the Virgin Islands. He was with his girlfriend, Jane Asher and Ringo Starr, who was with Maureen, his future wife.
In fact, when they were writing the song, they were cruising in the Caribbean on a yacht that had the name “Happy Days.”
“I remember writing Things We Said Today in one of the cabins below deck one afternoon on my acoustic guitar.”
“I got away from the main party, but it was a bit queasy downstairs; you could smell the oil and the boat was rocking a bit, and I’m not the best sailor in the world, so I wrote a little bit of it downstairs and then the rest of it on the back deck where you couldn’t smell the engine. I don’t know why the engine was on; I suppose we were moving.”
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
The warm atmosphere and sunny climate have no reflection in the song. Paul was thinking of the future and that, because of their chosen career paths, one day they may have to part ways.
“It was a slightly nostalgic thing already, a future nostalgia: we’ll remember the things we said today sometime in the future, so the song projects itself into the future and then is nostalgic about the moment we’re living in now, which is quite a good trick. It has interesting chords.”
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
Perhaps McCartney was thinking about his relationship with his girlfriend. Even though McCartney and Asher had personal relationship problems, they did manage to stay together until July 1968. As a matter of fact, they had an engagement ceremony in December 1967!
Recording Studio
The Beatles began recording “Things We Said Today” at the EMI Studios in London on June 2, 1964. The band only needed three takes to get it right. The first of those had a false start, while the second was the rhythm track. The third take was their overdubbing tape, which included the main vocals.
While take three included Ringo Starr’s tambourine playing and a piano piece by John Lennon, the final mix was to eliminate Lennon’s piano. However, due to leakage onto other microphones during the recording of the overdubs, the piano part got through somehow. There are some people who dispute this fact, but at this time, leakage is the only logical conclusion.
Obviously, most people with an interest in music know this Beatles’ song from the single release. However, the Beatles would often record shows for BBC Radio in their early days, and they recorded this song twice for airing.
On July 14, 1964, the band recorded the song for the BBC’s Top Gear programme, which was to air on the 16th. That recording is on the 1994 album “Live At The BBC.” There is another version, which they recorded on July 17 for the BBC Radio show “From Us To You,” but this version is not commercially available yet.
Take A Listen
Finally, listen to the song one more time. Then, why not write a line or two below about the song?
