We Can Work It Out
"We Can Work It Out" | ||||
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Single by the Beatles | ||||
A-side | "Day Tripper" (double A-side) | |||
Released | 3 December 1965 | |||
Recorded | 20 and 29 October 1965 | |||
Studio | EMI, London | |||
Genre | Folk rock[1] | |||
Length | 2:15 | |||
Label | Parlophone (UK), Capitol (US) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney | |||
Producer(s) | George Martin | |||
The Beatles UK singles chronology | ||||
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The Beatles US singles chronology | ||||
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Promotional film | ||||
"We Can Work It Out" on YouTube |
"We Can Work It Out" is a song by the English rock band
"We Can Work It Out" is a comparatively rare example of a Lennon–McCartney collaboration from this period in the Beatles' career,[4] in that the two songwriters worked together as they had when writing the group's early hit singles of 1963. "A Day in the Life", "Baby, You're a Rich Man", and "I've Got a Feeling", are among the other notable exceptions to this trend from the group's later career.[5]
Composition
McCartney wrote the words and music to the verses and the chorus, with lyrics that "might have been personal", probably relating to his relationship with actress Jane Asher.[6] McCartney then presented the song to Lennon, who contributed the bridge:
I took it to John to finish it off, and we wrote the middle together. Which is nice: 'Life is very short. There's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend.' Then it was George Harrison's idea to put the middle into 3
4 time, like a German waltz. That came on the session, it was one of the cases of the arrangement being done on the session.[6]
With its intimations of mortality, Lennon's contribution to the twelve-bar bridge contrasts typically with what he saw as McCartney's cajoling optimism,[5] a contrast also seen in other collaborations by the pair, such as "Getting Better" and "I've Got a Feeling". As Lennon told Playboy in 1980:
In We Can Work It Out, Paul did the first half, I did the middle eight. But you've got Paul writing, 'We can work it out / We can work it out' – real optimistic, y'know, and me, impatient: 'Life is very short, and there's no time / For fussing and fighting, my friend.'[7]
In author
4 rhythm.[8]
MacDonald comments on the song:
[Lennon's] passages are so suited to his
Recording
The Beatles recorded "We Can Work It Out" at EMI Studios (later Abbey Road Studios) in London on 20 October 1965,[10] during the sessions for their Rubber Soul album. Along with Lennon's "Day Tripper", the song was earmarked for a non-album single that would accompany the release of the new LP.[11] The band taped a satisfactory basic track in just two takes.[12] With nearly eleven hours dedicated to the song, however, it was by far their longest expenditure of studio time up to that point.[13] A vocal overdubbing session took place on 29 October.[11][14]
No record exists of the band members' exact contributions to the recording, leading to uncertainty regarding the playing of some of the instruments.[15] Reduced to a single track in the final mix, where it was placed hard left in the stereo image, the group's initial performance consisted of acoustic guitar, bass, tambourine and drums.[16][17] While musicologist Walter Everett credits these parts to Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Ringo Starr, respectively,[16] authors Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin suggest that McCartney, as the song's main composer, was the acoustic guitarist and Lennon instead played bass.[15] Two harmonium parts were overdubbed,[18] using EMI's Mannborg harmonium.[19]
Promotional films
For the first time for one of their singles, the Beatles filmed promotional clips for "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper". Subsequently, known as the "Intertel Promos", these clips were intended as a way to save the band having to appear in person on popular British television shows such as Ready Steady Go! and Top of the Pops,[20] and also ensured that the Beatles reached their large international audience.[21]
Filming took place at Twickenham Studios in Twickenham, London on 23 November 1965,[21] with Joe McGrath as director.[20] The Beatles made a total of ten black-and-white videos that day,[22][23] filming clips for the new songs as well as for their previous hit singles "I Feel Fine", "Ticket to Ride" and "Help!"[20][24][nb 1] Three of the films were mimed performances of "We Can Work It Out",[24] in all of which Lennon was seated at a harmonium.[25]
The most frequently broadcast of the three was a straightforward performance piece with the group wearing black suits. In the description of Rolling Stone journalist Rob Sheffield: "At first, they're playing it all straight in their suits, until John sets out to make Paul crack up on camera. He makes it impossible for anyone else to keep a straight face – by the end, he's playing the organ with his feet."[26] Another clip shows the group wearing the stage suits from their Shea Stadium performance on 15 August.[25] The third clip opens with a still photograph of Lennon with a sunflower[22] in front of his eye.[27]
One of the November 1965 promo films was included in the Beatles' 2015 video compilation 1, and the third promo clip was included in the three-disc versions of the compilation, titled 1+.[28][29]
Release
In a discussion about which of the two songs should be the
The single was released on EMI's Parlophone label in Britain (as Parlophone R 5389) on 3 December 1965,[40] the same day as Rubber Soul.[21] The two releases coincided with speculation in the UK press that the Beatles' supremacy in the pop world since 1963 might be coming to an end, given the customary two or three years that most acts could expect to remain at the peak of their popularity.[41] "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" entered the UK Singles Chart (at the time, the Record Retailer chart)[42] on 15 December, at number 2, before holding the top position for five consecutive weeks.[43] The single also failed to top the national chart published by Melody Maker in its first week – marking the first occasion since December 1963 that a new Beatles single had not immediately entered at number 1.[44] Although the single was an immediate number 1 on the NME's chart, the Daily Mirror and Daily Express newspapers both published articles highlighting the apparent decline of the band's chart success.[45]
The record was the Beatles' ninth consecutive chart-topping single in the UK[46] and the band's fastest-selling single there since "Can't Buy Me Love", their previous McCartney-led A-side.[9][47] At the following year's Ivor Novello Awards, "We Can Work It Out" was acknowledged as the best-selling single of 1965, ahead of "Help!"[48][49] By November 2012, it had sold 1.39 million copies in the UK, making it the group's fifth million-seller in that country.[50] As of December 2018, the double A-side was the 54th best-selling single of all time in the UK – one of six Beatles songs included on the top sales rankings published by the Official Charts Company.[51]
In the United States, where the single was issued by
Author Andrew Grant Jackson writes that the Beatles' six US chart-toppers over the year from January 1965 reflected the nation's changing mood with regard to the Vietnam War and youth-driven social upheaval. With "We Can Work It Out", he continues, the Beatles conveyed the "fussing and fighting" that had replaced the post-Kennedy rebirth of optimism from the start of the year.[63] The song was referenced by Cecil Kellaway's character in the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, which focused on the then-controversial issue of interracial relationships.[64]
The Beatles performed "We Can Work It Out" on their final UK tour,[24][65] which took place on 3–12 December 1965.[66] In 1991, McCartney played an acoustic version of the song for his MTV Unplugged performance, later released on Unplugged (The Official Bootleg), and The Unplugged Collection, Volume One.
Cover versions
Deep Purple
"Exposition/We Can Work It Out" | |
---|---|
Song by Deep Purple | |
from the album The Book of Taliesyn | |
Released | December 1968 |
Genre | Progressive rock |
Length | 7:06 |
Label | Harvest |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | Derek Lawrence |
Deep Purple covered "We Can Work It Out" on their 1968 album The Book of Taliesyn. The band drastically reworked it, as they always did with covers. The first three minutes of the song is a fast progressive rock instrumental incorporating themes from classical music (notably Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet) called "Exposition", which drifts over into the Beatles song.[67]
Deep Purple had followed the same structure on their covers on their debut album Shades of Deep Purple, such as The Leaves' "Hey Joe". Reportedly, the band recorded their version of the song because McCartney had stated that he was impressed with their cover of "Help!".[68]
Stevie Wonder
"We Can Work It Out" | ||||
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Tamla | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney | |||
Producer(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
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In 1970,
Wonder performed the song for McCartney when the latter was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. In 2010, when McCartney was awarded the Gershwin Prize by the Library of Congress, Wonder again performed his arrangement of "We Can Work It Out" at a White House ceremony held in McCartney's honour. Wonder performed it a third time in January 2014, at the 50th anniversary tribute of the Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Other artists
In his discussion of the various cover versions of "We Can Work It Out",
In 1976, the song was the Four Seasons' contribution to the soundtrack of All This and World War II, a musical documentary that author Nicholas Schaffner described as "the most bizarre" of several film and television works that capitalised on EMI, now free of its contractual obligations to the Beatles, flooding the market with re-packaged Beatles singles.[nb 4] Schaffner included this heavily orchestrated version, produced by Lou Reizner, among the interpretations that "[succeed] in making Lennon–McCartney's greatest songs sound, at best, like the Beatles' rendition of 'Good Night'".[75]
Other artists who have covered the song include
Personnel
According to Walter Everett, the line-up of musicians on the Beatles' recording was as follows:[16]
- double-trackedlead vocal, bass guitar
- John Lennon – harmony vocal, acoustic guitar, harmonium
- George Harrison – tambourine
- Ringo Starr – drums
In his personnel list for the song, MacDonald notes that some sources attribute the tambourine part to Harrison, yet he considers it more likely that Starr played the instrument.[5] Everett credits Harrison, citing the tambourine's placement in the stereo image with the three other instruments recorded as part of the basic track.[16] Guesdon and Margotin also credit Harrison.[77]
Charts and certifications
Beatles version
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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Stevie Wonder version
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Notes
- ^ Clips were made for these older songs, all of which had topped the UK charts during 1965, for inclusion in Top of the Pops' round-up of the year's biggest hits.[25]
- ^ Some sources describe the double-A side single as "unique in Britain"[33] and that the single constituted "the first official double A-side was released [in Britain]".[34] The double A-side single "Evil Hearted You" / "Still I'm Sad", released in October 1965 by the Yardbirds, reached number three on the Record Retailer Chart.[35][36][37][38]
- Yesterday".[61]
- ^ As a result of this sales campaign, "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out", along with all the other 21 singles released by the Beatles between 1962 and 1970, re-entered the top 100 in the UK.[73][74]
References
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "The Beatles 'We Can Work It Out'". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "The 1966 Ivor Novello Awards". theivors.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Ken Dodd 'third best-selling artist of 1960s'". BBC News. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ Hertsgaard 1995, p. 150.
- ^ a b c d e MacDonald 2005, pp. 171–172.
- ^ a b c d Miles 1997, p. 210.
- ^ Sheff 2000, p. 177–178.
- ^ Everett 2001, p. 322.
- ^ a b MacDonald 2005, p. 172.
- ^ Miles 2001, p. 212.
- ^ a b Lewisohn 2005, pp. 64, 66.
- ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2013, p. 314.
- ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 171.
- ^ Miles 2001, p. 213.
- ^ a b Guesdon & Margotin 2013, pp. 314–15.
- ^ a b c d Everett 2001, p. 321.
- ^ Winn 2008, p. 366.
- ^ Everett 2001, pp. 321–22.
- Harmony Central. Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ a b c Rodriguez 2012, p. 160.
- ^ a b c d Miles 2001, p. 215.
- ^ a b Winn 2008, p. 292.
- ^ Pieper 2017, p. 391.
- ^ a b c Everett 2001, p. 335.
- ^ a b c Winn 2008, p. 377.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (6 November 2015). "The Beatles' New '+1' Video Collection: The 10 Fabbest Moments". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ Pieper 2017, p. 392.
- ^ Rowe, Matt (18 September 2015). "The Beatles 1 To Be Reissued With New Audio Remixes ... And Videos". The Morton Report. Archived from the original on 29 December 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ News (15 September 2015). "The Beatles' Videos and Top Hits Come Together for the First Time". thebeatles.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
{{cite web}}
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has generic name (help) - ^ Jackson 2015, p. 263.
- ^ Miles 2001, p. 214.
- ^ Turner 2016, p. 44.
- ^ Hutchins, Chris (4 December 1965). "Music Capitals of the World: London". Billboard. p. 26. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ White, Jack (5 June 2018). "Is the double A-side making a comeback? Dual singles are on the rise, and here's why". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ Russo 2016, p. 50: "It was finally time to release their [the Yardbirds'] next British single: 'Evil Hearted You' b/w 'Still I'm Sad' in early October 1965. 'Evil Hearted You' and 'Still I'm Sad' formed a double A-sided hit single in England thanks to [manager Giorgio] Gomelsky's insistence: Record Retailer charted it as one release, peaking at #3, while N.M.E. listed 'Evil Hearted You' (peak #10) and 'Still I'm Sad' (peak #9) separately."
- OCLC 62367983. SNAD 905 CD.
We were so taken by the definitely outlandish atmosphere on the recording that we convinced the record company, EMI, to release the single as a 'double A side'.
- Official Charts. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
20.10.1965 Evil Heated You/Still I'm Sad Columbia Peak Pos 03
- ISSN 0144-5804Other advertisements for singles in the same issue only list one song title.)
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: postscript (link - ^ Miles 2001, p. 216.
- ^ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 49.
- ^ Turner 2016, p. 25.
- ^ "Key Dates in the History of the Official UK Charts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ "Search: 'We Can Work It Out' > Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out, The Beatles > Chart Facts". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ Turner 2016, pp. 42–43.
- ^ Turner 2016, pp. 43–44.
- ^ Womack 2014, pp. 218, 977.
- ^ Jackson 2015, pp. 263–64.
- ^ Miles 2001, p. 236.
- ^ KRLA Beat staff (13 August 1966). "Lennon and McCartney Win Three Composer's Awards". KRLA Beat. p. 3.
- ^ Sedghi, Ami (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 December 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ Myers, Justin (14 December 2018). "The best-selling singles of all time on the Official UK Chart". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ Miles 2001, p. 219.
- ^ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 49, 349.
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- ^ a b Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 349.
- ^ a b Bronson 2003.
- ^ Schaffner 1978, pp. 36, 51.
- ^ Womack 2014, p. 977.
- ^ Jackson 2015, p. 264.
- ^ Wallgren 1982, pp. 38–45.
- ^ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, p. 331.
- ^ Jackson 2015, p. 3.
- ^ Kruth 2015, p. 121.
- ^ Schaffner 1978, p. 51.
- ^ Miles 2001, pp. 216, 220.
- ^ Kruth 2015, pp. 125–26.
- ^ Robinson, Simon (2000). The Book of Taliesyn [Remastered] (CD booklet). Deep Purple. EMI. p. 4.
- ^ a b McFerrin, John. "Stevie Wonder- Signed, Sealed & Delivered". Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 6 March 1971. p. 20. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ Kruth 2015, p. 125.
- ^ Kruth 2015, p. 126.
- ^ Badman 2001, pp. 177, 180.
- ^ Rodriguez 2010, p. 293.
- ^ Schaffner 1978, pp. 171–72.
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- ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2013, p. 315.
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- ^ "Search in Search for Title: 'We Can Work It Out'". irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "We can work it out".
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- ^ "The Beatles – Chart history (The Hot 100)". billboard.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ Hoffmann, Frank (1983). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950-1981. Metuchen, NJ & London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 32–34.
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