Yes It Is
"Yes It Is" | ||||
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Single by the Beatles | ||||
A-side | "Ticket to Ride" | |||
Released | 9 April 1965 | |||
Recorded | 16 February 1965 | |||
Studio | EMI, London | |||
Genre | Pop[1] | |||
Length | 2:41 | |||
Label | Parlophone | |||
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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"Yes It Is" is a song by the English rock band
Composition
In his 1980 interview with Playboy, John Lennon described "Yes It Is" as an attempt to rewrite "This Boy" (the style of the song) that "didn't quite work".[3] Paul McCartney on the other hand described it as "a very fine song of John's" that he and Lennon had finished writing together.[4]
Musical structure
The song is in the 12/8 time signature, in the key of E and begins (on "If you wear red tonight ...") with a I–IV–ii7–V7 chord progression (E–A–F#m7–B7) in which the word "tonight" (B melody note) appears as a "delicately haunting" 4th above the F#m7,[5] creating a suspension. The melodic pitches of this first two bar phrase are repeated (with initial repetition of the G# melody note) on "remember what I said tonight," except that the B melody note on the second "tonight" is now backed by a ♭VII (D) chord that shapes the B melody note into a more "luscious" 6th.[5] The chorus ("Yes it is, it's true. Yes it is, it's true") involves a I (E chord) – III (G# chord) – IV (A chord) – I (E chord) progression in which the major III (G#) chord appears for the first time in the song to propel the Plagal drop from IV (A) to the tonic I (E) chord.[6]
Recording
Over the course of a five-hour recording session, the Beatles attempted 14 takes of the basic track before perfecting it.
Release and reception
"Yes It Is" was released as the B-side of the "Ticket to Ride" single in both the U.S. and the UK.[8] American pressings of the single erroneously show "Yes It Is" as being from the film Eight Arms to Hold You (the original title for the film, Help!),[9] in which it did not appear.[10] It reached number 46 in the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was included on
Author Ian MacDonald praised "Yes It Is" along with its accompanying a-side "Ticket to Ride". He described both songs as "psychologically deeper than The Beatles had ever recorded before" and declared that they marked a huge step forward in the Beatles development as songwriters.[11]
Personnel
According to Ian MacDonald:[12]
- double-tracked lead vocal, classical guitar
- Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, bass guitar
- George Harrison – harmony vocal, lead guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine
References
- ^ "The Beatles 'Yes It Is'". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 147).
- ^ Sheff 2000, p. 196.
- ^ Beatles Interview Database 2009.
- ^ a b Pedler 2003, p. 721.
- ^ Pedler 2003, pp. 112–113.
- ^ a b c Lewisohn 1988, p. 54.
- ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 200.
- ^ Harry 2000, p. 1074.
- ^ Harry 2000, p. 504.
- ^ MacDonald 2005.
- ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 146.
Sources
- "Help". Beatles Interview Database. 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
- ISBN 0-7535-0481-2.
- ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
- ISBN 1-84413-828-3.
- Pedler, Dominic (2003). The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles. New York City: Omnibus Press.
- ISBN 0-312-25464-4.