Can't Buy Me Love

(Lennon/McCartney)

Quick Facts

Composer	Paul
Lead Vocal	Paul
Recorded	Jan 1964
Length	2:12
Key	C
Noted Takes	4
Producer	George Martin
Engineer	Norman Smith

Originally released on

Can't Buy Me Love (single)

Parlophone — R 5114

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Story

"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in March 1964 as the A-side of their sixth single. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song was included on the group's album A Hard Day's Night and was featured in a scene in Richard Lester's film of the same title. [Wikipedia]

Can't Buy Me Love is a song by The Beatles, written by McCartney and led on vocal by Paul McCartney. Cut in Paris; first Beatles single to top US/UK charts simultaneously. Cut during the Beatles' first EMI session outside Abbey Road at the Paris Pathé Marconi studio during their Olympia Theatre concert run, this track captured Beatlemania's commercial reach. Paul originally attempted a bluesy vocal style before settling on the final bright treatment. The four-take efficiency demonstrated ensemble confidence despite unfamiliar recording equipment (Lewisohn 1988, p. 38). The song was recorded in Paris at EMI Pathe Marconi and established McCartney's commercial strength; it achieved top-of-chart status in America and exemplified the band's calculated confidence in the US market (Kozinn 1995, p. 234).

The session work falls within the band's Beatlemania (1962–1964) period, recorded 29 Jan 1964 at EMI Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris. George Martin produced; Norman Smith engineered. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.38 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below). Take four served as the master after Paul refined the arrangement away from elaborate backing vocal harmonies in early takes. George Martin supervised the basic rhythm track adaptation, enabling rapid overdub-free completion within the foreign studio setting. Engineer Norman Smith praised the efficient turnaround, noting the unfamiliar equipment proved no obstacle (Lewisohn 1988, p. 38).

They were extremely pleased to get it over with.- Norman Smith, Lewisohn 1988, p. 38

McCartney's double-tracked vocal with Harrison's rhythm guitar; the composition emerged as an optimistic counterpoint to Lennon's self-promotional moves, demonstrating rebounded competitive songwriting energy (MacDonald 1994, p. 50). The Paris recording established cross-generational American viability for the group (MacDonald 1994, p. 40).

Can't Buy Me Love established cross-generational viability in America.- Ian MacDonald, MacDonald 1994, p. 40

What's distinctive

One of 65 songs led primarily by Paul, and the only Beatles UK A-side begun on foreign soil. Recorded approximately 35 of 67 into the Beatlemania (1962–1964) sessions. Carries the unique tag ‘paris-recording’ — no other song shares it. Take count: 4 — “recorded from start to finish in just four takes… in what was probably under one hour’s work,” take 4 the master (the pre-V12-C “22” had no documentary basis — most likely a stray You Can’t Do That take-22 figure from the shared mixing page).¹

Recording

The only Beatles UK A-side begun on foreign soil. While performing a 19-day season at the Olympia Theatre in Paris in early 1964, the group was steered by Odeon — one of EMI’s German subsidiaries — into EMI’s Pathé Marconi studios to cut their two biggest hits in German, on the mistaken assumption that German-language versions were needed to sell there. The German job done, “with their equipment set up and time to spare, the Beatles took advantage of the situation and recorded four takes of the backing track for a new song” — the McCartney gem Can’t Buy Me Love.^1,2
Cut start to finish in four takes, under an hour. Per Lewisohn, “the song was recorded from start to finish in just four takes… In what was probably under one hour’s work the Beatles had started, altered and completed one of their biggest selling songs. It was to be typical of their industry throughout the year.” The four Paris takes preserve the song’s evolution in real time — take one a “very bluesy vocal style” with discarded “Ooooh” backing vocals, take three switching to the released style but breaking down, take four the keeper.¹
The chorus-first opening was George Martin’s idea. Just as he had suggested the crashing chord that opens A Hard Day’s Night, “he suggested that ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ begin with the song’s infectious chorus” — the hook arrives before the listener has heard a verse, an arrangement decision that did much of the single’s commercial work.²

Equipment

Studio	EMI Pathé Marconi Studios, 62 Rue de Sèvres, Boulogne-sur-Seine, Paris (recording, 29 Jan 1964 — the Beatles’ first EMI session outside Abbey Road); remixes done at EMI Studios, Abbey Road (mono 26 Feb; stereo 10 Mar & 22 Jun 1964)^1,2
Tape machine	Telefunken four-track (Pathé Marconi) — “like the one the Beatles had only recently begun using at Abbey Road,” plus mono and stereo Telefunkens for mixdown; NOT the Studer J37²
Console	CLG-built 12-input desk “essentially identical to Abbey Road’s REDD.37” (Pathé Marconi control room)²
Microphones	Neumann U47, U48, U67, M49 (the standard EMI preference, in use at Pathé Marconi)²
Outboard / effects	RS124 Altec compressors (a favourite of Abbey Road’s engineers); EMT 140 plate reverb
Guitars	Rickenbacker 325 (Lennon), Gretsch Country Gent / Tennessean (Harrison), Höfner 500/1 violin bass (McCartney), Ludwig kit (Starr)
Amplifiers	Vox AC30 (TB & non-Top-Boost variants)

Recording Timeline

29 January 1964 (Wed) — recording, takes 1–4 (take 4 the master), EMI Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris — late-morning/afternoon. P: George Martin. E: Norman Smith. 2E: Jacques Esmenjaud. Recorded the same day as the German-language Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand (takes 1–11) and Sie Liebt Dich (takes 1–14). Take 4 — “the final version subject to later remixes” — is the source of every commercial release; Norman Smith slated it to tape as “Money Can’t Buy Me Love.”^1,2
26 February 1964 (Wed) — mono remix from take 4 — the released single, both territories, EMI Studio Two control room — 10.00am–1.00pm. P: George Martin. E: Norman Smith. 2E: Richard Langham. “The remix of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was identical for both territories” — the same mono master fed the UK single (Parlophone R 5114) and the US Capitol single.¹
10 March 1964 (Tue) — experimental stereo remix from take 4 (never released), EMI Studio Two — 10.00am–1.00pm. E: Norman Smith. “The stereo remixes… were experimental and none was ever released” — superseded by the 22 June pass.¹
9 June 1964 (Tue) — mono tape copies for Capitol & United Artists (US release), EMI Studio Three control room — 2.00–5.45pm. P: George Martin. E: Norman Smith. 2E: Ken Scott. Can’t Buy Me Love was among the tracks copied as “two identical tapes of the best mono remixes, for Capitol Records and United Artists.”¹
22 June 1964 (Mon) — released stereo remix from take 4, EMI Studio One control room — 2.30–5.30pm. P: George Martin. E: Norman Smith. 2E: Geoff Emerick. Made during “an exhaustive day’s remixing, predominantly for the A Hard Day’s Night LP” — the stereo master that reached release, distinct from the scrapped 10 March experimental stereo.¹

Remarkably, the song was recorded from start to finish in just four takes… In what was probably under one hour's work the Beatles had started, altered and completed one of their biggest selling songs. It was to be typical of their industry throughout the year.— Mark Lewisohn¹

Studio Notes

The discarded bluesy take one and the “Ooooh” backing vocals. Take one carried “a very bluesy vocal style similar to his late-1964 offering ‘She’s A Woman’,” with John and George singing “Ooooh satisfied”, “Ooooh just can’t buy”, “Ooooh love me too” and “Ooooh give to you” refrains — “an idea they had discarded by take four.” Take three switched to the released style but broke down; take four was the keeper. The take-one performance is the Anthology 1 (1995) outtake.¹
Recorded in Paris on a Telefunken four-track and a CLG desk. Pathé Marconi “were equipped with a Telefunken four-track recorder (like the one the Beatles had only recently begun using at Abbey Road), plus mono and stereo Telefunkens for mixdown”; its “12-input desk in the Control Room was essentially identical to Abbey Road’s REDD.37, but had been built by CLG.” Microphones were “of the standard EMI variety… U47, U48, U67, M49,” with the favoured RS124 Altec compressors — one reason the group could capture a recognisable record in an unfamiliar room.²
Slated as “Money Can’t Buy Me Love.” The backing take was “announced by Norman Smith as ‘Money Can’t Buy Me Love’”; the engineer then “escort[ed] this tape back to Abbey Road, where it would later be completed with more overdubs (at which time, of course, the title would be shortened to ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’).”²
George Harrison’s double-tracked guitar solo. 1964 “was also the year that the double-tracking of instruments became commonplace on Beatles sessions. ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Baby’s In Black’, ‘Words Of Love’, ‘Matchbox’, ‘She’s A Woman’ and ‘I Feel Fine’ all had double-tracked guitar solos,” the available fourth track making the doubling “a relatively simple task.”²
Source-conflict note — where were the overdubs added? Lewisohn places them in Paris: take four “features a vocal overdub by Paul and a lead guitar overdub by George,” the song “completed” there in under an hour. Kehew & Ryan instead record only “four takes of the backing track” in Paris, the tape then carried “back to Abbey Road, where it would later be completed with more overdubs,” describing the single as “actually begun” in Paris. Per §1 the discrepancy is flagged; following the Lewisohn source hierarchy, the page treats the Paris account as primary while recording K/R’s “completed at Abbey Road” reading.^1,2
Source-conflict note — 29 January or 29 February? Lewisohn dates the Pathé Marconi session “Wednesday 29 January” 1964; Kehew & Ryan repeatedly date the same session “29 February 1964.” The surrounding chronology favours Lewisohn — the Olympia season ran in January and the group flew to the United States in early February — so the page follows Lewisohn’s 29 January and notes the K/R 29 February as a likely slip.^1,2
The debunked cymbal-overdub claim, and mono-first mixing. Geoff Emerick “has claimed that Norman left him alone behind the desk whilst he overdubbed cymbal onto… ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’,” but “Norman denies this ever happened” — Kehew & Ryan conclude Emerick is likely recalling A Hard Day’s Night’s bongo overdub instead, so there is no documented cymbal overdub here. The released master is the 26 February mono remix (“identical for both territories”); the first stereo attempt (10 March) was experimental and unreleased, the released stereo coming from the 22 June LP-remix day.^1,2

Releases

29 January 1964 — recording, takes 1–4 (take 4 the master), Paris — EMI Pathé Marconi Studios; recorded the same day as the German Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand and Sie Liebt Dich. Take 4, “the final version subject to later remixes,” is the source of every commercial release.^1,2
26 February 1964 mono remix (from take 4) — the released single, both territories — “The remix of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was identical for both territories” — the same mono master fed the UK single (Parlophone R 5114, 20 March 1964) and the US Capitol single (16 March 1964).¹
10 March 1964 experimental stereo remix (from take 4) — never released — “The stereo remixes… were experimental and none was ever released.” This early pass was superseded by the 22 June remix.¹
9 June 1964 mono tape copies for Capitol & United Artists (US release) — Can’t Buy Me Love was among “two identical tapes of the best mono remixes, for Capitol Records and United Artists”; the song appeared in the US on United Artists’ A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack LP rather than on a UK album.¹
22 June 1964 released stereo remix (from take 4) — Made during “an exhaustive day’s remixing, predominantly for the A Hard Day’s Night LP” — the stereo master that reached release, distinct from the scrapped 10 March experimental stereo.¹
1964 UK album — A Hard Day’s Night (10 July 1964, Parlophone PMC 1230 mono / PCS 3058 stereo) — beyond the single, the song appears on side one of the UK soundtrack album, carrying the 26 February mono and 22 June stereo masters.¹
1987 mono CD — A Hard Day’s Night (Parlophone CDP 7 46437 2, mono) — the album’s first compact-disc issue was mono-only.¹
2009 stereo remaster — A Hard Day’s Night (9 September 2009, Apple/EMI) — a 24-bit Abbey Road remaster of the 1964 stereo master (Allan Rouse / Guy Massey / Steve Rooke / Sean Magee). Per §1 less-specific-when-uncertain, this reissue post-dates the Lewisohn 1988 / Kehew & Ryan 2006 primary-source canon and is documented in official Apple/EMI release metadata.
2009 mono remaster — The Beatles in Mono (9 September 2009) — the 1964 mono master remastered for the mono box set. Same §1 caveat.
2014 mono vinyl — The Beatles in Mono vinyl box (2014, Apple/UMe) — an all-analogue cut from the 1964 mono master. Same §1 caveat.

Sources

Mark Lewisohn, The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (New York: Harmony Books, 1988), 38, 40, 42, 45–46, 200.
Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew, Recording the Beatles: The Studio Equipment and Techniques Used to Create Their Classic Albums (Houston: Curvebender Publishing, 2006), 55, 323–324, 370, 381.

Frequently asked

Who wrote Can't Buy Me Love?

“Can't Buy Me Love” is credited to Paul McCartney (Lennon–McCartney).

Who sings lead on Can't Buy Me Love?

The lead vocal on “Can't Buy Me Love” is by Paul McCartney.

When was Can't Buy Me Love recorded?

“Can't Buy Me Love” was recorded on 29 January 1964 at EMI's Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris — the Beatles' first EMI recording outside Abbey Road.¹

How many takes did Can't Buy Me Love require?

Four takes — “recorded from start to finish in just four takes,” take 4 the master, in under an hour. The earlier “22 takes” had no documentary basis.¹

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What's distinctive

Recording

Equipment

Recording Timeline

Studio Notes

Releases

Sources

Frequently asked