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Overview
"It Won't Be Long" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released as the opening track on their second UK album With the Beatles (1963), and was the first original song recorded for it. Although credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was primarily a composition by John Lennon, with Paul McCartney assisting with the lyrics and arrangement. [Wikipedia]
Background
It Won't Be Long is a song by The Beatles, written by Lennon–McCartney and led on vocal by John Lennon. Pun-laden 'be long/belong' refrain; rocking opener. Within the catalogue, its opener thread connects it to No Reply, Drive My Car, Taxman; its rocker thread connects it to I Saw Her Standing There, Boys, Twist and Shout. An original Lennon composition recorded for With the Beatles 'It Won't Be Long' showcases John Lennon's lead vocal prowess with its syncopated rhythm and sophisticated harmonic underpinnings. The song's time-signature surprises and key modulations reflect the Beatles' growing confidence in arrangement complexity, departing from the straight-ahead rock approach of Please Please Me (Lewisohn 1988, p.30).
What's distinctive
One of 101 songs led primarily by John. Recorded approximately 23 of 67 into the Beatlemania (1962–1964) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'pun' — no other song shares it. Take count: 26 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)).Opening line — "It won't be long, yeah…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Pattern analysis
Recording
The session work falls within the band's Beatlemania (1962–1964) period, recorded 30 Jul 1963 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. George Martin produced; Norman Smith engineered. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.34 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below). Recorded with the newly available four-track Studer J37 tape machine, 'It Won't Be Long' benefited from enhanced multitrack flexibility, allowing harmonic layering impossible on earlier twin-track sessions. The vocal arrangement, with multiple harmony lines underpinning Lennon's lead, demonstrates the engineering sophistication possible with discrete track allocation. George Martin's production strategy allowed more elaborate orchestration within the beat-group format (Lewisohn 1988, p.30).
| Studio | EMI Studios, Abbey Road — predominantly Studio Two |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Twin-track BTR-2 (1962); Studer J37 four-track from late-1963 |
| Console | REDD.37 / REDD.51 valve consoles |
| Microphones | Neumann U47, U48; AKG D19 (drums); STC 4038 (overheads) |
| Outboard / effects | EMI RS124 compressor (Altec 436B mod), EMT 140 plate reverb, STEED tape echo |
| Guitars | Rickenbacker 325 (Lennon), Gretsch Country Gent / Tennessean (Harrison), Höfner 500/1 violin bass (McCartney), Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit (Starr) |
| Amplifiers | Vox AC30 (TB & non-Top-Boost variants) |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer / 2nd | Norman Smith • Richard Langham, Geoff Emerick (2nd) |
| Estimated takes | 26 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)) |
Legacy & release history
In the canonical discography it appears on the LP With the Beatles. Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below. John Lennon lead vocals appear in 73 canon songs (26 in Beatlemania), making this one of his characteristic showcase recordings. The track's complex arrangement and key modulations marked the Beatles' transition from Please Please Me's straightforward rock approach to With the Beatles' more sophisticated production, reflecting the group's rapid artistic development in late 1963 (Lewisohn 1988, p.30).
Mono & stereo
- Mixed primarily in mono at Abbey Road; the Beatles attended only the mono mixes through Sgt Pepper.
- Stereo mixes from this period were prepared (often without the band present) and are now considered secondary by purists.
Documented alternate versions
No documented alternate versions.
Released on
- With the Beatles — LP, 22 November 1963
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (pun, opener, rocker)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
punopenerrocker
References & external databases
Frequently asked
Who wrote It Won't Be Long?
“It Won't Be Long” was written by Lennon–McCartney.
Who sings lead on It Won't Be Long?
The lead vocal on “It Won't Be Long” is by John Lennon.
When was It Won't Be Long recorded?
“It Won't Be Long” was recorded 30 Jul 1963 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road.
How many takes did It Won't Be Long require?
Mark Lewisohn's session log documents up to 26 numbered takes for “It Won't Be Long”.