This Boy

"This Boy" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon–McCartney). It was released in November 1963 as the B-side of the band's Parlophone single "I Want to Hold Your Hand". In the United States, it was issued in January 1964 on Meet the Beatles! [Wikipedia]

This Boy is a song by The Beatles, written by Lennon–McCartney and led on vocal by John Lennon, Paul McCartney & George Harrison. Smokey-style three-part harmony ballad; B-side of 'I Want to Hold Your Hand.' Within the catalogue, its three-part-harmony thread connects it to Nowhere Man; its b-side thread connects it to You Can't Do That, Thank You Girl, I'll Get You. The B-side to 'I Want to Hold Your Hand,' recorded 17 October 1963, 'This Boy' features John Lennon's lead vocal backed by Paul McCartney and George Harrison in three-part harmony. The song's sophisticated vocal arrangement and ballad-slow tempo provided striking contrast to the A-side's upbeat energy, creating strategic release value through harmonic complexity. A slow ballad featuring sophisticated chord progressions, the song was something new for both The Beatles and Lennon specifically, representing a notable compositional development (Kozinn 1995, p.73).

The session work falls within the band's Beatlemania (1962–1964) period, recorded 17 Oct 1963 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. George Martin produced; Norman Smith engineered. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.10 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below). Take 16 was selected for final release, indicating George Martin's pursuit of perfect vocal harmony balance within the complex three-part arrangement. The song required careful microphone placement and level management to capture all three vocal lines clearly without overwhelming Lennon's lead. Two-track recording meant all voices and instruments had to be performed simultaneously (Lewisohn 1988, p.32). The recording took considerable time to achieve due to its complicated arrangement and intricate three-part harmony vocal arrangement; the song represents a departural for the group from their established style (Emerick 2006, p.208-209).

In the canonical discography it on the single I Want to Hold Your Hand. Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below. John Lennon with McCartney and Harrison trio vocals appear in a subset of lead recordings; the three-part harmony arrangement is rare in the Beatles catalog. Despite B-side status, the track became a concert favorite and fan-beloved recording, demonstrating vocal mastery and harmonic sophistication unmatched by most contemporary pop groups (Lewisohn 1988, p.32). Basic and additional recording both occurred on 17 October 1963 with a four-track master tape; the song exists in multiple mixes with different vocal and instrumental balances.

Other recordings sharing era, vocalist, writer, key, studio, or producer with this one. Higher scores indicate stronger overlap on documented attributes.

• Any Time at All (score 10)
• Eight Days a Week (score 10)
• I'll Get You (score 10)
• If I Fell (score 10)
• P.S. I Love You (score 10)
• Tell Me Why (score 10)
• Thank You Girl (score 10)
• A Hard Day's Night (score 8)