Frequency Top 25

Description

"You Can't Do That" is a song written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and released by The Beatles as the B-side of their sixth UK single "Can't Buy Me Love". One of Lennon's semi-autobiographical songs You Can't Do That "contradicted the genial tone with its tense threats, sexual paranoia and nagging, dragging groove" ... so wrote Robert Sandall. The song's jealousy theme was re-visited in other Lennon compositions, such as "Run for Your Life" and "Jealous Guy". Lennon played the guitar solo, which he also conceived. Influenced by the then relatively unknown Wilson Pickett the song is rooted in twelve-bar, with Lennon introducing a discordant flattened 3rd (F) on the D7th chord, pointedly emphasising "...I told you before..." and then pushing this note for the exasperated "Oh!" before resolving to the song's key of G. With filming due to begin on A Hard Day's Night film director Dick Lester needed the Beatles to provide him with original material ahead of production and "You Can't Do That" was selected as part of the Scala Theatre "live performance" scene in the film, but was dropped for the final cut along with I'll Cry Instead. The recording took nine takes to complete, and was considered for the A-side of their next single until McCartney wrote Can't Buy Me Love. "You Can't Do That" was recorded on Tuesday, 25 February 1964, in Abbey Road Studios in London. An early take with a guide vocal is included on Anthology 1. It was the first song completed in the week before the Beatles began filming A Hard Day's Night, though "I Should Have Known Better" and "And I Love Her" were also started on the same day. While in New York for The Ed Sullivan Show guitarist George Harrison was presented with a Rickenbacker 360 Deluxe electric 12-string guitar worth (in 1964) $900. Only the second one produced, it was heard for the first time on "You Can't Do That" (although actually used for the first time on "Can't Buy Me Love" but lost in the mix) and gave the song its distinctive chiming sound. It would be played extensively on the A Hard Day's Night LP, greatly influencing Roger McGuinn, who later went on to form The Byrds. The song was first released as the B-side of the "Can't Buy Me Love" single on 16 March 1964 in the US by Capitol Records and on 20 March 1964 in the UK by Parlophone. it was the seventh US single and sixth US single. It was later included in the A Hard Day's Night album in the UK, and The Beatles' Second Album in the US. The Beatles were filmed miming to "You Can't Do That" as part of the final concert sequence in the A Hard Day's Night film. The filming took place on 31 March 1964 at the Scala Theatre, London, but was not used. It was, however, broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show on 24 May. The performance is included in the documentary The Making of "A Hard Day's Night". The Beatles recorded "You Can't Do That" four times for BBC radio in 1964. It also became a part of the group's live repertoire that year, and was the second song in their set—after "Twist And Shout"—during their Australian and North American tours. According to Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Recording Sessions book, George Martin overdubbed a piano track to Take 9 on 22 May 1964 ostensibly for the album version of this song, but it was never used.