Got to Get You into My Life
Written by: Paul McCartney (100%)(credited to Lennon-McCartney)
Recorded: April 8 and 11, May 18, June 17, 1966 (Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios, London, England)
Mixed: May 18, June 17, 20, and 22, 1966
Length: 2:31
Takes: 8
Musicians:
John Lennon: rhythm guitar (1965 Epiphone E230TD(V) Casino)
Paul McCartney: lead vocals (double-tracked), bass guitar (1964 Rickenbacker 4001S)
George Harrison: lead guitar (1961 Sonic Blue Fender Stratocaster), rhythm guitar (1965 Epiphone E230TD(V) Casino)
Ringo Starr: drums (Ludwig), tambourine
George Martin: organ (Hammond RT-3)
Eddie Thornton, Ian Hamer, Les Condon: trumpets
Alan Branscombe, Peter Coe: tenor saxophones
Available on: (CDs in bold)
Revolver (UK: UK: Parlophone PMC 7009; PCS 7009; US: Capitol (S)T 2576; Parlophone CDP 7 46441 2)
History:
- Although the Beatles had already become alleged, in certain circles, for glorifying drug use in their songs, "Got To Get You Into My Life" is the first (and one of the only, actually), Beatles songs to speak openly about drugs. Having been turned on to pot by none other than Bob Dylan during a famous 1964 meeting, Paul McCartney had become quite the devotee, and wrote this tune about the effects the drug had on his consciousness, cleverly disguised as just another love song. (Lennon later claimed the song was about LSD use, but Paul has always insisted that marijuana is the subject.)
- The original demo of the song, recorded on April 7, 1966, just after work was begun on "Tomorrow Never Knows," actually features the repeated line "I need your love," perhaps to further the charade. (This original version can be heard on Anthology 2). However, that's not the only difference between it and the final recording -- the original had more of a psychedelic folk feel to it, even though those descending chords at the end of each verse are already present. The track was begun again from scratch the next day, with two guitars, bass and drums, then on the 11th, George added his lead guitar breakdown, heard just before the song begins to wrap up; George Martin added an organ drone to the climactic end of the song, and Ringo added tambourine. Then the song was shelved for a while.
- Sometime in early May, Paul visited the trendy Scotch of St. James club in London, to see a very popular UK jazz-blues act called Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames (best known stateside for their hit "Yeh Yeh"). Paul, realizing some punchy horns would be just the thing to bring out the song's Motown tendencies, invited several members of the group to play on the session: trumpeter Eddie Thornton, tenor sax man Peter Coe, and baritone sax man Glenn Hughes. Hughes couldn't make the May 18th session, and Eddie and Peter were dispatched to find more horns. An unusual brass section of three trumpets and two tenor saxes is therefore what we hear on "Got To Get You Into My Life"; engineer Geoff Emerick decided to make the horns punchier by putting the microphones in the actual bells of the instrument, a practice that was quickly adopted by rock musicians.
- Yet the final product was still not big enough for Paul, so Emerick overdubbed the horns onto themselves, leaving just enough delay to make them sound like a different horn track. All that was left at this point was for Paul to record his lead vocal. In keeping with the song's new "soul" theme, McCartney began to improvise at the end of the track, a vocal performance so intense that it caused John to dash out of the control room at the end, thumb up in approval, shouting "Got it!" George's guitar part was re-recorded on June 18th, and the song was done.
Trivia:
- As you might imagine, this was one of John's favorite Paul songs.
- Most of John's and George's guitars, except for the aforementioned breakdown, were edited out of the final mix, especially in stereo. If you listen, however, you can hear George playing the same notes, along with the brass section, after every line Paul sings in the verse.
- The mono mix features a different McCartney vocal ad lib during the song's fade, a result of using a different vocal track for mixing; the fade is also a good bit longer in mono, and features an even wilder-sounding horn section.
- In May 1976, this song was included on a new compilation called Rock N' Roll Music, and issued as a single in the US in order to promote the album (Capitol 4274, b/w "Helter Skelter"). Earth, Wind & Fire took their excellent jazzy version to the US Top 10 in 1978, as part of the otherwise infamous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band movie and soundtrack. (In the film, EWF can be seen performing the song at a concert.)
- Paul first played this song live on stage in 1979, during the Concert for the People of Kampuchea benefit; he also performed it live on his 1989 and 2009 tours.
Covered by: Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Sonny & Cher, Leslie Gore, Tom Jones, Lou Rawls, Carmen McRae, Dino, Desi & Billy, Ella Fitzgerald, Thelma Houston, Ali Campbell, Chris Clark, Mathew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs, Daniel Johnston, Johnny Hallyday, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, The Stitch in Time, Bagatelle, BUCK Enterprises, Jazz Detectives, The Baby Dolls, Joe Pesci
