Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby

Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby

Written by: Carl Perkins
Recorded: October 18, 1964 (Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios, London, England)
Mixed: October 21 and November 4, 1964
Length: 2:24
Takes: 1
Musicians:
John Lennon: acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Gibson J160E)
Paul McCartney: bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1)
George Harrison: lead vocal (double-tracked), lead guitar (1962 Gretsch 6122 "Country Gentleman")
Ringo Starr: drums (Ludwig)
George Martin: piano (1905 Steinway Vertegrand "Mrs. Mills")
Available on: (CDs in bold)
Beatles For Sale, (UK: Parlophone PMC 1240, PCS 3062; Parlophone CDP 7 46438 2)
4 By The Beatles (EP), (UK: Capitol R5365)
Beatles '65, (US: Capitol (S)T 2228, Capitol CDP 7243 8 66874 2 5)

History:

• This song was originally a hit for Carl Perkins, who heavily leaned on a 1936 song by Rex Griffin for his "original" version (released in 1957 as an album track on the LP Dance Album Of Carl Perkins, Sun SLP 1225). George was probably Perkins' biggest fan in the Beatles (which is saying a lot), and he usually took the lead vocal on this number, which the band had been playing since the Cavern days.
• This song, with tons of tape echo added, was Harrison's lone vocal turn on Beatles For Sale, an album for which George also provided no original songs. It was recorded at the sixth session for the album in one take with no overdubs, coming just after work was completed on "I'll Follow The Sun" and just before another one-take cover, John's version of Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music."

Known live versions:
December 18-24, 26-31, 1962 (Star-Club, Hamburg, Germany)
January 1-2, 4, 9, 11-16, 1965 (Another Beatles Christmas Show, Hammersmith Odeon, London, England)
June 20, 1965 (Palais Des Sports, Paris, France)
June 22, 1965 (Palais d'Hiver, Lyon, France)
June 24, 1965 (Velodromo, Milan, Italy)
June 25, 1965 (Palazzo Dello Sport, Genoa, Italy)
June 27-28, 1965 (Teatro Adriano, Rome, Italy)
June 30, 1965 (Palais Des Fetes, Nice, France)
July 2, 1965 (Plaza De Toros De Madrid, Madrid, Spain)
July 3, 1965 (Plaza de Toros Monumental, Barcelona, Spain)
August 15, 1965 (Shea Stadium, New York, NY)
August 17, 1965 (Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada)
August 18, 1965 (Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, GA)
August 19, 1965 (Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX)
August 20, 1965 (White Sox Park, Chicago, IL)
August 21, 1965 (Metropolitan Stadium, Minneapolis, MN)
August 22, 1965 (Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR)
August 28, 1965 (Balboa Stadium, San Diego, CA)
August 19-30, 1965 (Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA)
August 31, 1965 (Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA)

BBC versions: 2 (for the BBC programs Top Gear and The Beatles Invite You To Take A Ticket To Ride)
Trivia:

• George also performed this song with Perkins on his 1986 album and Cinemax cable TV special Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session.
• The false ending heard here, a rarity in Beatles songs, was a leftover from their Hamburg days, when they would routinely finish up this song with any number of false endings.