I've Just Seen A Face
Written by: Paul McCartney (100%)(credited as Lennon-McCartney)
Working title: Aunty Jin's Theme
Recorded: June 14, 1965 (Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios, London, England)
Mixed: June 18, 1965
Length: 2:03
Takes: 6
Musicians:
John Lennon: acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Gibson J160E)
Paul McCartney: lead vocal (double-tracked), harmony vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar (1964 Epiphone FT-79 "Texan")
George Harrison: acoustic lead guitar (1964 Framus 12-string "Hootenanny")
Ringo Starr: brushed drums (Ludwig), maracas
Available on: (CDs in bold)
Help! (UK: Parlophone PMC 1255; PCS 3071; Parlophone CDP 7 46439 2)
Rubber Soul (US: Capitol (S)T-2442)
History:
- One of the most uplifting items in the Beatles' catalogue, this song was composed entirely by Paul as a sort of country/bluegrass experiment while living with girlfriend Jane Asher's family in London. The working title was "Aunty Jin's Theme," so named because Paul's Aunt Jane (nicknamed "Jin," the youngest sister of his father Jim) loved it so.
- The internal rhymes and fast-paced style of singing also mark this as unique in the Beatles catalog; the odd rhyme structure propels the verse along breathlessly, although it does force Paul to rhyme "met" with "met" and, later, to pronounce "her" with a distinctly Liverpudlian accent in order to make it rhyme with "aware."
- "I've Just Seen A Face" was recorded at the tenth session for Help!, just after Paul's Little Richard-styled raveup "I'm Down," which ended up as the b-side of the "Help!" single. Even stranger, "Yesterday" was also recorded that day, before "I'm Down," marking quite a mood change over the course of one session!
- In marked contrast to most Beatles songs recorded to this point, Paul overdubbed his own vocal harmony (which was possibly too high for John to pull off), and did not add any bass to the recording. Ringo played maracas on the chorus only.
- The original US mono mix of this song features much more echo than the UK stereo mix; the original CD stereo mix has reverb added to the original.
- This and "It's Only Love" were the only two Beatles songs from the Help! sessions not to be released in the US until the next album, the Capitol version of Rubber Soul. "I've Just Seen A Face" was picked to be the leadoff for that version of the album.
- Jin, who was essentially McCartney's mother figure after his mother, Mary, died in 1956, was quite beloved to Paul; he also name checks her in Wings' 1976 smash "Let 'Em In." Producer George Martin named his orchestral instrumental version of this song "Auntie Gin's Theme" in honor of its original title.
- This was one of only five Beatles songs performed by Paul on the 1976 Wings Over America tour. The Beatles never played it live.
