"It's for You": Lennon-McCartney songs
first released by other artists
18/1/2015
The other day, I think on the radio I heard Cilla Black doing "It's for You" and the announcer said it was a Lennon-McCartney tune. I didn't recall hearing The Beatles doing the number, although I do recall being aware at the time when people released Lennon-McCartney tunes, as it was usually mentioned.
I wondered just how many other Lennon-McCartney penned numbers were not done by The Beatles. With Wikipedia to the rescue, I found there were a fair number; some had a Beatles version released later. All those in the playlist below were done first by other artists. It was a case, similar to Motown, where the Label's writing talents were encouraged to give songs to other artists who needed material, and it was a boost to the artist as well, simply because it was known as written by John and Paul. Wikipedia entry here. Many of these charted well and I remember hearing most of them on the radio at the time. Two principal exceptions are TQ, and The Strangers, who I had never heard, nor heard of, until doing this. Most have not strayed far from The Beatles' sound, some sound as if trying to copy them. |
The playlist below is in increasing chronological order, except I have promoted Cilla Black to the start to match this page's title. I have favoured live footage of the time for its period flavour, even if the sound is dubbed from the single.
Check out the audience and the girls dancing in the Peter and Gordon "Nobody I Know" clip.
See American P. J. Proby, the big poser, channeling Elvis and working the girls in the studio audience.
I also spotted at 0:51 in the "Love of the Loved" clip this fantastic photo of Cilla Black, Petula Clark and Sandie Shaw together. ..."be still, my beating Heart!" (William Mountfort, 1705) I recognised it as a crop from a few pix I had stumbled upon on the Net earlier.
Postscript 28/08/15 I found out the venue and more pix of the girls, now added to the page linked above.
Year Name
1964 Cilla Black - It's For You (Live)
1963 Bad To Me Billy J Kramer Dakotas STEREO HiQ Hybrid JARichardsFilm 720p
1963 Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas - I Call Your Name (Shindig - Nov 11, 1964)
1963 Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas Live - I'll Keep You Satisfied ( The Beatles )
1963 TQ - Tip of My Tongue (07/30/63)
1963 The Fourmost - Hello Little Girl (1963)
1963 I'm in Love - The Fourmost
1963 Cilla Black ~ Love of The Loved (1963)
1964 I Wanna Be Your Man The Rolling Stones
1964 Billy J. Kramer With The Dakotas - I'll Be On My Way
1964 Billy J. Kramer & Dakotas Live - From A Window ( The Beatles )
1964 The Strangers with Mike Shannon / One And One Is Two
1964 Peter and Gordon - A World Without Love (HD) 1964 Stereo
1964 Peter and Gordon - Nobody I Know
1964 Peter & Gordon "I Don't Want See To You Again" on The Ed Sullivan Show
1964 The Applejacks ~ Like Dreamers Do (1964)
1965 P. J. PROBY - THAT MEANS A LOT - 1965 Video - LYRICS
1968 Black Dyke Mills Band "Thingumybob"
1968 Cilla Black - Step Inside Love (Live)
1969 Mary Hopkin Goodbye