| "Got to Get You into My Life" | ||||
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| Song by The Beatles
from the album Revolver |
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| Released | 5 August 1966 | |||
| Recorded | Abbey Road Studios 7 April, 17 June 1966 |
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| Genre | R&B, blues-rock, soul, rock | |||
| Length | 2:27 (stereo version) 2:35 (mono version) |
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| Label | Parlophone PMC 7009 (mono), PCS 7009 (stereo) | |||
| Writer | Lennon/McCartney | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| Revolver track listing | ||||
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| Music sample | ||||
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| "Got to Get You into My Life" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Beatles | ||||
| B-side | "Helter Skelter" | |||
| Released | 31 May 1976 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Label | Capitol <small?4274 | |||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA)[1] | |||
| The Beatles singles chronology | ||||
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"Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by The Beatles, first released in 1966 on the album Revolver. Written by Paul McCartney,[2][3] it made prominent use of a brass section. A cover version by Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers peaked at number six in 1966.[4]
The Beatles' version was released in the US as a single in 1976, a decade after its initial release and six years after The Beatles split up, as a promo for the Rock 'n' Roll Music compilation album. It reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[5] The Beatles' last top ten hit there until their 1995 release "Free as a Bird".
Contents |
Composition and recording
Though officially credited to Lennon/McCartney, McCartney was primarily responsible for the writing of the song,[2][3] to which he also contributed lead vocals.[6] It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios between 7 April and 17 June 1966 and evolved considerably between the first takes and the final version released on album.[7] The song seems to have been hard to arrange until the soul-style horns, strongly reminiscent of the Stax' Memphis soul and Motown sound, were introduced. The brass was close-miked in the bells of the instruments then put through a limiter.[8] The percussion instrument most predominant is the overdubbed tambourine.
The song starts with a blaring brass fanfare, McCartney's entering at 0:07. The chorus of the song appears at 1:04, with the song's title sung. The song switches between a verse and the refrain. A short electric guitar solo appears at 1:53 and at 2:10 the horn fanfare re-enters. The song closes with fading vocals of McCartney, much akin to the soul records of the time. The mono and stereo mixes of the recording feature completely different ad libs in the fade-out. Backing vocals were recorded early but later eliminated.
In Barry Miles' 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, McCartney disclosed that the song was about marijuana.[2] "'Got to Get You into My Life' was one I wrote when I had first been introduced to pot... So [it's] really a song about that, it's not to a person."[2] Many lyrics from the song suggest this: "I took a ride I didn't know what I would find there / Another road where maybe I could see some other kind of mind there.",'"What can I do, what can I be when I'm with you I want to stay there / If I am true I will never leave and if I do I know the way there."
Reception
Thomas Ward of Allmusic said, "McCartney’s always been a great vocalist, and this is perhaps the best example of his singing on Revolver. One of the overlooked gems on the album."[9] When asked about the song in his 1980 Playboy interview, John Lennon said, "Paul's again. I think that was one of his best songs, too."[3]
Chart performance
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 7 |
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – double-tracked vocal, bass
- John Lennon – rhythm guitar (?)
- George Harrison – lead guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine
- George Martin – organ
- Eddie Thornton – trumpet
- Ian Hamer – trumpet
- Les Condon – trumpet
- Alan Branscombe – tenor saxophone
- Peter Coe – tenor saxophone
- Personnel per Ian MacDonald; MacDonald was unsure if Lennon played the rhythm guitar part.[6]
Earth, Wind & Fire version
| "Got to Get You into My Life" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Earth, Wind & Fire | ||||
| from the album The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 | ||||
| B-side | "I'll Write a Song for You" | |||
| Released | 14 July 1978 | |||
| Format | 7", 12" | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 4:03 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Lennon/McCartney | |||
| Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology | ||||
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Earth, Wind & Fire remade the song and released it as a single which was included on their album The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1. Their version reached number 1 on the Black Singles chart and number nine on the Pop singles chart.[10]
The song won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) and also garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.[11]
Reception
"Got to Get You into My Life" sold over 1 million copies and it has been certified gold as up until the RIAA lowered the sales levels for certified singles in 1989, a Gold single equaled 1 million units sold.[12]
Chart performance
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[10] | 1 |
| Preceded by "Holding On (When Love Is Gone)" by L.T.D. |
Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one single 23 September 1978 |
Succeeded by "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" by Funkadelic |
Other versions
- Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers
- Blood, Sweat & Tears
- Diana Ross
- Syesha Mercado of American Idol
- Courtney Murphy of Australian Idol
- Matt Corby of Australian Idol
- Daniel Johnston
- BUCK Enterprises
- Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs from the soundtrack of the movie Imagine That
Notes
- ^ RIAA 2009a.
- ^ a b c d Miles 1997, p. 190.
- ^ a b c Sheff 2000, p. 181.
- ^ Chart Stats 2009.
- ^ a b Wallgren 1982, p. 106.
- ^ a b MacDonald 2005, p. 193.
- ^ Lewisohn 1988, pp. 72-83.
- ^ Morin 1998.
- ^ Ward 2009.
- ^ a b c Allmusic 2009.
- ^ The Official Earth, Wind & Fire Website 2009.
- ^ RIAA 2009b.
References
- "Got to Get You into My Life". Allmusic. 2009. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:difqxqt5ldae~T31. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- "Cliff Bennett And The Rebel Rousers - Got To Get You Into My Life". Chart Stats. 2009. http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=4377. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
- MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-844-13828-3.
- Miles, Barry (1997). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- Morin, Cari (1998). The Evolution of Beatles' Recording Technology.
- "RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - The Beatles Gold Singles". RIAA. 2009a. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=6&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=The+Beatles&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
- "RIAA Certification for Got to Get You into My Life". RIAA. 2009b. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Earth%20Wind&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
- Wallgren, Mark (1982). The Beatles on Record. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-45682-2.
- Ward, Thomas (2009). "Review of "Got to Get You into My Life"". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:a9fwxq8dld0e. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- "Earth, Wind & Fire - Awards". The Official Earth, Wind & Fire Website. 2009. http://www.earthwindandfire.com/bio_awards.html. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
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