Can't Buy Me Love & German Versions (Recording Session), January 29th, 1964

January 29th, 1964
EMI Pathe Marconi Studios (Afternoon)
P: George Martin.
E: Norman Smith.
2E: Jacques Esmenjaud.

Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand:
00:00 Take 1
00:08 Take 2
00:16 Take 7
00:20 Take 9
00:22 Take 10a
00:24 Take 10b
00:26 Unknown Take
Extra:
00:32 RS1 (US)

Sie Liebt Dich:
02:58 Unknown Take

Can't Buy Me Love:
03:08 Take 1
05:30 Take 2
08:03 Take 3
08:45 Live Take 4*
Extras:
11:01 Live Take 4 (Instrumental)
13:09 Original Guitar Mix
15:18 Edit of Take 1 & 2
17:28 First Vocal Mix°
19:38 Second Vocal Mix°

= Made by Steepien.
° = Made by Lord Reith.

EMI Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris was the scene for the ensuing German recording session. "I found the studio very odd to work in," engineer Norman Smith recalls, "the equipment was alien to anything we were used to." With Camillo Felgen coaching them, The Beatles went through eleven takes of adding German vocals to the existing backing rhythm track of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" that was brought over from England, which was originally recorded on October 17th, 1963.
"Take five" and "take seven" were found to be suitable and were apparently edited together on this day. They also overdubbed handclaps to this edited take, since the original handclaps were not contained on the rhythm track. After this was complete, they worked on the German version of "She Loves You" and, with studio time left to spare, they started work on a new composition "Can't Buy Me Love." Having finished the German songs in one day, they could cancel the session that was booked for January 31st, which meant Camillo Felgen was gratefully free to fly back home.
However, much more work was needed to accomplish the second song of the day. The two-track tape that contained the original Beatles recording of "She Loves You" from July 1st, 1963 no longer existed. Therefore, The Beatles had to have their instruments brought into the studio to re-record the rhythm track before they could tackle the German vocals.
With producer George Martin and engineers Norman Smith and Jacques Esmenjaud at the controls, The Beatles needed 14 takes to fully record the song. While Mark Lewisohn's informative book "The Beatles Recording Sessions" states that 13 takes were needed to record the rhythm track and only one was needed for the vocals, proof exists otherwise. There is a nine second excerpt from an aborted vocal take on this day heard on the Anthology film which ends in laughter from Paul and John. Obviously this wasn't the finished take so at least two attempts were made vocally to perfect the song. As it was, after "take 14," "they were extremely pleased to get it over with," as Norman Smith recalls.
The new performance of the song recorded on this day is so similar to the original version that much speculation exists as to whether it was a new recording at all. Even though there are differences in the instrumental parts (especially George Harrison's lead guitar lines) some say that the original session tape (or a copy thereof) from June 1st, 1963 did still exist at this time and was brought to Paris as was "I Want To Hold Your Hand."
This being accomplished this, they had approximately an hour of studio time left, so they jumped head-long into a song they were more excited about, which was Paul's newly written "Can't Buy Me Love."
Only four takes of this song were required to get a suitable recording down and ready for overdubs. These fully live performances, with all of them playing their usual instruments along with providing vocals, showed that the band had the arrangement down well, although some adjustments were made along the way.
A second adjustment made was to scrap the background vocals of Lennon and Harrison where they sang "oooh satisfied," "ooh just can't buy," etc., during the verses. McCartney also sang with a somewhat bluesy vibe, which was toned down in the later takes of the song. The first two takes with the early background vocal arrangement were edited together for release on the 1996 compilation album "Anthology 1," which comprised all of "take two" edited with George Harrison's solo from "take one." After an incomplete "take three," they make it through the song on "take four," which is the version that was deemed the best. This take did feature a guitar solo from Harrison, but it was viewed as inferior and worthy of overdubbing at a later time. As the Paris recording session time ran out, this master tape was taken by George Martin back to EMI for further work.
February 25th, 1964 was the next chance the band had for recording, since they spent the majority of February conquering America. They entered EMI Studio Two on this date from 10 am to 1 pm to add overdubs to "Can't Buy Me Love," which would bring the song to its final stage. Paul double-tracked his vocals and, according to Helen Shapiro who was present in the studio at this session, Ringo added more cymbals "over the top" of the previous recording. Then George re-recorded his guitar solo.
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