It spent three weeks at the top of the UK charts, and one in the US. The single topped the charts in many countries. Both editions were coupled with ‘Yes It Is’ on the b-side. ‘Ticket To Ride’ was released on 9 April 1965 in the UK, and on 19 April in the US. Lennon played a Fender Stratocaster, and it is likely that George Harrison played a Rickenbacker 360 12-string. He played the lines, which can be heard in the fade-out, on an Epiphone Casino hollow-body electric guitar. ‘Ticket To Ride’ was The Beatles’ first song to feature McCartney on lead guitar. They initially recorded drums and bass on track one of Abbey Road’s four track machines, then overdubbed rhythm and lead guitars (the latter played by Paul McCartney), John Lennon’s lead vocals, and then finally tambourine, guitars, backing vocals and handclaps onto track four. Whereas in the past they’d rehearsed and recorded what amounted to an ‘as-live’ performance of their songs, from February 1965 they adopted the practice of recording just the rhythm tracks, and then building from there.Īs such, although only two takes of ‘Ticket To Ride’ were needed, the song underwent a number of overdubs, revisions and experiments during the three hour session. Recorded in an afternoon session on 15 February 1965, at the first session for what became the Help! album, ‘Ticket To Ride’ marked a departure from The Beatles’ previous method of recording.Īlthough completed in just two takes, the first of which was a false start, ‘Ticket To Ride’ was the first Beatles song to be built from the ground up. Another recording, taped for the radio show The Beatles Invite You To Take A Ticket To Ride, was included on Live At The BBC. They played it during their final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and at their Shea Stadium and Hollywood Bowl concerts.Ī version of ‘Ticket To Ride’, recorded for the British television show Blackpool Night Out, was included on Anthology 2. It also became part of The Beatles’ live repertoire in 1965, particularly on their summer tour of America. Filmed on the ski slopes of Obertauern, Austria on 20 March 1965, it was a forerunner of the music videos which would later become widespread. ‘Ticket To Ride’ was the soundtrack to a key scene in the Help! film. That single hit puts a huge stamp of approval-underline.Don Short, journalist A Hard Day’s Write, Steve Turner And the last single stroke after the last "ri-hi-hide"-gold. This whole section is a brilliant sequence of chords, and this particular chord, at this particular place in the song-with the stoppage of all other instruments-is a top Beatles moment.ĥ: Ringo's different drum figures to introduce the A sections are great. More Beatle magic.Ĥ: The chord under the 3rd 2nd "ride"- the "ri-hi-hide"-has no connection the the melody notes. Here they aren't, and when the next chord comes, two whole bars later, it's not the chord that 7th/9th usually precede. Normally these notes are used to pivot to the next chord. It was a Major Statement, second only to "She Loves You" at the time.īesides the obvious two points-the opening riff and the the fabulous drum pattern-there are many important things happening:ġ: The melody is a very new and unique style.Ģ: The 1st I chord lingers for a long time, creating a suspense or anticipation-what will the next chord be? where the hell is it?ģ: The odd use and timing of 7ths and 9ths on "girl that's" (driving me mad). There was nothing even close, even in the Beatles repertoire. This song was shocking when it was new-another Beatle song without precedent. The other ratings show the age skew here. Musically, the song doesn’t follow a regular time pattern and instead has some. Then near the end when you think they’ve surely reached peak quality, the outro kicks it up another notch. John Lennon has his own version of the theme as well, saying that the song talks about a health card lugged around by prostitutes in Hamburg where the band spent most of their early years to prove that they were safe and free from diseases. This song starts brilliantly and only gets better as it goes on. Bringing the gorgeous vocal harmonies in for a few words at the end of a line is ten, twenty, a hundred times more effective than loading them in only at the start of a line, as they tried in “What You’re Doing”. The drumming is compelling, the guitar riff is mesmerising, the exciting solo one of George’s best yet. A number one hit around the world and deservedly so!Įvery aspect is flawless and engaging: the lyrics, the composition, the arrangement, the instrumental and vocal performances. This is a truly superlative pop song, masterful, assured, catchy, interesting, creative, fun and everything you could possibly want. It’s only my wanting to leave myself a little head-room in the ratings in reserve for future masterpieces that I’m not scoring this higher.
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