The least popular Beatles tracks

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The least popular Beatles tracks
Posted by Roger Stormo
Sunday, January 03, 2016


The Beatles' "Long Tall Sally" EP, featuring a photo of The Beatles in Sweden.

Ok, so we brougth you a survey of the most popular Beatles tracks streamed by the leading streaming service Spotify, and here are the least popular ones from the same provider:

10. Honey Don't
Ringo's one song from the 1964 "Beatles For Sale" album, aimed at the Christmas market. Originally sung by John Lennon when the Beatles played it live, it was given to Ringo as his token song on The Beatles' fourth album. A version of the song with Lennon handling the lead vocals can be found on the "Beatles Live at the BBC" compilation from 1994. Ringo has performed the song live on several occasions, and even a John Lennon solo version exists, taped at the sessions for "Plastic Ono Band" (1970) and eventually released as part of the John Lennon Signature Box in 2010.

9. Thank You Girl
B-side to the single A side "From Me To You" from 1963, The Beatles' third single. At one point the song was going to be the A side, until they came up with "From Me To You".

8. I'll Get You
The B-side to the considerably more popular fourth single A-side, "She Loves You". Only briefly revisited by Paul McCartney on his 2005 US tour, the song opens with the word "Imagine". A live recording of the song, taken from their performance at the London Palladium in 1963 is available on "Anthology 1".

7. Long Tall Sally
The main track of The Beatles' stand alone four track EP of the same name, the Little Richard song was a mainstay in the Beatles' live repertoire, and often used as the final song during their concerts, including their final one, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966. Lead vocalist Paul McCartney took the song with him to use as final concert song for Wings' 1972 tour, and also performed it during his appearance at the Prince's Trust concert in 1986.


6. I Call Your Name
Another track from the same EP, the only one composed by members of the Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Originally "given away" to Billy J. Kramer, it is believed that Lennon was unhappy with Kramer's version and wanted to show it's full potential by recording it with The Beatles. Ringo revived the track as a video performance to be shown at a 1990 three hour "John Lennon Scholarship concert".

5. The Inner Light
Yet another B-side, this one was found on the back of the "Lady Madonna" single in 1968 and became the final George Harrison track for the Beatles to dabble in Indian instrumentation. It was also the first time a Harrison composition was chosen for a UK single release, and the only Beatles track recorded outside Europe, in India. Famously, the only line featuring backing vocals from Lennon & McCartney during the song was "do all without doing".

4. Slow Down
Another return to the four track EP "Long Tall Sally", this was one of the three Larry Williams songs recorded by The Beatles.

3. Bad Boy
Another Larry Williams track follows the fate of the previous one. This was originally released on an American album only, "Beatles VI" back in 1965 and didn't appear on a UK release until it was included on the 1966 compilation "A Collection of Beatles Oldies" - the only Beatles UK album from the sixties that has been discontinued since the seventies.

2. Matchbox
A Carl Perkins track sung by Ringo, which appeared on The Beatles "Long Tall Sally" EP, thus making all four tracks from this EP appear on this list. Even though the EP may show poor streaming popularity, when it was rereleased on vinyl for "Black Friday" in 2014, it made it to no. 1 on the UK vinyl charts and even appeared in Billboard's Top 200 albums charts! Still popular among vinyl aficionados, then.

1. Her Majesty
That final burst of creativity on the "Abbey Road" album, a Paul McCartney track that was tacked onto the album as an afterthought, it comes crashing in just after you thought the album had ended with the majestic "The End". McCartney took the opportunity to revive the light hearted ditty at Queen Elizabeth's Gold Jubilee concert, "Party at the Palace" in 2002.




The list was compiled by vulture.com.

One interesting anecdote about the song "Long Tall Sally": When The Beatles played two concerts (with Jimmie Nicol as their temporary drummer) at KB Hallen venue in Denmark on Thursday, June 4, 1964, they were going to feature the song last in their concert, announcing it's availability as a single the next day. However, they were upstaged when Danish support act The Hitmakers performed the song as part of their own set. The Beatles elected to substitute the song for "Twist and Shout" in their set list, and between the two concerts they had a word with The Hitmakers to make them drop the song from their second performance.
After having arrived at an agreement, the Beatles were able to finish with "Long Tall Sally" at the last show and go through with their PR announcement. The next day, "Long Tall Sally", coupled with "I Call Your Name" was indeed available in record stores in Denmark. Another fortnight would go by until the songs were made available in the UK on the "Long Tall Sally" EP. Of course, both songs were already out in USA in April, as part of "The Beatles' Second Album".


The Danish "Long Tall Sally" single.




A band you've heard of. Photo: Birmingham Post & Mail/Mirrorpix/Corbis