The journey of creating a timeless classic is often as captivating as the song itself. For The Beatles’ “And I Love Her,” a cornerstone of their early catalog and featured in their first film, A Hard Day’s Night, the recording process was a testament to their evolving artistry and collaborative spirit. This track, celebrated for its heartfelt lyrics and distinctive acoustic arrangement, underwent a fascinating transformation in EMI Studios, showcasing the band’s meticulous approach to songwriting and recording.
Image alt text: Empty EMI Studio Two, where The Beatles meticulously crafted “And I Love Her” and many of their iconic songs.
The serious work on tracks for their debut motion picture commenced on February 25th, 1964, at EMI Studio Two. This date marked the beginning of the song’s journey from initial takes to the polished version that resonated with audiences worldwide. The day was divided into two sessions. The first session saw the completion of “Can’t Buy Me Love” and its intended B-side, “You Can’t Do That.” The afternoon session, however, shifted focus to exploring new material destined for the film, introducing two songs that would become integral to A Hard Day’s Night: “I Should Have Known Better” and the tender ballad, “And I Love Her.”
Early attempts at “And I Love Her” during this initial session, including two recorded takes, revealed a song in its formative stages. The initial vision leaned towards The Beatles’ standard rock instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums. This embryonic version, while considered complete at the time, lacked the bridge section that would later become crucial to its emotional depth. Furthermore, the song concluded without a definitive ending, suggesting an arrangement still in flux.
Image alt text: Paul McCartney’s second album cover, reflecting the era when “And I Love Her” gained immense popularity and showcased his songwriting prowess.
Despite being in an early state, certain elements that would define the final version were already present. George Harrison’s delicate, plucked guitar runs, played on his newly acquired Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, graced many of the verses, adding a distinctive texture. The key modulation for the guitar solo, a signature element of the final arrangement, was also incorporated. Paul McCartney, in his book “The Lyrics,” highlighted the significance of this key change, noting George Martin’s suggestion to shift the chord progression to G minor from F-sharp minor for the solo, enriching the song’s musicality. This collaborative input from their producer, George Martin, began to elevate The Beatles’ music, distinguishing it from their contemporaries. The guitar solo itself, even in this nascent form, mirrored the melody of the verses, albeit with a less refined execution. The band, accustomed to refining arrangements in the studio, recognized that “And I Love Her” wasn’t quite there yet and decided to revisit it the next day.
Image alt text: George Harrison’s Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, an instrument that contributed to the unique sound of “And I Love Her” with its distinctive plucked runs.
February 26th brought The Beatles back to EMI Studio Two, again for an afternoon session dedicated to the two songs carried over from the previous day. While “I Should Have Known Better” reached completion, “And I Love Her” continued to be a work in progress. Seventeen more takes were recorded, from “take three” to “take 19,” documenting the song’s evolution towards its definitive form. A significant shift occurred mid-session when Ringo Starr transitioned from drums to bongos, contributing to the song’s lighter, more intimate feel. It was during this session that John Lennon and Paul McCartney collaboratively crafted the bridge, a crucial addition that expanded the song’s structure and emotional range, pushing its length beyond two minutes for the first time.
Image alt text: Sheet music for “I Should Have Known Better,” another song worked on during the same sessions as “And I Love Her,” showcasing the prolific creativity of The Beatles.
Despite these advancements, dissatisfaction lingered. As engineer Norman Smith announced “Take 14,” Paul’s humorous quip, “Ha, take 50!” revealed the band’s mounting frustration. Once again, they opted to postpone further work on “And I Love Her,” scheduling another session for the following day.
Image alt text: Norman “Hurricane” Smith, the recording engineer who captured the evolution of “And I Love Her” at EMI Studios.
The third consecutive day, February 27th, proved to be the decisive session for “And I Love Her.” In Martin Scorsese’s documentary “George Harrison: Living In The Material World,” Paul McCartney recounted the band’s rapid-fire arrangement process in their early recording days, shedding light on a pivotal moment for “And I Love Her.” He described how John and he would introduce a song to George and Ringo in the studio, often for the first time, and how quickly the instrumentalists would grasp and contribute to the arrangement.
Image alt text: DVD cover for “George Harrison: Living in the Material World,” a documentary where Paul McCartney discusses the recording of “And I Love Her” and George Harrison’s crucial riff contribution.
Reflecting specifically on “And I Love Her,” Paul recalled having the core lyric “I give her all my love.” However, it was George Harrison who spontaneously introduced the iconic opening guitar riff during the session. Paul acknowledged the riff’s transformative impact, stating, “Now you think about that – THAT’s the song! But you know, he made that up on the session, ‘cause he nicked the chords and we just said, ‘it needs a riff.’ I didn’t write that!” In “The Lyrics” book, Paul further elaborated on George Martin’s suggestion for an introduction, prompting George Harrison to create the now-famous opening riff on the spot. This riff became the song’s defining hook. The combined contributions of both Georges – Harrison with the intro and Martin with the key change for the solo – significantly strengthened the song musically. Paul expressed pride in the song’s sophisticated musicality, culminating in the “lovely, pleasing resolution” of the final D major chord.
Image alt text: A promotional picture of George Harrison during The Beatles’ early fame, highlighting his instrumental role in shaping “And I Love Her.”
Image alt text: “The Lyrics” book cover, featuring Paul McCartney’s reflections on songwriting, including the collaborative creation of “And I Love Her.”
Image alt text: Sheet music for “Till There Was You,” another Beatles song featuring George Harrison’s acoustic guitar work, similar to his playing on “And I Love Her.”
With the signature riff established, the first session on February 27th (10 am to 1 pm) required only two takes to finalize “And I Love Her,” now in its fully acoustic arrangement. George Harrison played his parts on his Jose Ramirez acoustic guitar, the same instrument he used for his memorable solo on “Till There Was You” the previous year. Ringo continued on bongos. “Take 21,” the second take of the day, was deemed the master take. Overdubs followed, including double-tracking Paul’s vocals and adding claves, played either by Ringo or George, for percussive accents. By approximately 11 am, the three-day recording endeavor for “And I Love Her” reached its satisfying conclusion.
Image alt text: Producer George Martin, whose musical expertise and suggestions were instrumental in refining “And I Love Her.”
The mono mix of “And I Love Her” was created on March 3rd, 1964, in the control room of EMI Studio One by George Martin, Norman Smith, and A.B. Lincoln. This mix served for mono releases and was delivered to United Artists Pictures for inclusion in A Hard Day’s Night. The EMI team strategically used Paul’s double-tracked vocals, primarily on the song title and bridge.
Image alt text: Inside the control room of EMI Studio Three, where further work was done on “And I Love Her” including mono tape copies for distribution.
Further work occurred on June 9th, 1964, in the control room of EMI Studio Three. Mono tape copies of all soundtrack songs, including “And I Love Her,” were prepared for Capitol Records and United Artists Records in America by George Martin, Norman Smith, and Ken Scott.
June 22nd, 1964, was dedicated to a marathon mixing session for the A Hard Day’s Night album, encompassing both stereo and additional mono mixes. Two mixes of “And I Love Her” were created: a mono mix for the British album and a stereo mix for broader release. Both featured Paul’s double-tracked vocals throughout, except for the lines “bright are the stars that shine, dark is the sky” in the third verse. George Martin, Norman Smith, and Geoff Emerick were present for this session.
Image alt text: Geoff Emerick, the recording engineer involved in the stereo and mono mixing sessions for “And I Love Her,” ensuring its sonic quality.
A notable anomaly exists with the German version of the album Something New. This release contains a stereo version of “And I Love Her” with six guitar riffs at the end, unlike the standard four. Since no other stereo mix with this extension is known, it’s likely an artificial edit made for this specific release. This extended version was later released in the US on the 1980 album Rarities.
Image alt text: The “Rarities” album cover, which includes the extended German stereo version of “And I Love Her” with extra guitar riffs.
The Beatles recorded “And I Love Her” once more for BBC radio on July 14th, 1964, at Broadcasting House in London for the “Top Gear” radio show.
Image alt text: BBC Broadcasting House in London, where The Beatles recorded a version of “And I Love Her” for the “Top Gear” radio program.
In 2023, Giles Martin created a “demix remix” of “And I Love Her” for the 50th Anniversary edition of “The Beatles / 1962 – 1966” (“The Red Album”). Utilizing Peter Jackson’s AI technology, Giles Martin achieved greater clarity and impact by separating and remixing individual elements from the original tapes. This new mix, based on the original stereo version, features Paul’s double-tracked vocals throughout and enhanced separation of John’s rhythm guitar and George’s lead guitar, arguably making it the definitive stereo mix.
Image alt text: Giles Martin, son of George Martin, who created a demix remix of “And I Love Her” using modern AI technology for “The Red Album” anniversary edition.
Finally, Paul McCartney revisited “And I Love Her” in a live acoustic setting for his MTV Unplugged show on January 25th, 1991, further demonstrating the song’s enduring appeal and versatility across different arrangements and eras. This performance was subsequently released on his “Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)” album.
Image alt text: The MTV logo, representing Paul McCartney’s “MTV Unplugged” performance of “And I Love Her,” showcasing the song’s timeless quality in a live acoustic rendition.
The recording history of “And I Love Her” is a microcosm of The Beatles’ creative process: iterative, collaborative, and constantly evolving. From its initial guitar-band arrangement to the iconic acoustic version, and through various mixes and remixes across decades, “And I Love Her” stands as a testament to the enduring power of a beautifully crafted song and the magic that happened within the walls of EMI Studios. The song’s simple yet profound lyrics about love, combined with its memorable melody and arrangement, have ensured its place as a beloved classic for generations of listeners.
