“It Won't Be Long” by The Beatles*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by douglas mcclenaghan, Jun 11, 2021.

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  1. nikh33

    nikh33 Senior Member

    Location:
    Liverpool, England
    No, the Capitol mono is a fold down. The original mono version has a different edit than the stereo at the end, that's the easiest way to tell. The folded-down Capitol mono is the same as the stereo at the end.
     
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  2. nikh33

    nikh33 Senior Member

    Location:
    Liverpool, England
    And "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" is a more terse and uncompromising "She Loves You"
     
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  3. SJB

    SJB Beloved Parasitic Nuisance

    A great song, one of my favorites from their early period. I was glad to see the song played in its entirety in the full-length Anthology video. On one version - I don't recall if it's the VHS or the DVD - they messed around with the soundstage panning to get away from the extreme two-track stereo separation. John's vocal is centered, but the answering "Yeahs" are panned, leading to some abrupt moments when John interrupts one of the "yeahs."

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    I can imagine they were reluctant to put out "It Won't Be Long" as a single in the UK because it could have been seen as derivative of their past singles - you have "yeah, yeah, yeah" as in "She Loves You," and the double entendre "be long / belong" similar to the title line in "Please Please Me." I think it's a perfect opener for With the Beatles, crashing out of the gate.
     
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  4. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Franz Ferdinand did a pretty good cover in the '00's
     
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  5. SJB

    SJB Beloved Parasitic Nuisance

    "It Won't Be Long" makes a rare compilation appearance on the German/Dutch The Beatles' Greatest, released in 1965. Probably my favorite comp of their early (pre-Rubber Soul) period.
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  6. lemonade kid

    lemonade kid Forever Changing

    So is the UK mix the "real" deal? I have With The Beatles mono...I have to give it a listen again. It is a stunning LP!
     
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  7. jeighson1

    jeighson1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ann Arbor, MI
    I think it sounds much better when you have: “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, then “I Saw Her Standing There”, then “This Boy” and THEN “It Won’t Be Long”
     
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  8. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    I can attest to a high level of excitement of being a kid in California in late 1963/early 1964, hearing it on the radio or at a friend's house (his dad was Merchant Marine and brought it back for him months before "Beatlemania" broke in the U.S.)
     
  9. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I've lived my whole life without knowing that IT WON'T BE LONG was a German single. That explains why it's on the "Greatest" German comp that I got when I was a youngster. I could never figure it out. I assumed the Beatles' singles in Germany matched the UK 45 releases (except for the German language 45). Live and learn. What other weird Beatles songs were put on German singles in that era?
     
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  10. cyril sneer

    cyril sneer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Exeter, UK
    That's a great tracklist.
     
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  11. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    NO...The US Capitol MONO MTB was a fold...killer in MONO? it was folddown of the US Stereo album...so, killer in Stereo! ha. ; )
     
  12. SJB

    SJB Beloved Parasitic Nuisance

    The Beatles Bible has country-by-country discographies, with picture sleeve art. Here's the alarmingly long list for Germany (apart from the ones that duplicate UK releases):
    My Bonnie/The Saints
    Twist and Shout/Boys
    It Won't Be Long/Money
    Misery/Ask Me Why
    Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand/Sie Liebt Dich
    All My Loving/I Wanna Be Your Man
    Cry for a Shadow/Why
    Do You Want to Know a Secret/Little Child
    Ain't She Sweet/If You Love Me, Baby (aka Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby)
    Skinny Minny [Tony Sheridan]/Sweet Georgia Brown
    Please Mister Postman/Hold Me Tight
    Long Tall Sally/I Call Your Name
    I'll Cry Instead/A Taste of Honey
    And I Love Her/I Should Have Known Better
    Tell Me Why/If I Fell
    Matchbox/I Saw Her Standing There
    Slow Down/I'm Happy Just to Dance With You
    No Reply/Eight Days a Week
    Rock and Roll Music/I'm a Loser
    Kansas City-Hey Hey Hey Hey/I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
    Act Naturally/Yesterday
    Michelle/Girl
    Nowhere Man/What Goes On
    Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da/While My Guitar Gently Weeps
    The Long and Winding Road/For You Blue
    All Together Now/Hey Bulldog

    https://www.beatlesbible.com/discography/germany/2/

    That's not counting the dozen EPs released in Germany.
    https://www.beatlesbible.com/discography/germany/3/

    Just in case anyone thought Vee-Jay was overzealous in milking the catalog for singles. The above list of non-UK single pairings - not counting the Sheridan stuff - comprises 44 songs, or roughly one-fifth of the Beatles' entire EMI catalog.

    The picture sleeve in my previous message was actually the East German single, with "Devil in Her Heart" as the B-side instead of the unsuitably capitalistic "Money."
     
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2021
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Any other east Germany variations?
     
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  14. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Any other east Germany variations?
     
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  15. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Does it? Seems like if you had one, you'd find more productive uses for your time.
     
  16. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Picked up a copy of the 1975 Dutch reissue for cheap many years ago.

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  17. Muddy

    Muddy Large Member

    Location:
    New York
    I never knew this before, but you're absolutely right: The guitar on the mono version rings out, but it stops dead on the stereo.

    And really, that stereo mix with the vocals on the right and instruments on the left sounds downright awful in comparison.
     
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  18. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    This album was the first time I heard (and got to own) the high hat intro version of All My Loving. That aside, I'm with you excellent comp.
     
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  19. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    Sounds great as well.
     
  20. SJB

    SJB Beloved Parasitic Nuisance

    Funnily enough, the Amiga release of “It Won’t Be Long” is the only release listed there for East Germany.
     
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  21. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    All the greatness to come notwithstanding, this still stands as my favorite Beatle recording of all time. More than just about the song...they had mastered the art of "writing records" by this point. I'm sure the vast majority of kids didn't make an analytical connection...but the SOUND of this record *had* to have some sort of subconscious effect on the minds and ears of young record buyers at that time. But I still,want to know why they mimed this with the acoustics.
     
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  22. Floatupstream

    Floatupstream Forum Resident

    Location:
    Missouri,usa
    The Michelle/Girl single would have been s big departure in sound from previous singles!
     
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  23. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    What a great song. Take John's brilliant understanding of moving voices within chords, George's love of rockabilly and everything else and you get something totally unique. But we already knew that when we first heard the song. :D
     
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  24. 2141

    2141 Forum Resident

    That descending lead riff that George plays sounds a lot like the riff from Helter Skelter.
     
  25. aussievinyl

    aussievinyl Appreciator Of Creative Expression

    Great song. Even better opening track as it starts with vocals - you are thrown right into it. Then there’s that little downward riff at the end of the vocal phrase. Verses and choruses change gears. A nice play on words for those who like lyrics. The beginning of a much loved album where all members show what they contribute to the group. The U.K. album ends with ‘Not A Second Time’. I love it all.
     
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