"I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" turned out to be the last movie soundtrack song The Beatles recorded before film shooting began on March 2nd, 1964. The day before, on March 1st, the group met in EMI Studio Two for a three-and-a-half-hour recording session to finish up the full requisite of songs for potential inclusion in their first film.
This session, which ran from 10 am to 1:30 pm, saw three songs through from start to finish; although the second two songs recorded on this day ("Long Tall Sally" and "I Call Your Name") ended up not making it into the movie but were held over to be released as a British EP on June 19th, 1964.
Another unique aspect of this recording session was that it was on a Sunday. This was the first Sunday recording session ever scheduled for The Beatles, no doubt because this was the very last day available to record songs for the movie. The habit of Sunday recording sessions became much more commonplace from this point forward.
"I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" was the first to be tackled at 10 am, with the first three takes concentrating solely on the rhythm track. The intention may have been to add vocals as overdubs later, which is something that became common practice for the group in 1965. As it came to be, though, after two full instrumental takes and one false start (take three), vocals were introduced for the first time on take four. This apparently was the take onto which overdubs were applied, consisting of George double-tracking his vocals, John and Paul contributing harmonized background vocals, and Ringo thumping on a loose-skinned Arabian drum during the verses. By approximately 11 am the song was complete.
Mono mixing for the song occurred two days later on March 3rd in the control room of EMI Studio One with producer George Martin and engineers Norman Smith and A.B. Lincoln in attendance. All of the songs being considered for the film were mixed on this day and given to United Artists to choose from. Take four of the song was used for this mix, which also appeared as the mono version made available worldwide.
On June 9th, 1964, mono tape copies of all the movie songs were prepared, to be distributed to both American record labels that were releasing them, namely United Artists Records for the soundtrack album and Capitol Records for single release and their album "Something New." This tape copying took place in the control room of EMI Studio Three with only George Martin, Norman Smith and 2nd engineer Ken Scott in attendance.
The stereo mix was prepared during a hectic full-day at EMI studios on June 22nd, 1964 by George Martin, Norman Smith and 2nd engineer Geoff Emerick. The rushed atmosphere on this marathon eleven-hour session resulted in a stereo mix of "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" with an overly emphasized Arabian drum overdub from Ringo, which unfortunately comes across unnaturally loud. However, this is the stereo mix made available around the world in 1964.
Song Structure and Style
Although Lennon and McCartney used it sparingly, they were becoming more adept at following a songwriting formula that included a refrain. Taking the lead from songs like "A Taste Of Honey," they worked with a refrain as early as 1963 in "All My Loving" and "All I've Got To Do." Here they resurrect this formula again, but complicate it somewhat by using a 'refrain/ verse/ verse/ refrain/ verse/ refrain/ verse/ alternate refrain' pattern. This would therefore become an abbababc pattern.
It was probably George Martin's suggestion to begin with the eight-measure refrain, which in this instance dispenses with all vocals until the fifth measure where we hear only the lead vocal appear. Each refrain (even this altered one) features an accent on the 'two-and' off beat of the second and fourth measure which act as 'pushes' throughout the song. Ringo introduces each of these 'pushes' with a small drum roll, or at least he does when he remembers to.
The first verse introduces a fast-paced rhythm guitar pattern reminiscent of Bo Diddley, while George handles vocals entirely by himself. The melody lines of each verse consist primarily of eighth notes, which propel the song rather quickly into the lyrical hook-line of the song's title at the end of each verse. The 'pushes' that are accentuated in the refrain are previewed by Ringo's overdubbed Arabian drum accents on the 'one' and 'one-and' beat of each measure of the verses.
After the second verse is heard, we're taken directly into the first proper refrain, which premiers John and Paul's background vocals for the first time. Their "oh-oh" backing vocals are almost too intrusive on George's lead vocals, but end up working nicely as a compliment to them.
The 'verse/ refrain/ verse' pattern continues until we reach what we would expect to be another refrain. This becomes an 'alternate refrain' that is used for the song's conclusion. The last line of the last verse changes from the song's title to "I've discovered I'm in love with you." The word "you," which is usually where the eighth measure of the verse begins becomes the beginning of the seven-measure 'alternate refrain." After the title of the song finally appears, we hear a doubly repeated set of "oh-oh" background vocals before the climactic resolution in the home key. And now we can finally breathe.
George Harrison did quite well in maintaining good pitch despite the fast-paced melody lines. George Martin opted to maintain double-tracking on his voice throughout the song in both the mono and stereo mixes of the song, which is different from many of the other tracks on the soundtrack where he faded in the double-tracking sparingly for needed effect (see "Tell Me Why," "And I Love Her" and "If I Fell").
Paul McCartney's bass work is next to be commended because of its intricate counter-melody skillfully weaved in-between the fast-moving multiple chord changes throughout the song. His high background harmonies are also 'spot on' as usual which, paired with Lennon's lower harmonies, create a suitable counter-melody in itself. Adding a touch of reverb to these vocals sets it off quite nicely against the otherwise dry recording.
John Lennon's Bo Diddley-esque rhythm guitar work, although a little heavy-handed and behind the beat at times, adds a sophisticated feel to the song as well as propelling the track to a rocket's pace. It's quite apparent that, for a song viewed as such a 'throwaway,' a lot of thought and rehearsal went into it.
It seems that Ringo is the only one going along for the ride on this song. He follows instructions by performing his accented 'pushes' in the song's introductions, but fails to remember to include them later, such as during the second refrain. He even seems to be fumbling for where these accents go in the conclusion of the song; at first performing it in the fourth measure instead of the fifth, then just stopping in the fifth where he should have put the accent, then finally getting it right by the sixth measure. Usually Ringo is on top of his game but, obviously on this occasion, he wasn't familiar enough with the song. And, because this was the last day available to record the song before filming started, it was deemed 'good enough'.
As stated earlier, the lyrical subject of the song was a throwback to the teenage romanticism heard in earlier songs like "I Want To Hold Your Hand." (Interestingly, the first line of the first verse of this song states "I don't want to...hold your hand.") Being that Lennon was delving into more realism in his lyric writing at this time, we can see why he wouldn't have wanted to sing this one. His extra-marital escapades of these early years are very well documented; therefore, he wasn't at all happy just to dance with someone he was interested in.
Harrison's doleful vocal performance conveys the lyrics convincingly for the most part, showing an innocent desire to dance with someone, that being 'everything he needs' and nothing more. Even the girl questions his sincerity, which suggests the lyric "There is really nothing else I'd rather do." The only lines that make your eyes roll are the ones that unrealistically state that "before this dance is through, I guess I'll love you too." They even take that idea further by making the pay-off line of the song "I've discovered I'm in love with you 'cause I'm happy just to dance with you." Only heart-sick teenyboppers in the sixties would find this feasible.
However, when these lyrics are sung as a ballad, as in the case of Anne Murray's 1980 Adult Contemporary version, the sentiment takes on a much more convincing tone. In fact, the beauty of the melody comes to the fore, making us realize all the more so what great songwriters Lennon and McCartney were, even when they weren't trying so hard.
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