| "Help!" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US picture sleeve | ||||
| Single bythe Beatles | ||||
| from the albumHelp! | ||||
| B-side | "I'm Down" | |||
| Released | 23 July 1965 (1965-07-23) | |||
| Recorded | 13 April 1965 (stereo version); 13 April and 24 May 1965 (mono version) | |||
| Studio | EMI, London | |||
| Genre | Folk rock[1] | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter | Lennon–McCartney | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| The Beatles UK singles chronology | ||||
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| The Beatles US singles chronology | ||||
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| Promotional film | ||||
| "Help!" onYouTube | ||||
"Help!" is a song by the English rock bandthe Beatles that served as the title song forthe 1965 film and the band'saccompanying soundtrack album. It was released as a single in July 1965, and was number one for three weeks in the United States and the United Kingdom. Credited toLennon–McCartney, "Help!" was written byJohn Lennon with some assistance fromPaul McCartney. During an interview withPlayboy in 1980, Lennon recounted: "The whole Beatles thing was just beyond comprehension. I was subconsciously crying out for help".
The song was ranked at number 29 onRolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and 2010,[2] and then was re-ranked at number 447 in the 2021 list.[3] In 2008, the 1965Capitol Records recording of "Help!" was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[4]
The documentary seriesThe Beatles Anthology revealed that Lennon wrote the lyrics of the song to express his stress after the Beatles' quick rise to success. "I was fat and depressed and Iwas crying out for 'Help'", Lennon toldPlayboy.[5] WriterIan MacDonald describes the song as the first crack in the protective shell Lennon had built around his emotions during the Beatles' rise to fame, and an important milestone in his songwriting style.[6]
In the 1970Rolling Stone "Lennon Remembers" interviews, Lennon said that the song was one of his favourites among the Beatles songs he wrote. In these interviews, Lennon said he felt that "Help!" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" were his most honest, genuine Beatles songs and not just songs "written to order". According to Lennon's cousin and boyhood friend Stanley Parkes, "Help!" was written after Lennon "came in from the studio one night. 'God,' he said, 'they've changed the title of the film: it's going to be called 'Help!' now. So I've had to write a new song with the title called 'Help!'."[7]
According to McCartney, he was called in "to complete it", providing the "countermelody" arrangement, on 4 April 1965 at Lennon's house inWeybridge.[8][9][10]
The Beatles recorded "Help!" in 12 takes on 13 April 1965 usingfour-track equipment. The first nine takes concentrated on the instrumental backing. The descending lead guitar riff that precedes each verse proved to be difficult, so by take 4 it was decided to postpone it for an overdub. To guide the later overdub byGeorge Harrison, Lennon thumped the beat on hisacoustic guitar body, which can be heard in the finalstereo mix. Lead and backing vocals were recorded twice onto take 9, along with atambourine. A reduction mix was applied to the two vocal tracks, taking three attempts (takes 10 to 12), freeing up a track for the lead guitar overdub.[11] This was the group's first use of two 4-track machines for"bouncing".[12]
The vocals were re-recorded for the film during a session on 24 May 1965 at CTS Studios, a facility specializing inpost-synchronisation.[13] In addition to attempting a better vocal performance, the session might have been done to eliminate the tambourine (which had been on the same track as the vocals) since no tambourine appeared in the film sequence.[14] With the new vocals, a mono mix was created at CTS Studios which was used for the film soundtrack. Mixes for record releases were prepared on 18 June. For the mono version, George Martin decided to use a mix of the opening chorus of take 12 edited to the remainder of the CTS film mix.[13] Because all instruments were combined on a single track for the CTS session, it could not be used for a stereo mix, so the stereo mix was made from take 12.[14]
This film version of the song was only heard on the original VHS releases of the movie, later replaced by the stereo mixes. A true release was never issued. New mixes were created for releases of theHelp! CD (1987), theLove album (2006), and theHelp! DVD (2007).[11]
"Help!" went to number 1 on both the UK and US singles charts in late summer 1965. It was the fourth of six number 1 singles in a row on the American charts: "I Feel Fine", "Eight Days a Week", "Ticket to Ride", "Help!", "Yesterday" and "We Can Work It Out".[15] At the following year'sIvor Novello Awards, "Help!" was named as the second best-selling single of 1965, behind "We Can Work It Out".[16][17] "Help!" was nominated in four categories at the1966 Grammy Awards but failed to win in any of them.[18]
The song appears on theHelp! LP, the USHelp! soundtrack,1962–1966, theImagine: John Lennon soundtrack,1,Love, andThe Capitol Albums, Volume 2. The mono version (with different vocals and no tambourine) was included on the Beatles' USRarities LP and inThe Beatles in Mono collection. The American soundtrack album included a James Bond-type introduction to the song, followed by acaesura just before the opening lyric. No such introduction appeared on the British soundtrack album, nor was it included in the released single in either country.
Although Lennon was proud of "Help!" and the honesty it conveyed, he expressed regret that the Beatles had recorded it at such a fasttempo in the interests of giving the track more commercial appeal.[6] Music criticDave Marsh disagreed, saying: "'Help!' isn't a compromise; it's bursting with vitality … [Lennon] sounds triumphant, because he's found a group of kindred spirits who are offering the very spiritual assistance and emotional support for which he's begging. Paul's echoing harmonies, Ringo's jaunty drums, the boom of George's guitar speak to the heart of Lennon's passion, and though they cannot cure the wound, at least they add a note of reassurance that he's not alone with his pain."[6]
Cash Box described "Help!" as a "hard-driving, rollicking ode about a poor lad who loses some of his independence after he becomes involved with a new gal" that is "sure of garnering instantaneous sales acceptance".[19] Upon the single release,Record World correctly predicted that it would go to No. 1.[20]
The Beatles filmed the title performance for the movieHelp! on 22 April 1965. The same footage (without the darts and credits seen in the film sequence) was used as a clip to promote the release of the single. It was shown starting in July 1965 on programmes such asTop of the Pops andThank Your Lucky Stars.[21] They made another promotional clip of "Help!" on 23 November 1965 for inclusion in the year-end recap special ofTop of the Pops. Directed byJoseph McGrath, the black-and-white clip shows the group miming to the song while sitting astride a workbench. Starr holds an umbrella overhead throughout the song, which becomes useful as fake snow falls during the final verse.[22] The November 1965 promo was included in the Beatles' 2015 video compilation1.[23]
The Beatles performed "Help!" live on the 1 August 1965 broadcast ofBlackpool Night Out, which was included in theAnthology 2 album and shown duringThe Beatles Anthology documentary.[24] On 14 August, the group recorded a live performance of "Help!" and five other songs forThe Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast the following month;[25] the show is available on the DVDThe 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles.
"Help!" was included in theset list forThe Beatles' 1965 US tour. The 15 August performance atShea Stadium was seen in the 1966 documentaryThe Beatles at Shea Stadium, although the audio for the song was re-recorded prior to release.[26] The group's 29 August performance at theHollywood Bowl was chosen for the 1977 albumThe Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl.[27] The final live concert performances of "Help!" took place onThe Beatles' 1965 UK tour in December.
According toIan MacDonald:[8]
Weekly charts[edit]
The song reached number one in several other countries in 1965 according to charts listed inBillboard's "Hits of the World" feature at the time: Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Sweden.[51][52] | Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| France | — | 100,000[56] |
| Italy (FIMI)[57] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[58] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[59] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[61] | Platinum | 987,769[60] |
| United States (RIAA)[62] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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| "Help!" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBananarama &Lananeeneenoonoo | ||||
| from the albumGreatest Hits Collection | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | 13 February 1989 (1989-02-13)[63] | |||
| Recorded | January 1989 | |||
| Studio | PWL, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | London | |||
| Songwriter | Lennon–McCartney | |||
| Producer | Stock Aitken Waterman | |||
| Bananarama singles chronology | ||||
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British girl groupBananarama covered the song with comediansFrench & Saunders andKathy Burke, who were credited asLananeeneenoonoo, which is a spoof of the Bananarama name.[64] The song was released in February 1989 as theRed Nose Day single to raise money forComic Relief. It was then included on the 1989 re-release of Bananarama'sGreatest Hits Collection album. The single peaked at number three on theUK Singles Chart and was a Top-10 hit in several countries.[65]
In December 1988, comedy duo French and Saunders did a Christmas special sketch that poked fun at Bananarama, withDawn French playing a character based onKeren Woodward andJennifer Saunders playingSara Dallin. Guest comedian Kathy Burke played a character based onJacquie O'Sullivan. The sketch featured the trio recording music, being interviewed and making a video.[66]
French said she and Saunders were fans of Bananarama, and researched the sketch by watching interviews and talking to sources close to the band.[64] Bananarama said they "saw [the sketch] before it was even on television" and "everyone thought we would be furious... but we really laughed. It was hilarious". O'Sullivan described the sketch, which depicted a sometimes hostile dynamic towards her often drunk character, as accurate.[64]
After the sketch, Comic Relief decided to get in touch with French and Saunders to ask if they would do a single with Bananarama, so long as the latter would agree to it, which they did "without hesitation".[67]
The single was then released in February for the second Red Nose Day. Two-thirds of money from the sales of the single went to relief work in Africa, with the other third going to fight homelessness and drug and alcohol abuse in the UK and Ireland.[67][63] With the huge popular success of Red Nose Day, the single was also a hit, peaking at number 3 in the UK on the week of Red Nose Day (10 March) and staying at that position the following week.[68][65] This meant it became Bananarama's joint highest-charting song, along with "Robert De Niro's Waiting" and "Love in the First Degree".[68]
"Help!" was released with a B-side different version of the song, entitled as the bracketed "Straight Version" which removed the comedic parts by Lananeeneenoonoo. The 12-inch single featured another collaboration with Lananeeneenoonoo, "Love In The Factory", which was an improvised conversation sketch comedy featuring the two groups meeting in the studio.
For the 7-inch single release in Europe (outside of the UK) and Japan, the sides were switched, with the "Straight Version" of the song on the A-side.[69][70] This was due to the fact the three comedians were not so well known outside of the UK.
The comedic music video was directed byAndy Morahan[71] and features the members of Bananarama and Lananeeneenoonoo all dressed in matching outfits. Their choreographed performance of the song is interspersed with scenes of the two groups attempting to ski and ride kick scooters around the film studio. Several shirtless male backup dancers — credited as Bassie, Norman, and Paul — accompany them as they perform the song.[71] Lananeeneenoonoo are featured with dialogue in the recording studio, and the production team look on in despair at their attempts at backing vocals.
7-inch: London / LON 222 (UK)[72]
7-inch: London / 886 492-7 / SOOP 1111 (Europe & Japan)[69][better source needed][70][better source needed]
12-inch: London / LONX 222 (UK)[72]
CD: London / LONCD 222 (UK)[72]
CD Mini: London / 886 598-3 / P00L 40008 (Germany & Japan)[72]
Musicians
Technical[71]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden (GLF)[96] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[97] | Silver | 200,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
