| "You Can't Do That" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US picture sleeve (reverse) | ||||
| Single bythe Beatles | ||||
| from the albumA Hard Day’s Night | ||||
| A-side | "Can't Buy Me Love" | |||
| Released |
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| Recorded | 25 February 1964 | |||
| Studio | EMI, London | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll,R&B[1][2] | |||
| Length | 2:33 | |||
| 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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"You Can't Do That" is a song written byJohn Lennon[3][4][5] (credited toLennon–McCartney) and released by the English rock bandthe Beatles as theB-side of their sixth British single "Can't Buy Me Love".[6] It was later released on their third UK albumA Hard Day's Night (1964). A live rendition of the song was released on the 2016 re-release ofThe Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl.
One of Lennon's semi-autobiographical songs,[5] "You Can't Do That" "contradicted the genial tone with its tense threats, sexual paranoia and nagging, dragging groove", wrote Robert Sandall.[7] The song's theme of jealousy was revisited in other Lennon compositions, such as "Run for Your Life" and "Jealous Guy". Influenced by the then relatively unknownWilson Pickett,[3] it is rooted in thetwelve-bar blues form, with Lennon introducing adiscordant sharp 9th (F) on the D7th chord, pointedly emphasising"…I told you before…" and then pushing this note for the exasperated"Oh!" before resolving to the song's key of G.[8] Lennon also composed and played the guitar solo.[3] The work reflected Lennon's love for hard-edged American R&B—"a cowbell going four in the bar and the chord going chatoong!" as he put it.[9]
George Harrison wrote the intro and outro guitar riff in the studio, according toTom Petty inRolling Stone. When asked by Petty how he came up with it, Harrison recalled: "I was just standing there [in the studio] and thought, 'I've got to do something!'".[10]
With filming due to begin onA Hard Day's Night, film directorRichard Lester needed the Beatles to provide him with original material ahead of production; "You Can't Do That" was selected to be part of theScala Theatre "live performance" scene in the film, but was dropped from the final cut along with "I'll Cry Instead" and "I Call Your Name". The recording took nine takes to complete, and was considered for the A-side of their next single until McCartney wrote "Can't Buy Me Love".
"You Can't Do That" was recorded on Tuesday, 25 February 1964, inEMI Studios in London.[11] An earlytake with a guide vocal is included onAnthology 1.[12] It was the first song completed in the week before the Beatles began filmingA Hard Day's Night, though "I Should Have Known Better" and "And I Love Her" were also started on the same day.
Whilst in New York forThe Ed Sullivan Show, guitaristGeorge Harrison was presented with aRickenbacker360 Deluxe electric 12-string guitar worth $900 in 1964 ($9,100 now).[13][4][14] Only the second one produced, it was recorded for the first time on "You Can't Do That" and gave the song its distinctive chiming sound.[4]
The song was first released as the B-side of the "Can't Buy Me Love" single on 16 March 1964 in the United States byCapitol Records and on 20 March 1964 in the United Kingdom byParlophone. It was the Beatles' seventh US single and sixth UK single.[6] It was later included on theA Hard Day's Night album in the UK, andThe Beatles' Second Album in the US.[6]
The Beatles were filmed miming to "You Can't Do That" as part of the final concert sequence in theA Hard Day's Night film. The filming took place on 31 March 1964 at the Scala Theatre inLondon, but was not used. It was, however, broadcast onThe Ed Sullivan Show on 24 May.[15] The performance is included in the documentaryThe Making of "A Hard Day's Night".
The Beatles recorded "You Can't Do That" four times for BBC radio in 1964. It also became a part of the group's live repertoire that year, and was the second song in their set—after "Twist And Shout"—during theirAustralian andNorth American tours.[15]
According toMark Lewisohn's bookThe Beatles Recording Sessions,George Martin overdubbed a piano track to Take 9 on 22 May 1964, ostensibly for the album version of this song, but it was never used.
PerIan MacDonald:[3]
| "You Can't Do That" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byNilsson | ||||
| from the albumPandemonium Shadow Show | ||||
| B-side | "Ten Little Indians" | |||
| Released | August 1967 (1967-08) | |||
| Songwriter | Lennon–McCartney | |||
| Nilsson singles chronology | ||||
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"You Can't Do That" wascovered byHarry Nilsson for his debut albumPandemonium Shadow Show (1967). Nilsson re-arranged the song making it somewhat slower. He also worked references to 18 other Beatles tunes in the mix, usually by quoting snippets of Beatles lyrics in the multi-layered backing vocals.[citation needed]
The recording has been credited as the firstmashup song.[16] It was Nilsson's first hit as a performer; though it stalled at #122 on the US charts, it reached the top 10 in Canada.[citation needed]
| Chart (1964) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CanadaRPM Top Singles | 33 |
| USBillboardHot 100[17] | 48 |
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CanadaRPM Top Singles | 10 |
| USBillboardHot 100[18] | 122 |
| USCash Box Top 100[19] | 91 |
