‘You Can’t Do That’: The Beatles song that saw John Lennon emulate Wilson Pickett
Blazing a trail that every future songwriter and artist would follow, The Beatles changed the musical landscape forever. Armed with original songs, inventive instrumentation, and an unwavering dedication to artistic expression, the group’s influence still looms large today, over 50 years since they disbanded. However, the ‘Mop Tops’ were not formed from thin air; throughout their illustrious career, the group were always indebted to their own musical influences.
You need only look at the Fab Four’s early releases to understand their expansive musical tastes. Their live shows would regularly pay homage to early rock and roll progenitors like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, while albums like With The Beatles were heavily inspired by the Motown sound which had begun to dominate the pop charts of America. In addition to being the biggest band in the world, The Beatles somehow found time to stay on top of emerging musical trends and artists, often incorporating those modern sounds into their own repertoire.
Unlike many early rock and pop outfits, The Beatles never made any qualms about the fact they were heavily inspired by Black American musicians. Endlessly indebted to the pioneering sounds of R&B, blues, and soul, the group always made an effort to be open about their influences, which earned them the favour of artists like Smokey Robinson when they eventually visited the United States in 1964.
One of the most predominant influences on the early days of The Beatles was the soul pioneer Wilson Pickett, who was still relatively unknown when the band cottoned on to his groundbreaking tones. Pickett’s impact on the band, and John Lennon in particular, is most evident on the 1964 single ‘You Can’t Do That’, which was later released on A Hard Day’s Night.
Based on a 12-bar blues format, the song was written by Lennon in a semi-autobiographical tone, focused largely on emotions of jealousy. Musically, the song takes a multitude of cues from Pickett, who would not have his major mainstream breakthrough until a year later, with the release of ‘In the Midnight Hour’. Lennon himself admitted to the inspiration, sharing, “This was my attempt at being Wilson Pickett at the time.”
‘You Can’t Do That’, despite being an incredible composition, was resigned to being a B-side release. “It was on the flip side because ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ was so good,” Lennon explained, heaping praise onto the single’s A-side, which quickly became one of the band’s defining anthems. Nevertheless, the Pickett-inspired B-side reflected an important aspect of the band’s existence and influence.
What’s more, the fact they chose to draw from Wilson Pickett in 1964 suggests they were well in tune with the rising stars of American pop and R&B. This fact was also reflected a year prior, when they chose to include three Motown covers on their With The Beatles album, at a time when Berry Gordy’s record label was still mostly unknown within the United Kingdom.
Years later, Pickett would repay the band’s homage to his work, recording a cover version of ‘Hey Jude’ in 1968. ‘You Can’t Do That’ might not have been one of The Beatles’ most popular works, but its blues-orientated sound and Pickett-inspired R&B leanings act as a perfect encapsulation of the band’s influences during that pivotal moment in their tenure.
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