The first Beatles song that Paul McCartney ever “impressed himself” with: “Immediately proud”
Musicians come and go, but it is the legacy that they leave behind which will outlive us all. While songs certainly line the avenues of such legacies, the real lasting impression comes when a band inspire the musical world around them. The Beatles are, without doubt, the most influential band in history.
From Pink Floyd to Liam Gallagher, most, if not all, of the music industry has taken inspiration from the Fab Four in what can only be considered an anomaly that will never happen ever again.
Despite the major fanbase and the numerous prestigious awards to their name, The Beatles always remained humble in success, a contributing factor as to why fans were so intrigued when bassist Paul McCartney took the rare occasion to dissect specific elements of the band’s vast discography, breaking down minute details of their creations.
While McCartney wrote classics such as ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Yesterday’, ‘Penny Lane’, ‘Let It Be’ and countless other historic hits, there is one track that stands up as the first moment he truly “impressed himself”. It should be noted that, despite being one of the most accomplished songwriters in modern music, McCartney has rarely become a serious bragger. He has championed his band, celebrated the songwriters he worked with, etc, but he has not often proclaimed songs he has written to be incredible in any way.
But, there was an early track that confirmed to the young man that he was on to something. ‘And I Love Her’ was featured on the A Hard Day’s Night album and was the song Paul contributed to the most. Reflecting on that track, he once said: “It was the first ballad I impressed myself with. It’s got nice chords in it, ‘Bright are the stars that shine, dark is the sky….’ I like the imagery of the stars and the sky”.
McCartney added: “It was a love song, really. The ‘And’ in the title was an important thing. ‘And I Love Her,’ it came right out of left field, you were right up to speed the minute you heard it. The title comes in the second verse, and it doesn’t repeat. You would often go to town on the title, but this was almost an aside, ‘Oh… and I love you.’ It still holds up and George played really good guitar on it. It worked very well.”
He later reflected on the song’s composition: “Precisely because Jane was my girlfriend, I wanted to tell her there that I loved her, so that’s what initially inspired this song; that’s what it was. Listening to it so many years later, I do think it’s a nice melody. It starts with F-sharp minor, not with the root chord of E major, and you gradually work your way back. When I’d finished it, I felt, almost immediately, proud of it. I thought, ‘This is a good ’un’.”
The ballad was written in the family house of McCartney’s then-girlfriend, Jane Asher, on Wimpole Street, London, where John Lennon and McCartney constructed yet another iconic triumph that would build the status of the group to what it is today. The song was featured in the Beatles’ first film, A Hard Day’s Night, and recorded during the studio performance sequence on March 31st, 1964.
At the time, the song was considered the Beatles’ most admired recordings, but of course, since then, more admirable numbers have given it a run for its money. The hit was only ever performed once outside Abbey Road, making it more unique and somewhat steeped in mystery. On July 14th, 1964, The Beatles performed the track on the BBC Top Gear Radio Show at Broadcasting House in London and it was broadcast for the first time two days later.
The recording wasn’t simple, though, with 20 takes and multiple changes to the arrangement. The recording began on February 25th, 1964, and ended on the 27th. However, it was worth it because when it was released on July 20th, 1964, it entered the top 40 and pushed the band further toward what was to become ‘Beatlemania’.
Perhaps the greatest compliment on it came not from McCartney but from his songwriting partner, John Lennon. The bespectacled Beatle was a notoriously tough customer to please, with McCartney once noting he only actively complimented one of his previous tunes, but he had love for this ditty. He said, “‘And I Love Her’ is Paul again. I consider it his first ‘Yesterday’. You know, the big ballad in A Hard Day’s Night. The middle eight, I helped with that.”
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