Beatles Countdown #87 – I Need You
Mar 05
1960s george harrison, the beatles No Comments
George Harrison returns at #87 with his second-ever song for a Beatles album: “I Need You!”
I hope all of you know the plight of George Harrison. Recruited by the best songwriting partnership perhaps ever for his technical prowess on the guitar, John & Paul weren’t much concerned with getting his “songs” on their albums. Much like with Ringo, they would give him a song or two to sing each album and on their second album, they even showcased his first song “Don’t Bother Me.” Definitely one of the lower-tier Beatle songs despite not being a bad song by any definition, his first song wasn’t exactly something Paul & John wanted to hear more of so it’s no surprise that the next two albums after that had no Harrison compositions. But Harrison persisted and eventually got another chance at writing a song for their newest album & film Help! and he jumped at the chance.
Written for his soon-to-be-wife Pattie Boyd, “I Need You” is a basic love song with a slight melancholy tone. It wouldn’t be the last song Harrison wrote for his wife (“Something” is debated) and with Clapton falling in love with her later, it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Rock music’s finest muse, Pattie Boyd has some classics under her belt and while I might not put “I Need You” up their with the blues masterpiece that is “Layla,” it is certainly a unique song worth a listen. Using a volume pedal that he would experiment with more with “Yes It Is,” George Harrison creates an identifiable sound for the song which any great song should have. Little quirks make the song enjoyable too such as the cowbell near the second half of the song which is a nice contrast to the picture painted by Harrison’s guitar effects. Many of the stylistic elements Harrison started in this song would be expanded upon in his next song “If I Needed Someone” which appears on Rubber Soul. While not the best Harrison song or Beatle song, the unique atmosphere the song brings in contrast to other Beatles songs definitely gave us a good indication of what Harrison would compose later. Those hits are sure to come up later on in this countdown, but for now, enjoy Harrison’s second ever song!
Song: I Need You
Album: Help!
Year: 1965
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