Ticket To Ride / Yes It Is (UK)

New singles — Beatles, Animals, Tom Jones

THE BEATLES’ next single is another Lennon-McCartney composition “Ticket to Ride.” John and Paul sing with John taking the lead. The disc is released by Parlophone on April 9. The “B” side, also by John and Paul, is “Yes It Is,” a three-part harmony with John again leading. Both songs will be featured in the Beatles’ forthcoming film. certain to be the standard “Willow Weep For Me”. Dick

From Record Mirror – March 20, 1965

R&B sound on Beatles new disc

IT arrived just before Record Mirror went to Press. The new Beatles’ single. Long-awaited. Heavily (ridiculously heavily!) ordered in advance. It actually arrived in an ordinary plain wrapper . . . though it might as well have had hit, hit, HIT written all over it!

“Ticket To Ride” is, of course, the top side—a Lennon-McCartney mid-tempo beater, with a distinct bluesy, almost R and B, feel all the way. John and Paul sing, with John’s distinctive and rough-edged voice taking the actual lead. Interesting George Harrison guitar phrase first, then Ringo’s drum powerhouse away behind.

The title words crop up over and over again. Story is of a girl who “just couldn’t feel free if I was around” … so she’s got a ticket to ride. A couple of vocal climaxes are “linked” cleverly by guitar passages — tumbling cascades of notes. Very effective indeed. And the beat is laid down with precision, yet a feeling of relaxed inspiration. Mid-tempo. And, right at the end, touches of falsetto work from the voices, repetitiously working over the title again and so into a delicately-contrived fade-out finish.

Flip is “Yes It Is”—and George Beatle has been quoted as saying he rather prefers it. Let’s just settle for saying that it’s a very good value-for-money coupling.

Unidentified instruments for a few notes early on. No time to check . . . but could have been harmonica or organ. This is a much quieter, more subdued, treatment. Just a tiny touch of folk approach in the opening stages, but unmistakably Beatles. The vocal work is extremely good . . . a fine, close, well-knit sound on the main phrases—but with violently bluesy link-pieces. Again John’s slightly gravelly tones dominate. It’s slow, deliberate, almost tortuous, number which is of extra-high quality. May not be quite as commercially-slanted as “Ticket To Ride”, but another positive statement of the boys’ versatility.

A number one hit quite definitely. And quite definitely proof that there’s no waning in the Beatle recording field. Freshness is there; originality, too. Parlophone R 5265.

From Record Mirror – April 3, 1965

BEATLES NEW SINGLE

BEATLES day approaches. On April 9, the Beatles’ new single, “Ticket To Ride”, goes on sale.

Will it go straight to the top of the Pop 50? John Lennon spoke on the subject this week. “It’s not at all certain that it’ll be another immediate number one,” he told the MM. “We’re not taking it for granted, by any means. Ask me the day before it goes into the shops when I know the final advance order figure.”

The Beatles star with “Ticket To Ride” on TV’s “Lucky Stars” on Saturday (April 3); “Eamonn Andrews’ Show” (11) and “Top Of The Pops” (15).

Adds Lennon: “It’s the slowest A side we’ve done, I think. It’s not that unusual though — I mean, it’s still US. It’s no more unusual than we are — does that make it unusual? We’re quite pleased with the record. But let’s emphasise this business of the number one thing. It’s not BOUND to make it first go.” The Beatles’ new single is reviewed on page 12.

From Melody Maker – April 3, 1965

TICKET TO TOP SPOT! BEATLES CRUSH KNOCKERS

THE Beatles roared back to number one this week with “Ticket To Ride”. It was the end of a month of speculation.

The whole pop business — including John, Paul, George and Ringo — wondered whether they could hit the top in the first week yet again.

The Beatles, told the news on the film set at Twickenham on Monday, were “completely knocked out.”

‘It’s just great— what more can we say’

Said Paul: “John and I wrote it in the middle of doing some other stuff for the film at his house one afternoon. It’s great news — what more can we say?”

George said: “We are always worried with each record. With this one we were even more worried. There’s bound to be a time when we come in at 19. But this number one business doesn’t seem to stop — great while it lasts, but now we’ll have to start all over again and people will start predicting funny things for the next one.”

Ringo said: “I’m glad it’s top — quite honestly I didn’t expect it. Of course it makes it even more difficult for the next single. The knockers can’t have a go at us just yet but I suppose their day is bound to come eventually. It’s got to stop somewhere hasn’t it?”

This is the Beatles eighth chart-topper. They complete filming “Eight Arms To Hold You” in about a month.

From Melody Maker – April 17, 1965