- Album This song officially appears on the Beatles For Sale (Mono) Official album.
- Timeline This song has been officially released in 1964
- Sessions This song has been recorded during the following sessions
Other Carl Perkins songs by The Beatles
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby” is a 1957 song written by rockabilly musician Carl Perkins and originally released on Dance Album of … Carl Perkins, released on Sun Records in 1957. It borrows from a song with the same title written in the mid-1930s by Alabama-born country songwriter Rex Griffin. Griffin recorded the song for Decca Records in 1936 under the title “Everybody’s Tryin’ To Be My Baby“. Roy Newman and His Boys recorded a song with the same title in 1938. Perkins recorded his song with the same title with similar music but an updated arrangement in 1956 for Sun Records. The Perkins song was featured on the 1957 Sun LP Dance Album of Carl Perkins, which was also released in the UK on London. The album was later re-released as Teen Beat: The Best of Carl Perkins. Perkins’ recording was subsequently covered by The Beatles in 1964. The Beatles’ recording, the best-known version of the song, is attributed to Carl Perkins. Lyrically, the Perkins and Griffin songs are similar, but musically, the arrangement is more modern. The melody, later used in Rock Around the Clock, was also borrowed by Hank Williams for Move It On Over and Mind Your Own Business. The Carl Perkins song is more blues-based and closer to “Blue Suede Shoes” in style.
The Beatles’ version
After 1964, the Carl Perkins song became well known in the version recorded by the Beatles. The Fab Four recorded “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby” on 18 October 1964 at EMI Studios, London, with George Harrison (a lifelong fan of Perkins) on vocals. Harrison’s vocals were heavily processed with the STEED effect. It was first released as the final track on Beatles for Sale in the United Kingdom later that year, and likewise as the concluding track on the North American album Beatles ’65.
The Beatles’ recording finishes with a false ending, with the final phrase repeating itself after the song seems to have stopped. A version recorded live at the Star-Club in Hamburg in December 1962 contained four of these musical phrases.
Live performances of the Beatles’ “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby” were recorded in June 1963 for the BBC radio program Pop Go The Beatles, and in November 1964 for Saturday Club. The latter recording can be heard on Live at the BBC.
The Beatles continued to perform the song after their studio recording was released. The song was performed in Paris, France in 1965. The performance recorded at Shea Stadium on 15 August 1965 was included on Anthology 2.
George Harrison performed the song with Carl Perkins on the Cinemax cable special Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session in 1985. Bruce Springsteen performed the song live in concert in 1998 as a tribute to Carl Perkins on news of his death. Johnny Cash recorded the song on the 2003 album Unearthed backed by Carl Perkins and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
Paul McCartney administers the rights to the Carl Perkins song catalogue through MPL Communications.
FromĀ The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:
- [a] mono 21 Oct 1964
UK: Parlophone PMC 1240 For Sale 1964.
US: Capitol T 2228 Beatles ’65 1964.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46438 2 For Sale 1987.- [b] stereo 4 Nov 1964
UK: Parlophone PCS 3062 For Sale 1964.
US: Capitol ST 2228 Beatles ’65 1964.
Last updated on March 10, 2016
Lyrics
Well they took some honey from a tree
Dressed it up and they called it me
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby now
Woke up last night, half past four
Fifty women knocking on my door
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby now
Went out last night, I didn't stay late
'Fore I got home I had nineteen dates
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby now
Went out last night, I didn't stay late
'Fore I got home I had nineteen dates
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby now
Well they took some honey from a tree
Dressed it up and they called it me
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby
Everybody's trying to be my baby now
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1964
2:23 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass
- Ringo Starr:
- Drums
- John Lennon:
- Acoustic rhythm guitar, Tambourine
- George Harrison:
- Lead guitar, Vocals
- George Martin:
- Producer
- Norman Smith:
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Oct 18, 1964
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 21, 1964
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Room 65, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1964
2:24 • Studio version • A • Mono
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass
- Ringo Starr:
- Drums
- John Lennon:
- Acoustic rhythm guitar, Tambourine
- George Harrison:
- Lead guitar, Vocals
- George Martin:
- Producer
- Norman Smith:
- Engineer
- Session Recording:
- Oct 18, 1964
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 21, 1964
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Room 65, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1964
2:24 • Studio version • B • Stereo
- Session Recording:
- Oct 18, 1964
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Nov 04, 1964
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1964
2:23 • Studio version • B • Stereo
- Session Recording:
- Oct 18, 1964
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Nov 04, 1964
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official live • Released in 1994
2:21 • Radio show • L1
Concert From "Saturday Club" in London, United Kingdom on Dec 26, 1964
Official album • Released in 1996
2:45 • Live • L2
Concert From the concert in New York City, USA on Aug 15, 1965
Official album • Released in 2016
2:21 • Live • L3
- Giles Martin:
- Producer
- Voyle Gilmore:
- Producer
- Sam Okell:
- Mixing engineer
- Alex Wharton:
- Mastering
- Matt Mysko:
- Assistant mixing engineer
- James Clark:
- Audio restoration
Concert From the concert in Los Angeles, USA on Aug 30, 1965
Bootlegs
Live performances
“Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby” has been played in 74 concerts.
Latest concerts where “Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby” has been played
Aug 31, 1965 • Part of 1965 US tour
Aug 31, 1965 • Part of 1965 US tour
Aug 30, 1965 • Part of 1965 US tour
Aug 29, 1965 • Part of 1965 US tour
Aug 28, 1965 • Part of 1965 US tour
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originally written by Rex Griffin in 1934