Beatles For Sale - Overview

Overview

The Beatles began their first studio session for Beatles for Sale on 8 June 1964, only seven days after their last session for A Hard Day's Night. Prior to the new recording sessions, the band toured Australia and New Zealand (after a two-show night in Hong Kong), played concerts in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden and made several television, radio and live concert appearances in the UK. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said, "It was inevitable that the constant grind of touring, writing, promoting, and recording would grate on the Beatles," leading to the inclusion of several cover versions after the all-original A Hard Day's Night; the band's visible weariness on the album's cover is noted by narrator Malcolm McDowell during The Compleat Beatles. Yet during these sessions they were still capable of recording the single "I Feel Fine" and its B-side, "She's a Woman" (both written by Lennon–McCartney, and not included on the album).

Gram Parsons has noted the strong country influence on "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party". "I'm a Loser" is also notable for being perhaps the first Beatles song to directly reflect the influence of Bob Dylan, thus nudging folk and rock a little closer together toward the folk-rock explosion of the following year.