The Songs Lennon and McCartney (and Harrison) Gave Away

[Steve M.]

Between 1963 and 1969, John Lennon and Paul McCartney (and to a lesser extent, George Harrison) wrote numerous songs that the Beatles never released or even recorded. Some songs were written specifically for other artists, while others were simply given to anyone who wanted to record a Lennon-McCartney original. I'd like to list them on this thread, but I'm not going to do it on one post, because there are so damn many of them, I'd be here all night long if I tried!

I'm not going to deal with songs that were first given to someone else, then released by the Beatles themselves -e.g., "I Wanna Be Your Man" was given to the Rolling Stones, but then the Beatles recorded and issued their own version, so that won't concern me here.

Anyway, here a few to start with:


"Nobody I Know" - Written by Paul, then given to Peter and Gordon. Peter was Jane Asher's brother; Gordon was Gordon Waller. Peter Asher later became a record producer.

"Bad To Me" - John wrote this in Spain for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. It was a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

"World Without Love" - Written by Paul, and given to Peter and Gordon, it was their biggest hit ever.

[Steve M.]

"I'll Be On My Way" - Written by Paul for Billy J. Kramer. Though they never recorded it at Abbey Road, the Beatles performed on the BBC; that recording is included on the 1994 release Live At the BBC. It had first been heard in the U.S. when some of the BBC tapes were aired on American radio in 1982.

The song itself contains "moon, June, spoon" rhymes everyone imagines Lennon and McCartney - especially Lennon - having been against, and the bridge concerns a desire to be where "the winds don't blow" and "where golden rivers flow." Sounds like a biblical promised land!

[Steve M.]

"Woman" - Another song from Paul for Peter and Gordon. This one has nothing to do with John's Double Fantasy track of the same name.

[Steve M.]

"Tip Of My Tongue" - Written by Paul, it was recorded as a candidate for the B-side of "Please Please Me" but the tape was literally scrapped after "Ask Me Why" was chosen instead. Given to fellow Brian Epstein artist Tommy Quickly, "Tip Of My Tongue" has been dismissed by just about everyone who's heard it as a terrible song. "That's Paul's garbage, not my garbage," John said in 1980 about the song.

[Steve M.]

"Love Of The Loved" -Written mainly by Paul, it was recorded with Pete Best on drums for their failed Decca audition of January 1, 1962, in part to show that the Beatles could write songs. While some Lennon-McCartney originals from the Decca tapes made it onto Anthology 1, this was not one of them. Paul later gave it to another singer Brian Epstein had discovered, a pretty young girl who worked as the coat check girl at the Cavern in Liverpool but dreamed of stardom as a pop singer by the name of Priscilla White. . . until Epstein changed her name to Cilla Black. She went on to become the Carol Burnett of Britain - i.e., a national show business institution.

Cilla Black has always had a torchy melodramatic voice, and her recording of "Love Of the Loved" is certainly proof of that. She's an acquired taste, which may be why she didn't become a big name in America like, say, Petula Clark.

[Steve M.]

"I'm In Love" - John wrote this for the punningly named Fourmost, another Liverpool quartet managed by Brian Epstein. Most Americans have probably never heard the Fourmost's recording of this song (or heard of the Fourmost), and they're probably unaware that there's a Lennon-McCartney song called "I'm In Love," but they may be familiar with the song anyway. See, the vocal group Three Dog Night - best known for their recordings of tunes from Randy Newman and Paul Williams, among others - covered "I'm In Love" in 1969.

A Beatles demo of "I'm In Love" was believed to have surfaced in Australia last year, but it turned out to be a fake.

[Steve M.]

"Step Inside Love" - Written by Paul for Cilla Black's television show Cilla. As noted , Cilla Black is Britain's most beloved entertainer. When she got her own variety televsion program, Paul McCartney asked Black (not the other way around!) if he could write the theme song; he even oversaw the recording sessions for it.

Americans who own the Beatles's Anthology 3 and watch Britcoms on PBS will be familiar with this song. Paul taped an impromptu version of it during the White Album sessions that ended up on the Anthology record. An episode of "As Time Goes By" features a hialrious scene in which a hospital patient mistakes Jean (Dame Judi Dench) for Cilla Black, and begins singing a chorus of "Step Inside Love."

[Steve M.]

NOTE - When Michael Jackson purchased the rights to the Lennon/McCartney song catalogue, these songs were included (along with John and Paul's solo songs up to 1973). Does Michael Jackson even know he owned these particular songs when he bought them? Highly unlikely.

[Penny Lane]

Didn't they write something for Gerry andThe Pacemakers?

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

Didn't they write something for Gerry and The Pacemakers?

Hmmm. . . .I don't think so.

[Penny Lane]

Another Peter and Gordon Song- "I Don't Want To See You Again"

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

Another Peter and Gordon Song- "I Don't Want To See You Again"

Yes indeed - and there may be one more I might have missed.

[Steve M.]

"Sour Milk Sea" - After returning from Rishikesh in 1968, George Harrison set up a company to publish his own compositions, and his cuts for the White Album - plus "Not Guilty" - were the first to published by "Harrisongs." A sixth song, "Sour Milk Sea," was recorded not by the Beatles but by Jackie Lomax for his debut Apple album.

[Steve M.]

"One and One Is Two" - Written by John and Paul, and given to a group called the Strangers, this is probably the most obscure Lennon-McCartney song ever.

[Steve M.]

"Hello Little Girl" - Wirtten by John (quite possibly the first song he ever wrote) and recorded during the ill-fated Decca session of 1/1/62; available on Anthology 1. It was eventually given to the Fourmost.