Do You Want to Know a Secret "is a song by the writing duo Lennon-McCartney. The song appeared in the 1963 debut album Please Please Me by the British pop group The Beatles. On this album was the song sung by George Harrison. In the United States , the song was also released on single .
Content[]
Background[Edit][]
Even though most Beatles songs were sung by John Lennon or Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison also had a lot of fans. Therefore if they often also a song singing on the albums by The Beatles. [1] Because Harrison had written, he was allowed no own material Do You Want to Know a Secret sing for the first album of The Beatles. The writers of the song, Lennon and McCartney, both had a low opinion of the song. [2] [3]
The idea for the song came from John Lennon. In 1962 he was married to Cynthia Lennon, who at the time was pregnant with their child. Because they had no private living space to live in, manager Brian Epstein offered one of his apartments to them. This apartment he used for his sexual relations with other men. [3] [4] these relationships keep secret wanted Epstein. This mystery was an inspiration for the song for Lennon.
Also the song Wishing Well from the Disney animated film snow white and the seven dwarfs in 1937 formed an inspiration to Do You Want to Know a Secret. The melodyand a portion of the song text (' Want to know a secret? Promiss not to tell ') were used by Lennon. [5] [6]
Recordings[Edit][]
The Beatles names Do You Want to Know a Secret in the Abbey Road Studios in London on 11 February 1963. [7] During this session were most songs for the debut album by The Beatles. The song was recorded in six takes. On the sixth take were a harmonica-party and the sound of two drum sticks against each other were beaten, added. [7]
Harrison sang the song text of Do You Want to Know a Secret. However, he himself was not satisfied with his singing on the song. [8]
Expenditure[Edit][]
On 22 March 1963 debut album Please Please Mewas, Do You Want to Know a Secret, released. [9]
The song was in 1963, along with the Lennon-McCartney number I'll Be on My Way, also released as a single by Billy j. Kramer with The Dakotas, another band fromLiverpool of Beatles manager Brian Epstein. [7] this single reached the second place in the British charts. [10]
In the United States was the version of The Beatles in 1964 released on single by the record label Veejay. This single reached the second place in the Billboard Hot 100behind Can't Buy Me Love, another single by The Beatles.
Occupation[Edit][]
- George Harrison - vocals, lead guitar
- John Lennon – backing vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, bass guitar
- Ringo Starr - drums