"Mr. Moonlight" is a song written by Roy Lee Johnson and recorded by Dr. Feelgood and the Interns. The song was covered by the Beatles on their 1964 albums Beatles for Sale (in the U.K.) and Beatles '65 (in the U.S.). Dr. Feelgood and the Interns The Atlanta group "Dr. Feelgood and the Interns" first recorded the song. Willie Perryman, an albino black blues pianist, led the group as Piano Red or Dr. Feelgood. Roy Lee Johnson, the Interns' guitarist and the song's composer, sang "Mr. Moonlight". It was released as the B-side of "Dr. Feelgood", a minor hit in the US for Okeh Records, achieving 66 in Billboard and 74 in Cashbox. The track, issued on EMI's Columbia, did not chart in Britain. The Beatles' version The Beatles covered the recording for their 1964 albums Beatles for Sale (UK) and Beatles '65 (US). The recording features Latin-style percussion, prominent vocal harmonies, and, unusually, an organ solo. John Lennon sings lead, with backing vocals from Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Background The Beatles covered the song in their live act for years before it appeared on record, adding it to their repertoire in mid-1962. They discovered the track on the B-side of "Dr. Feelgood" by Dr. Feelgood and the Interns. Neil Aspinall recalled, "Mr. Moonlight was great because there would be this moment of tension in the audience. The song would be announced and everybody knew John would have to start on that note—MISTER! Moonlight. There was no chord to precede it, he had to get it right from nothing." The track was often their opening number, which Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn writes, "commanded their crowd's attention before playing so much as a second." Recording The Beatles first recorded the song on Friday, August 14, 1964, during a session which included "I'm a Loser" and "Leave My Kitten Alone". Four takes were recorded with take four marked "best." This version of the song did not yet include Hammond organ and percussion instruments, with Lennon and Harrison's guitar work instead more prominent. On Sunday, October 18, during a day off from their 1964 UK Tour, the Beatles attempted a re-make of the track starting with take five. On take seven they added a distinct Hammond organ played by McCartney. Take eight was deemed best. Recorded on a four-track recorder, track one features Ringo Starr's percussion and McCartney's bass; track two includes