One of Lennon and McCartney's earliest songs, I'll Follow The Sun was written in 1959 at McCartney's family home in Allerton, Liverpool.
I wrote that in my front parlour in Forthlin Road. I was about 16. I'll Follow The Sun was one of those very early ones. I seem to remember writing it just after I'd had the flu and I had that cigarette – I smoked when I was 16 – the cigarette that's the 'cotton wool' one. You don't smoke while you're ill but after you get better you have a cigarette and it's terrible, it tastes like cotton wool, horrible. I remember standing in the parlour, with my guitar, looking out through the lace curtains of the window, and writing that one.
A rough home recording of the song exists on bootleg, believed to date from spring 1960. Lasting 1'49", it was performed by McCartney, Lennon and Harrison on acoustic guitars, with Stuart Sutcliffe on bass, without the delicate arrangement of the final version.
While never a core part of The Beatles' live repertoire, Pete Best recalled I'll Follow The Sun being played on a piano by McCartney between sets at Hamburg's Kaiserkeller.
It wouldn't have been considered good enough [to be performed by the group]. I wouldn't have put it up. As I said before, we had this R&B image in Liverpool, a rock 'n' roll, R&B, hardish image with the leather. So I think that songs like I'll Follow The Sun, ballads like that, got pushed back to later.
The song was revived during the hurried sessions for Beatles For Sale at the end of 1964, when the group were struggling to find enough songs to fill the album. It was first released in the US on the Beatles '65 collection.
The group also recorded I'll Follow The Sun for Top Gear, a BBC radio programme. It was recorded on 17 November 1964, transmitted on 26 November, but wasn't commercially released until the Baby It's You single in 1995.
On 18 October 1964 The Beatles recorded I'll Follow The Sun in eight takes. The final version was the only one to feature electric guitar; previous attempts all contained an acoustic guitar break.
On the record we got Ringo to tap his knees. We were thinking in terms of singles and the next one had to always be different. We didn't want to fall into the Supremes trap where they all sounded rather similar, so to that end, we were always keen on having varied instrumentation. Ringo couldn't keep changing his drum kit, but he could change his snare, tap a cardboard box or slap his knees.
In July 2008 it was announced that a newly-discovered reel-to-reel tape of The Beatles recording I'll Follow The Sun would be sold at auction, with an estimated price of £8,000 to £12,000. It eventually went for £9,800.
Along with I'll Follow The Sun, the 30-minute tape featured versions of Don't Put Me Down Like This, I Feel Fine, She's A Woman, Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, Honey Don't, I'm A Loser, Too Much Monkey Business, Nitty Gritty, Something's Gotta Hold Of Me and I Shall Not Be Moved.
Paul played bass on this (you can hear the bass notes), there is no acoustic lead guitar in the released version. According to Georff Emerick, John played acoustic lead in early takes but the final has George with an electric guitar.
Thanks for that. If I’d only listened a bit more carefully I would have spotted that it’s an electric lead – it’s pretty clear to hear!
It’s probably Paul also playing the acoustic?
ive heard the demo…. ive heard the live BBC version…. anyone ever hear takes 1-7???
The liner notes to Beatles For Sale proclaim this to be a double-tracked vocal from Paul which it clearly isn’t; John sings the lead harmony during the verse and bridge.
It sounds like George on the verse.
A good early attempt from Paul. Sounds very pre-Beatles – Much like “Do you want to know a secret?”. This one could have been given to the likes of Chad and Jeremy as was John’s “From a window”. Sweet and simple, but not memorable.
The Liner notes on this song are correct. This is Paul’s song who is double tracked. John just provides a lower harmony in the bridge, that’s it.
I cant believe the scarce amount of comments on this simplistic yet beautiful early ballad by Paul. I prefere it to yesterday and I believe that it’s certainly better than most tracks on BFS.
it is one of my 3 tied for first fav Beatles songs. George Martin went on camera and said he loved it to, only bad thing was it wasn’t very long. if you are really interested, my other co-fav Beatles songs are Oh Darling and I Will.
One day you’ll look to see ive gone Clearly sounds like George singing that and the other verses before Paul comes in with For tomorrow may rain,,,,,,,,,,,Anyone else here agree with me. Correct me if i am wrong.
I alway used to think it was George! People would say “No, this is Paul” but i’d just think “I grew up thinking these men were gods.. surely, i know their voices..?” Eventually i gave up my thoughts, but i still think Paul sounds alot like George in this one.
Hello everyone. I’m the one who thinks he hears some kind of organ or piano Rhodes kind in this song? I have not read anything about it. Can anyone say if you think so?
I CAN say I think not.
Lovely song, obviously more of a Paul McCartney number. It was an early number he and John worked on. Fits nicely in to “Beatles For Sale”.
This song has an interesting, non-standard chord progression, and the third and fourth notes of the melody – Eb & A over an F7 chord – are quite unusual and give it a kind of haunting, wistful feeling. I’ve always loved that aspect of it. It’s impressive that McCartney wrote it while so young. What an intuitive genius.
I’ll Follow The Sun/I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party was released as a single in Norway. It didn’t sell so well, so the single itself with cover is very rare. I have seen two singles for sale on Discogs, but both of them are without cover.