With A Little Help For Their Friends
Between 1963 and 1969 the songwriting team of Lennon/McCartney produced 21 songs for other artists, who took some of them to the upper reaches of the British pop charts. These songs were never officially recorded or released by the Beatles, although some “bootleg” versions have surfaced over the years.
In the early days most of these artists who recorded Beatles originals were artists signed by Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager. Usually Epstein gave away “leftover” songs to these artists, most of these were written by McCartney alone. Some of these were big hits and “World Without Love,” by Peter & Gordon, was a No. 1 U.K. and U.S. smash in 1964.
Cilla Black, a British TV star of the time, had a couple of hits with McCartney-penned songs, as did Mary Hopkin, who recorded for the Beatles’ Apple Records in the late 1960s. Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas had four U.K. hits with McCartney songs. Lennon, for his part, wrote songs for British group The Fourmost.
While he was a Beatle, George Harrison also wrote a couple of songs for other artists. “Sour Milk Sea” was recorded by Apple artist Jackie Lomax, and “Badge” – a co-write with Eric Clapton – was a hit for Cream in 1969.
And one of the “giveaway” songs, credited to Lennon/McCartney but written solely by John, was “Give Peace A Chance,” recorded in 1969 by Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band.
MP3: From A Window by Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas (1964)
MP3: Like Dreamers Do by the Applejacks (1964)
MP3: World Without Love by Peter & Gordon (1964)
MP3: Thingumybob by John Foster & Sons Ltd. Black Dyke Mills Band
MP3: Step Inside Love (demo) by Cilla Black & Paul McCartney
MP3: Sour Milk Sea by Jackie Lomax
MP3: Goodbye by Mary Hopkin (1969)
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