Written by: Johnson-Penniman-Blackwell
Recorded: 1 March 1964
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: 19 June 1964 (UK), 10 April 1964 (US)
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass
John Lennon: lead guitar, rhythm guitar
George Harrison: lead guitar, rhythm guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
George Martin: piano
Available on:
Past Masters
Live At The BBC
Anthology 1
On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2
This McCartney-led romp through Little Richard's rock 'n' roll classic was recorded in a single take during the sessions for A Hard Day's Night.
The song was originally released by Little Richard in March 1956, and was a staple of The Beatles' live set from 1957 right up to their final show in San Francisco in 1966 – the most enduring of any of their songs.
Little Richard was one of the all-time greats. The first time I heard him a friend of mine had been to Holland and brought back a 78 with Long Tall Sally on one side, and Slippin' And Slidin' on the other. It blew our heads – we'd never heard anybody sing like that in our lives and all those saxes playing like crazy.
Anthology
The group had played with Little Richard in England and Hamburg during the early 1960s, and McCartney was especially proud of his ability to mimic his hero's vocal delivery.
One of the things I didn't like about the film Backbeat is that they gave Long Tall Sally to the John character. I was not amused. I always sang that: me and Little Richard.
Anthology
Long Tall Sally was taped in the midst of the sessions for the A Hard Day's Night album. It is possible that the song was considered for inclusion in the film, possibly during the live finale, but was deemed to be surplus to requirements.
In the UK it was first released as the lead song on the Long Tall Sally EP. The US heard it two months earlier, on The Beatles' Second Album.
The Beatles included Long Tall Sally during Around The Beatles, a TV show for the ITV network filmed on 19 April 1964. The version can be found on Anthology 1.
An earlier radio version, recorded on 16 July 1963 and broadcast on 13 August, was included on Live At The BBC. The Beatles recorded six other versions of Long Tall Sally for BBC radio between 1 April 1963 and 17 July 1964.
In the studio
The Beatles recorded Long Tall Sally in a single take on 1 March 1964. Having played it so often live, they simply had no need to record it twice.
The song featured two guitar solos, the first played by John Lennon and the second by George Harrison.
During the same session, which lasted from 10am to 1.30pm, the group also completed I'm Happy Just To Dance With You and I Call Your Name.
Lyrics
I'm gonna tell Aunt Mary 'bout Uncle John
He said he had the misery but he got a lot of fun
Oh baby, yeah now baby
Woo baby, some fun tonight
I saw Uncle John with Long Tall Sally
He saw Aunt Mary coming and he ducked back in the alley
Oh, baby, yeah now baby
Woo baby, some fun tonight
Well Long Tall Sally she's built for speed
She got everything that Uncle John needs
Oh baby, yeah now baby
Woo baby, some fun tonight
Well, we're gonna have some fun tonight
Have some fun tonight
Ooh, everything's all right
Have some fun tonight
Have some fun
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We're gonna have some fun tonight
Have some fun tonight
Everything's all right
Have some fun tonight
Yeah we'll have some fun
Some fun tonight
John plays the first lead break, George the second.
Thanx mate, I was wondering that same thing!
The song is also performed on “Beatles at Hollywood Bowl”.
Elvis Presley also sang this song–but his interpretation has definitley not the same freshness nor charm as Little Richard’s or Paul McCartney’s.
The Beatles version of Long Tall Sally is simply amazing, from Paul’s vocal to George’s guitar solo. The piano playing in the background is nothing to sneeze at either. And in one take too!
Did George Martin play the piano part live during the single take, or did he dub it on later?
Most likely live. There’s no mention of it being overdubbed later.
I would love to have seen the suave, urbane George Martin hammering out 12-bar rock ‘n roll piano while Paul was shrieking away doing his Little Richard impersonation!
This song plays an important role in the early history of the Beatles: It was the opening song in their legendary breakthrough set at Litherland Town Hall, December 27, 1960. Everything Little Richard has accomplished is only augmented by his connection to the first incredible flash of Beatlemania.
I read somewhere that since they only had to transcribe the lyrics off the vinyl record, some of the lyrics didn’t match those of Little Richard’s, for example, Paul sang “Well, Long Tall Sally drew pretty pictures of Everything that Uncle John did”
I don’t hear that at all.
For what it’s worth, I agree with you. He’s certainly not singing “she’s built for speed.”
The Beatles version of this song is, to me, the greatest pure rock and roll performance of all time. The energy is flippin’ incredible, absolutely everything about it is perfect.
Ringo just rocks out on this tune. love his drums. if you ever get the chance and haven’t seen it, there is a video if them playiing this song live and he is having so much fun.
There’s one note in the beginning of George’s guitar solo that to me sounds sharp — I’m guessing that the take was otherwise so perfect and rocking that they didn’t want to go for another one.
Ringo Starr rocks the songs so well ! The way he plays drums here , is one of the best rock n roll performance i ever heard in my life .
I always wondered if that was really Ringo on drums. He’s never had that style of playing before, or since. The last 30 seconds or so sounds more like Keith Moon, than anything Ringo could pull off.
Did John Lennon really play a solo in this song? Pretty good solo, based on New Music Express Awards 1965. If so, he could play guitar after all.
He was a great rhythm player and took a lot of leads throughout the Beatles’ career. “You Can’t Do That” and “Get Back” are just two of many examples. There’s no “after all” to it.
I only noticed that recently…..I was watching the awards and though they cut to George at the beginning of the break it’s obvious from his fingering that he’s not playing the solo until later.
Well done John.
Anybody who accuses the Beatles of being inferior instrumentally should be forced to listen to this song. Ringo turns in a performance equal to Rain or Tomorrow Never Knows, John plays a great guitar solo. And then there’s Paul McCartney. The man is just so extraordinary. Listen to “And I Love Her”, recorded not more than a few days before. He can go from sweetness and grace to screaming Little Richard at full volume. Later, in the Help sessions, he performed I’m Down and Yesterday back to back.
A blowout. A monster. The greatest rave up ever recorded.
A brilliant Paul McCartney vocal and all round rave up by The Beatles. First got this on E.P. in 1982. As others have said no one does Little Richard like Macca!!
Did they really play Long Tall Sally in San Francisco for the 1966 final show??
Wasn’t this replaced by I’M Down for over a year as their last song??
It was the last song of the last ever (proper) concert.
I was also surprised to read that Long Tall Sally was performed live until the last show. I read somewhere else years ago that I’m Down was specifically written to replace it as the closing song and assumed LTS was not played after it’s inclusion.
I think there is even a recording of like half of Long Tall Sally, final song from their final concert, but the tape ran out. It used to be on youtube, don’t know if it’s still there.
This is my all-time favorite Beatles rave up song. There are so many amazing things about it. I stumbled on to this website because, after all the years of blasting this song at full volume, I wanted to find out if it was actually Ringo playing the drums. So glad to find out it was. For me, the epitome of the song comes at about 1:18 leading into the 2nd instrumental break. Ringo’s timing and the way the bass and drums complement each other here is phenomenal. Interesting, in reading all the comments above, that no one said anything about McCartney’s bass playing. He’s pretty much shredding it…WHILE singing! He’s definitely one of the best melodic bass players while singing, in the world.
I just saw Backbeat again, which once again I thoroughly enjoyed. You’d think that the director/producer/whomever could have gotten that point right. Easy enough to ask Paul during the making.