Comments on: You’re Going To Lose That Girl

By: Tom Hartman

Tom Hartman — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 02:45:17 +0000

Unless you can find a track sheet from Martin, or a session photo saying otherwise, there is NO WAY that George is using a Strat for the solo. This is not a thin bridge pickup tone which it would be on a Strat, it has the same thick bridge pickup sound you can hear in the intro to “Roll Over Beethoven” which of course was a Gent.

For once, the visuals (in “HELP”) are correct, the solo is his Gent. I have owned two Gents and many Strats. Try it yourself…recorded it with both and let us all know what you found!

By: Mick

Mick — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 23:04:41 +0000

Absolutely thought the Same thing

By: Thomas L Chase

Thomas L Chase — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 03:57:24 +0000

‘You’re Gonna Lose That Girl’ has always been one of my favorites. I was listening to the Beatles radio channel, and I thought I heard the announcer say Lennon wrote the first version of this song when he was 16′. That would have been 1956, he was rockin’ and do wop’n…
Also, I’m pretty sure they didn’t get absolute 4 track recording until ‘Sgt. Pepper”.

By: Sam Burkes

Sam Burkes — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 22:27:01 +0000

I’m a huge fan of this song and album. Have played this song very accurately in a Tucson cover band called “The Billy Shears Band”….since we did loads of Beatles tunes in the band. I’m dying to know truthfully what guitar Lennon is playing on his quintessential rhythm track for that tune? I believe it’s his ’62 sunburst Gibson J-160E jumbo acoustic/electric, with the P-90 pickup relocated on other side of the soundhole near the bridge. It could also be that sonic blue Strat, the other of which Harrison is overdubbing that little lead solo. Any ideas from you folks would be appreciated. I used to cover it with my ’57 Strat reissue, bridge pickup, thru my Fender Super Reverb. Sounded almost exactly like John’s track. I’m probably one of the hugest Beatles fans there exists!! This blog site is great!!##

By: Is there anybody going to listen

Is there anybody going to listen — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 05:34:46 +0000

A tiny addition: even Ringo’s OG from the Abbey Road album modulates in the solo, but that was the move other Beatles added to the Ringo’s original, very simple song, to make it more variable (among other changes and additions).

By: Sam Stevens

Sam Stevens — Sat, 03 Mar 2018 02:12:43 +0000

I’d like to start off by saying I adore the Beatles and I love this song. Since everyone else here is equally fanatical it’s likely you can let me know if I am mishearing. I’ll preface this by saying part of what makes the Beatles spectacular are the slight imperfections in playing and recording so this is not a dig; merely a comment. It sounds to me like John actually starts on the wrong notes in You’re Going to Lose that Girl (just the opening line) before the instrumentation comes in (I think he does the same on Mr Moonlight too If you listen carefully) – not out of tune per se, just not the same notes as the rest of the song. Equally I think Harrison’s guitar solo may actually be played a touch sharp giving it that slightly almost live feel. I wonder if that overdub session was either rushed or the track he recorded over was slowed down/sped up fractionally in post production. Any comment on this? Anyway, it’s a great song and it’s fun what you notice after listening to a song a million times. Thank you for this site by the way it’s a phenomenal resource.

By: Is there anybody going to listen

Is there anybody going to listen — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 14:35:24 +0000

This site author says in the song introduction:
“You’re Going To Lose That Girl is notable for its key change, a rare occurrence in The Beatles’ songs. During the bridge the song shifts from E major to G major.”

The “rare occurance” of the key change is, of course not true. In fact, all three Beatles composers (sory, Ringo) used this classical music method very often in their compositions, I have counted at least 20 Beatles songs, which modulate, some songs, such as Lucy, several times inside the song!
What is true, is that by the Help lp was published, this did not happen often, but as mentioned in this thread, e.g. 1963/64 composition And I Love Her by McCartney, is a beautiful example of the key change. The C#m song modulates a half step up in the solo section, and and stays there in the last verse. Btw, an other “classical music trick” in the very end, when the cadence resolves to major, when the rest of the song is in the minor.

By: Carey

Carey — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 15:22:56 +0000

I always thought the same thing and also always wondered what McCartney’s contribution was. Also..one of my favorite songs!!!

By: Teddy Salad

Teddy Salad — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 12:45:17 +0000

Perhaps a joke, but also possible that Yoko got off on the thought of John battering Cyn.

By: Jorge

Jorge — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 02:02:43 +0000

There’s a step up on And I Love Her, last verse.

By: Dark Overlord

Dark Overlord — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 21:57:41 +0000

John didn’t have a Gretsch guitar until the Revolver sessions, where he plays it during the Paperback Writer session, I don’t know why you claim that John uses a Gretsch guitar. Also, if you listen closely, you will notice that there are 3 guitars, all electric, in the song, 2 on the backing track (one brightly strumming chords and the other hitting what seems to be power chords, my guess would be John on Fender and George on Gretsch) and George overdubbing the solo using his Fender.

By: mel williams

mel williams — Sat, 27 May 2017 10:10:06 +0000

I was at the recording of Lose that girl on 19th Feb 1965 with Micky Jones Trini Lopez drummer and Paul played the lead guitar while I stood next to him and he gave me his plectrum.However it is possible they returned to Abbey road and George covered the solo. Still interesting eh?

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 23:53:53 +0000

I don’t want to speak for William, but my impression is that he’s referring to the beats that Ringo plays with them on this particular track. I’ve always liked everything about this song, and those slightly odd bongo beats, especially in the last verse, are the cherry on top.

By: Johnny Keith

Johnny Keith — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 01:33:48 +0000

I’d say the bongos weren’t random. They were a hot item in parts of the world (San Francisco) and the band continued to broaden their musical tastes. This song was a precursor to Girl.

By: Paul MaCharmley

Paul MaCharmley — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 00:12:55 +0000

When you said John played his Grestch, do you mean his Gretsch 6120? I thought that that was only used on paperback writer. If not which Gretsch was it? Also I’m assuming George is playing the Tennessee rose.

By: Phillip manteau

Phillip manteau — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 15:46:07 +0000

It most definitely is à John’ song, with probably a bit of Paul, i guess the harmonies, and George solo as well.

By: Barry

Barry — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:49:19 +0000

I had no idea that this was co-written by Lennon and McCartney. I’ve always considered it a Lennon composition. Does anyone know how much Paul contributed to it?

By: Allan

Allan — Thu, 05 May 2016 20:32:01 +0000

Penny Lane is the only one that comes to mind for me too… I’ll try to remember to let you know if I think of any others!

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 09:21:45 +0000

Ah, OK, thanks for the re-correction! I sort of did think it modulated, but had a moment of self-doubt (I also didn’t have an instrument with me to check when I wrote my previous comment). Perhaps I’ll put that bit back in the article.

I know Penny Lane has one of those Manilow-style changes. I’m not sure of any others, though there may well be some. They certainly used it sparingly.

By: Allan

Allan — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 15:27:27 +0000

Joe, I think it is fair to talk about a key change, and the great Alan Pollack agrees:
“The home key of the song is E Major but its bridge is clearly in the remote key of G Major. There’s no flirtation or fake pass here; it’s a full-blown interlude in that second key. I call it “remote” because there is no G chord (either Major or minor) that’s native to the key of E; remember, there are four sharps in the key signature, the third of which is G#. In fact, there are no indigenous chords common between the two keys.”
http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/ygtltg.shtml

It’s not a Manilow-style step-up, and – as countdownkid said – it is pretty common for the Beatles to have a bridge in a different key. But I think the facts that (a) it’s a remote key, and (b) a clearly established one, do make this a pretty significant key-change. After that, yes, it goes back to the home key.