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{{About|the Beatles song|other uses|It's Only Love (disambiguation)}} {{About|the Beatles song|other uses|It's Only Love (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2011}} {{Use British English|date=June 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2011}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox song {{Infobox song
| Name = It's Only Love | name = It's Only Love
| Artist = ] | cover = Its only love.PNG
| cover_size = 170px
| Album = ]
| Released = 6 August 1965 | caption = Sheet music cover
| track_no = 9 | alt =
| artist = ]
| Recorded = 15 June 1965<br/>], London
| released =
⚫ | Genre = ]
*{{Start date|1965|08|06|df=y}} (UK: '']'')
⚫ | Length = 1:55
*6 December 1965 (US: '']'')
⚫ | Writer = ]
| recorded = 15 June 1965
| Label = ]
| Producer = ] | studio = ], London
| Tracks = | genre = ]
⚫ | length = 1:55
⚫ | label = ]
⚫ | writer = ]
| producer = ]
}} }}
"'''It's Only Love'''" is a song written mostly by ], and credited to ]. It was first released by ] in 1965, on the '']'' album in the United Kingdom, and on the '']'' album in the United States. "'''It's Only Love'''" is a song by the English rock band ], written by ] and credited to ]. It was first released in 1965 on the '']'' album in the United Kingdom and on the '']'' album in the United States.


==Recording==
==Background and composition==
The Beatles recorded "It's Only Love" at ] in London on 15 June 1965.<ref>{{cite book|first=Mark|last=Lewisohn|title=The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962–1970|publisher=Bounty Books|location=London|year=2005|orig-year=1988|isbn=978-0-7537-2545-0|page=60}}</ref> Lennon's working title for the composition was "That's a Nice Hat". The band recorded six takes of the rhythm track, two of which were incomplete, with a line-up of 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, bass and drums.{{sfn|Winn|2008|p=325}} The high register of the acoustic guitars was created through Lennon and ] each using a ] on the neck of their instrument.{{sfn|Everett|2001|pp=303–04, 310}}
"It's Only Love" was composed with the working title, "That's a Nice Hat." Lennon had the original idea for the song and completed it with McCartney at his home in ].<ref name="Beatles Bible">{{cite web |url=http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/its-only-love/ |title=The Beatles Bible: It's Only Love |accessdate=29 November 2008}}</ref>


Lennon overdubbed his vocals onto the final take, and Harrison recorded lead guitar parts, including one with a heavy tremolo effect.{{sfn|Everett|2001|p=303}} According to musicologist ]'s description of the recording, Harrison played all three of the electric guitar parts, including one that doubles the main ] on a Rickenbacker 12-string.{{sfn|Everett|2001|pp=303–04}} Author ] cites the varied sound treatment applied to Lennon's vocals and Harrison's guitars as an example of the Beatles' increasingly experimental approach to production during the ''Help!'' period.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=159}}
In 1980 Lennon told '']'' journalist ]: "I always thought it was a lousy song. The lyrics were abysmal. I always hated that song."<ref name="Beatles Bible"/>


Take 2 of "It's Only Love" was included on the '']'' compilation in 1996, with a false start (the incomplete take 3) edited onto the beginning of the track.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Anthology 2 |title-link=Anthology 2 |last=Lewisohn |first=Mark |year=1996 |others=] |type=booklet |publisher=] |location=London |id=31796|p=11}}</ref>
In his 1997 biography '']'', McCartney said of the song: "Sometimes we didn't fight it if the lyric came out rather bland on some of those filler songs like 'It's Only Love'. If a lyric was really bad we'd edit it, but we weren't that fussy about it, because it's only a rock 'n' roll song. I mean, this is not literature."<ref name="Beatles Bible"/>


==Recording== ==Reception==
Lennon was highly critical of "It's Only Love", describing it as a "lousy song" with "abysmal lyrics".{{sfn|Everett|2001|p=303}} In MacDonald's opinion, the song is a "twee make-weight" that, while "slightly redeemed by the vigorous chorus", features the "hollowest" lyrics of Lennon's career.{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=159}}
The Beatles recorded "It's Only Love" on 15 June 1965. They recorded six takes of the rhythm track, although two of these were incomplete. Lennon overdubbed his vocals onto the final take, and ] recorded a guitar part with a tremolo effect.


Journalist ] says that although the song falls short of the high standard of Lennon's ''Help!'' track "]", his dismissal of "It's Only Love" was overly harsh and fails to do justice to its "lovely lilting melody".<ref>{{cite book|last=Hertsgaard|first=Mark|title=A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles|publisher= Pan Books|location=London|year=1996|isbn=0-330-33891-9|page=127}}</ref> In his review of ''Help!'' for ], ] considers "It's Only Love" to be one of the rare "minor numbers" on an album where Lennon dominates the songwriting with "great" contributions such as "]", the ] and "]".<ref>{{cite web|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|title=The Beatles ''Help!''|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/help!-mw0000189173 |publisher=]|access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref>
Take two of "It's Only Love" was included on '']'' in 1996, along with the incomplete third attempt.<ref name="Beatles Bible"/>


==Personnel== ==Personnel==
According to Ian MacDonald,{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=159}} except where noted:
*] &ndash; ], ]

*] &ndash; ]
*] &ndash; ], ] ] *] &ndash; ] lead vocal, 12-string{{sfn|Everett|2001|pp=303, 346}} acoustic guitar
*] &ndash; ], ] *] &ndash; bass guitar
*] &ndash; acoustic guitar,{{sfn|Everett|2001|p=303}}{{sfn|Winn|2008|p=325}} lead guitars
*] &ndash; drums, tambourine

William J. Dowlding states Lennon's instrumentation simply as "acoustic guitar, tambourine, vocal."<ref>Dowlding, William J (1989). ''Beatlesongs.'' New York: Fireside. p. 103</ref>


==Cover versions== ==Cover versions==
*The song became a chart hit in autumn 1981 when it was recorded by ]. His rendition reached number 43 on the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/it's-only-love/ |title=Official Charts Company |publisher=Official Charts Company|date=1981-10-31 |access-date=2020-03-09}}</ref>
* "It's Only Love" was recorded by ] for his 1976 album '']''
* ] covered the song on his 1981 album '']''
* ] covered the song on his 2000 album ''Tyler Hilton''
* ] covered the song on his 2001 album '']''
* ] covered the song on his 2009 album ''The Beatles''


==Notes== ==References==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Everett|first=Walter|author-link=Walter Everett (musicologist)|year=2001|title=The Beatles as Musicians: The Quarry Men Through Rubber Soul|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-19-514105-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/beatlesasmusicia00ever/page/303}}
* {{cite book |last=MacDonald |first=Ian |year=2005 |author-link=Ian MacDonald |title=Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties |edition=2nd revised |publisher=Pimlico |location=London |isbn=978-1-84413-828-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Winn |first=John C. |year=2008 |title=Way Beyond Compare: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1957–1965 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UwvYhxcBr5oC |publisher=Three Rivers Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-307-45157-6}}
{{refend}}


== External links == == External links ==
* {{Notes on|http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/iol.shtml}} * {{Notes on|http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/iol.shtml}}

⚫ {{Gary U.S. Bonds}}
{{Help! (album)}} {{Help! (album)}}


{{authority control}}

]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 11:45, 9 December 2024

This article is about the Beatles song. For other uses, see It's Only Love (disambiguation).

1965 song by the Beatles
"It's Only Love"
Sheet music cover
Song by the Beatles
Released
Recorded15 June 1965
StudioEMI, London
GenreFolk rock
Length1:55
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)George Martin

"It's Only Love" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was first released in 1965 on the Help! album in the United Kingdom and on the Rubber Soul album in the United States.

Recording

The Beatles recorded "It's Only Love" at EMI Studios in London on 15 June 1965. Lennon's working title for the composition was "That's a Nice Hat". The band recorded six takes of the rhythm track, two of which were incomplete, with a line-up of 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, bass and drums. The high register of the acoustic guitars was created through Lennon and George Harrison each using a capo on the neck of their instrument.

Lennon overdubbed his vocals onto the final take, and Harrison recorded lead guitar parts, including one with a heavy tremolo effect. According to musicologist Walter Everett's description of the recording, Harrison played all three of the electric guitar parts, including one that doubles the main riff on a Rickenbacker 12-string. Author Ian MacDonald cites the varied sound treatment applied to Lennon's vocals and Harrison's guitars as an example of the Beatles' increasingly experimental approach to production during the Help! period.

Take 2 of "It's Only Love" was included on the Anthology 2 compilation in 1996, with a false start (the incomplete take 3) edited onto the beginning of the track.

Reception

Lennon was highly critical of "It's Only Love", describing it as a "lousy song" with "abysmal lyrics". In MacDonald's opinion, the song is a "twee make-weight" that, while "slightly redeemed by the vigorous chorus", features the "hollowest" lyrics of Lennon's career.

Journalist Mark Hertsgaard says that although the song falls short of the high standard of Lennon's Help! track "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", his dismissal of "It's Only Love" was overly harsh and fails to do justice to its "lovely lilting melody". In his review of Help! for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine considers "It's Only Love" to be one of the rare "minor numbers" on an album where Lennon dominates the songwriting with "great" contributions such as "Ticket to Ride", the title track and "You're Going To Lose That Girl".

Personnel

According to Ian MacDonald, except where noted:

William J. Dowlding states Lennon's instrumentation simply as "acoustic guitar, tambourine, vocal."

Cover versions

References

  1. Lewisohn, Mark (2005) . The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions: The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962–1970. London: Bounty Books. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-7537-2545-0.
  2. ^ Winn 2008, p. 325.
  3. Everett 2001, pp. 303–04, 310.
  4. ^ Everett 2001, p. 303.
  5. Everett 2001, pp. 303–04.
  6. ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 159.
  7. Lewisohn, Mark (1996). Anthology 2 (booklet). The Beatles. London: Apple Records. p. 11. 31796.
  8. Hertsgaard, Mark (1996). A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles. London: Pan Books. p. 127. ISBN 0-330-33891-9.
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Beatles Help!". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  10. Everett 2001, pp. 303, 346.
  11. Dowlding, William J (1989). Beatlesongs. New York: Fireside. p. 103
  12. "Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. 31 October 1981. Retrieved 9 March 2020.

Sources

External links

Help!
1965 film
Songs
Side one
Side two
Non-album tracks
Outtakes
Extended play
Tours
Related articles
Categories: