"Boys"
Please Please Me
In March 1963, George Martin oversaw the recording of the Beatles’ debut album, Please Please Me, which was completed in a single, intense session at Abbey Road Studios. Martin later described the process as essentially recording their stage act live, preserving the immediacy of their music with few overdubs. The album combined original songs by Lennon and McCartney, like the lively “I Saw Her Standing There” and the gentle “Do You Want to Know a Secret,” alongside covers of American rock and R&B tracks. Most notably, their take on the Isley Brothers’ “Twist and Shout,” recorded last to protect Lennon’s strained voice, became a standout track and a landmark moment for British rock music. Released in Britain on March 22, 1963, Please Please Me quickly climbed the charts, reaching number one by early May and holding that spot for a remarkable thirty weeks—the longest run at the top for any album during the 1960s. It was only pushed off the throne in December by their own follow-up album, With the Beatles.
“Boys”
Please Please Me featured several songs that had long been staples of the Beatles’ live performances, including the song “Boys.” by the Shirelles. In their early days, many of the Beatles’ songs were covers of American artists, reflecting the strong influence of U.S. rock and R&B on their developing sound. The band had regularly performed “Boys” during their sets at the Cavern Club, with Pete Best handling lead vocals before Ringo Starr joined as their drummer. Once Ringo replaced Best in August 1962, he quickly made the song his own signature number. Having already played “Boys” frequently with his previous band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Ringo continued to perform it without altering the lyrics, even though they were originally written from a female perspective. Paul McCartney later remarked on this, saying, “The Shirelles were girls, but we never felt the need to change the title just because Ringo was a guy.” Over time, “Boys” became closely associated with Ringo’s energetic stage presence, and his spirited performances consistently thrilled fans.
The song itself was originally recorded by The Shirelles, a groundbreaking Black American female vocal group formed in 1958. They gained national attention with their first number-one hit, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” which topped the U.S. charts in January 1961. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” was penned by the celebrated songwriting duo Gerry Goffin and Carole King, who also wrote “Chains,” another track later covered by the Beatles. The B-side of the “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” single featured “Boys,” written by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell—two prolific American songwriters and producers responsible for hits by artists ranging from Elvis Presley to the Jackson Five and David Cassidy. “Boys” quickly became a favorite among Liverpool’s Merseybeat groups, symbolizing the transatlantic musical exchange that shaped the early British rock scene.
Musical Elements
The Shirelles’ original version of “Boys” was a moderately paced song featuring piano accompaniment and a saxophone chorus, however, The Beatles adapted it into a more energetic rock and roll performance. George Harrison’s guitar solo, influenced by his admiration for gui Chet Atkins, added a distinctive element. John Lennon and Paul McCartney provided a steady rhythm section of guitar and bass respectively, while Ringo Starr sang lead and played drums.
“Boys” was recorded in just one take and holds the distinction of being the very first recorded Beatles song featuring Ringo’s lead vocals. Interestingly, although Ringo was often praised for his metronomic drumming, a close listen reveals a subtle tempo shift: the song starts around 150 beats per minute and slows slightly to about 140 bpm by the end. This slight variation adds a natural, live feel to the recording, which has been averaged at roughly 142 bpm for this study.
The song follows the 12-bar blues structure, a common and influential form in American music. This format consists of three lines in an AAB pattern, each spanning four bars, for a total of twelve bars. The chord progression revolves around the I, IV, and V chords of the key, repeated in a cycle.
The 12-bar blues originated in African American communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a fundamental framework for expressing emotion and storytelling. It provided a flexible but recognizable musical template that became central to the development of the blues genre. This structure’s simplicity and directness made it adaptable across a variety of styles, from Delta and Chicago blues to rhythm and blues (R&B).
As blues evolved into early rock and roll during the 1950s, the 12-bar blues form was adopted and popularized by R&B and rock and roll artists such as Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Little Richard. Their recordings helped carry this tradition into a wider popular music context, shaping the sound and structure of rock music.
The chord progression used in “Boys” can be summarized as:
A: I - I - I - I
A: IV - IV - I - I
B: V - IV - I - I
By the early 1960s, this form had become a cornerstone of the British rock scene, especially within the Merseybeat movement. Bands like the Beatles incorporated the 12-bar blues structure to blend American rhythm and blues with British pop sensibilities. This fusion gave their music an energetic yet accessible quality, helping define the sound that would soon reach global audiences. The Beatles’ rendition of “Boys” is a good example of the Merseybeat style that characterized much of their early sound. In this analysis, we will focus on the groove used in the chorus of “Boys,” occurring around 0:47 in the recording.