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"Matchbox" is a rockabilly song credited to Carl Perkins and first recorded by the artist at Sun Records in 1957. It is one of Perkins' best-known recordings, although it gained additional notoriety through the wealth of cover versions that followed, notably the cover by The Beatles.
Although credited to Perkins, as was the case with many early rock and roll recordings, it was in fact a rewritten version of a previously-existing song that can trace its origins to a traditional blues number originally recorded in 1927. This was performed by artists ranging from Leadbelly to Blind Lemon Jefferson, and was substantially rewritten by Perkins when he came to record his own version in 1957.
[edit] The Beatles
The Beatles, being fans of Perkins, began performing the song circa 1961. Their then-drummer, Pete Best, performed the lead vocals, but no studio recording featuring Best doing the song is known to exist. In 1962, John Lennon sang the song during a performance at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; a recording of this exists and was included on Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962.
The next year, The Beatles performed "Matchbox" with Ringo Starr on lead vocals for their BBC radio show, and this version would be included on the Live at the BBC album. Starr also got to sing lead vocals on it when it was recorded in 1964. There are suggestions that Perkins may have been present in the studio at that time. As was usually the case, all instruments on the song are played by The Beatles themselves, with the exception of the piano, which was played by producer George Martin. It appeared on the Long Tall Sally EP in the United Kingdom and the Something New album in the United States, and was also the B-side of the American "Slow Down" single, released on 24 August 1964, which reached no. 17 in the charts.
This song is possibly the only Beatles song to have had three different lead vocalists for their renditions of it.
Numerous other artists have recorded their own versions of "Matchbox", including Ronnie Hawkins and Jerry Lee Lewis.
| The Beatles |
| Singles (UK - Parlophone, Apple Records) |
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1962: Love Me Do | 1963: Please Please Me, From Me to You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand | 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I Feel Fine | 1965: Ticket to Ride, Help!, Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out | 1966: Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine | 1967: Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye | 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude | 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together | 1970: Let It Be
1976: Yesterday, Back in the USSR | 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With A Little Help From My Friends | 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley, Love Me Do (reissue) | 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird | 1996: Real Love
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| B-sides |
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1962: P.S. I Love You | 1963: Ask Me Why, Thank You Girl, I'll Get You, This Boy | 1964: You Can't Do That, Things We Said Today, She's a Woman | 1965: Yes It Is, I'm Down | 1966: Rain | 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus | 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution | 1969: Old Brown Shoe | 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number)
1976: I Should Have Known Better, Twist and Shout | 1978: A Day in the Life | 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, P.S. I Love You (reissue) | 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, Christmas Time (Is Here Again) | 1996: Baby's in Black
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| Singles (U.S. - Capitol Records, Apple Records) |
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1963: I Want to Hold Your Hand | 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I'll Cry Instead, And I Love Her, Matchbox, I Feel Fine | 1965: Eight Days a Week, Ticket to Ride, Help!, Yesterday, We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper | 1966: Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine | 1967: Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye | 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude | 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together | 1970: Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road
1976: Got to Get You into My Life, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da | 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With A Little Help From My Friends | 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley | 1986: Twist and Shout | 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird | 1996: Real Love
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| B-sides |
|
1963: I Saw Her Standing There | 1964: You Can't Do That, I Should Have Known Better, I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, If I Fell, Slow Down, She's a Woman | 1965: I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, Yes It Is, I'm Down, Act Naturally | 1966: What Goes On, Rain | 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus | 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution | 1969: Old Brown Shoe | 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number), For You Blue
1976: Helter Skelter, Julia | 1978: A Day in the Life | 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You | 1986: There's a Place | 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, I Saw Her Standing There / This Boy / Christmas Time (Is Here Again) | 1996: Baby's in Black / Yellow Submarine / Here, There and Everywhere
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