Chains (song)

"Chains" is a song composed by the Brill Building husband-and-wife songwriting team Gerry Goffin and Carole King and was a major hit for Little Eva’s backing singers, The Cookies (#17 U.S. Pop, #7 R&B),^[1] and later covered by The Beatles.

The Beatles' version

The single by the Cookies was a popular cover song for Liverpool bands after its release in November 1962,^[2] and was included briefly in The Beatles' live sets.^[3] They recorded it on February 11, 1963 for inclusion on their British debut, Please Please Me.^[4] Music critic Ian MacDonald criticized The Beatles' performance, writing that it was "slightly out-of-tune" and "lacked spontaneity."^[3]

Personnel

• George Harrison – lead vocal, lead guitar
• Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, bass guitar
• John Lennon – harmony vocal, rhythm guitar, harmonica
• Ringo Starr – drums
• George Martin – producer
• Norman Smith – engineer

Personnel per MacDonald^[3]

The Beatles played the song live on a number of BBC radio shows, including Side by Side, Here We Go and Pop Go the Beatles (though none of these performances were included on the 1994 compilation Live at the BBC).^[2]

Notes

References

• Harry, Bill (2000). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Revised and Updated. London: Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0-7535-0481-2. 
• Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1. 
• MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-844-13828-3.