Cover

A Hard Days Night

 Table of contents

A. Background information
The Beatles.....p.2
Members profile.......p.3-6
The 1960s......p.7-11

B. Introduction of the album

Overview......p.12
General information......p.13
Content.........p.14
Chart success.........p.15
Additional information........p.16

C. Analysis of each song

A Hard Day's Night
I Should Have Known Better
If I Fell
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
And I Love Her
Tell Me Why
Can't Buy Me Love
Any Time At All
I'll Cry Instead
Things We Said Today
When I Get Home
You Can't Do That
I'll Be Back

D. Bibliography
 The Beatles
The Beatles were a legendary four piece rock band that was formed in Liverpool, England. They burst
into popular culture in 1962 and became one of the top groups of the 1960s. The band had released a
total of thirteen studio albums, featuring songs such as Let it be, Hey Jude, Yesterday, Yellow
Submarine, Lucy in the sky with diamonds etc. The band experimented with a wide variety of musical
styles, including pop, indian, hard rock etc. The Beatles are the best-selling band in history, with
estimated sales of over 600 million records worldwide. Until now, the Beatles are still one of the most
popular and well-known bands of all time.
 Members profile
John Lennon (1940 - 1980)
John Winston Ono Lennon was an English singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beatles. He is
also regarded to be the leader of the Beatles. Lennon began his musical career at the age of 16 when
he founded the Quarrymen in 1956. Lennon met Paul McCartney at a church fete in 1957.
He then invited McCartney to join the group. The two of them formed a successful partnership. Paul
then introduced John to another guitar player, George Harrison. As the other members of the
Quarrymen faded away, the three of them formed a tight bond together and the band became the
Beatles. When Ringo joined in 1962, the puzzle was complete and the Beatles became the biggest
phenomenon that the world has ever seen.

Paul McCartney (1957present)

 James Paul McCartney was a singer and composer in The Beatles. He is regarded to be the most
musically proficient Beatle, as he has self-taught himself multiple instruments such as piano, drums,
guitar and bass. McCartney worked as a singer with the Beatles in the 1960s and also transformed
popular music into a creative and highly commercial art form. As a 21-time Grammy Award winner,
McCartney has been regarded as one of the most successful composers and performers of all time.
McCartney is also recognized as one of the most popular solo performers of all time, due to this high
sales of his recordings and attendance at his concerts.

George Harrison (1943-2001)

George Harrison was the lead guitarist of the Beatles and also a singer-songwriter of many of the
bands most memorable tracks. Often known to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Hinduism
and helped broaden the horizons of the Beatles members. Harrison taught himself the sitar, which is
an Indian instrument and even introduced it to many Western ears. Besides, by adding Indian
musical elements into their music, Harrison brought Indian instrumentation into pop music.
 Harrison's diverse musical interests took the band in many directions as his influence greatly
increased the diversity of the bands music, making the Beatles the biggest rock band in the world.

Ringo Starr (1940-present)

Richard Starkey known as Ringo Starr, is an English drummer, singer-songwriter and actor. He
gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles and thus became one of the most famous
musicians of the 1960s. Although he is the least prominent member of the band, Starr is an occasional
singer and actor with good-natured material. Moreover, Starr's creative contribution to music has
not only received praise from other drummers, but also pursued him a rich and successful career.
 The 1960s
The 1960s, as known as the Swinging Sixties, was a decade which is extremely important for the
development and society of the Britain. The 60s was considered revolutionary in many different
aspects, including music, education, gender equality etc. Within these 10 years, the bleak,
conservative city transformed into a capital full of freedom, hopes and promise.
 Music
Music was one of the biggest, defining aspects of the Sixties. During the early Sixties, groups like The
Beatles, had made revolutionary changes throughout the music industry. The band experimented
with new sounds and developed innovative pieces of music. Their music have influenced the lives of
many youngsters in Britain. For example, Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band have gave
inspiration to other musicians, such as The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones. The later albums of
the Beatles included lyrics encouraging rebellion among the youth, as seen in Revolution. As a result,
young people began to stand up for their beliefs and their individuality.

Rising status of women

The social status of women have rose throughout the 1960s. Feminism became more common in the
Sixties as more jobs are available to young women. As a result, women started moving away from her
home and learnt to become more independent. This also gave them an opportunity to pursue their
hopes and dreams beyond motherhood and marriage. In addition, gender equality has greatly
increased during the 60s, as women started having equal pay with their male co-workers.
Furthermore, women started involving in politics more rapidly, as they begin to find a vote in the
society and running of the country.
 Fashion
Fashion reflected many of the social changes of the Swinging Sixties. The mini skirt became popular
among females in the 1960s. Created by famous fashion designer Mary Quant, the miniskirt was
regarded as a free and liberating clothing, which allows women to run and jump easily.
In addition to the mini skirt, many of the other fashion designs during the 1960s used simple
geometric shapes and colours, providing a sense of femininity towards women. Thus, women were
free to wear clothing that are more playful and youthful, which seemed much more outrageous than
the decade before. Furthermore, influenced by the Hippie Movement, psychedelic prints and vibrant
colours are more often found on clothes by the late Sixties.
 Technology
Technological advancements of the Sixties have drastically changed the way people spend their
leisure time. Due to the increase in employment and profit, people started to spend more on leisure
activities. In addition, new inventions in the Sixties such as the colour television and pocket transistor
radios, allowed people to spend their free time listening to music and watching television.
Moreover, the microwave oven was invented during the 60s and have largely shortened the amount
of time women spent in the kitchen. This not only gave free time for women to enjoy themselves, but
also gave them much freedom as well. Furthermore, by the end of the decade, Neil Armstrong and
Buzz Aldrin achieved an impossible task, as they became the first men on the moon in 1969. It ended
the decade on a note of optimism and the ability to dream for something bigger and better.
 Overview
Based on the soundtrack and the title of the Beatles film, A Hard Nights Day was the third studio
album of the Beatles.The album featured 13 tracks, which were all written by John Lennon and Paul
McCartney, showcasing their talents at songwriting. A Hard Day's Night was the first Beatles album
that consist solely of original material. The album was recorded over nine days, between January and
June 1964. As they were recording their album, The Beatles fulfilled their touring and filming
commitments. The album includes the title track, along with its distinct opening chord, and the
released track "Can't Buy Me Love. Both tracks became the number one singles for the band.
 General information
i. The album
Released: 10 July 1964
Recorded: 29 January 2 June 1964
Studio: EMI Studios, London, and Path Marconi Studios, Paris
Genre: Rock, pop rock
Length: 30:13
Producer: George Martin

ii. Members
John Lennon: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambourine
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass guitar, piano, cowbell
George Harrison: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, claves
Ringo Starr: drums, cowbell, conga, tambourine
George Martin: piano
Norman Smith: bongos

iii.Tracklisting
A Hard Day's Night
I Should Have Known Better
 If I Fell
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
And I Love Her
Tell Me Why
Can't Buy Me Love
Any Time At All
I'll Cry Instead
Things We Said Today
When I Get Home
You Can't Do That
I'll Be Back

Content
A Hard Day's Night was the first Beatles album to feature original compositions, as all the songs in the album
were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. A Hard Day's Night has a large difference from the previous
albums of the Beatles. Since most of the songs in the album contains a pop sound, A Hard Days Night is
largely different from the rock and roll cover songs that the band produced before . The tracks in the album are
mostly short and peppy pop songs, which are characterised by layered vocals, catchy choruses, and powerful
harmonies. The sophisticated songs in the album gives the audiences a sense of novelty and modernness.
 Chart success
A Hard Days Night was one of the most successful albums of the Beatles.
A large number of copies were sold both in the United Kingdom and the States. In addition, the
album also topped both the UK and US single and album charts. In fact, the album had advance
orders of over 250,000 in Britain. Also, 600,000 copies of the album were sold within the United
Kingdom by the end of 1964.
The album was even more successful in the United States. Before the album was released, more than
a million advance orders were already placed in America, making it one of the fastest-selling albums
of all time. Moreover, it remain on the US Billboard album chart for 14 weeks, which is the longest
run for any album that year. Therefore, A Hard Days Night was a huge worldwide success.

Additional information
The album was the soundtrack of the Beatles film, A Hard Nights Day, which is a 1964 musical
comedy film that depicts the bustling and busy daily lives of the four piece band. The film included a
large number of the famous Beatles songs, such as If I fell, Cant buy me love, And I love you etc.
In addition, the film was a financial and critical success since it was rated as one of the great 100 film
of all time. Furthermore, the film A Hard Days Night has also brought cultural influence. The film
changed film practices, cultural attitudes, and even musical movements in remarkable ways.
 Reviews
When A Hard Days Night was first released, it became a major hit in the UK and USA, as the album
topped both the UK and US single and album charts. Moreover, the album is believed to be extremely
different from the previous Beatles albums, since it did not contain any rock and roll covers but
mostly original pop songs. In fact, A Hard Days Night was a blend of propulsive rhythms, jangly
guitars, and sing-along melodies, which makes the sound of the album intrinsically exciting and
remarkably fresh at the same time. Furthermore, many people believed that the album not only
reflected on the Beatles career, but even represented the definitive peak of Beatlemania.
 A Hard Days Night analysis
Background
Title: A Hard Days Night
Recording Date: April 16, 1964
Genre: pop rock
Length: 2:32
Key: G Major
Meter: 4/4
Songwriter: LennonMcCartney
Producer: George Martin
Form: Intro | Verse | Verse | Bridge | Verse| Verse (solo) | Bridge | Verse | Outro (fade-out)
Introduction
A Hard Days Night is the title track of the album and the Beatles movie. Lennon wrote the song
along with from Paul McCartney by request of the producer of the Beatles first film. The film was
renamed A Hard Days Night, changed from the original title, Beatlemania. In addition, the song also
became a major hit when it was first released, as it topped the charts in both the United Kingdom and
United States when it was released as a single.

A Hard Day's Night lyrics

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright

You know I work all day to get you money to buy you things
And it's worth it just to hear you say you're going to give me everything
So why on earth should I moan, cos when I get you alone
You know I feel OK

When I'm home everything seems to be right

When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah
 It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright owww

So why on earth should I moan, cos when I get you alone

You know I feel OK

When I'm home everything seems to be right

When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright
You know I feel alright
You know I feel alright

Musical features
i. Style
A fusion between traditional blues elements and the Beatles' own trademarks.
A straightforward song that contains an energetic harmony and an innovative arrangement.
The rhythmic resources makes a strong contribution.

ii. Structure
The song form is AABA/BA
Both the first and third As have the same lyrics.
This repetition is needed as only the first verse contains the title.
The primary bridge repeats once, but verse 1 and the title repeats a total of three times.

iii. Melody and harmony

The song is in G Major, though the bridge contains a short, week excursion to the key b minor.
The verse emphasizes on the bluesy melodic flat seventh.
 The verse contains a large number of different rhythmic values.
There are many long notes which jut out of the tune on an irregular basis.

iv. Arrangement
The high level of fuzziness created a wall of sound for the song.
The unvaried drumming style also created this kind of effect.
The drums and cymbals creates an overpowering effect.
These effects created a new exotic texture throughout the song.

Walkthrough of the song

i. Intro
The song starts with an opening chord which sounded like clang. This creates a sudden attack, which grabs
peoples attention and allows them to notice the catchiness of the song. Then, a long pause follows the opening
chord so as to let the others know when to come in. Through a change of pace, a sense of rising expectation is
created as well.

ii. Verse
The verses are 12 measures long and built out of 3 phrases which are equal in length, forming an AAB pattern.
The stress and sustained duration given to the melodic F-natural, created a closed and static harmony
throughout the verse.

iii. Bridge
The bridge is eight measures long and built out of two phrases, which are equal and parallel in melodic shape.
In order to create some variations, both bridges have some minor differences. In the end of the first bridge,
Paul's solo returned to John's vocal with no overlapping. However, in the repeat of the bridge, John created a
small overlap by coming in a beat or so early. This created variation throughout the song.
iv. Solo
The solo contains a melodic bluesy melody. The nervous and frequent changes of rhythmic values creates a
spasmodic feeling.

v. Outro
The outro starts of with a the fade-out by the lead guitar, but then ends off with the same chord of the
beginning of the song. This effect not only created a sense of suspense, which is similar to the opening, but also
provided some unity to the song overall.

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July 2014. Web. 30 May 2017. <http://www.vulture.com/2014/07/10-ways-a-hard-days-night-changed-the-
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