{"id":180421223,"date":"2025-12-01T17:09:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T17:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/2025\/12\/01\/a-taste-of-honey-how-a-show-tune-found-its-way-into-the-beatles-early-repertoire-%f0%9f%8e%b5\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T18:24:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T22:24:04","slug":"a-taste-of-honey-how-a-show-tune-found-its-way-into-the-beatles-early-repertoire-%f0%9f%8e%b5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weberbooks.com\/kindle\/2025\/12\/01\/a-taste-of-honey-how-a-show-tune-found-its-way-into-the-beatles-early-repertoire-%f0%9f%8e%b5\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d: How a Show Tune Found Its Way into the Beatles\u2019 Early Repertoire 🎵"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul McCartney fought John Lennon to include this sentimental ballad on “Please Please Me”\u2014then Herb Alpert made it a four-Grammy-winning smash that outsold everyone<\/h2>

When the Beatles<\/strong> recorded their debut album Please Please Me<\/em> in a marathon one-day session on February 11, 1963, they included a surprising choice among the raw rock energy of \u201cTwist and Shout\u201d and \u201cI Saw Her Standing There\u201d: a gentle, sentimental ballad called \u201cA Taste of Honey.\u201d<\/strong> For a band building its reputation on electrifying performances and youthful rebellion, this delicate show tune seemed oddly out of place\u2014yet it revealed something essential about Paul McCartney\u2019s <\/strong>musical instincts and the Beatles\u2019 desire to demonstrate their versatility as they fought to establish themselves.<\/p>

The song\u2019s origin story begins far from Liverpool\u2019s Cavern Club. \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d was written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow as an instrumental theme for the 1960 Broadway production of Shelagh Delaney\u2019s 1958 British play of the same name, which was adapted into a film in 1961 starring Rita Tushingham. The original instrumental won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Theme<\/strong> in 1963, and the haunting melody quickly attracted attention from artists across multiple genres. 🎭<\/p>

The first vocal version came from an unexpected source: Billy Dee Williams (yes, the future Lando Calrissian) recorded it in 1961 for his album Let\u2019s Misbehave<\/em>, having appeared in a Broadway production of A Taste of Honey<\/em>. But the version that caught Paul McCartney\u2019s ear was recorded by American pop singer Lenny Welch in September 1962. Welch\u2019s vocal arrangement transformed the instrumental into a tender romantic ballad, and McCartney\u2014always drawn to sentimental, melodic material\u2014was captivated.<\/p>

This was pure Paul. According to Mark Lewisohn\u2019s exhaustive research, John Lennon resisted the song vehemently<\/strong>, arguing it was too soft and not the sort of material the Beatles should showcase. The disagreement became a sustained point of contention between them. When confronted with John\u2019s opposition, Paul defended \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d as simply another entry in the vein of show tunes like \u201cTill There Was You,\u201d \u201cOver the Rainbow,\u201d and \u201cWooden Heart\u201d\u2014all of which proved popular with audiences. McCartney even introduced it on a BBC session as \u201ca lovely tune, great favorite of me Auntie Gin\u2019s,\u201d signaling his affection for its wholesomeness and old-fashioned sentimentality<\/strong>. 💚<\/p>

The song\u2019s appeal to McCartney fits a clear pattern in his musical preferences. Throughout his career, Paul demonstrated a penchant for theatrical material, Broadway-style melodies, and songs that his mother\u2019s generation might have enjoyed. Where John gravitated toward raw rock and roll and edgy material, Paul appreciated sophisticated chord progressions, lush arrangements, and emotional directness. \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d sits comfortably alongside \u201cBesame Mucho\u201d and \u201cTill There Was You\u201d as evidence of McCartney\u2019s broader musical palette\u2014one that would later produce everything from \u201cYesterday\u201d to \u201cWhen I\u2019m Sixty-Four.\u201d Just the sort of tunes that Lennon called \u201cgranny music.\u201d<\/p>

A Different Kind of Song<\/h2>

The Beatles performed \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d live during 1962, making it one of their Hamburg nightclub standards. Paul recalled it as \u201cone of my big numbers in Hamburg\u2014a bit of a ballad. It was different, but it used to get requested a lot.\u201d The song worked particularly well in their acoustic-leaning performances, where they would sing close harmonies on the little echo mikes<\/strong> and create an intimate atmosphere that contrasted with their more raucous rock numbers. By the time they recorded it for Please Please Me<\/em>, they\u2019d thoroughly road-tested the arrangement. 🎸<\/p>

This essay continues below. Click on the title of this product to view on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.<\/strong><\/em><\/h6>

A Taste Of Honey: Live At The Star Club, Hamburg 1962<\/a><\/h1>
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When the Beatles entered EMI Studios on February 11, 1963, \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d was the first song recorded during the afternoon session. They completed five takes between 2:30 and 6:00 PM, and then\u2014following the recording of \u201cDo You Want to Know a Secret\u201d\u2014Paul returned to double-track his lead vocals. This was the only instance of double-tracking on the entire <\/strong>Please Please Me<\/strong><\/em> album<\/strong>, suggesting George Martin and the Beatles recognized something special in the vocal performance that deserved extra attention. The middle eight section, in particular, benefited from the doubled voice, adding depth and emotion to McCartney\u2019s delivery. So Paul sang lead, with John and George providing harmony backing vocals.<\/p>

The Beatles made subtle but important changes to Lenny Welch\u2019s arrangement. Most notably, they altered the chorus lyrics\u2014Welch sang \u201cA taste of honey\/A taste much sweeter than wine,\u201d<\/strong> while the Beatles dropped \u201cmuch\u201d to tighten the phrasing. They also employed a vocal technique that appeared throughout their early recordings: changing the \u201cs\u201d sound to \u201csh,\u201d so \u201csweeter\u201d became \u201cshweeter.\u201d This wasn\u2019t just an affectation\u2014it made them sound more like their American idols while also solving a technical problem called \u201cde-essing,\u201d where excessive treble could cause distortion on vinyl. Engineer Norman Smith noted this same trick on songs like \u201cI Want to Hold Your Hand\u201d (\u201dWhen I shay that shomething\u201d).<\/p>

The song\u2019s inclusion on Please Please Me<\/em> served a strategic purpose. While its sentimental tone sat uneasily<\/strong> with the raw energy of tracks like \u201cTwist and Shout,\u201d it demonstrated the Beatles\u2019 versatility at a time when they were still trying to prove they were more than just another rock and roll act. Manager Brian Epstein was positioning them as all-around entertainers who could appeal to multiple generations, and he believed a tasteful ballad would help broaden their appeal beyond teenage fans.<\/p>

The timing was also fortuitous. Acker Bilk\u2019s instrumental version had reached #16 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1963\u2014just a month before the Beatles recorded their version\u2014making the song current and recognizable to British audiences. This meant the Beatles weren\u2019t introducing an obscure American album track but rather putting their stamp on a melody that UK listeners already knew, much like they did with other covers on the album.<\/p>

In addition to performing the song before live audiences, the Beatles performed it seven times for BBC radio shows including \u201cHere We Go,\u201d \u201cSide by Side,\u201d and \u201cEasy Beat,\u201d with one BBC performance actually predating the EMI studio version. A version from their Hamburg period was later released on the 1977 album Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962<\/em>, capturing the song in its natural nightclub habitat where Paul would croon it to appreciative crowds. 🎤<\/p>

The song\u2019s influence on McCartney extended beyond the Beatles\u2019 early years. In 1967, he wrote \u201cYour Mother Should Know\u201d based on a line from the A Taste of Honey<\/em> screenplay, demonstrating how the material continued to resonate with him years after the Beatles had stopped performing it live.<\/p>

Notable Covers From a Broad Range of Performers<\/h2>

The cover history of \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d reads like a who\u2019s-who of 1960s music. Beyond the Beatles, the song attracted an astonishing array of talent. Barbra Streisand<\/strong> recorded it in January 1963 for her debut album The Barbra Streisand Album<\/em>, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Tony Bennett<\/strong> reached #94 in the US with his version in 1964, recording it with the Ralph Sharon Trio. Jazz vocalist Morgana King<\/strong> released a version that became her signature song. The Temptations<\/strong> delivered a standout R&B cover.<\/p>

But the version that eclipsed all others came from Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass<\/strong> in 1965. Alpert\u2019s instrumental arrangement appeared on the iconic album Whipped Cream & Other Delights<\/em> (famous for its provocative cover featuring model Dolores Erickson apparently nude and nestled in whipped cream). The engineer, Larry Levine, had suggested the song to Alpert when told the album would be food-themed, and it proved to be inspired advice.<\/p>

Alpert\u2019s \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d achieved what no other version had: massive commercial success combined with critical acclaim. The single spent five weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart<\/strong>, reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100<\/strong>, and hit #4 in Canada. At the 1966 Grammy Awards, it won an unprecedented four awards: Record of the Year, Best Instrumental Arrangement, Best Instrumental Performance (Non-Jazz), and Best Engineered Recording (Non-Classical). <\/strong>The album Whipped Cream & Other Delights<\/em> itself spent eight weeks at #1 on the Billboard album charts, with Alpert joining Elvis, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones as the only artists to have #1 albums in 1965. 🏆<\/p>

The distinctive sound of Alpert\u2019s version came partly by accident. His recording featured eight drum beats (played by legendary session drummer Hal Blaine) at the beginning that were supposed to be an editing cue and removed from the final version. But Alpert liked how the exposed kick drum sounded and kept it in, giving the track one of its most memorable hooks. It\u2019s that stuttering drum intro that generations of listeners have instantly recognized.<\/p>

The song\u2019s cultural impact extended even further. In 1978, a disco group named themselves A Taste of Honey<\/strong> after the song, and their debut single \u201cBoogie Oogie Oogie\u201d spent three weeks at #1, sold two million copies, and won them the Grammy for Best New Artist. The song has been recorded by approximately 200 artists internationally<\/strong>, making it one of the most covered compositions of the 1960s.<\/p>

For the Beatles, \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d represented a moment when they could indulge Paul\u2019s love of sophisticated pop standards even as John pushed for harder-edged material. It\u2019s a reminder that the Beatles\u2019 early repertoire was far more eclectic than their reputation as rock revolutionaries suggests. They were, in fact, a band that could deliver scorching rock and roll one moment and a tender show tune the next\u2014and that versatility<\/strong> would eventually allow them to experiment with everything from baroque pop to Indian music to avant-garde sound collages.<\/p>

The song may not be celebrated like \u201cTwist and Shout\u201d or \u201cPlease Please Me,\u201d but \u201cA Taste of Honey\u201d deserves recognition for what it reveals: that Paul McCartney\u2019s instinct for melody and emotion\u2014even when it meant fighting with John Lennon\u2014was already shaping the Beatles\u2019 sound. And while Herb Alpert\u2019s version would become the definitive recording, the Beatles\u2019 tender interpretation captured something special: a moment when four young men from Liverpool were still figuring out who they were, willing to try anything, and eager to prove they could master any style they decided to tackle.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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