(To download on a mac, Option Click on the Download link)
Original version recorded October 17 1963
Ukulele Version recorded – June 2011
Mark Avis : Vocal
David Barratt: Ukulele & everything else
Produced by David Barratt at The Abattoir Of Good Taste from an original recording by Mark.
Written and credited to Lennon & McCartney
ABOUT THE SONG
In October 1963 legendary baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax became even more legendary when set a World Series record by striking out 15 New York Yankees in a 5-2 victory in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium.
A couple of weeks later The Beatles had an equally productive day at the office when they recorded "This Boy", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", the group’s first fan club Christmas single, and a version of "You Really Got A Hold On Me".
This makes me feel very lazy indeed.
“This Boy” was an attempt by John at writing a song in the style of Smokey Robinson,specifically "I’ve Been Good To You", which has similar circular doo-wop chord changes, melody and arrangement. Paul cites The Teddy Bears 1959 hit "To Know Him Is To Love Him" as also being influential. Lennon, McCartney, and George Harrison join together to sing an intricate three-part harmony in the verses and refrain (originally the middle eight was conceived as a guitar solo, but altered during the recording process) and a similar song writing technique is exercised in later Beatles songs, such as "Yes It Is" and "Because".
An instrumental version of “This Boy” was used in A Hard Day’s Night. The piece, under the title, "Ringo’s Theme (This Boy).
This Boy never refers to a she, although it’s clearly implied. The "(Ringo’s Theme)" part of the title is a clue. I think the song is a disguised adolescent dig at Pete Best. The lyrics are directed from Pete Best’s point of view begging the Beatles to give him a second chance, that Ringo was bad for them. So Pete is actually "This Boy", Ringo is "That Boy", and the implied girl in the song is "The Beatles". But the song lyrics are written in enough of a general way to also pass as a love song, and that’s the clever part of it.
The ukulele version is performed by a singer who was the leader of the first musical project I was ever involved with.
It was in around 1974. We were attending the now closed Mayesbrook Comprehensive. Mark could play guitar and sing which made him the de-facto leader of the band. One of the first songs he brought to us was “This Boy.” I’m not sure if I would have ended up having what could be loosely described as a career in music had I not caught the bug during those early rehearsals.
Thank you Mark… I think.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
I was born in East London and moved to Dagenham during Primary School. At Mayesbrook Comprehensive school, I got together with a group of like minded individuals, including one David Barratt and the long lost Billy Osborne to play music, usually in someone’s living room or in the school “music room” where we were supported by the music teacher who came up with the name Tonic (it was the 70s after all) for the short lived “group”.
I remember sitting working out the chords to “This Boy” in about 1974 on the steps of that music room.
Into the diaspora to which all right thinking Dagenites eventually go, I worked at various jobs – Tesco, a left wing organisation and a paint factory most notably, until settling on being a Primary teacher.
Having held various posts in teaching, including Headteacher, I am now the Deputy Head of the fantastic Ash Grove Primary School in Macclesfield.
I sing and play guitar at home to my wife Dwynwen and my kids, Alis and Tomos (Alis is becoming an efficient uke player) and for the kids in my school. I was honoured to be asked to contribute to TBCOU
