Boys

Please Please Me, Track 5, 1963

Written by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell and first recorded by the Shirelles as the b-side to their single "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," which happens to be my favorite Shirelles song. Another song only recorded because The Beatles loved the original, and the first sung by Ringo. Obligatory Wiki Link

I mean, this is just so bizarre, because the gender-roles have been reversed in the lyrics, but the title and tag line "Well, I talk about boys/what a bottle of joys" have not. The line wouldn't rhyme if the lyric was changed, but the meaning and sexuality of the song is disconcerting coming out of Ringo's mouth.

Nonetheless, I love:

• The unbelievably shrill first "bob-shoo-wop"
• Build-up in the drums before Ringo begins singing, and drop of while he is, indicating that he was drumming and singing simultaneuously. (I have no evidence to back up this statement)
• "Alright, George!" Something Ringo does for most of his early recordings, a reminent of his time in the Hurricanes, and not a characteristics I ever considered very "Beatle-y"
• There's just a slight indication of a woman's voice saying "John!" at the end of the song.
  

I find it hard to get over the weirdness of Ringo singing about the thrills of boys, but bop-shoo-wops are always good. Just the fact that The Beatles (and their producers) were willing to record this is very endearing and again points to the naivete of the band, when it comes to "marketable" music.

As far as the woman's voice goes, I hear it in the background while Ringo is "oooh-ing" after the last verse and just before the outro. I like to think she's saying "John!" (as I mentioned above), but it's just a sound that's a little bit out of place and it could just be anything.