That’ll Be The Day

Description

Learn to play – That’ll Be The Day

Written by: Allison-Holly-Petty
Recorded: 12 July 1958
Engineer: Percy F Phillips

Released: 21 November 1995

John Lennon: vocals, guitar
Paul McCartney: harmony vocals, guitar
George Harrison: guitar
John ‘Duff’ Lowe: piano
Colin Hanton: drums

Available on:
Anthology 1

This cover version of Buddy Holly’s classic song was recorded by the Quarrymen in 1958. A single 78rpm disc was pressed, making it the very first recording to feature John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

The first thing we ever recorded was That’ll Be The Day, a Buddy Holly song, and one of Paul’s called In Spite Of All The Danger.
John Lennon, 1974
Anthology
The Quarrymen’s first recording was made in the summer of 1958. A Liverpudlian man, Percy F Phillips, had a small studio in the living room of his Victorian terraced house. According to the studio log book, the budding musicians taped their performances for a fee of 17 shillings and three pence.

I remember we all went down on the bus with our instruments – amps and guitars – and the drummer went separately. We waited in the little waiting room outside while somebody else made their demo and then it was our turn. We just went in the room, hardly saw the fella because he was next door in a little control booth. ‘OK, what are you going to do?’ We ran through it very quickly, quarter of an hour, and it was all over.
Paul McCartney
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
The studio was known as Phillips Sound Recording Service. The Quarrymen’s two songs were played live into a single microphone. After the recording was pressed onto the 10-inch shellac disc, the tape was erased to save costs.

John did That’ll Be The Day, which was one of our stage numbers, and George played the opening guitar notes and I harmonised with John singing lead.
Paul McCartney
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn