BONUS - The Dakotas B-side "Humdinger" newly remixed by me into stereo for the first time.
Kev
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IT’S FOR YOU - PAUL McCARTNEY PIANO DEMO, TAKE 1 (1964). 2024 STEREO MIX.
A mere 18 seconds of this original piano/vocal acetate from June 1964 has ever been made publicly available, so I’ve cleaned this up and made a stereo mix. It’s short but sweet
Background Information
A few years ago, family members of late singer Cilla Black found an ultra-rare Paul McCartney recording - his original demo for her hit "It's For You," co-written by the former Beatle, who had recorded the song onto a demo disc on 3rd June 1964 calling it “Take 1” (the following day the Beatles - by this time the biggest group in the world - embarked on their first world tour with shows in Denmark, Holland, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand). Paul’s demo acetate of “It’s For You” was found in the collection of one of Cilla’s relatives in 2016 - a year after she died. She had written in her memoir "What's it All About?" - “John & Paul wrote my next single ‘It’s For You’ and Paul introduced me to the song by sending a demo disc he had made round to the London Palladium where I was appearing. Although Paul had sung the song as a waltz, my producer George Martin took a big hand in my recording of it and asked Johnny Spence to arrange it. That was some session! John & Paul joined me and George Martin - we made one track and then everyone had a go at suggesting how they thought it should be recorded. George Martin said it should be one way, John & Paul another, and I added my own suggestions, while they thought what else they could do with the composition”.
Paul played piano on Cilla's recording at EMI Studios on 2nd July 1964, just one day following the group’s return from Australia & New Zealand where they’d performed 32 concerts over 20 days. “It’s For You” - Cilla’s fourth Parlophone single - was released on 31st July 1964 and reached No.7 on the UK charts (not quite equalling her previous two singles which had both been chart toppers, ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ and ‘You’re My World’).
Simon White believed that Cilla - his paternal aunt (birth name Priscilla White) gave the disc to his late father, Cilla’s brother, in the mid 1960s. “My father was an avid record collector who took great care of his collection, and he personally created the cardboard sleeve in which this acetate has been stored in for the past 50 years”. Simon assumed the disk was his aunt Cilla’s demo of the song and took it with many other items to be valued at The Beatles Shop in Mathew Street, Liverpool. Stephen Bailey, who has managed the store for over 30 years, said they played what they thought were 21 demo discs by Cilla. “We got to the last one and, as soon as I heard it, I thought: ‘Oh God, that’s not Cilla, it’s Paul McCartney! I was shaking with excitement and speechless. Apart from a few crackles, which you get with acetates, the quality is fine. It’s a wonderful recording. I can’t think of finding anything better unless I discover there is a sixth Beatle!”.
Sir Paul was allowed to make a copy of his recording to add to his personal archive, Simon said, and in 2016 this disc sold for £18,000 (with commission = £21,060) at the Beatles Memorabilia Auction in the Paul McCartney Auditorium of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Thankfully, the auctioneers put the first 18 seconds of Paul’s demo online prior to the auction, but the remainder of the 01:58 demo has yet to be heard as the successful bidder was anonymous.
I’d say
Someday
I’m bound to give my heart away
When I do
It's for you, love…
I hope you like it - it’s for you!
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LUDWIG - THE DAKOTAS 1964 (2024 STEREO MIX)
Recorded at Studio 2, EMI Studios, circa 1964. Finally released in 2019, but only in mono. Here’s my 2024 stereo remix.
Background Information
Brian Epstein was impressed with Liverpool act William “Billy” Kramer when he supported The Beatles in 1962, but Billy's backing group, The Coasters, declined Brian's offer to turn professional. Billy, however, was keen to sign with Epstein, so with Billy needing a new backing group, The Dakotas - the first Manchester group to play The Cavern - were recommended by John Lennon & Paul McCartney as the ideal replacement for The Coasters. Brian agreed, and, unenthusiastic about signing with Epstein, their lead singer, Pete MacLaine, left to form a new group The Clan, where he continued to perform the busy Lancashire live circuit (additionally, Pete wanted to write his own songs and turned down a compensatory offer by his friends John Lennon and Paul McCartney to write songs for him). In the meantime, The Coasters found a replacement for their departing frontman Billy Kramer and carried on as Chick Graham & The Coasters.
Brian could now pair up The Dakotas with Billy (with John suggesting adding the "J" to Billy’s name as a middle initial) and this new combo Billy J. Kramer With The Dakotas turned professional and signed to Brian’s NEMS Agency. Billy had been friends with Lennon for some time, and John gave him a demo of a new song “Do You Want To Know A Secret” which Billy J. and The Dakotas perfected whilst working at The Star Club, Hamburg, where Brian had sent them for a three week slot to sharpen up their stage act. The Manchester-based group The Dakotas and Liverpudlian Kramer both signed to Parlophone under George Martin, where they were collectively christened ‘Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas’ to keep their own individual identities. George Martin produced six UK hit singles between 1963 and 1965, including two number ones, with several songs written by Lennon & McCartney (such as “Do You Want To Know A Secret”, “I’ll Keep You Satisfied”, “Bad To Me”, “From A Window”, “I Call Your Name”, “I’ll Be On My Way” and, unreleased at the time, “I’m In Love”).
Recording separately without Billy J., The Dakotas became best known for their debut hit 'The Cruel Sea' in July 1963 (retitled 'The Cruel Surf' for Liberty Records USA), but their subsequent Parlophone singles fared less well such as “Magic Carpet” 1963, written by George Martin, and “Oyeh” 1964, a group composition.
Following the death of Brian Epstein in August 1967, Billy J. split from the group, and they released a couple of flop UK singles on Page One and Philips Records before disbanding. The Dakotas reformed in 1989 and played the nostalgia circuit for the next 34 years - including a 1996 UK tour with Billy J. Kramer - but the group finally called it a day in 2023.
The instrumental song "LUDWIG", written by the group and recorded at EMI, Studio 2, around 1964, finally saw the light of day on the 2009 compilation "Billy J Kramer With The Dakotas - Do You Want To Know A Secret, The EMI Years 1963-1983". A mono mix, I have now remixed this into “1960s” stereo by separating the drums and bass from the guitars to give more clarity and fullness.
THE DAKOTAS
Mike Maxfield - Lead Guitar
Robin MacDonald - Rhythm Guitar
Ray Jones - Bass Guitar
Tony Mansfield (brother of singer Elkie Brooks) - Drums
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