With the Beatles cover art

  Studio Album · No. 2

With the Beatles Songwriting Credits by The Beatles

1963 Parlophone 14 tracks 33 min

Produced by George Martin  ·  Engineered by Norman Smith (recording, mixing)

Parlophone MerseybeatRock and RollR&BPop
57%
Authorship
Collaborator

Holds writing credit on 8 of 14 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 8 / 14 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 14 tracks with documented writers, by whether The Beatles carries a lyricist or composer credit.

57%
8 trackswritten by The Beatles 6 tracksoutside writers
The Beatles's roles on this album

Share of the 14 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist57%
Composer57%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

14
Tracks
14
Lyricists
1
Producers
5 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1963
Released
Data Insight

With the Beatles features 8 original compositions, 7 Lennon-McCartney tracks and "Don't Bother Me" by George Harrison, his first original contribution to a Beatles record. The remaining 6 tracks are covers drawn from rock and roll and Motown R&B repertoire. Norman Smith engineered and George Martin produced, with sessions spanning July-October 1963. Lennon-McCartney wrote all originals; there were no Lennon-Harrison or McCartney-Harrison co-writes at this stage.

With the Beatles is the second studio album by The Beatles, released in November 1963 on Parlophone, arriving the same month as John F. Kennedy's assassination and during the absolute peak of early British Beatlemania, and produced by George Martin. The album continues the Lennon-McCartney-led formula of the debut, mixing eight original compositions with six covers of American R&B and Motown material including 'Money (That's What I Want)' (Berry Gordy/Janie Bradford) and 'Please Mister Postman' (William Garrett/Robert Bateman). George Harrison's debut as a Beatles composer appears here with 'Don't Bother Me', the first album track not written by Lennon or McCartney, a modest but historically significant milestone in the band's creative hierarchy. With the Beatles sold over 500,000 advance copies in the UK, a then-unprecedented figure, and was followed within months by Meet the Beatles!, which introduced the band to North America. The cover-to-original ratio would continue shifting decisively in Lennon and McCartney's favor over the next two years as their confidence as songwriters outpaced the need to rely on outside material.

Track Listing & Credits 14 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
It Won't Be Long
John LennonPaul McCartney John LennonPaul McCartney George Martin John Lennon (Lead Vocals)
2
All I've Got to Do
John LennonPaul McCartney John LennonPaul McCartney George Martin John Lennon (Lead Vocals)
3
All My Loving
John LennonPaul McCartney John LennonPaul McCartney George Martin Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals)
4
Don't Bother Me
George Harrison George Harrison George Martin George Harrison (Lead Vocals)
5
Little Child
John LennonPaul McCartney John LennonPaul McCartney George Martin John Lennon (Lead Vocals)Paul McCartney (Harmony Vocals)
6
Till There Was You
Meredith Willson Meredith Willson George Martin Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals)
7
Please Mister Postman
Georgia DobbinsWilliam GarrettFreddie GormanBrian HollandRobert Bateman Georgia DobbinsWilliam GarrettFreddie GormanBrian HollandRobert Bateman George Martin John Lennon (Lead Vocals)
8
Roll Over Beethoven
Chuck Berry Chuck Berry George Martin George Harrison (Lead Vocals)
9
Hold Me Tight
John LennonPaul McCartney John LennonPaul McCartney George Martin Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals)
10
You Really Got a Hold on Me
Smokey Robinson Smokey Robinson George Martin John Lennon (Lead Vocals)George Harrison (Harmony Vocals)
11
I Wanna Be Your Man
John LennonPaul McCartney John LennonPaul McCartney George Martin Ringo Starr (Lead Vocals)
12
Devil in Her Heart
Richard Drapkin Richard Drapkin George Martin George Harrison (Lead Vocals)
13
Not a Second Time
John LennonPaul McCartney John LennonPaul McCartney George Martin John Lennon (Lead Vocals)
14
Money (That's What I Want)
Berry GordyJanie Bradford Berry GordyJanie Bradford George Martin John Lennon (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 16 contributors

More from The Beatles

Frequently Asked Questions With the Beatles

Who wrote Don't Bother Me on With the Beatles?
"Don't Bother Me" was written solely by George Harrison, his first original composition on a Beatles album. Harrison wrote it while recovering from illness during a Scottish tour in August 1963. It remained his only sole-written contribution to a Beatles record until Revolver (1966), where he wrote three tracks including "Taxman."
How many original songs are on With the Beatles?
With the Beatles contains 8 original songs: 7 by Lennon-McCartney ("It Won't Be Long," "All I've Got to Do," "All My Loving," "Little Child," "Hold Me Tight," "I Wanna Be Your Man," and "Not a Second Time") plus "Don't Bother Me" by George Harrison. The remaining 6 tracks are cover songs drawn from rock and roll and Motown R&B.
How many copies did With the Beatles sell worldwide?
With the Beatles has sold approximately 5 million copies worldwide. In the UK, it was certified Platinum and remained at the top of the UK chart for 21 weeks, displacing Please Please Me and giving The Beatles 51 consecutive weeks at number one. In the US, the equivalent release was Meet the Beatles! on Capitol Records, which had a different track listing.
Who produced With the Beatles?
With the Beatles was produced by George Martin and engineered by Norman Smith at EMI Studios (Abbey Road) in London. Sessions ran across July, September, and October 1963. Martin and Smith worked with the same recording approach that had delivered Please Please Me earlier that year, though With the Beatles required more time due to a heavier touring schedule.
Is With the Beatles the same as Meet the Beatles?
No. With the Beatles (November 1963, UK) and Meet the Beatles! (January 1964, US) are different albums with different track listings. Capitol Records in the US routinely repackaged and altered Beatles album content for American release. With the Beatles contains 14 tracks; Meet the Beatles! contains 12, omitting several cover songs and substituting tracks differently from the UK version.
What cover songs are on With the Beatles?
With the Beatles includes 6 cover songs: "Please Mister Postman" (Marvelettes original), "Roll Over Beethoven" (Chuck Berry), "Till There Was You" (Meredith Willson, from The Music Man), "You Really Got a Hold on Me" (Smokey Robinson/Miracles), "Devil in Her Heart" (Richard Drapkin, originally by The Donays), and "Money (That's What I Want)" (Barrett Strong). These were mainly drawn from US rock and roll and Motown artists.
Did With the Beatles reach number 1 in the UK?
Yes, With the Beatles reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart immediately upon release on November 22, 1963, the same day as the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. It remained at number one for 21 weeks, displacing the band's own debut album Please Please Me and giving The Beatles 51 consecutive weeks at the top of the UK album chart.

Sources