The Beatles' Songwriting Legacy: Hits Penned for Other Artists
The Beatles were not only prolific in writing hits for themselves but also generously shared their songwriting talents with other musicians. Many iconic songs were penned by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr but performed by different artists under various pseudonyms. One such example is the song "I Wanna Be Your Man," written by Lennon and McCartney, which became a hit for The Rolling Stones. The Beatles later recorded their version of the song on their album "With the Beatles."
Paul McCartney's songwriting prowess extended to creating hits for other artists as well. He wrote and produced the song "Come and Get It," which became a top 10 hit for Badfinger, a band signed to The Beatles' Apple label. Despite Badfinger's success with their own songs, having a McCartney composition in their repertoire certainly didn't hurt their career.
"Bad to Me," a song written by Lennon and McCartney, was recorded by British pop singer Billy J. Kramer and topped the U.K. charts. While the song was covered by other artists, including Graham Parker, The Beatles themselves never officially recorded it. However, a John Lennon demo of the song surfaced in 2013 as part of "The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963."
Another Lennon-McCartney composition, "Love of the Loved," was recorded during The Beatles' audition sessions for Decca Records but never released by the band. Pop singer Cilla Black recorded the song and achieved a top 40 U.K. chart hit with it, showcasing the enduring appeal of The Beatles' songwriting.
As Cilla Black's career flourished, she used another Lennon-McCartney composition, "Step Inside Love," as the theme for her musical television show "Cilla." The Beatles had recorded the song during their 1968 album sessions, but it remained unreleased until its inclusion in the "Anthology 3" compilation in 1996.
Paul McCartney's solo composition "A World Without Love" became a U.K. chart-topper for the duo Peter and Gordon, despite being credited to "Lennon-McCartney." McCartney had initially deemed the song unsuitable for The Beatles, showcasing his humility and discerning songwriting standards.
In an experiment to test the song's merit without the famous songwriting credit, McCartney wrote "Woman" under the pseudonym "Bernard Webb." The song reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, proving that McCartney's songwriting talent transcended the Beatles' brand.
Folk singer Mary Hopkin's rendition of the Lennon-McCartney song "Goodbye" soared up the charts in 1969 but fell short of the number one spot on the U.K. singles chart, occupied by another Lennon-McCartney single, "Get Back." The enduring popularity of The Beatles' song catalog continues to captivate audiences worldwide.