File:The Beatles - What You're Doing and No Reply Sessions (29-30 Sep. and 26 Oct. 1964)

29-30 September and 26 October 1964. Abbey Road Studio. Beatles For Sale Sessions 1964.

What You're Doing was recorded over three days at Abbey Road. The first session took place on 29 September 1964, at which The Beatles taped seven takes of the rhythm track. They recorded another five attempts the following day. At this stage the instrumental break was an octave higher, and there was a brief pause before the coda. The song was eventually completed on 26 October; the final song to be finished on the final day's recording for Beatles For Sale. Seven takes were recorded, only three of which were complete. Take 19, the final attempt, was the one used for the album.

The Beatles - with Starr - recorded No Reply properly on 30 September 1964, with piano played by George Martin. They perfected it in eight takes, the last of which was used on Beatles For Sale. For take five, the group tried repeating the middle section, extending the song from 2'14" to 3'17". However, they dropped this idea in the final version. Take two of No Reply was also released on Anthology 1. As in the demo version, The Beatles had trouble recording the song without deliberately messing up the lyrics ("You walked hand in hand with another plank in my place"). It also repeated the first verse towards the end of the song, in place of the one beginning "I tried to telephone".

Track Listing: 01. What You're Doing (Take 5) [00:00] 02. What You're Doing (Take 11) [00:18] 03. No Reply (Take 1) [Excerpt] [02:16] 04. No Reply (Take 2) [Excerpt] [02:42]