With the Beatles

With the Beatles is the second studio album by the English rock the Beatles. It was recorded from July 18 - October 23, 1963 and was released on November 22, 1963 on the Parlophone label. Produced by George Martin, the album features eight original compositions (seven by Lennon-McCartney, and one by George Harrison. It was his first recorded solo composition and his first on a Beatles album) and six cover (mostly of Motown, rock-n-roll and R&B hits). The cover photograph was taken by the fashion photographer Robert Freeman and has since been mimicked by several musical groups over the years. A different cover was used for the Australian release of the album, with the displeased with.

In the United States, the album's tracks were unevenly split over the group's first two albums released on Capitol Records: Meet the Beatles! and The Beatles' Second Album. It was also released in Canada under the name ''Beatlemania! With the Beatles''. The album was ranked number 420 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003, and was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Hear Before You Die. It was voted number 275 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. It was rated the 29th greatest album in the book Paul Gambaccini Presents the Top 100 Albums. This book "canvassed a panel of experts in seven countries" to determine the greatest albums.

Recording
Unlike Please Please Me, the bulk of whose track (10 of the 14, excluding previously issued singles) were recorded in one day, With the Beatles was recorded over seven sessions across three months, from July 18 to October 23. None of its 14 tracks were issued as singles in the UK. In between sessions, as Beatlemania took off across the UK, the group were busy with radio, TV, and live performances.

Tracks
All songs written by Lennon/McCartney except where noted.

Personnel
The Beatles
 * John Lennon: lead vocals, harmony vocals, background vocals, rhythm guitar (1958 Rickenbacker 325), acoustic guitar (1962 Gibson J-160E), harmonica, hand claps; tambourine on "Don't Bother Me", nylon-string acoustic guitar on "Till There Was You", Hammond organ on "I Wanna Be Your Man"


 * Paul McCartney: lead vocals, harmony vocals, background vocals, bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1), hand claps; claves on "Don't Bother Me", piano on "Little Child"


 * George Harrison: lead vocals, harmony vocals, background vocals, lead guitar (1962 Gretsch Country Gentleman), acoustic guitar (Gibson J-160E), hand claps, nylon-string acoustic guitar (1950 Jose Ramirez DeEstudio) on "Till There Was You"


 * Ringo Starr: drums (1963 Ludwig Downbeat Black Oyster Pearl), tambourine, maracas, hand claps; lead vocals on "I Wanna Be Your Man", Arabian loose-skin bongo on "Till There Was You" and Don't Bother Me"

Production
 * Robert Freeman: cover photograph


 * George Martin: arrangements, production, and mixing; piano on "You Really Got a Hold on Me", "Not a Second Time" and "Money (That's What I Want")


 * Norman Smith: engineering and mixing

Instruments

 * Grestch Country Gentleman
 * Rickenbacker 325
 * Hofner 500/1
 * Gibson J-160E

Trivia

 * This album was released the same day that John F. Kennedy Died