Its composition was an attempt by John Lennon at writing a song in the style of Motown star Smokey Robinson,specifically his song "I've Been Good To You", which has similar circular doo-wop chord changes, melody and arrangement. Paul McCartney cites The Teddy Bears 1959 hit "To Know Him Is To Love Him" as also being influential. Lennon, McCartney, and George Harrison join together to sing an intricate three-part close harmony in the verses and refrain (originally the middle eight was conceived as a guitar solo, but altered during the recording process)and a similar song writing technique is exercised in later Beatles songs, such as "Yes It Is" and "Because".
An instrumental version of "This Boy", orchestrated by George Martin, is used as the incidental music during Ringo Starr's towpath scene in the film A Hard Day's Night. The piece, under the title, "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" was released as a single - but failed to chart in the UK - on 7 August 1964 with "And I Love Her" on the B Side, although it did reach number 53 in the American Top 100 later that year. It was also included on Martin’s Parlophone album Off the Beatle Track and the EP Music From A Hard Day’s Night by the George Martin Orchestra, released 19 February 1965. It was also included on the American A Hard Day's Night soundtrack album.
The Beatles recorded "This Boy" on 17 October 1963. On the same day they recorded "I Want To Hold Your Hand", the group's first fan club Christmas single, and a version of "You Really Got A Hold On Me".
They recorded 15 takes of This Boy, followed by two overdubs. The song was recorded with a rounded ending, although it was faded out during a mixing session on 21 October.
Alternate recordings have also been officially released. A live version performed on The Morecambe and Wise Show in 1963 was released on Anthology 1 and two incomplete takes from the original recording were released as a track on the single Free as a Bird.
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