Act Naturally

Written by: Johnny Russell (credited as Johnny Russell - Voni Morrison)
Recorded: June 17, 1965 (Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios, London, England)
Mixed: June 19, 1965
Length: 2:27
Takes: 13

Musicians: John Lennon: rhythm guitar (1962 Gibson J160E)
Paul McCartney: backing vocals, bass guitar (1963 Hofner 500/1)
George Harrison: lead guitar (1963 Gretsch 6119 "Tennessean")
Ringo Starr: lead vocals, drums (1963 Black Oyster Pearl Ludwig)


First released: September 13, 1965 (US: Capitol 5498; b-side of "Yesterday")

Available on: (CDs in bold)

• Help!, (UK: Parlophone PMC 1255, Parlophone CDP 7 46439 2)
• Yesterday and Today, (US: Capitol (S)T 2553)
• Yesterday (EP), (UK: Parlophone GEP 8948)

History:

Written by struggling songwriter Johnny Russell in 1961, this country number was inspired when he informed his girlfriend why he'd been called to Los Angeles. His repsonse became the first two lines of the song: "They're gonna put me in the movies / They're gonna make a big star out of me." The finished lyrics, however, are a shaggy-dog tale of a jilted lover, using the movie star business merely as a lyrical hook.

Buck Owens, a noted California guitarist who'd yet to score a major hit, heard the song in 1963 through Voni Morrison, an associate who pitched it to Owens. (In return, she was given partial songwriting credit, a common practice in those days.) Buck recorded it using his patented "Bakersfield" version of rockabilly, and it's this version the Beatles decided to record for the Help!

soundtrack.
Trivia:

• This song was added to the original UK Help! soundtrack after the group realized Ringo had no lead vocal on the album. The original choice was a cover of one of engineer Norman Smith's originals, but it was shelved in order to make sure Ringo's fans would not be left out. (Smith would later have a US Top 10 hit on his own with 1972's self-penned "Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?," recorded as "Hurricane" Smith. He also scored a few hits in England, as well as producing the first two Pink Floyd albums.)
• Buck Owens had a hit all over again with this song in 1989, when he re-recorded it as a duet with Ringo (Capitol 44409).