Komm, gib mir deine Hand / Sie liebt dich

The beginning of 1964 saw the Beatles reaching international levels of fame. As they became more famous outside of Britain, they expanded their touring.[1] In January, the Beatles arrived in Paris for a 19-day residency at the Olympia Theatre,[2] supporting French singer Sylvie Vartan and American singer-guitarist Trini Lopez.[1] The German sub-label of EMI, Odeon Records, insisted with Beatles producer George Martin and manager Brian Epstein that they "should record their biggest songs in German so that they could sell more records there."[3] At that time, recording unique versions for foreign markets was a standard practice.[4] Martin recalled, "Odeon was adamant. They couldn't sell large quantities of records unless they were sung in German. I thought that if they were right we should do it. The Beatles didn't agree, but I persuaded them. Odeon sent over a translator from Cologne to coach the boys although they did know a little German from having played there."[2]

The lyrics were translated to German language by Camillo Felgen, a Luxembourger singer, lyricist and television/radio presenter,[5] upon request by EMI's German producer Otto Demler.[6] Demler also asked Felgen to fly to Paris, where the Beatles were on tour, to work on the translations, and to teach them phonetically the new lyrics of their songs during a recording session.[5] Felgen used "Jean Nicolas" as alias for his songwriting credit—his full name was Camillo Jean Nicolas Felgen.[5] Two other non-Beatles are credited, one "Lee Montague" on "Sie liebt dich", and a "Heinz Hellmer" on "Komm, gib mir deine Hand". Lee Montague is the pen-name of Lawrence “Larry” M. Yaskiel, a Londoner who worked as a Sunday-school teacher and encyclopedia salesman before becoming involved in pop music in Germany in the 1960s, working first for Deutsche Vogue, then for various production companies, and for A&M Records, before retiring to the Canary Islands.[7]

On 24 January 1964 at EMI, engineer Norman Smith made a tape-to-tape copy of the basic rhythm track of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" from take 17 of the original 17 October 1963 session. The tape traveled with Martin and Smith to Paris where they met with the Beatles.[2]

On 29 January 1964, the Beatles were due in the studio to record the German translations. Martin recalled of the day:

I fixed the session for late-morning. Norman Smith, myself, and the translator, a chap named Nicolas, all got to the studio on time, but there was no sign of the Beatles. We waited an hour before I telephoned their suite at the George V hotel. Neil Aspinall answered, "They're in bed, they've decided not to go to the studio". I went crazy—it was the first time they had refused to do anything for me. "You tell them they've got to come, otherwise I shall be so angry it isn't true! I'm coming over right now". So the German and I jumped into a taxi, we got to the hotel and I barged into their suite, to be met by this incredible sight, right out of the Mad Hatter's tea party. Jane Asher—Paul [McCartney]'s girlfriend—with her long red hair, was pouring tea from a china pot, and the others were sitting around her like March Hares. They took one look at me and exploded, like in a school room when the headmaster enters. Some dived onto the sofa and hid behind cushions, others dashed behind curtains. "You are bastards!" I screamed, to which they responded with impish little grins and roguish apologies. Within minutes we were on our way to the studio. They were right, actually. It wasn't necessary for them to record in German, but they weren't graceless, they did a good job.[2]

For their first recording session outside Abbey Road[2] and the group's only outside of the U.K.,[nb 1] the Beatles recorded the German versions of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" ("Komm, gib mir deine Hand") and "She Loves You" ("Sie liebt dich") along with McCartney's new song "Can't Buy Me Love" at EMI's Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris.[3][2]

"Komm, gib mir deine Hand" was the first song recorded. Martin produced, supported by engineers Smith and Jacques Esmenjaud. Smith recalled, "I found the studio very odd to work in, the equipment was alien to anything we were used to."[2] The original rhythm track was mixed down from four- to two-track. The Beatles overdubbed German vocals and handclaps across 11 takes,[2] as well as George Harrison's Country Gent.[9][nb 2] Takes five and seven were marked "best" and were subsequently edited together.[2] The original two-track tape of "She Loves You", recorded on 1 July 1963, had been erased after the mono master was finished. For "Sie liebt dich", the Beatles recorded a new rhythm track in 13 takes.[2][nb 3] The rhythm track distinguishes itself from the English version by Lennon's guitar; in the original he plays his Gibson Jumbo, a guitar that was later stolen during The Beatles' 1963–64 Christmas show. For "Sie liebt dich", Lennon instead plays his Capri.[11] The Beatles overdubbed German vocals in a single take.[2]

A session booked for two days later, 31 January, was cancelled after both songs were completed much earlier than anticipated.[2]

On 13 March 1964 at Abbey Road Studios, Martin and Smith made stereo mixes of "Komm, gib mir deine Hand" and "Sie liebt dich", equalizing, compressing and adding echo to the tracks. Copies of the mixes were sent to West Germany and the United States.[12] Musicologist Walter Everett notes that Lennon's compressed Capri guitar "is heard more free against the German vocals in 'Komm, Gib Mir Dine Hand'" than in the original release of "I Want to Hold Your Hand".[13]

The German single of "Komm, gib mir deine Hand"/"Sie liebt dich" was released in West Germany on 5 March 1964.[9] An American release of "Sie liebt dich" b/w "I'll Get You" followed on 21 May 1964 by Swan Records.[14][15] Everett writes the song was released in the U.S. because the public were "hungering for any Beatle product",[9] though the single only peaked at number 97 in the Billboard Hot 100.[16] Capitol Records included "Komm, gib mir deine Hand" as the closing track on the North American album Something New in July 1964,[17][18] something musicologist and writer Ian MacDonald also ascribes to Capitol being "newly anxious to exploit every last scrap of Beatles product..."[4]

Of the release, MacDonald writes, "The custom of recording special versions for foreign markets, standard practice at the time, was never afterwards bothered with by the Beatles and consequently fell into disuse. The resulting promotion of the English language around the world is one of their most substantial, and least documented achievements."[4]

"Komm, gib mir deine Hand" is featured in the 2019 Second World War film Jojo Rabbit, directed by Taika Waititi, and its soundtrack. The film's composer Michael Giacchino helped secure the rights to the song by contacting Paul McCartney, with whom he had previously worked.[19]

Komm, gib mir deine Hand

According to MacDonald and Everett:[nb 4]

• John Lennon – vocal, rhythm guitar, handclaps
• Paul McCartney – vocal, bass, handclaps
• George Harrison – harmony vocal, lead guitar, handclaps
• Ringo Starr – drums, handclaps

Sie liebt dich

According to MacDonald and Mark Lewisohn:[nb 5]

• John Lennon – vocal, rhythm guitar
• Paul McCartney – vocals, bass
• George Harrison – harmony vocal, lead guitar
• Ringo Starr – drums