Chains (Cookies song)


"Chains" is a song composed by the husband-and-wife songwriting team Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded by the Everly Brothers. In 1962 it was a hit for Little Eva’s backing singers, the Cookies, and later covered by English rock group the Beatles.

The Beatles' version

The single by the Cookies was a popular cover song for Liverpool bands after its release in November 1962, and was included briefly in the Beatles' live sets. They recorded it on February 11, 1963 in four takes for inclusion on their British debut, Please Please Me. Lennon played the introduction on harmonica. Music critic Ian MacDonald criticized the Beatles' performance, writing that it was "slightly out-of-tune" and "lacked spontaneity." George Harrison sings the lead vocal on the Beatles' version; and, as the fourth track from the group's first album, it represents the first time many fans heard Harrison singing lead on a commercially released song.
They played the song live on a number of BBC radio shows, including Side by Side, Here We Go and Pop Go the Beatles.

Sylvie Vartan version (in French)

The song was reworked into French under the title "Chance". The French version was recorded and released in 1963 by Sylvie Vartan.

Track listing

EP Sylvie RCA Victor 76.617

Personnel

Cookies' version

Engineered by Norman Smith

Inspiration

, the drummer with Rush, was ten years old when Chains was released. And 32 years later, he wrote of it: " I still remember the first song that galvanized me: Chains, a simple pop tune by one of those girl groups, with close harmonies syncopated over a driving shuffle. No great classic or anything, but as I listened to that song on my transistor, suddenly I understood. This changed everything."