Video: 'Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand Outtakes + Stereo Instrumental'

(Thursday, October 17, 1963, approximately 7:00-9:00 p.m. British Summer Time) — The Beatles recorded “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and the A-side to their fifth British single, tonight at EMI Studios in Studio 2 in London, completing the track in 17 takes.

This was the group’s first four-track recording, and the backing consisted of bass (Paul), drums (Ringo Starr), and John’s rhythm guitar on one track, George Harrison’s lead guitar on a second, and John and Paul’s live vocals on a third.

The single’s B-side, “This Boy,” would be recorded immediately afterward.

Video: 'I Want To Hold Your Hand (Remastered 2015)'

With advance orders exceeding one million copies in the United Kingdom, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” would have gone straight to the top of the British record charts on its day of release (Nov. 29, 1963) had it not been blocked by the group’s first million-seller “She Loves You,” their previous UK single, which was having a resurgence of popularity following intense media coverage of the group.

Taking two weeks to dislodge its predecessor, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” stayed at number one for five weeks and remained in the UK top 50 for 21 weeks in total.

Video: 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'

It was also the group’s first American number-one hit, released Dec. 26, 1963, and entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Jan. 18, 1964, at number 45 and starting the British Invasion of the American music industry.

In 2018, Billboard magazine named it the 48th biggest hit of all time on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, it was the second-highest-selling single of the 1960s, behind “She Loves You.”