Source: the beatlesebook.com - Always in the frame of mind to try something new, The Beatles returned to the recording studio in June of 1965 after a month break to record their first ever fully-acoustic song.
This time around, however, no bass guitar is played at all. Instead, Paul himself joins them on acoustic guitar and, with Ringo on brushed snare drum and maracas, the song “I’ve Just Seen A Face” becomes “The Beatles Unplugged” for the very first time.
Songwriting History
“That’s Paul,” was the statement from John Lennon in 1980 when asked about the authorship of “I’ve Just Seen A Face.” Paul agrees: “I think of this as totally by me.”
“It was slightly country and western from my point of view,” Paul stated. “It was faster, though, it was a strange uptempo thing. I was quite pleased with it. The lyric works: it keeps dragging you forward, it keeps pulling you to the next line, there’s an insistent quality to it that I liked.”
It is a known fact that Paul had been dabbling at writing and performing songs on the keyboards for many years. This is evidenced by his performing a piano rendition of “When I’m Sixty Four” during The Beatles Hamburg shows whenever the electricity went out. And that song was said to have been written when he was “about 15,” dating it either in 1957 or 1958. This being the case, the melody to “I’ve Just Seen A Face” could possibly date back that far as well.
The song was written at 57 Wimpole Street in London. This was the residence of the Asher family where Paul lived during his long courtship with their daughter Jane. Since Lennon/McCartney songwriting didn’t occur here until the latter months of 1963, the lyrics and final conception of the song couldn’t have happened until after this time. Being that the lyrics to this song seem to be talking about his love for Jane Asher, this all seems to fit together.
Both the mono and stereo mix of “I’ve Just Seen A Face” were made on June 18th, 1965 in the control room of EMI Studio Two by George Martin and engineers Norman Smith and Phil McDonald. The mono mix unintentionally includes a voice at the very end of the song as the final chord fades away, which probably was due to an engineer not turning down the faders to the other tracks during the mixing session. The stereo mix, however, does not include this voice so it was probably noticed during the mono mix, although they never went back to correct it.
It was slightly country and western from my point of view. It was faster, though, it was a strange uptempo thing. I was quite pleased with it. The lyric works: it keeps dragging you forward, it keeps pulling you to the next line, there's an insistent quality to it that I liked. (paul)
In “I’ve Just Seen A Face,” they appear to have outdone themselves. Country and Western, Bluegrass, Folk, Blues and Pop music ingredients are melded together here within a fast 4/4 time signature that makes your pulse race.
McCartney returns to the use of a refrain (“falling, yes I am falling…”) like his similarly structured “All My Loving” from 1963, although the similarities to this song pretty much end there. The basic structure this time around consists of ‘verse/ verse/ refrain/ verse/ refrain/ verse (solo)/ refrain/ verse/ refrain/ refrain/ refrain’ (or aababababbb). Adding to this a compelling lengthy introduction and a suitable conclusion, we’re treated to a breathless two-minute-and-four-second roller-coaster
