3 Legendary Songs That Were Recorded in One Take

Sometimes a studio session can be a painstaking process. Many artists like to mull over every note, hoping to walk away with a song as close to perfection as possible. Others, however, prefer to be a little looser with their artistry. In the case of the three songs below, the artist responsible thought it apt to let their first take be their final. Read more about these legendary songs that were recorded in a single take.

3 Legendary Songs That Were Recorded in One Take

1. “Twist and Shout” (Beatles)

For how powerful John Lennon’s vocals are on “Twist and Shout,” it would be a marvel if he were able to do more than one take. In the end, he bottled up all that passion and let it rip on the first and final take. That instinctual recording process was the perfect move for Lennon’s near scream on this song.

“The last song nearly killed me,” Lennon once said. “My voice wasn’t the same for a long time after; every time I swallowed, it was like sandpaper. I was always bitterly ashamed of it because I could sing it better than that, but now it doesn’t bother me. You can hear that I’m just a frantic guy doing his best.”

Well, shake it up, baby, now
Twist and shout
Come on, come on, come, come on, baby, now
Come on and work it on out
Well, work it on out, honey
You know you look so good
You know you got me goin’ now
Just like you knew you would

[RELATED: The Banned Beatles Classic John Lennon Says Was Inspired by His Son’s Drawing—and Not Psychedelics]

2. “House Of The Rising Sun” (The Animals)

The Animals’ producer wasn’t sure about them recording “House Of The Rising Sun.” Of course, history tells us that to not do so would’ve been a massive missed opportunity. Nevertheless, because there wasn’t a lot of confidence behind the song, it wasn’t given much time in the studio. The band ended up recording this song in one take. It was just the ticket for this timeless track.

“‘House of the Rising Sun’ is a song that I was just fated to,” vocalist Eric Burdon once said. “It was made for me and I was made for it. It was a great song for the Chuck Berry tour, because it was a way of reaching the audience without copying Chuck Berry. It was a great trick, and it worked. It actually wasn’t only a great trick; it was a great recording.”

Oh, mothers, tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

3. “My Way” (Frank Sinatra)

True to the song’s sentiment, the recording process for “My Way” was unique. Frank Sinatra decided to treat the session like he was in the throes of a live show. The robust and confident high notes in this track were completed in one take. While this song has always been impressive, it makes it all the more so when you consider that fact.

This song would go on to be synonymous with Sinatra. It’s the perfect showcase of his presence behind the microphone: staggeringly talented and charming to boot.

Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way

(Photo by Pierluigi Praturlon/Shutterstock)