18 December 1964
Our first actual Beatles music video! The literal-minded treatment for ‘I Feel Fine’ is to have the lads mime the song with some gym equipment. John and Paul are try-hard larkish. George looks uncomfortable and chances singing into a punchbag like a microphone. Naturally, Ringo as the coolest Beatle—fact—steals the show.
I dwell on the video because the track isn’t one of The Beatles’ best. The modern opening burst of artfully found feedback gives way to an old-sounding US country-rock number with vibes of Ray Charles’ ‘What I’d Say’ and a retrograde Merseybeat mop-top mid-section about how “she’s my little girl”. I can’t shake the suspicion that ‘I Feel Fine’ is a catchy riff for which the lads felt obliged to contrive a pro forma Beatles hit.
