Overview
Lennon wrote the song prior to the formation of the Beatles. In 1963, he gave the song to Billy J. Kramer of The Dakotas, another Liverpool band who was signed to Parlophone by George Martin. Kramer released it as the B-side of the single "Bad to Me", another Lennon–McCartney composition.
Lennon was reportedly dissatisfied with the Dakotas' arrangement of his song as well as its position as the single's B-side, so the Beatles recorded their own version. The song features George Harrison playing the Rickenbacker 360/12 guitar, offering the distinctive sound of the famous guitar to the world for the first time.
The opening guitar riff differs slightly between the mono and stereo mixes. The cowbell also starts earlier in the mono mix. It first appeared in the US on the Capitol Records release The Beatles' Second Album, appearing later in the UK on the EP Long Tall Sally.
The song's instrumental bridge is the Beatles' first attempt at ska.
The song was never added to the film A Hard Day's Night because director Richard Lester rejected it.
"I Call Your Name" was re-released in 1988 on the compilation album Past Masters.
Read more about this topic: I Call Your Name