Music Features
The Beatles A-Z: Act Naturally
While the Fab Four wrote some of the most memorable tunes in Rock n' Roll, they also did justice to a handful of songs by other artists. "Act Naturally" is one such example, having been written by country stars Johnny Russell and Voni Morisson, and popularized by Buck Owens, who first recorded it with his band, the Buckaroos.
The song also stands out in the Beatles catalog as it is one of the few which was sung by drummer Ringo Starr. "Act Naturally" was an early staple for the band, and they performed it most notably at their famous Shea Stadium concert in 1965, as well as during an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show that same year.
Ironically, the song was recorded on June 17, 1965 for the album Help! only after the band realized that Ringo didn't have a featured vocal on the record. Tackled in 13 takes, "Act Naturally" would be the last cover they would record until the Get Back/Let It Be sessions four years later.
The song put Starr back into the spotlight in 1989 when he collaborated with Owens, the original singer of the song, for a duet. While many artists had covered "Act Naturally," their takes remained the most well known. The Owens/Starr duet found success on the Billboard country charts, peaking at #27 and spending 11 weeks on the list overall.
Additionally, the duet earned a nomination for Vocal Event of the Year at the 1989 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, as well as a nod for Best Country Vocal Collaboration at the 1990 awards.
Watch a clip of The Beatles performing "Act Naturally" on The Ed Sullivan Show from 1965 below.
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