[2] The writer of the song, Mitch Murray,[1] offered it to Adam Faith and to Brian Poole but was turned down.

[3] George Martin of EMI, who felt the song had enormous hit potential, decided to pick it up for the new group he was producing, the Beatles, as the A-side of their first single.

The group was initially opposed to recording it, feeling that it did not fit their sound, but worked out changes from Murray's demo-disc version, which included a new introduction, vocal harmony, an instrumental interlude, small lyric changes and removal of the half-step modulation for the last verse.

After the group had issued several chart singles in North America, the track was reissued in the summer of 1964.

[10] Cash Box described it as a "bright jumper...that's sure to get chart action right off the bat" and also as "a charming, teen-angled stomp-atwist'er...that the outfit knocks out in very commercial solo vocal and combo instrumental manner.

"[11][12] In their native UK, the single reached number one in the charts, staying there for three weeks in total.