Bad to Me

"Bad to Me" is a song credited to Lennon–McCartney. In late interviews, John Lennon said that he wrote it for Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas^[2] while on holiday in Spain. However, in a 1964 interview he said that he and Paul McCartney wrote it in the back of a van, declaring McCartney a contributor.^[3] Lennon's original demo of the song was released on iTunes in December 2013 on the album The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963. It became one of the first occasions a Lennon–McCartney composition made the US Top 40 recorded by an artist other than the Beatles (the first being "A World Without Love" by Peter & Gordon).

"Bad to Me"
Single by Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas
from the album Little Children
B-side	"I Call Your Name"
Released	26 July 1963 (UK) May 1964 (US)
Recorded	26 June 1963
Genre	Pop, beat
Length	2:22
Label	Parlophone R5049[1]
Songwriter(s)	Lennon–McCartney[1]
Producer(s)	George Martin[1]
Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas singles chronology
"Do You Want to Know a Secret" (1963) "Bad to Me" (1963) "I'll Keep You Satisfied" (1963)

"Bad to Me"
Song by the Beatles
from the album The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963
Released	17 December 2013
Recorded	1963
Genre	Merseybeat
Length	1:29
Label	Apple, Universal Music Group
Songwriter(s)	Lennon–McCartney

Chart performance

Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas released their recording of the song in 1963 and it became their first number 1 in the UK Singles Chart.^[1] Paul McCartney was present during the recording session at Abbey Road Studios. The single was released in the US the following year, and was a top-ten hit there, reaching number 9.^[4] In Canada "Bad To Me' reached number 12 on both the CHUM and RPM charts.^[5][6][7]

Cover versions

• Terry Black released a version of the song on his 1965 debut album, Only 16.^[8]
• Graham Parker recorded a version of the song for the 2003 album Lost Songs of Lennon & McCartney, new versions of 17 Lennon–McCartney songs that were originally released by other artists.^[9] Leif Garrett also recorded a version of the song for his self-titled debut album. Finnish rock band Hurriganes covered this song in their third album, Crazy Days.
• Recordings of "Bad to Me" as the Beatles may have performed it are available on the 1989 album by Bas Muys entitled Secret Songs: Lennon & McCartney^[10][11] and on the 1998 release It's Four You by the Australian tribute band The Beatnix.^[12]