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"Hold My Hand"
Hold My Hand and Number One
Hold_My_Hand_(Remastered_2009)
From top to bottom: US picture sleeve, Hold My Hand on Meet the Rutles

B-side

This Goy (UK)
Number One (US)

Released

29 November 1963 (UK)
26 December 1963 (US)

Recorded

17 October 1963

Genre

Rock and Roll

Label

Parlourphone R 5084 (UK)
Capatol 5112 (US)

Songwriter(s)

Nasty-McQuickly

Producer(s)

Archie Macaw

Last single

Baby Let Me Be (1963)

Next single

Can't Buy Me Lunch (1964) (UK)
Number One (1964) (US)

"Hold My Hand" is a single released by The Rutles that was included on their second album, Meet the Rutles. Written by Ron Nasty and Dirk McQuickly, and recorded on 17 October 1963, it was the first Rutles record to be made using four-track equipment. With advance orders exceeding one million copies in the United Kingdom, "Hold My Hand" would have gone straight to the top of the British record charts on its day of release (29 November 1963) had it not been blocked by the group's first million-seller "Number One", which was having a resurgence of popularity following intense media coverage of the group. Taking two weeks to dislodge its predecessor, "Hold My Hand" stayed at number one for five weeks and remained in the UK top 50 for 21 weeks in total.

Rutles performing 1964

The performance on the Ed Sullivan Show

It was also the group's first American number-one hit, entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 18 January 1964 at number 45 and starting the British Invasion of the American music industry. By 1 February it topped the Hot 100, and stayed there for seven weeks before being replaced by "Number One". It remained on the Billboard chart for 15 weeks. "Hold My Hand" became the Rutles' best-selling single worldwide, selling more than 12 million copies.

See Also[]

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