Do You Want to Know a Secret - wikipedia Do You Want to Know a Secret `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' 1964 sheet music cover, Metric Music, New York Song by the Beatles from the album Please Please Me Released 22 March 1963 Recorded 11 February 1963, EMI Studios, London Genre Pop Length 1 : 56 Label Parlophone Songwriter ( s ) McCartney -- Lennon Producer ( s ) George Martin Audio sample `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' file help `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' Sleeve of Vee - Jay 7 '' single, released a year after the album in March 1964 Single by the Beatles from the album Introducing... the Beatles B - side `` Thank You Girl '' Released 23 March 1964 Recorded 11 February 1963, EMI Studios, London Genre Pop Length 1 : 56 Label Vee - Jay, VJ 587 Songwriter ( s ) Lennon -- McCartney Producer ( s ) George Martin The Beatles singles chronology `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '' ( 1964 ) Ca n't Buy Me Love 1964 `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' ( 1964 ) Do You Want to Know a Secret1964 `` Love Me Do '' ( 1964 ) Love Me Do 1964 `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' is a song by English rock group the Beatles from the 1963 album Please Please Me, sung by George Harrison. In the United States, it was the first top ten song to feature Harrison as a lead singer, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 1964 as a single released by Vee - Jay, VJ 587. Contents 1 Composition 2 Recording 3 Single release 4 Personnel 5 Charts and certifications 5.1 Charts 5.2 Certifications 6 The Billy J. Kramer version 6.1 Chart performance 7 Other covers 8 Notes 9 References 10 External links Composition `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '', written in autumn 1962, was primarily composed by John Lennon but credited to Lennon -- McCartney. The 1963 version by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas ( a UK no. 2 ) credited the composition to `` McCartney - Lennon ''. The song was inspired by `` I 'm Wishing '', a tune from Walt Disney 's 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which Lennon 's mother, Julia Lennon, would sing to him as a child. The first two lines of the song in Disney 's movie ( `` Want to know a secret ? Promise not to tell ? '' ) come right after the opening lyrics ( `` You 'll never know how much I really love you... You 'll never know how much I really care... '' ). McCartney has said it was a `` 50 -- 50 collaboration written to order '', i.e., for Harrison to sing, but Lennon, who always claimed the song as his own, explained in a 1980 interview that he had realized as soon as he had finished writing the song that it best suited Harrison. Recording In 1980, Lennon said that he gave `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' to Harrison to sing because `` it only had three notes and he was n't the best singer in the world '', but added `` he has improved a lot since then. '' The song was recorded as part of their marathon ten - hour recording session on 11 February 1963 along with nine other songs for Please Please Me. Harrison sang two songs on Please Please Me -- this song by Lennon -- McCartney and `` Chains '' by Goffin / King. `` Do n't Bother Me '' would be Harrison 's debut composition and appeared on the Beatles ' next UK album With The Beatles. Single release `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' was released a year later as a single by Vee - Jay in the United States on 23 March 1964, reaching the number two spot behind another Beatles song, `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '' in Billboard, reaching number three on the Cash Box chart, but reaching number one for two weeks in the chart published by the Teletheatre Research Institute. In the U.S., it was the most successful Beatles song on which Harrison sang lead vocal until `` Something '' peaked at # 1 as part of a double - sided number one hit with `` Come Together '' in 1969. Personnel George Harrison -- lead vocals, lead guitar John Lennon -- acoustic guitar, backing vocals Paul McCartney -- bass, backing vocals Ringo Starr -- drums Engineered by Norman Smith As per Ian MacDonald : Revolution in the Head Charts and certifications Charts Chart ( 1964 ) Peak position German Media Control Singles Chart 34 US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Gold 500,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone The Billy J. Kramer version `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' Single by Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas from the album Little Children B - side `` I 'll Be on My Way '' ( Lennon -- McCartney ) Released 26 April 1963 Format 45 RPM Recorded 1963 Genre Pop, beat Length 2 : 01 Label Parlophone ( UK ) Imperial ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Lennon -- McCartney Producer ( s ) George Martin Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas singles chronology `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' ( 1963 ) `` Bad to Me '' ( 1963 ) `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? '' ( 1963 ) `` Bad to Me '' ( 1963 ) The Beatles ' version was never released as a single in the UK, where a cover version by Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas ( released b / w `` I 'll Be on My Way '', Parlophone R5023, 26 April 1963 ) reached number two in the Record Retailer chart, and hit number one in the NME chart ( used by Radio Luxembourg ) and the BBC 's Pick of the Pops chart, which were more widely recognised at the time. It appeared on his album, Little Children. It reached number eight in the Irish Singles Chart. Chart performance Chart ( 1963 ) Peak position United Kingdom ( Record Retailer ) United Kingdom ( NME ) Other covers Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 1964 album The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits. The song reached the No. 1 position on Billboard in 1981 and No. 2 in the United Kingdom in a cover version by Stars on 45 as part of a medley. Notes Jump up ^ Lewisohn, Mark. The Beatles : All These Years, Volume One -- Tune In. Crown Archetype, 2013, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4000 - 8305 - 3, pp. 733 - 734 Jump up ^ Distant Melody 2007. Jump up ^ Harry, p. 209. ^ Jump up to : Sheff 2000, p. 165. Jump up ^ Miles 1997, p. 95. Jump up ^ Lewisohn, Mark. The Beatles : All These Years, Volume One -- Tune In. Crown Archetype, 2013, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4000 - 8305 - 3, p. 873 Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 24. Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 53. Jump up ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 61. Jump up ^ `` Offizielle Deutsche Charts '' ( Enter `` Beatles '' in the search box ) ( in German ). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Beatles Chart History ( Hot 100 ) '' Billboard. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ Hoffmann, Frank ( 1983 ). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950 - 1981. Metuchen, NJ & London : The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 32 -- 34. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- The Beatles -- Do You Want To Know a Secret ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 May 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Calkin 2009. Jump up ^ `` Artist Chart History Details : Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas ''. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 August 2010. Jump up ^ Rees, Lazell & Osborne 1995, p. 127. Jump up ^ Lindsay Planer. `` The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits - The Chipmunks Songs, Reviews, Credits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 27. References Calkin, Graham ( 2009 ). `` Do You Want to Know a Secret ? ''. Graham Calkin 's Beatles Pages. Retrieved 30 November 2009. Rees, Dafydd ; Lazell, Barry ; Osborne, Roger ( 1995 ). 40 Years of `` NME '' Charts ( 2nd ed. ). Pan Macmillan. ISBN 0 - 7522 - 0829 - 2. `` Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( 1937 ) ''. Distant Melody. 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2007. Harry, Bill. The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia. Lewisohn, Mark ( 1988 ). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York : Harmony Books. ISBN 0 - 517 - 57066 - 1. Miles, Barry ( 1997 ). Paul McCartney : Many Years From Now. New York : Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0 - 8050 - 5249 - 6. Sheff, David ( 2000 ). All We Are Saying : The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York : St. Martin 's Press. ISBN 0 - 312 - 25464 - 4. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Please Please Me Alan W. Pollack 's Notes on `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' Please Please Me Songs Side one `` I Saw Her Standing There '' `` Misery '' `` Anna ( Go to Him ) '' `` Chains '' `` Boys '' `` Ask Me Why '' `` Please Please Me '' Side two `` Love Me Do '' `` P.S. I Love You '' `` Baby It 's You '' `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' `` A Taste of Honey '' `` There 's a Place '' `` Twist and Shout '' Outtakes `` Tip of My Tongue '' `` Hold Me Tight '' `` Bésame Mucho '' Related articles The Beatles discography Please Please Me With the Beatles A Hard Day 's Night Beatles for Sale Help ! Rubber Soul Revolver Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band Magical Mystery Tour The Beatles ( White Album ) Yellow Submarine Abbey Road Let It Be Past Masters The Beatles singles discography UK and US ( all labels ) 1963 `` Please Please Me '' / `` Ask Me Why '' `` From Me to You '' / `` Thank You Girl '' `` She Loves You '' / `` I 'll Get You '' 1964 `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '' / `` You Ca n't Do That '' `` I Feel Fine '' / `` She 's a Woman '' 1965 `` Ticket to Ride '' / `` Yes It Is '' `` Help ! '' / `` I 'm Down '' `` We Can Work It Out '' / `` Day Tripper '' 1966 `` Paperback Writer '' / `` Rain '' `` Yellow Submarine '' / `` Eleanor Rigby '' 1967 `` Penny Lane '' / `` Strawberry Fields Forever '' `` All You Need Is Love '' / `` Baby, You 're a Rich Man '' `` Hello, Goodbye '' / `` I Am the Walrus '' 1968 `` Lady Madonna '' / `` The Inner Light '' `` Hey Jude '' / `` Revolution '' 1969 `` Get Back '' / `` Do n't Let Me Down '' `` The Ballad of John and Yoko '' / `` Old Brown Shoe '' `` Something '' / `` Come Together '' 1970 `` Let It Be '' / `` You Know My Name ( Look Up the Number ) '' 1978 `` Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends '' / `` A Day in the Life '' 1982 `` The Beatles Movie Medley '' / `` I 'm Happy Just to Dance with You '' 1995 `` Free as a Bird '' / `` Christmas Time ( Is Here Again ) '' `` Real Love '' / `` Baby 's in Black '' UK only ( Parlophone, Apple ) 1962 `` My Bonnie '' / `` The Saints '' `` Love Me Do '' / `` P.S. I Love You '' 1963 `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' / `` This Boy '' 1964 `` Ai n't She Sweet '' / `` If You Love Me, Baby '' `` A Hard Day 's Night '' / `` Things We Said Today '' 1976 `` Yesterday '' / `` I Should Have Known Better '' `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' / `` Twist and Shout '' US only ( Vee - Jay, Swan, Tollie, Capitol, Apple ) 1963 `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' / `` I Saw Her Standing There '' 1964 `` Twist and Shout '' / `` There 's a Place '' `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' / `` Thank You Girl '' `` Love Me Do '' / `` P.S. I Love You '' `` Sie liebt dich '' / `` I 'll Get You '' `` I 'll Cry Instead '' / `` I 'm Happy Just to Dance with You '' `` And I Love Her '' / `` If I Fell '' `` A Hard Day 's Night '' / `` I Should Have Known Better '' `` Matchbox '' / `` Slow Down '' 1965 `` Eight Days a Week '' / `` I Do n't Want to Spoil the Party '' `` Yesterday '' / `` Act Naturally '' 1966 `` Nowhere Man '' / `` What Goes On '' 1970 `` The Long and Winding Road '' / `` For You Blue '' 1976 `` Got to Get You into My Life '' / `` Helter Skelter '' `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` Julia '' Other countries ( Odeon, Parlophone, Apple ) 1963 `` All My Loving '' / `` This Boy '' ( Canada ) 1964 `` Komm, gib mir deine Hand / Sie liebt dich '' ( Germany ) 1966 `` Norwegian Wood ( This Bird Has Flown ) '' / `` Nowhere Man '' ( Australia ) 1968 `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` While My Guitar Gently Weeps '' ( Europe, Japan, Australia ) `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` I Will '' ( Philippines ) `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' / `` Do n't Pass Me By '' ( Sweden ) 1969 `` You 're Going to Lose That Girl '' / `` Tell Me What You See '' ( Japan ) 1970 `` Oh ! Darling '' / `` Here Comes the Sun '' ( Japan ) 1972 `` All Together Now '' / `` Hey Bulldog '' ( Europe ) 1978 `` Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends '' / `` Within You Without You '' ( Germany ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Do_You_Want_to_Know_a_Secret&oldid=808710557 '' Categories : 1960s ballads 1963 singles 1964 singles The Beatles songs Billy J. Kramer songs Pop ballads Song recordings produced by George Martin Songs written by Lennon -- McCartney Vee - Jay Records singles Songs published by Northern Songs 1963 songs Parlophone singles Imperial Records singles Hidden categories : CS1 German - language sources ( de ) EngvarB from September 2013 Articles with hAudio microformats Audio sample to be checked Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart called without song Certification Table Entry usages for United States Use dmy dates from September 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Հայերեն Italiano עברית ქართული Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Português Русский Suomi Svenska Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 4 November 2017, at 17 : 08. About Wikipedia

Question: who sings do you want to know a secret
Answer: the Beatles