TWO MONTHS AFTER HAVING A TOP THIRTY HIT WITH "MY BONNIE", MGM RECORDS ISSUED ANOTHER 45 PAIRING TWO SONGS FROM THE BEATLES HAMBURG SESSIONS. MGM OBTAINED THE RIGHTS TO TONY SHERIDAN'S "WHY" AND THE BEATLES INSTRUMENTAL "CRY FOR A SHADOW" UNDER THE SAME LEASING AGREEMENT COVERING "MY BONNIE" AND "THE SAINTS". THE SONGS MADE THEIR AMERICAN DEBUT IN EARLY FEBRUARY 1964, ON THE MGM ALBUM "THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN AND GUESTS".

MGM'S SECOND BEATLES SINGLE WAS RELEASED ON MARCH 27, 1964. ALTHOUGH BILLBOARD CHARTED "WHY" FOR ONE WEEK AT NUMBER 88 IN ITS APRIL 18TH ISSUE, BOTH CASH BOX AND RECORD WORLD IGNORED THE SONG. AN ARTICLE IN THE APRIL 25TH CASH BOX DID MENTION THAT MGM HAD THE ONLY ALL-INSTRUMENTAL SHOWING BY THE BEATLES ON THE MARKET, REPORTING THAT "THE LABEL'S FOLLOW-UP TO ITS BEATLES SINGLE 'MY BONNIE' CONTAINS THE NUMBER, 'CRY FOR A SHADOW', PLAYED AS AM INSTRUMENTAL AND PENNED BY BEATLEITES JOHN LENNON AND GEORGE HARRISON".

OFFERED HERE IS MGM'S RARER YELLOW LABEL ' SPECIAL DISC JOCKEY' PROMOTIONAL 45 SINGLE, PRESSED BY MGM'S BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY FACTORY. THE VINYL AND LABELS ARE IN ABSOLUTE STUNNING MINT MINUS UNPLAYED CONDITION, AND SHIMMERS LIKE A JEWEL. THE RECORD IS ACCOMPANIED BY ITS ORIGINAL MGM COMPANY SLEEVE IN NEAR MINT CONDITION.

THE B-SIDE "CRY FOR A SHADOW" WAS WRITTEN BY THE ONE-TIME-ONLY SONG WRITING TEAM OF JOHN LENNON AND GEORGE HARRISON. THE INSTRUMENTAL WAS RECORDED AT THE SAME SESSION AS THE SINGLE'S A-SIDE. ALTHOUGH THE RECORD LABEL CREDITS THE SONG TO "THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN", THE TRACK IS A BEATLES-ONLY PERFORMANCE WITH GEORGE ON LEAD GUITAR, JOHN ON RHYTHM GUITAR, PAUL ON BASS AND PETE BEST ON DRUMS. THE SONG OPENS WITH JOHN'S CHOPPY CHORDS ON HIS TREBLE-TONED GUITAR. HE IS QUICKLY JOINED BY A PETE BEST DRUM ROLL, PAUL'S THUMPING BASS AND GEORGE'S WAILING AND HARMONIC LEAD PLAYING. PAUL PROVIDES INTERMITTENT BACKGROUND SHOUTS. THE SONG IS ARGUABLY PETE BEST'S BEST PERFORMANCE ON A BEATLES RECORD.