The Beatles “went country” before it was cool. As you’ve likely noticed, it’s become very popular in recent years for artists outside of the country music genre to dip their toes into the southern stylings – or dive in head first and make themselves very comfortable like Post Malone did. Many would assume “going country” is a modern phenomenon… but what if I told you that The Beatles did it all the way back in 1965? Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr actually covered a country music hit and included it in their iconic 1965 album Help!, which also acted as the soundtrack to the movie of the same name. That project obviously included their well-known “Help!” song, as well “Ticket To Ride.” But one of the B-sides was a cover of Buck Owens’ 1963 country hit “Act Naturally.” The lyrics to the song were the perfect fit for their album that also acted as the soundtrack for the movie the “Fab Four” starred in: “They’re gonna put me in the moviesThey’re gonna make a big star out of meWe’ll make a film about a man that’s sad and lonelyAnd all I gotta do is act naturally Well, I’ll bet you I’ma gonna be a big starMight win an Oscar you can’t never tellThe movie’s gonna make me a big star‘Cause I can play the part so well.” Buck Owens released the song in 1963 and it quickly became a No. 1 Hit on the Billboard Country Charts. It also helped to springboard the career of Owens, and sent him on his way to 19 more chart-topping singles in the same decade. As far as classic country songs are concerned, it’s as catchy as they come: “Act Naturally” by Buck Owens “Act Naturally” connected with the masses of country music… and it also got the attention of The Beatles. Considering what we know about The Beatles now, it makes sense this Buck Owens song caught their eye. George Harrison grew up as a country music fan, and Ringo Starr has always been interested in the genre, even releasing his own country project late in his career. The band as a whole loved to experiment with sounds, and at some point in 1965, they decided to record their own version of the Buck Owens hit. Ringo Starr actually took the lead vocal role in the recording, which at the time marked only the fifth time the Beatles drummer had done so: “Act Naturally” by The Beatles Sounds pretty good, eh? The supergroup put their own spin on the song, but still stayed true to the country music roots of the track. And though there were many other times that The Beatles leaned into the country music style (like with the White Album’s “Rocky Raccoon”), they rarely ever covered country music songs in their discography outside of songs by Carl Perkins. Funny enough, Ringo Starr and Buck Owens eventually recorded a duet version of the song in 1989. The track, which was a part of Owens’ Act Naturally album, showcased the vocal talent of each singer and offered up a comical music video showing Starr and Owens on a western movie set. Their duet went on to be nominated for Vocal Event of the Year at the CMAs and Best Country Vocal Collaboration at the Grammys. “Act Naturally” by Buck Owens & Ringo Starr Last year, Ringo teamed up with T Bone Burnett to record his own solo country album, titled Look Up, which featured guest appearances from from bluegrass pickers Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, as well as Lucius, and Larkin Poe. The post The Beatles “Went Country” Long Before Modern Artists Like Beyonce & Post Malone first appeared on Whiskey Riff.