“You can hear that I’m just a frantic guy doing his best,” he continued. “We sang for 12 hours, almost nonstop. We had colds, and we were concerned how it would affect the record. At the end of the day, all we wanted to do was drink pints of milk.” By the second take, Lennon couldn’t even get through the song — but it was worth it, as it became a classic and their most played song when they toured the album, per Setlist.fm.

The band also played the vocal-shredding, rock ‘n’ roll showstopper for some of their most famous performances in the ’60s. As Beatlemania took over the world, the Beatles played “Twist and Shout” on The Ed Sullivan Show (posted on YouTube) on February 23, 1964, and at their Shea Stadium show on August 15, 1965. They also played the wildly thrilling tune during the Royal Variety Performance for Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, who watched from the royal box. “For our last number, I’d like to ask your help,” Lennon said to the audience. “Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And for the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry” (about 50 seconds into the video posted on YouTube).

“I was fantastically nervous,” Lennon said. “But I wanted to say something to rebel a bit, and that was the best I could do.” It was a great performance, too.