On this day in 1963, John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote “I Wanna Be Your Man” for the Rolling Stones

In the early days of The Beatles, Lennon and McCartney often shared songs with their friends. The bands had arranged to meet through the Rolling Stones manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, who had also been a publicist for The Beatles. Oldham ran into Lennon and McCartney as he stepped out of a cab and invited them to a studio where the Stones were rehearsing.

The song was written primarily by McCartney and then finished in the corner of the studio with Lennon’s help, while Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were talking. The Stones finished the song and released it a couple of months later in November. The song was only released as single and never made it to a Rolling Stones album.

The Beatles also recorded a version of the song in November, sung by Ringo Starr, which would appear on the bands second album, “Meet the Beatles!” John Lennon was later dismissive of the song, calling it a throwaway. “I Wanna Be Your Man” clearly left an impression on other artists though, as the track was later referenced by Bob Dylan, The Stooges and The Saints.