B-side "College Cannonball" Recorded February 10, 1964 Length 2:55 | Released March 9, 1964 Genre Pop rock Label Capitol Records | |
"A Letter to the Beatles" is a novelty song by the Four Preps. It was released as a single on March 9, 1964 by Capitol Records. The song is about a boy whose girlfriend declares her undying love for the Beatles in a series of letters—however, the Beatles reply that her undying love is not enough, and that they require "25 cents for an autographed picture" and "one dollar bill for a fan club card". The track was co-written by two of the Four Preps, Glen Larson and Bruce Ballard and includes parts of the Beatles' song "I Want to Hold Your Hand."
"A Letter to the Beatles" rose to number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100, however, the single was soon deleted by Capitol after Duchess Music, the publisher of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," refused to give permission for a parody version. The recording was later included on a compilation CD by the Four Preps.