Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: Ron Richards
Engineer: Norman Smith
Following the session on 4 September, where The Beatles recorded How Do You Do It and Love Me Do, EMI hastily arranged for them to return to London for a third attempt to complete their debut single.
George Martin was concerned with the quality of Ringo Starr's drumming on the original Love Me Do, and so arranged for an experienced session drummer, Andy White, to play on the session. White was paid a standard fee of £5 15s (£5.75).
I had already heard of them because I was married to Lyn Cornell of the Vernons Girls, themselves a Liverpool group. They could have been cold towards me but in fact they were very nice, and kidded about. I was impressed because they were doing their own material, whereas most groups at the time were doing covers of American songs or Tin Pan Alley stuff.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
The session, which lasted from 5pm to 6.45pm, was produced by Ron Richards, although George Martin arrived halfway through. Ringo Starr was relegated to playing the maracas on a remake of PS I Love You, and tambourine on Love Me Do.
The band recorded 10 takes of PS I Love You, and 18 of Love Me Do. They also attempted a version of Please Please Me with White on drums, after which Martin told the group that the song would work better if they sped up the tempo and improved their harmonies.
At that stage Please Please Me was a very dreary song. It was like a Roy Orbison number, very slow, bluesy vocals. It was obvious to me that it badly needed pepping up. I told them to bring it in next time and we'd have another go at it.
The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, Mark Lewisohn
Although at the time EMI had a policy to destroy unneeded outtakes, a version of Please Please Me from the session was rediscovered in 1994, and released on Anthology 1.
After the session ended, the best takes were mixed into mono and EMI began pressing Love Me Do and PS I Love You as The Beatles' debut single. Initial pressings featured Ringo Starr on drums from the 4 September session, although these were later replaced by the Andy White version.
