Recorded: 11 September 1962-20 February 1963
Producers: George Martin, Ron Richards
Engineers: Norman Smith, Stuart Eltham
Released: 22 March 1963
John Lennon: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, handclaps
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass, handclaps
George Harrison: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, handclaps
Ringo Starr: vocals, drums, tambourine, maracas, handclaps
George Martin: piano, celesta
Andy White: drums
Tracklisting:
I Saw Her Standing There
Misery
Anna (Go To Him)
Chains
Boys
Ask Me Why
Please Please Me
Love Me Do
PS I Love You
Baby It's You
Do You Want To Know A Secret
A Taste Of Honey
There's A Place
Twist And Shout
The Beatles' first UK album was released on 22 March 1963, following the success of the singles Please Please Me and Love Me Do.
Eight of the album's 14 songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney (credited as McCartney-Lennon). At the time it was unusual for a group to write their own material; The Beatles, however, swiftly revealed to listeners that they were anything but a run-of-the mill band.
In early 1963 pop acts commonly released three-minute 45rpm singles, or occasionally four-song EPs. The long-player was normally beyond the fiscal reach of most teenagers, and the LP as art form was yet to emerge; albums tended to be a handful of hits and a selection of filler songs.
The Beatles were not immune to this trend - the cover of Please Please Me even carried the tagline "with Love Me Do and 12 other songs" - but the quality of the songs on the LP was testament to their ambition and musical knowledge, and the willingness of Parlophone staff producer George Martin to try to get the best from them.
And this he did, effectively capturing highlights from The Beatles' live set. The sound that had wowed audiences in Liverpool, Hamburg and beyond was most evident in the album's frenetic closer Twist And Shout, full of boundless energy and with famously hoarse vocals from John Lennon.
The group's versatility, meanwhile, was shown by R&B ballads Anna (Go To Him) and Baby It's You, and McCartney's love for pop standards ensured a place for A Taste Of Honey.
But it was with the original songs that set The Beatles apart from their peers. Opening song I Saw Her Standing There was one of Paul McCartney's earliest songs, yet after dozens of performances in sweaty basement clubs and dance halls it was something of a rock powerhouse.
There's A Place and Ask Me Why showcased their talents for melody and harmony, PS I Love You and Do You Want To Know A Secret displayed the group's lighter side, while the title track was simply one of the most exciting pop songs that 1960s listeners had heard.
In the studio
Please Please Me was recorded on a two-track BTR recording machine, leaving little opportunity for overdubs or elaborate arrangements.
The album contained both sides of The Beatles' first two singles - Love Me Do, PS I Love You, Please Please Me and Ask Me Why - plus 10 new recordings made on 11 February 1963. That day's recording cost just £400 and lasted for 16 hours.
There wasn't a lot of money at Parlophone. I was working to an annual budget of £55,000.
The Beatles were also entitled to collect fees of £7 10s for each of the day's three sessions, under the terms of a Musicians Union agreement.
The stereo mixes, made on 25 February 1963, had one track on the left channel and the other on the right, with a small amount of reverb added to blend the two together.
The stereo version of the Please Please Me song was made from a different take to the mono version, and featured a fluffed line on the third verse ("You know you never even try"/"Why do I never even try?").
Furthermore, the version of Love Me Do on the album is the one featuring Andy White on drums; the version with Ringo Starr was used for the original single only, and is now available on the Past Masters compilation.
Chart success
Although it would eventually sell millions of copies, Please Please Me wasn't an instant hit. It took six months for sales to top 250,000, although it did top the New Musical Express, Melody Maker, Record Retailer and Disc Weekly album charts.
Please Please Me entered the charts on 6 April 1963, remaining on the rundown for a total of 70 weeks. It reached number one on 11 May, where it stayed for 30 weeks.
Related articles:
- Australia discography
- Mixing: Drive My Car, Day Tripper, In My Life, If I Needed Someone, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), Nowhere Man
- Mixing, editing: A Hard Day's Night LP, Long Tall Sally EP
- Finland discography
- Editing, mixing: Please Please Me LP
The Beatles information you have is 100%, and excellent to view, I have all many origional "The Beatles" items and have a problem that I can not sell them, I love all The Beatles from 1960.
I love Please Please Me, partly because of its innocence. Partly because, in retrospect I know that when the group were recording this album, which was in fact a collection of songs from their live act, little could they truely have envisaged the effect they would have on the world, on popular culture and on innovation. Don't underestimate this album. The Beatles were in 1963, as John has said 'capable of blowing any other act off stage'. What they developed in Hamburg and the Cavern was a sound unlike anything that had been generated before, or even since. It is one regret that I never actually got to see the group. If I could choose a time to see them, then it would probably have been just before they hit the big time at the toppermost of the poppermost!!!
While it's fairly well known and even obvious to the listener that John had a heavy cold on the day 'Please Please Me' was recorded it amazes me that they couldn't have waited a few more days for his condition to get better. Granted, they had a full schedule with not even a day off in February, 1963 but today no band or individual singer would have allowed it! Such were the conditions The Beatles worked under until they gained more control over their schedule.
In my opinion, they never opened and closed another album better than this one."I Saw Her Standing There" roared out the gate & is still one of the best examples of McCartney & Lennon singing off each other that ever recorded. Then the pure riot like energy of Twist & Shout to close the album leaves you the same place you started from. What more can you ask from a debut album?