Please Please Me (Album): Introduction

Here we highlight The Beatles’ 1963 album, “Please Please Me,” in brief. This was the Fab Four’s’ first LP, but what a sound we get from it! In fact, click the button further down the page to hear clips from all the tracks and see for yourself. However, before you do, check out the detailed information below.

In Detail

• Release Date: March 22, 1963
• Recorded: September 4, 1962; February 11 & 20, 1963
• Album Duration: 32:15
• Record Label: Parlophone
• Studio: EMI Studios, London
• Genre: Merseybeat, rock and roll, rock & pop
• Producer: George Martin
• Engineer: Norman Smith

Performers And Instruments

• John Lennon: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, and some handclaps
• Paul McCartney: vocals, bass guitar, and some handclaps
• George Harrison: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and also some handclaps
• Ringo Starr: vocals, drums, tambourine, maracas, and some handclaps
• George Martin: piano (Misery and P.S. I Love You), celesta (Baby It’s You)

Other Performers

• Andy White (session musician): drums (Love Me Do and P.S. I Love You).

Please Please Me Album Tracks

Side One

Side Two

Recording The Please Please Me Album

After the release of the singles “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me,” an album had to follow, of course. Moreover, Parlaphone was in a hurry to get the “Please Please Me” album out. But, even though this was a rush job, the quality of the tracks is incredible.

Indeed, The Beatles recorded ten of the tracks (to accompany the singles) in one day alone on February 11, 1963. This was during a marathon recording session between 10 am and 10.45 pm that day.

However, the producer was George Martin, who was a wizard in the studio, and the rest is history, as they say. In the first place, it was George Martin who saw the emerging talent of the Fab Four and quickly took them under his wing. Not forgetting Brian Epstein who worked tirelessly to get a recording contract to begin with. Together, this partnership gave us the best sound in history.

While recording all these songs, John Lennon’s voice wasn’t too grand. In fact, Lennon was suffering from a bad cold on that eventful day. So, they waited until the end of the session before they recorded the vocal ripping “Twist And Shout.”

“The last song nearly killed me. My voice wasn’t the same for a long time after; every time I swallowed, it was like sandpaper. I was always bitterly ashamed of it because I could sing it better than that, but now it doesn’t bother me. You can hear that I’m just a frantic guy doing his best.”

John Lennon
Anthology

Credits for the songs on the Please Please Me album go to McCartney-Lennon, but this changed soon after its release.

Album Cover

In short, the album cover says, “With Love Me Do, with 12 other songs.” The actual front cover image, by Angus McBean, shows The Beatles at the EMI headquarters at 20 Manchester Square in London. Pretty basic, but nonetheless, an iconic image.

The Sounds

“P.S. I Love You” was the B-side of The Beatles debut single “Love Me Do,” of course. Indeed, this could have been a single itself, such was the quality. Also, “Ask Me Why” was the B-side of the “Please Please Me” single. Although a hit in the UK, the single wasn’t available in America until around a year later, when they added “From Me to You” as the B-side.

Andy White played the drums on the album version of “Love Me Do,” while Ringo Starr was the drummer on the single version. The single version is also on the 1988 album “Past Masters.” Can you tell the difference? Andy White came in as a session musician because, at the time, George Martin wasn’t comfortable with Pete Best, who was the drummer at the time.

Because The Beatles recorded some of these songs in a single live take, they managed to recreate the raw, live sound that had built them a reputation at the Cavern Club.

Please Please Me Album: Chart Success

Just to point out that in the early sixties, releases of albums were more along the lines of easy listening for the older generation. However, this album changed all this. Indeed, the album topped the Record Retailers LP charts for 30 weeks, starting on May 11, 1963. The LP spent a total of 70 weeks on the British charts.

Of course, for a pop album to do this, it was a sign that the buying power of teenagers was having an effect. Indeed, when the “Please Please Me” album fell from the number one slot, its replacement was their next album, “With The Beatles!”

The official release of the “Please Please Me” album in America was not until February 1987. Then, there were three worldwide re-releases in 2009, 2012, and 2014.

Take A Listen

Listen to the song snippets, then leave your comments below.