Love Me Do
The song began as a scribble in a school notebook, dreaming of stardom. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the track years before forming the Beatles. McCartney composed the verse and chorus while Lennon contributed the middle eight section. The melody rests on three simple chords: G7, C, and D for the bridge. A bluesy dry harmonica riff opens the track, played by Lennon. This instrument was stolen from a music shop in Arnhem, Netherlands during their 1960 Hamburg trip. Lennon learned to play a chromatic harmonica given to him by his uncle George. He later sought advice from Delbert McClinton after seeing Bruce Channel perform at New Brighton's Tower Ballroom. The arrangement changed in the studio when producer George Martin realized the harmonica clashed with the vocals. Martin instructed McCartney to sing the words love me do so Lennon could start playing on the word do. Ian MacDonald described the song as standing out like a bare brick wall against suburban sitting rooms.
Three distinct recording attempts exist for this debut single. The first session occurred on the 6th of June 1962 featuring Pete Best on drums. That version remained unreleased until the Anthology 1 compilation appeared in 1995. Mark Lewisohn called the drumming disastrous due to its skip beat rhythm. The second attempt took place on the 4th of September 1962 with Ringo Starr replacing Best. This version required fifteen takes before completion. It became the original Parlophone single pressing released on the 5th of October 1962. A third session happened one week later on the 11th of September 1962. Session drummer Andy White played drums while Starr handled tambourine duties. Engineer Norman Smith noted it was a headache trying to get a good drum sound. The final mix hid Starr's bass drum by making it bottom-light. These three versions remain the only recorded iterations of the track.
George Martin initially hesitated about releasing the group's own material. He wanted them to cover How Do You Do It instead. Brian Epstein paid for the band to fly from Liverpool to London for the 4th of September session. Martin insisted they write commercial songs or record professional material. EMI's publishing arm Ardmore & Beechwood demanded a Lennon-McCartney song as the first single. Ron Richards managed the 11th of September re-recording session in Martin's absence. Richards booked Andy White whom he had used previously. Starr felt disappointed being dropped for his second recording session. He sat quietly in the control box next to Richards. McCartney recalled that Ringo never got over not playing drums on the first single. Discrepancies exist regarding who produced which session. Martin claimed he did not oversee any sessions on the 11th of September according to his diary. Lewisohn and engineer Geoff Emerick support the account that Richards ran the second remake.
The single reached number seventeen in the UK charts during November 1962. George Martin doubted the song's commercial appeal at the time. Australia saw it hit number one on the 14th of February 1964. New Zealand placed it at the top of their chart on the 4th of June 1964. US copies were initially imported from Canada featuring Starr on drums. Vee-Jay Records released the single on the Tollie label on the 27th of April 1984 with White on drums. The track became the fourth Beatles song to reach number one in America within a year. It also ranked as the fourth Lennon-McCartney composition to top the US charts in 1964. A 1982 re-release for EMI's 20th anniversary peaked at number four in the UK. Japan placed it at number forty-eight on its Hot 100 chart in 2012. Capitol Records Canada pressed 170 singles with catalogue number 72076 released on the 4th of February 1963.
Early pressings featured a red Parlophone label with Ringo Starr playing drums. Later versions used a black label and included Andy White on drums plus tambourine by Starr. This difference helps distinguish between the two main recordings today. The Andy White version appeared on the Please Please Me album and subsequent releases. The Ringo Starr version was included on albums like Rarities Past Masters and Mono Masters. A CD single issued on the 2nd of October 1992 contained both versions. An original 1962 single version received a new stereo mix by Giles Martin. This remix utilized de-mixing technology developed by Peter Jackson's WingNut Films. It was released on the 2nd of November 2023 as the flip side of the Now and Then single. That release finally made the song reach number one in the UK. A 50th anniversary limited-edition replica was recalled when it contained the wrong version. The correct version with Starr on drums was issued on the 22nd of October 2012.
The Beatles performed the song live during the Get Back sessions in 1969. They played it slower and more bluesy than earlier recordings. No harmonica appeared in that version while McCartney sang most of the lyrics. Paul McCartney blended Love Me Do with P.S. I Love You for his 1989 World Tour. A studio medley called P.S. Love Me Do first appeared on a Special Package from 1990. Live versions were later released as bonus tracks on Tripping the Live Fantastic double album. David Bowie performed a medley of the track and The Jean Genie at Hammersmith Odeon on the 3rd of July 1973. Jeff Beck played guitar during that performance. The concert footage appeared in Moonage Daydream directed by Brett Morgen. The song remains a staple of early rock history despite its humble beginnings. It stands out against standard Tin Pan Alley productions of the era.
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Common questions
Who wrote the song Love Me Do and what instruments did they play?
John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the track years before forming the Beatles. McCartney composed the verse and chorus while Lennon contributed the middle eight section. A bluesy dry harmonica riff opens the track, played by Lennon.
When was the original Parlophone single of Love Me Do released and who played drums on it?
The second attempt took place on the 4th of September 1962 with Ringo Starr replacing Best. It became the original Parlophone single pressing released on the 5th of October 1962. Early pressings featured a red Parlophone label with Ringo Starr playing drums.
Why did George Martin change the arrangement of Love Me Do during the studio session?
Martin instructed McCartney to sing the words love me do so Lennon could start playing on the word do. The arrangement changed in the studio when producer George Martin realized the harmonica clashed with the vocals. This decision allowed Lennon to focus on his harmonica part after McCartney sang the opening lines.
How many distinct recording attempts exist for the debut single Love Me Do and when were they recorded?
Three distinct recording attempts exist for this debut single. The first session occurred on the 6th of June 1962 featuring Pete Best on drums. A third session happened one week later on the 11th of September 1962 where session drummer Andy White played drums while Starr handled tambourine duties.
What chart positions did Love Me Do achieve in Australia and New Zealand during 1964?
Australia saw it hit number one on the 14th of February 1964. New Zealand placed it at the top of their chart on the 4th of June 1964. It also ranked as the fourth Lennon-McCartney composition to top the US charts in 1964.