Please Please Me (song)
John Lennon composed the song in Liverpool during June 1962. He wrote it alone inside his bedroom at Menlove Avenue, which belonged to his aunt. The melody emerged from two specific musical influences he recalled hearing that day. One was Roy Orbison performing Only the Lonely on the radio. The other came from a Bing Crosby lyric about lending an ear to pleas. Lennon combined these elements into a bluesy, slow-tempo draft with sparse vocals and no harmonies. He later described the track as his complete attempt to write a Roy Orbison style song.
George Martin heard the initial version of the song on the 4th of September 1962 and found it dreary. He told the band they needed to increase the tempo significantly to make it a hit. Ringo Starr played bass drum while holding a maraca and tambourine during early sessions. A faster version without harmonica appeared on the 11th of September 1962 but featured session drummer Andy White instead of Starr. The final recording took place on the 26th of November 1962 after eighteen takes. Lennon added prominent harmonica playing to open the track while McCartney held high notes against descending melodies. This arrangement drew inspiration from the Everly Brothers Cathy's Clown released in April 1960.
The single arrived in Britain on the 11th of January 1963 during one of the worst winters recorded in history. Snow trapped much of the population indoors while watching the Beatles perform Thank Your Lucky Stars on television that Saturday night. Promoter Arthur Howes booked national tours for Helen Shapiro in February and Tommy Roe in March. The band also performed on BBC radio programs between tour dates. These appearances propelled the record to number one on both New Musical Express and Melody Maker charts. It reached only second place on Record Retailer before evolving into the official UK singles chart.
Capitol Records declined the US release rights which went to Transglobal then Vee-Jay Records. The label issued the first American copy on the 7th of February 1963 with catalog number 498. A typographical error spelled the band name as The Beattles on early pressings. Sales reached approximately 7,310 copies outside Chicago where disc jockey Dick Biondi played it on WLS. The reissue appeared on the 3rd of January 1964 following footage of the group on The Jack Paar Program. This version peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 selling over 1.1 million copies. The label added commas to titles like Please, Please Me on some sleeves.
Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 184 among five hundred greatest tracks ever recorded. It sits fifteenth among all Beatles compositions within that same list. The track became the first national UK television appearance for the group on Thank Your Lucky Stars in January 1963. Fausto Leali released an Italian language translation in 1963 under Jolly Hi-Fi Records. Copies of the original Vee-Jay single remain valuable collector items today despite their initial commercial failure. The stereo mix created on the 25th of February 1963 preserved Lennon's slight chuckle during a fluffed final verse line.
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Common questions
Who composed the song Please Please Me and where did he write it?
John Lennon composed the song in Liverpool during June 1962. He wrote it alone inside his bedroom at Menlove Avenue which belonged to his aunt.
When was the final recording of Please Please Me completed by the Beatles?
The final recording took place on the 26th of November 1962 after eighteen takes. This session featured prominent harmonica playing from Lennon while McCartney held high notes against descending melodies.
What date did the single version of Please Please Me arrive in Britain?
The single arrived in Britain on the 11th of January 1963 during one of the worst winters recorded in history. Snow trapped much of the population indoors while watching the Beatles perform Thank Your Lucky Stars on television that Saturday night.
Which record label issued the first American copy of Please Please Me and when?
Vee-Jay Records issued the first American copy on the 7th of February 1963 with catalog number 498. A typographical error spelled the band name as The Beattles on early pressings before sales reached approximately 7,310 copies outside Chicago.
How many times did the reissue of Please Please Me peak on the Billboard Hot 100 chart?
This version peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 selling over 1.1 million copies. The reissue appeared on the 3rd of January 1964 following footage of the group on The Jack Paar Program.