For the greatest band there will ever be in the history of recorded music
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Please_Please_Me
Please Please Me is the first album recorded by The Beatles, rush-released on March 22, 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" (#2)<sup id="cite_ref-macdonald46_0-0" class="reference">[1]</sup> and "Love Me Do" (#17). Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon/McCartney, early evidence of what Rolling Stone later called "[their invention of] the self-contained rock band, writing their own hits and playing their own instruments."<sup id="cite_ref-rs-bio_1-0" class="reference">[2]</sup> In 2003, the magazine ranked the album number 39 on its list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<sup id="cite_ref-rs1234_2-0" class="reference">[3]</sup>
It was ranked first among The Beatles' early albums, and sixth of all of The Beatles' albums, with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Revolver, Rubber Soul, The Beatles (The White Album) and Abbey Road ranked higher.
Rolling Stone also placed two songs from the album on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: #139, "I Saw Her Standing There", and #184, "Please Please Me". According to Allmusic, "Decades after its release, the album still sounds fresh," the covers are "impressive" and the originals "astonishing."<sup id="cite_ref-amg_3-0" class="reference">[4]</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-amg_3-0" class="reference">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Please_Please_Me#cite_note-amg-3</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-amg_3-0" class="reference">
</sup>
In the U.S., most of the songs on Please Please Me were first issued on Vee-Jay Records' Introducing The Beatles in 1964, and then subsequently on Capitol Records' The Early Beatles in 1965. The unexpurgated Please Please Me was not released in the U.S. until the Beatles catalog was standardized for CD. The album was released on CD in America on February 26, 1987. It was not released on vinyl or tape in America until five months later, when it was issued domestically for the first time in the US on LP and cassette on July 21, 1987
In order for the album to contain fourteen songs (the norm for British twelve inch vinyl pop albums in 1963 was to have seven songs on each side, while American albums usually had only five or six songs per side) ten more tracks were needed to add to the four sides of their first two singles recorded and released previously.
Therefore, at 10.00 a.m. on Monday, 11 February, at Abbey Road Studios, The Beatles and George Martin started recording what was essentially their live act in 1963, and finished 585 minutes later (9 hours and 45 minutes).<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24_4-0" class="reference">[5]</sup> In three sessions that day (each lasting approximately three hours) they produced an authentic representation of the band's Cavern Club-era sound, as there were very few overdubs and edits.
Optimistically, only two sessions were originally booked by Martin - the evening session was added later.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24-26_5-0" class="reference">[6]</sup> George Martin initially contemplated recording the Please Please Me LP live at the Cavern in front of their own audience<sup id="cite_ref-norman_6-0" class="reference">[7]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-macdonald_7-0" class="reference">[8]</sup> and visited the Liverpool club to experience The Beatles phenomenon for himself.<sup id="cite_ref-salewicz_8-0" class="reference">[9]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-q_magazine_9-0" class="reference">[10]</sup> But when time constraints intervened he decided to book them into Abbey Road Studios instead, and simply record them virtually live. Martin said, "It was a straightforward performance of their stage repertoire - a broadcast, more or less."<sup id="cite_ref-martin77_10-0" class="reference">[11]</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-martin77_10-0" class="reference">
</sup>
The day ended with a cover of "Twist and Shout", which had to be recorded last because John Lennon had a particularly bad cold and Martin feared the throat-shredding vocal would ruin Lennon's voice for the day. This performance, captured first take, and generally regarded as a classic, prompted Martin to say: "I don't know how they do it. We've been recording all day but the longer we go on the better they get."<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24-26_5-1" class="reference">[6]</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24-26_5-1" class="reference">
</sup>
The song "Hold Me Tight" was recorded during these sessions, but was "surplus to requirements" and was not included on the album.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24-26_5-2" class="reference">[6]</sup> "Hold Me Tight" was recorded again on September 12, 1963 for With the Beatles.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn36_11-0" class="reference">[12]</sup>
The whole day's session cost around £400.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference">[13]</sup> George Martin said: "There wasn't a lot of money at Parlophone. I was working to an annual budget of £55,000."<sup id="cite_ref-q_magazine_9-1" class="reference">[10]</sup> This, however, had to cover all of the artists on Martin's roster.
Individually, under a contract with the Musicians' Union, each Beatle was entitled to collect seven pounds and ten shillings (£7.50) session fee, for each three hour session, which they duly did.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn21_13-0" class="reference">[14]</sup> Martin considered calling the album Off the Beatle Track before Please Please Me was released on Parlophone PCS 3042.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn32_14-0" class="reference">[15]</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn32_14-0" class="reference">
</sup>
Please Please Me was recorded on a two-track tape recording machine, with most of the instrumentation on one track and the vocals on the other, allowing for a better balance between the two on the final half-inch tape mix-down in mono.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn28_15-0" class="reference">[16]</sup> A stereo mix was made later, with one track on the left channel and the other on the right, and a layer of reverb was added to better blend the two tracks together. This was common practice for playback on stereo consoles, but has a dramatic effect when listening with headphones.
Please Please Me was officially released on CD on February 26, 1987, along with three other Beatles' albums (With the Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, and Beatles for Sale), all in mono only.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by McCartney/Lennon, except where noted.
<table class="tracklist" style="border-width: 0px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <th class="tlheader" colspan="10" style="border-width: 0pt; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Side one</th> </tr> <tr> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 20px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">#</th> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 100%; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Title</th> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 60px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Length</th> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">1.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"I Saw Her Standing There" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:55</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Misery" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">1:50</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">3.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Anna (Go to Him)" <small>(Arthur Alexander)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:57</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">4.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Chains" <small>(Gerry Goffin, Carole King)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:26</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">5.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Boys" <small>(Luther Dixon, Wes Farrell)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:27</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">6.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Ask Me Why" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:27</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">7.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Please Please Me" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:03</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table class="tracklist" style="border-width: 0px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <th class="tlheader" colspan="10" style="border-width: 0pt; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Side two</th> </tr> <tr> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 20px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">#</th> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 100%; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Title</th> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 60px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Length</th> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">8.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Love Me Do" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:22</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">9.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"P.S. I Love You" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:05</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">10.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Baby It's You" <small>(Mack David, Barney Williams, Burt Bacharach)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:38</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">11.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Do You Want to Know a Secret" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">1:59</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">12.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"A Taste of Honey" <small>(Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:05</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">13.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"There's a Place" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">1:52</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">14.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Twist and Shout" <small>(Phil Medley, Bert Russell)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:33</td></tr></tbody></table>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Please_Please_Me
Please Please Me is the first album recorded by The Beatles, rush-released on March 22, 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" (#2)<sup id="cite_ref-macdonald46_0-0" class="reference">[1]</sup> and "Love Me Do" (#17). Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon/McCartney, early evidence of what Rolling Stone later called "[their invention of] the self-contained rock band, writing their own hits and playing their own instruments."<sup id="cite_ref-rs-bio_1-0" class="reference">[2]</sup> In 2003, the magazine ranked the album number 39 on its list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<sup id="cite_ref-rs1234_2-0" class="reference">[3]</sup>
It was ranked first among The Beatles' early albums, and sixth of all of The Beatles' albums, with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Revolver, Rubber Soul, The Beatles (The White Album) and Abbey Road ranked higher.
Rolling Stone also placed two songs from the album on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: #139, "I Saw Her Standing There", and #184, "Please Please Me". According to Allmusic, "Decades after its release, the album still sounds fresh," the covers are "impressive" and the originals "astonishing."<sup id="cite_ref-amg_3-0" class="reference">[4]</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-amg_3-0" class="reference">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Please_Please_Me#cite_note-amg-3</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-amg_3-0" class="reference">
</sup>
In the U.S., most of the songs on Please Please Me were first issued on Vee-Jay Records' Introducing The Beatles in 1964, and then subsequently on Capitol Records' The Early Beatles in 1965. The unexpurgated Please Please Me was not released in the U.S. until the Beatles catalog was standardized for CD. The album was released on CD in America on February 26, 1987. It was not released on vinyl or tape in America until five months later, when it was issued domestically for the first time in the US on LP and cassette on July 21, 1987
In order for the album to contain fourteen songs (the norm for British twelve inch vinyl pop albums in 1963 was to have seven songs on each side, while American albums usually had only five or six songs per side) ten more tracks were needed to add to the four sides of their first two singles recorded and released previously.
Therefore, at 10.00 a.m. on Monday, 11 February, at Abbey Road Studios, The Beatles and George Martin started recording what was essentially their live act in 1963, and finished 585 minutes later (9 hours and 45 minutes).<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24_4-0" class="reference">[5]</sup> In three sessions that day (each lasting approximately three hours) they produced an authentic representation of the band's Cavern Club-era sound, as there were very few overdubs and edits.
Optimistically, only two sessions were originally booked by Martin - the evening session was added later.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24-26_5-0" class="reference">[6]</sup> George Martin initially contemplated recording the Please Please Me LP live at the Cavern in front of their own audience<sup id="cite_ref-norman_6-0" class="reference">[7]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-macdonald_7-0" class="reference">[8]</sup> and visited the Liverpool club to experience The Beatles phenomenon for himself.<sup id="cite_ref-salewicz_8-0" class="reference">[9]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-q_magazine_9-0" class="reference">[10]</sup> But when time constraints intervened he decided to book them into Abbey Road Studios instead, and simply record them virtually live. Martin said, "It was a straightforward performance of their stage repertoire - a broadcast, more or less."<sup id="cite_ref-martin77_10-0" class="reference">[11]</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-martin77_10-0" class="reference">
</sup>
The day ended with a cover of "Twist and Shout", which had to be recorded last because John Lennon had a particularly bad cold and Martin feared the throat-shredding vocal would ruin Lennon's voice for the day. This performance, captured first take, and generally regarded as a classic, prompted Martin to say: "I don't know how they do it. We've been recording all day but the longer we go on the better they get."<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24-26_5-1" class="reference">[6]</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24-26_5-1" class="reference">
</sup>
The song "Hold Me Tight" was recorded during these sessions, but was "surplus to requirements" and was not included on the album.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn24-26_5-2" class="reference">[6]</sup> "Hold Me Tight" was recorded again on September 12, 1963 for With the Beatles.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn36_11-0" class="reference">[12]</sup>
The whole day's session cost around £400.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference">[13]</sup> George Martin said: "There wasn't a lot of money at Parlophone. I was working to an annual budget of £55,000."<sup id="cite_ref-q_magazine_9-1" class="reference">[10]</sup> This, however, had to cover all of the artists on Martin's roster.
Individually, under a contract with the Musicians' Union, each Beatle was entitled to collect seven pounds and ten shillings (£7.50) session fee, for each three hour session, which they duly did.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn21_13-0" class="reference">[14]</sup> Martin considered calling the album Off the Beatle Track before Please Please Me was released on Parlophone PCS 3042.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn32_14-0" class="reference">[15]</sup>
<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn32_14-0" class="reference">
</sup>
Please Please Me was recorded on a two-track tape recording machine, with most of the instrumentation on one track and the vocals on the other, allowing for a better balance between the two on the final half-inch tape mix-down in mono.<sup id="cite_ref-lewisohn28_15-0" class="reference">[16]</sup> A stereo mix was made later, with one track on the left channel and the other on the right, and a layer of reverb was added to better blend the two tracks together. This was common practice for playback on stereo consoles, but has a dramatic effect when listening with headphones.
Please Please Me was officially released on CD on February 26, 1987, along with three other Beatles' albums (With the Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, and Beatles for Sale), all in mono only.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by McCartney/Lennon, except where noted.
<table class="tracklist" style="border-width: 0px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <th class="tlheader" colspan="10" style="border-width: 0pt; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Side one</th> </tr> <tr> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 20px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">#</th> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 100%; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Title</th> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 60px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Length</th> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">1.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"I Saw Her Standing There" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:55</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Misery" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">1:50</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">3.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Anna (Go to Him)" <small>(Arthur Alexander)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:57</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">4.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Chains" <small>(Gerry Goffin, Carole King)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:26</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">5.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Boys" <small>(Luther Dixon, Wes Farrell)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:27</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">6.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Ask Me Why" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:27</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">7.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Please Please Me" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:03</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table class="tracklist" style="border-width: 0px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <th class="tlheader" colspan="10" style="border-width: 0pt; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Side two</th> </tr> <tr> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 20px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">#</th> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 100%; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Title</th> <th class="tlheader" style="width: 60px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: right; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Length</th> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">8.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Love Me Do" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:22</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">9.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"P.S. I Love You" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:05</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">10.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Baby It's You" <small>(Mack David, Barney Williams, Burt Bacharach)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:38</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">11.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Do You Want to Know a Secret" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">1:59</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">12.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"A Taste of Honey" <small>(Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:05</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">13.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"There's a Place" </td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">1:52</td> </tr> <tr class="tlrow{{{row}}}" style="background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247);"> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">14.</td> <td style="text-align: left;">"Twist and Shout" <small>(Phil Medley, Bert Russell)</small></td> <td style="padding-right: 10px; text-align: right;">2:33</td></tr></tbody></table>
