Beatlesongs

BEATLESONGS

WILLIAM J. DOWLDING

A Fireside Book

Published Simon & Schuster

New York London Toronto Sydney

FIRESIDE

Rockefeller Center

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10020

Copyright © 1989 by William J. Dowlding

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

FIRESIDE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

Designed by Bonni Leon

Manufactured in the United States of America

17 19 20 18 16

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Dowlding, William J.

Beatlesongs/William J. Dowlding.

p.  cm.

A Fireside book.

Bibliography, p.

Includes index.

1. Beatles.  2. Rock music—England—History and criticism. I. Title.

ML421.B4D7  1989   89-33032

CIP

MN

ISBN 978-0-6716-8229-3

eISBN-13: 978-1-439-14719-1

Excerpts from The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono by David Sheff © 1981 Playboy Press. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from John Lennon In My Life © 1983 Pete Shotton and Nicholas Schaffner. Reprinted with permission of Stein and Day Publishers.

Excerpts from All You Need Is Ears by George Martin with Jeremy Hornsby, © 1979 in the United States by St. Martin’s Press Inc., New York. Published in England by Macmillan, London. Reprinted with permission.

All references to U.S. chart positions in this book are based on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 chart surveys, as researched and compiled by Joel Whitburn.

www.SimonandSchuster.com

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book could not have been possible without the numerous authors and interviewers who did the original research and asked the right questions of the various Beatles. I recommend that the reader wanting more information about the Fab Four go directly to the sources listed in the bibliography at the back of the book.

On a more personal level, I’d like to thank Linda Potter for her support and understanding; Steve Ostermann for his good suggestions and friendship; John Morris and Michele Thompson for their support; Rachel Anastasi, Bob Helf, and Jim Cieslewicz for information; Jim Kates and Dave Hendrickson for suggestions; Patty Romanowski for copy editing and tough questions; Bill Hathaway and Joel Whitburn for their understanding and permission; and the staff of The Milwaukee Journal newspaper, where I work in real life.

At Fireside Books, I’d like to thank Cynthia Lao, my editor; Marcia Peterson and Melissa Johnson, who copy edited the words; Bonni Leon, who designed the pages; and the other people who made this book a reality.

Special thanks go to my agent, Sandy Hintz, and the late Tim McGinnis, for sensing this book’s potential.

DEDICATED TO MY PARENTS WILLIAM F. S. AND MARY DOWLDING WHOSE LOVE SHAPED ME

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

PLEASE PLEASE ME

Paul as the Budding Music Director

I SAW HER STANDING THERE

MISERY

ANNA (GO TO HIM)

CHAINS

BOYS

ASK ME WHY

PLEASE PLEASE ME

LOVE ME DO

Ringo as a Drummer

P.S. 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

FROM ME TO YOU

THANK YOU GIRL

SHE LOVES YOU

The Woo Woo and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

I’LL GET YOU

WITH THE BEATLES

IT WON’T BE LONG

ALL I’VE GOT TO DO

ALL MY LOVING

DON’T BOTHER ME

LITTLE CHILD

TILL THERE WAS YOU

PLEASE MISTER POSTMAN

ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN

HOLD ME TIGHT

YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME

I WANNA BE YOUR MAN

DEVIL IN HER HEART

NOT A SECOND TIME

MONEY (THAT’S WHAT I WANT)

I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND

THIS BOY

LONG TALL SALLY

SLOW DOWN

MATCHBOX

I CALL YOUR NAME

A HARD DAY’S NIGHT

A HARD DAY’S NIGHT

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER

IF I FELL

I’M HAPPY JUST TO DANCE WITH YOU

AND I LOVE HER

TELL ME WHY

CAN’T BUY ME LOVE

Ruling the Charts

ANY TIME AT ALL

I’LL CRY INSTEAD

THINGS WE SAID TODAY

WHEN I GET HOME

YOU CAN’T DO THAT

John Hated His Voice

I’LL BE BACK

I FEEL FINE

SHE’S A WOMAN

BEATLES FOR SALE

NO REPLY

I’M A LOSER

BABY’S IN BLACK

ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC

I’LL FOLLOW THE SUN

MR. MOONLIGHT

KANSAS CITY/HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY

EIGHT DAYS A WEEK

WORDS OF LOVE

HONEY DON’T

EVERY LITTLE THING

I DON’T WANT TO SPOIL THE PARTY

WHAT YOU’RE DOING

EVERYBODY’S TRYING TO BE MY BABY

YES IT IS

BAD BOY

I’M DOWN

HELP!

The Hated U.S. Repackaging

HELP!

THE NIGHT BEFORE

YOU’VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY

I NEED YOU

ANOTHER GIRL

YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE THAT GIRL

TICKET TO RIDE

ACT NATURALLY

IT’S ONLY LOVE

YOU LIKE ME TOO MUCH

TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE

I’VE JUST SEEN A FACE

YESTERDAY

DIZZY MISS LIZZY

DAY TRIPPER

WE CAN WORK IT OUT

RUBBER SOUL

DRIVE MY CAR

NORWEGIAN WOOD (THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN)

YOU WON’T SEE ME

NOWHERE MAN

THINK FOR YOURSELF

THE WORD

MICHELLE

WHAT GOES ON

GIRL

I’M LOOKING THROUGH YOU

IN MY LIFE

WAIT

IF I NEEDED SOMEONE

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

PAPERBACK WRITER

The Butcher Cover

RAIN

REVOLVER

TAXMAN

ELEANOR RIGBY

I’M ONLY SLEEPING

LOVE YOU TO

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE

YELLOW SUBMARINE

SHE SAID SHE SAID

GOOD DAY SUNSHINE

AND YOUR BIRD CAN SING

FOR NO ONE

DOCTOR ROBERT

I WANT TO TELL YOU

GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE

TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS

PENNY LANE

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS

GETTING BETTER

Tripping in the Studio

FIXING A HOLE

SHE’S LEAVING HOME

BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR. KITE!

WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU

WHEN I’M SIXTY-FOUR

LOVELY RITA

GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING

SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (REPRISE)

A DAY IN THE LIFE

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

BABY YOU’RE A RICH MAN

HELLO GOODBYE

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

THE FOOL ON THE HILL

FLYING

BLUE JAY WAY

YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW

I AM THE WALRUS

LADY MADONNA

THE INNER LIGHT

HEY JUDE

Paul as Lyricist

REVOLUTION

Selling Shoes

YELLOW SUBMARINE

ONLY A NORTHERN SONG

ALL TOGETHER NOW

HEY BULLDOG

IT’S ALL TOO MUCH

THE BEATLES (A.K.A. THE WHITE ALBUM)

Ringo Quits

BACK IN THE U.S.S.R.

DEAR PRUDENCE

GLASS ONION

OB-LA DI, OB-LA-DA

WILD HONEY PIE

THE CONTINUING STORY OF BUNGALOW BILL

WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS

HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN

MARTHA MY DEAR

I’M SO TIRED

BLACKBIRD

PIGGIES

ROCKY RACCOON

DON’T PASS ME BY

WHY DON’T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD?

I WILL

JULIA

BIRTHDAY

YER BLUES

MOTHER NATURE’S SON

EVERYBODY’S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT ME AND MY MONKEY

SEXY SADIE

HELTER SKELTER

LONG, LONG, LONG

REVOLUTION 1

HONEY PIE

SAVOY TRUFFLE

CRY BABY CRY

REVOLUTION 9

John’s 9 Obsession

GOOD NIGHT

DON’T LET ME DOWN

LET IT BE

TWO OF US

DIG A PONY

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

I ME MINE

DIG IT

LET IT BE

MAGGIE MAE

I’VE GOT A FEELING

ONE AFTER 909

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

FOR YOU BLUE

GET BACK

THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO

OLD BROWN SHOE

ABBEY ROAD

COME TOGETHER

SOMETHING

MAXWELL’S SILVER HAMMER

OH! DARLING

OCTOPUS’S GARDEN

I WANT YOU (SHE’S SO HEAVY)

HERE COMES THE SUN

BECAUSE

YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY

SUN KING

MEAN MR. MUSTARD

POLYTHENE PAM

SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE BATHROOM WINDOW

GOLDEN SLUMBERS

CARRY THAT WEIGHT

THE END

HER MAJESTY

YOU KNOW MY NAME (LOOK UP THE NUMBER)

Appendix 1: THE GREAT SONGWRITING CONTEST

Appendix 2: SONGS FOR OTHERS

Appendix 3: UNRELEASED RECORDINGS

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCE KEY

SONG AND ALBUM INDEX

INTRODUCTION

—Plato

Forms and rhythms in music are never changed without producing changes in the most important political forms and ways.

Twenty-five years after the Beatles invaded America, the effect of their conquest still reverberates.

The Beatles changed just about everything: hairstyles, clothing, lifestyles, perceptions, and most importantly, music. They took music from the tinny, formularized pop of the early ’60s to the full-bodied, innovative rock of 1969’s Abbey Road, which still sounds fresh today. They took control of the music away from producers and professional songwriters and made it the responsibility of the individual performing artists.

The Beatles were the sociological and cultural phenomenon of the 1960s. They succeeded on so many levels—as concert performers, recording artists, songwriters, and actors. John Lennon even added author to his list of credits. Their wit mesmerized us. Never before had rock performers been so much more than rock performers.

The huge baby-boom generation ate them up, buying millions and millions of their records and standing in line to see their films. The Beatles were more popular than any other group—ever. But the most distinctive thing about them was their constant growth. The Beatles became gurus to many people—they were looked to for answers because they always seemed to be one step ahead. Their fame was so huge that they assumed mythic proportions. When a rumor—based on alleged clues found in lyrics and album art—spread in the fall of 1969 that Paul McCartney was dead, the radio airwaves were full of speculation for weeks.

Even today, the Beatles’ massive success is felt. Musicians are still generally required to create music with their minds as well as their fingers, and rock music now continues to echo the Beatles.

To question the impact of the Beatles is to question the reality of the shelf-loads of books already written about them. It is turning a blind eye to the front covers of magazines—to this day—that feature a Beatle face each time one of them releases a successful album. Their influence endures.

What this book attempts to do is to bring together all the information available about every song recorded and officially released by the Beatles. Source material includes some of that shelf-load of books, newswire and magazine articles, films and documentaries, as well as my own observations.

Many print sources have used previously published material, often misquoting or misinterpreting crucial information, so I’ve attempted to use original sources whenever possible. Unfortunately, there are as many myths about the Beatles as there are facts, and it’s difficult to winnow falsehoods from the truth. I have spent hundreds of hours trying to do so. Nevertheless, there is still disagreement on many points. For example, key sources disagree widely on how long it took to record the Please Please Me album:

11 hours Coleman

12 hours Diary and Salewicz

13 hours (probably the most accurate ) Live and Ears and Record

14 hours (which McCartney Says) Trouser Press (February 1978)and RS (July 12, 1979)

16 hours Road

53 hours (undoubtedly a typographical error) Love

585 minutes (9¾ hours) Abbey

As above, abbreviated references to sources appear in small type after individual items, and, in some cases, after parts of sentences. Agreements and disagreements between sources are also noted. Information about the sources can be found by looking for the source name in the Bibliography at the end of the book.

When the source is a periodical, I have given a date. If the date precedes the name of the periodical, it refers to the date the quote was spoken; if the date follows the name of the periodical, it refers to the publication date.

The song entries are arranged chronologically, generally by release date in the United Kingdom. The U.S. releases were haphazardly issued—often, songs from one project appear with others that were recorded for a different project many months before. By following the U.K. release dates—and the songs the Beatles themselves intended for the albums—the reader can better sense the Beatles’ growing experimentation in the studio. There are exceptions to this: The album Let It Be sat on the shelf for more than a year before release. Accordingly, here it precedes Abbey Road, as it would have had the Beatles not lost heart in the project. The new songs used on Yellow Submarine were recorded at least eleven months before the LP was issued, so those are placed before The Beatles (the so-called White Album). And finally, the singles used to fill up the U.S. version of Magical Mystery Tour are presented as they were issued—as singles. Singles that appeared on albums—the title songs from A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, for example—are listed with the albums.

This format allows the reader to listen to an album and read along, song by song.

Readers wishing to find a particular song can find its page number by consulting the alphabetical song index at the back of the book.

The U.K. chart positions are taken from the New Musical Express sales chart. This chart only tracks the A sides of singles, so the names of A sides are noted in the Chart Action sections of B side entries. The U.S. chart referred to here is the Top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100, which tracks both sides.

The true authors of the songs—not those credited officially on the album and single labels—are noted in the Authorship sections of the entries. Most Lennon-McCartney songs were actually written by one or the other, not both. In two cases, in fact, Lennon wrote songs with Yoko Ono, so she is properly credited in both entries. Credit for each song’s creation is apportioned based on all the information that could be amassed. In many cases, unfortunately, this comes down to an offhand remark by John Lennon or Paul McCartney on how they helped each other write songs. Still, this book is the first to attempt to quantify the contributions they made. (See Appendix 1, The Great Songwriting Contest, for a more detailed explanation of this point and an actual count of who wrote the most songs the Beatles recorded and released.)

This is the book I always wanted to find in a book store. I hope you enjoy learning more about the most important music in rock history.

William J. Dowlding

May 1989

PLEASE PLEASE ME

ALBUM

Though the Beatles’ debut single, Love Me Do, was a moderate success, their second release, Please Please Me, was a huge hit. As it neared the top of the charts, the Beatles took one night off from touring to rush to London to record most of this album in one daylong session. The following night they were back on tour and performed in both Yorkshire and Lancashire. Live

CHART ACTION

UNITED KINGDOM: Rush-released March 22, 1963, shortly after the title song fell from its No. 1 position. The album entered the chart March 27 at No. 9 and in seven weeks was No. 1, where it stayed for twenty-nine weeks. It set a record for the longest continuous run at No. 1 in the NME (New Musical Express) album chart. Road

UNITED STATES: Capitol refused to release the album. It was released in a different form by the little Vee Jay record label as Introducing the Beatles, which failed to place in the charts. It differed from the U.K. version by not including Please Please Me and Ask Me Why. Road

RECORDED

February 11, 1963, except for the title song and Ask Me Why (since both were previously released as a single) and Love Me Do and P.S. I Love YOU (another Single), at Abbey Road. ATN; Live and Salewicz agree on date.

Sources disagree significantly on how long it took to record this album—anywhere from 9¾ hours to 16 hours—but it probably took about 13. About the only thing the sources agree on is that it required just one session to complete. various

GEORGE MARTIN, producer: "All we did really was to reproduce the Cavern performance in the comparative calm of the studio.

At the beginning [of the Beatles’ recording career], my specialty was the introductions and the endings, and any instrumental passages in the middle. I might say, for instance: ‘Please Please Me only lasts a minute and 10 seconds, so you’ll have to do two choruses, and in the second chorus we’ll have to do such-and-such.’ That was the extent of the arranging. Ears

PAUL AS THE BUDDING MUSICAL DIRECTOR

McCARTNEY: "… Then [Martin] had a lot of control—we used to record the stuff, and leave him to mix it, pick a single, everything. After a while though, we got so into recording we’d stay behind while he mixed it, watching what he was doing." Jamming! (June 1982)

NORMAN SMITH, engineer. "[It was] nearly always Paul who was the MD, the musical director, as early as this. Obviously John would have quite a lot to say, but overall it was always Paul who was the guv’nor. Which is fair, because he was the natural musician, and even at this stage, the natural producer. On this session he was trying to figure out everything we were doing with the controls." Salewicz

A two-track tape machine was used, and the recording was entirely live. None of the vocals was overdubbed, and no more than four takes were made of any song. Salewicz

NORMAN SMITH: I kept the sound relatively ‘dry.’ I hated all that echo that everyone was using back then. And I placed the singers’ microphones right there with the rest of the band, although singers were usually hidden away in a separate recording booth. I thought that was a bad idea, because you lost the live feel of the session. Diary

At the Beatles’ request, a large candy jar of cough lozenges and two new packs of Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes were placed on the piano for the session. So began a tradition that lasted for years. Salewicz

INSTRUMENTATION

McCARTNEY: bass

LENNON: rhythm guitar

HARRISON: lead guitar

STARR: drums

Road

ALBUM PACKAGE

The cover photograph was taken on the staircase of EMI House in Manchester Square, London, by Angus McBean. Road McBean shot a similarly staged photo six years later, to adorn the Get Back album (which later became Let It Be). It wasn’t used for that but later appeared on The Beatles 1967-1970 compilation album. A photo from the original shoot was used for the cover of The Beatles 1962-1966. Road

MISCELLANEOUS

McCartney had designed a cover for the album with the name Off the Beatle Track. The title was later used for producer George Martin’s album of orchestrated Beatles hits. Road

COMMENTS BY BEATLES

LENNON: We were just writing songs à la Everly Brothers, àla Buddy Holly, pop songs with no more thought to them than that—to create a sound. And the words were almost irrelevant. September 1980, Playboy Interviews

I SAW HER STANDING THERE

CHART ACTION

UNITED STATES: Released as a single January 13, 1964 (the B side of I Want to Hold Your Hand), this song entered the Top 40 in January 1964, hitting No. 14 during its eight-week stay. Road and Billboard

AUTHORSHIP McCartney (.8) and Lennon (.2)

LENNON: That’s Paul doing his usual good job of producing what George Martin used to call a ‘potboiler.’ I helped with a couple of the lyrics. September 1980, Playboy Interviews

McCartney and Lennon wrote the song in Paul’s living room while playing hooky from school. Coleman

RECORDED

February 11, 1963, at Abbey Road Day and Abbey and Road

INSTRUMENTATION

McCARTNEY: bass, lead vocal

LENNON: rhythm guitar, harmony vocal

HARRISON: lead guitar

STARR: drums

Record; Road agrees on vocals.

MISCELLANEOUS

This song was part of the Beatles’ repertoire for concerts from 1962 to 1964. Live It was one of six songs performed during the Beatles’ second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, February 16, 1964. Forever, Live says it was also one of five on first show. It also was played at the Washington Coliseum and Carnegie Hall concerts in February 1964 and on the 1964 North American tour (some shows). Forever

On November 28, 1974, Lennon joined Elton John on the Madison Square Garden stage and performed the song. Elton John released the recorded performance in the United States on March 1, 1975, as the B side of Philadelphia Freedom. A-Z and Road It was the A side of a single in the United Kingdom.

McCartney performed this song at the Prince’s Trust Concert (1986) with several rock luminaries. Prince’s

MISERY

AUTHORSHIP Lennon (.6) and McCartney (.4)

Written mainly by Lennon with an assist from McCartney.

Road and ATN and Hit Parader ( April 1972 )

This was written originally for singer Helen Shapiro during the Beatles’ tour of Britain with her in February and March 1963. A-Z and Road and Day; Live agrees for Shapiro. Her management, however, rejected the song. At the time Shapiro was sixteen years old and the most popular singer in Britain.

SHAPIRO: We were leaning out of hotel windows, throwing photographs of ourselves at fans, and it was an incredible period, looking back. Coleman

RECORDED

February 11, 1963, at Abbey Road Day and Abbey and Road

INSTRUMENTATION

McCARTNEY: bass, lead vocal

LENNON: rhythm guitar, lead vocal

HARRISON: lead guitar

STARR: drums

Record; Road and ATN agree on double lead vocals

George Martin: piano

Shout

MISCELLANEOUS

This song was part of the Beatles’ live repertoire in 1963. Live

ANNA (GO TO HIM)

AUTHORSHIP Arthur Alexander (1.00)

RECORDED

February 11,1963, at Abbey Road ATN and Day and Abbey and Road

INSTRUMENTATION

McCARTNEY: bass, backing vocal

LENNON: rhythm guitar, lead vocal

HARRISON: lead guitar, backing vocal

STARR: drums

Record: Road says McCartney and Harrison provided harmony vocals.

MISCELLANEOUS

Arthur Alexander’s original recording was released as a single September 17, 1962, on Dot. It didn’t crack the Top 40. Road

This song was part of the Beatles’ live repertoire in 1962 and 1963.

Live

CHAINS

AUTHORSHIP Gerry Goffin (.5) and Carole King (.5)

RECORDED

February 11, 1963, at Abbey Road Day and Abbey and Road

INSTRUMENTATION

McCARTNEY: bass, harmony vocal

LENNON: rhythm guitar, harmonica, harmony vocal

HARRISON: lead guitar, lead vocal

STARR: drums

Record; Road says McCartney and Lennon contributed backing vocals; ATN says all three shared lead vocals.

MISCELLANEOUS

Original recording artist: the Cookies. Their version was released October 2, 1962, and entered the Top 40 in early December. It hit No. 17 during its eight-week stay there. Lists and Road

This song was part of the Beatles’ concert repertoire in 1963, and Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney shared lead vocals live. Live

BOYS

AUTHORSHIP Luther Dixon (.5) and Wes Farrell (.5) Road

RECORDED

February 11, 1963, at Abbey Road Day and Abbey and Road in one take Abbey

INSTRUMENTATION

McCARTNEY: bass, backing vocal

LENNON: rhythm guitar, backing vocal

HARRISON: lead guitar, backing vocal

STARR: drums, lead vocal

Record and Road

MISCELLANEOUS

Original recording artist: the Shirelles. Used as the B side of their big hit Will You Love Me Tomorrow? which was released November 7, 1960, it entered the Top 40 in December, and held the No. 1 position for two weeks. Lists and Road

This song was part of the Beatles’ live repertoire from 1961 to 1964 (Pete Best sang lead until he was fired in August 1962). Live It was performed during the group’s 1964 North American tour. Forever

ASK ME WHY

CHART ACTION

UNITED KINGDOM: Previously released as a single January 11, 1963, as the B side of Please Please Me. Road

UNITED STATES: Capitol refused to release this, but Vee Jay did February 25, 1963, as the B side to Please Please Me, the Beatles’ first U.S. single. It was not a Top 40 hit. Road

AUTHORSHIP Lennon (.7) and McCartney (.3) Road; ATN says Lennon.

RECORDED

November 26, 1962, at Abbey Road Abbey and Day and Road and ATN

INSTRUMENTATION

McCARTNEY: bass, harmony vocal

LENNON: rhythm guitar, lead vocal

HARRISON: lead guitar, harmony vocal

STARR: drums

Record and Road

MISCELLANEOUS

This song was part of the Beatles’ live repertoire in 1962 and 1963. Live It was performed at the Parlophone Records audition in 1962. A-Z

The public first heard this song on the BBC radio program Teenager’s Turn, June 11, 1962, exactly seven months before it was released as a single. Live

PLEASE PLEASE ME

CHART ACTION

UNITED KINGDOM: Originally released as the Beatles’ second single, January 11, 1963, it entered the chart January 30, and by February 22 was No. 1, where it stayed for two weeks. It was the group’s first U.K. No. 1 record. The success of this caused the hurried recording and release of the Please Please Me album. Road

UNITED STATES: Capitol and several other U.S. record firms passed when it was originally offered to them, various It was later released as a single three times. When it was issued February 25, 1963, by Vee Jay it failed to chart. Road

Years later, star record producer Phil Spector blamed the initial commercial failure of this song not on the music, but on the backwardness of the American public. RS (November 1, 1969) The Beatles’ sound had been ignored, but it was only a matter of time before the U.S. would come around.

Nearly a year later, on January 30, 1964, about two weeks after the release of I Want to Hold Your Hand, Vee Jay released Please Please Me again. It entered the Top 40 February 22, hit No. 3, and spent ten weeks on the chart. Road and Billboard

Vee Jay rereleased it on August 10, 1964, but it didn’t chart. Road

AUTHORSHIP Lennon (1.00)

LENNON: ‘Please Please Me’ is my song completely. It was my attempt at writing a Roy Orbison song, would you believe it? I wrote it in the bedroom in my house at Menlove Avenue, which was my auntie’s place … I remember the day and the pink eyelet on the bed, and I heard Roy Orbison doing ‘Only the Lonely’ or something. That’s where that came from. And also I was always intrigued by the words of ‘Please, lend your little ears to my pleas’—a Bing Crosby song. I was always intrigued by the double use of the word ‘please.’ So it was a combination of Bing Crosby and Roy Orbison. September 1980, Playboy Interviews

Lennon grew to love Bing Crosby records in the late 1970s. Coleman

RECORDED

The original, slow version was recorded September 11, 1962, at the second session for Love Me Do. It was not released. Day and Abbey

The Beatles recorded the second, faster version on November 26, 1962, at Abbey Road. George Martin almost refused to allow them to rerecord this song because he was not happy with the first version. He recommended that they record How Do You Do It, a song written by a professional songwriter ( and later a No. 1 U.K. hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers) and make that their second single. The Beatles refused. Day, Live says Beatles recorded How Do You Do It September 4. Martin agreed that if they recorded How Do You Do It first, they could record the revamped Please Please Me. They played How Do You Do It without much effort and then tore into Please Please Me. Road

MARTIN: I listened. It was great…. I told them what beginning and what ending to put on it, and they went into No. 2 studio to record. It went beautifully. The whole session was a joy. At the end of it, I pressed the intercom button in the control room and said, ‘Gentlemen, you’ve just made your first No. 1 record.’ Ears

After a break the band then recorded Ask Me Why. Diary and Abbey

McCARTNEY: "George Martin’s contribution was quite a big one,