Please Please Me (song)
"Please Please Me" is a song released by the English rock band the Beatles. It was their second single in the United Kingdom, and their first in the United States. It is also the title track of their first LP, which was recorded to capitalise on the success of the single.[4] It is a John Lennon composition (credited to McCartney–Lennon),[5][6][7] although its ultimate form was significantly influenced by producer George Martin.[8]
This article is about the song. For the album, see Please Please Me."Please Please Me"
"Ask Me Why" (UK & US 1st release)
"From Me to You" (US re-release)
- 11 January 1963 (UK)
- 25 February 1963 (US)[1]
- 3 January 1964 (US re-release)
26 November 1962[1]
EMI, London
2:00
- Parlophone (UK)
- Vee-Jay (US)
The single was released in the UK on 11 January 1963 and reached No. 1 on the New Musical Express and Melody Maker charts. However, it only reached No. 2 on the Record Retailer chart, which subsequently evolved into the UK Singles Chart. Because of this, it was not included on the Beatles' number ones compilation, 1.
The single, as initially released with "Ask Me Why" on the B-side, failed to make much impact in the US in February 1963, but when re-released there on 3 January 1964 (this time with "From Me to You" on the B-side), it reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also re-released on 6 December 1982 by Parlophone in the UK.
Composition[edit]
The Beatles had accomplished a modest debut success with "Love Me Do", but outside of Liverpool and Hamburg they were still practically unknown. Part of the problem was that the group were committed to begin what was to be their final Hamburg season just as "Love Me Do" entered the British charts and so were unable to actively promote it on their home soil.[9] Nonetheless, their producer, George Martin, felt it was a promising start and decided to go ahead with a second single.
"Please Please Me" has a diverse history. George Martin has stated that the original version of this song was "rather dreary", was too slow and consequently had little prospect of being the big hit the band were looking for. Martin said, "I was still thinking that we should release their [earlier] recording of 'How Do You Do It?'", a previously taped Mitch Murray composition that Martin insisted the Beatles record which he had seriously considered as an alternative debut single instead of "Love Me Do". The group replied that they were only interested in recording their own material.[8] McCartney said: "It was symptomatic of our group that we turned down 'How Do You Do It?'." Ringo Starr commented: "I remember us all being ready to stand up for the principle of, 'We have written these songs and we want to do them'". George Martin was ultimately sympathetic to their appeals, but said later: "[I] would still have issued "How Do You Do It?" had they not persuaded me to listen to another version of "Please Please Me".[10] Martin's confidence in "How Do You Do It?" proved justified when it subsequently became a number one hit for Gerry & the Pacemakers.
Lennon first conceived "Please Please Me" as a bluesy, slow tempo song. Lennon recalled: "I remember the day I wrote it, I heard Roy Orbison doing 'Only the Lonely', or something. And I was also always intrigued by the words to a Bing Crosby song that went, 'Please lend a little ear to my pleas'. The double use of the word 'please'. So it was a combination of Roy Orbison and Bing Crosby".[8] Originally it was vocally sparse, did not contain any harmonies or responses, nor did it have the scaled harmonica intro. Lennon later stated: "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".[11]
Publishing[edit]
According to Ray Coleman's biography, Brian Epstein: The Man Who Made the Beatles, Epstein had been dissatisfied with EMI's promotional efforts for "Love Me Do" (published by EMI's subsidiary Ardmore & Beechwood) and asked George Martin if he could suggest a publisher who would push the single more effectively. Martin suggested three candidates, one of whom was Dick James. Epstein made an appointment to meet with him for 11 a.m. the following day, as well as an appointment with another EMI subsidiary at 10 a.m. Arriving on time for the first meeting, Epstein was informed that the executive he was due to meet had not arrived yet. Still waiting at 10:25, he decided that he was not prepared to do business with an organisation that could not keep a scheduled appointment, and left.
Arriving at James' office 20 minutes early, he apologised to the receptionist and said he was happy to wait until the appointed time. The receptionist nevertheless phoned James, who promptly came out of his office, welcomed Epstein and quickly got down to business. Epstein played the single and James remarked that it was a number one record. Epstein replied that if James could achieve that then he would be prepared to offer him a long-term publishing deal. James phoned Philip Jones, producer of ITV television show Thank Your Lucky Stars, played the song for him over the telephone, and gained the Beatles a slot on the next edition of the programme. The two then shook hands on a deal that would make them, and the Beatles, extremely wealthy.[22]
UK release[edit]
The new single was released in the UK on 11 January 1963 during one of the worst winters in British history. On 19 January[23] much of the population was snowed-in at home watching the Beatles perform the song on the Saturday night TV show, Thank Your Lucky Stars.[24] The national exposure of the song, as well as the band's unusual appearance and hair style, generated a lot of attention, and they were booked by promoter Arthur Howes for a series of national tours. The first tour was as a support band for Helen Shapiro in February, for Tommy Roe and Chris Montez in March, and for Roy Orbison in May. During breaks in the touring schedule, the Beatles performed the song on a number of BBC national radio programmes. The touring and TV appearances, along with extensive press coverage, propelled the single to the top of most of the British charts and the Beatles, much to their embarrassment, were moved to the top of the bill on the Tommy Roe and Roy Orbison tours.[25]
Second US release[edit]
In the wake of the rush-release of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in the United States, Vee-Jay reissued "Please Please Me" on or about 3 January 1964, the day that film footage of the Beatles appeared on a prime time episode of The Jack Paar Program on NBC Television.[35] Playing it safe, the label chose to put "From Me to You" on the B-side, as Del Shannon's version had been a minor hit in 1963. The new single was issued with the catalog number 581.
This time, "Please Please Me" was a massive hit, eventually peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending 14 March 1964, trailing only "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You".[35] "Please Please Me" was at No. 5 on the Hot 100 on 4 April 1964, the date on which the Beatles held the top five spots.[35]
Because Vee-Jay wanted to get as many copies of the record pressed as quickly as possible, it did not insist on uniformity from one pressing plant to another. As a result, a dizzying number of label variations exist.[36] Some of these added a comma to the song title, rendering it as "Please, Please Me".[36] Additionally, some copies of the record were issued with a picture sleeve.[36] Early promotional copies had a special sleeve proclaiming "Please Please Me" as "The Record That Started Beatlemania". The text on the sleeve noted that the Beatles had just appeared on Paar's program and were scheduled to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in February. This sleeve is considered to be extremely rare.[37]
At least 1.1 million copies of the reissue were sold.[35] If Vee-Jay had been a member of the RIAA, the single would have been certified gold.
Critical reception[edit]
Rolling Stone ranked the song at No. 184 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, placing it 15th among Beatles songs on that list.
"Please Please Me" was chosen for The Beatles' first national UK television appearance, on Thank Your Lucky Stars on 19 January 1963.[38]
Personnel per Ian MacDonald:[5][11]
Engineered by Norman Smith