Sunday, February 15, 2009

Beatles Song: Please Please Me

The first big Beatles hit in England, this Lennon number was written early in his career at his aunt's house on Menlove Avenue and has several interesting facts surrounding its composition and evolution. Lennon's original version was very slow since he was trying to write in the style of Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely." George Martin hated the song and refused to record the song unless the Beatles first recorded "How Do You Do It," a song the group didn't care for. They placated Martin and the lackluster take is featured on Anthology.

Lennon was particularly pleased with the double meaning of "please" in the title. When Harrison suggested to Martin that they record it at a faster tempo, Martin agreed and said when the session was finished that he knew the group had its first number one hit. Capitol Records refused to pick up the song in the United States, however, even though the song was a hit in England (released in the UK on January 11, 1963). After the release of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964, however, the song shot up to number three on American charts.

The song was performed on the Sullivan Show and at the Washington Coliseum and at Carnegie Hall on the band's first American tour. It is the title track of the Please Please Me album. The slow version was recorded at the "Love Me Do" session.

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