"Please Please Me" (Lennon – February 25, 1963)
Written by John in the bedroom of his boyhood home on Menlove Avenue in 1962, this breakthrough number took its inspiration from two main sources -- musically, from Roy Orbison ballads, specifically his '60 hit "Only The Lonely," and lyrically, from Bing Crosby's 1932 hit "Please," which John's mother, Julia, would often sing around the house during his early childhood. The Crosby hit is built around the line "Please, lend your little ear to my pleas"; Lennon liked the wordplay so much that he decided to write a song that did the same thing.
The original version of this song was much slower and closer to a Roy Orbison ballad speed, but producer George Martin, sensing he had a possible winner, prodded the boys to speed the song up and refine the words. The band also decided at some point to repeat the "lead harmonica" effect they'd used on "Love Me Do."
Upon hearing the completed track, producer George Martin turned on the intercom and told the group: "Gentlemen, you've just recorded your first Number One record." This turned out to be only partly true, however: England's Record Retailer, now considered the benchmark chart of the day, never ranked it higher than #2, although all other major record charts -- the BBC, Disc Weekly, Melody Maker, NME, and Record Mirror -- considered it to be the Number One hit that week.
This was the first Beatles song to be published by the now-famous Dick James Music company; James secured the rights by booking the group to perform the song on ITV's Thank Your Lucky Stars TV show, their first national appearance and a major development in the history of British Beatlemania.
Composition –
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. 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. 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".
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". Originally it was vocally sparse, did not contain any harmonies or responses, and nor did it have the scaled harmonica intro. George Martin first heard it at the "Love Me Do" re-make session on 11 September and, in his opinion, it "badly needed pepping up" and asked The Beatles to consider making major changes to it, including increasing its tempo. By the time it was brought back into the studio on 26 November 1962, its arrangement had been radically altered, and it took 18 takes to record what George Martin immediately predicted would be their first major hit. In fact, if the session notes and date attribution in the 1995 compilation "The Beatles Anthology 1" are correct, a faster-tempo version sans harmonica was recorded at Abbey Road on 11 September; that track (No. 24 on Anthology 1) was believed to have been wiped until its rediscovery in 1994 during the Anthology production, and it apparently includes session drummer Andy White instead of Ringo Starr. The unexpected rediscovery of the 11 September up-tempo recording raises the question of whether the Orbison-inspired slow version might also still exist in the Abbey Road vaults, inasmuch as Lewisohn's 1988 quote from Martin ("We didn't keep outtakes then [1962])" was later contradicted.
As recorded on 26 November, Lennon's harmonica playing features prominently and, similar to other early Beatles' compositions such as "Love Me Do" and "From Me to You", opens the song. McCartney and Lennon initially share the vocals with McCartney holding a high note while Lennon drops down through the scale, a ploy they learned from the Everly Brothers UK hit song "Cathy's Clown" (April 1960). McCartney said: "I did the trick of remaining on the high note while the melody cascaded down from it". Ringo Starr asserts himself, exorcising any lingering doubts from the "Love Me Do" sessions regarding his ability. Where "Love Me Do" had been arguably parochial, relying to a large extent on their existing home fans for support "Please Please Me" would be groundbreaking, especially as The Beatles were now back in the UK and able to appear on influential national television shows such as Thank Your Lucky Stars.
If one were to accept Record Retailer's chart positions for "Please, Please Me" and "How Do You Do It?", then George Martin's instincts for a number one hit were absolutely correct, the former reaching number two and the latter number one for Gerry & The Pacemakers.
There are three different mixes of the song, two in mono and one in stereo. The mono mix that appears on the single is not the same as the Please Please Me album mix, as extra echo was added to the LP version. A new mix was performed for the stereo version of the album, and on 25 February 1963 Martin made one created from original takes 16, 17 and 18. This stereo version has Lennon fluffing the final verse, causing him to sing 'come on' with a slight chuckle in his voice. Also different in the stereo mix is Harrison's lead guitar line before the final verse; rather than duplicating the overdubbed harmonica exactly as he had earlier in the song, Harrison drops down a fourth for the third note, rather than continuing down by step-wise motion.
It was credited to "McCartney-Lennon", as were all other Lennon/McCartney originals on the Please Please Me album. The songwriting credit was changed to the more familiar "Lennon/McCartney" sequence for their second album, With the Beatles.
Publishing –
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 and Beechwood) and asked George Martin if he could suggest a publisher who would push the single more effectively. Martin suggested three candidates, one of which was Dick James. Epstein made an appointment for 11am the following day but also made an appointment with another EMI subsidiary at 10am. 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 Epstein decided he was not prepared to do business with an organization that could not keep a scheduled appointment and left. Arriving at James's office 20 minutes early he apologized to the receptionist and said he was happy to wait until the appointed time of 11:00. 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 then phoned Philip Jones, producer of Thank Your Lucky Stars, played the song down the phone to him and gained The Beatles a slot on the next edition of the program. The two then shook hands on a deal that would make them, and The Beatles, extremely wealthy.
Takes: 18
Personnel –
John Lennon – Lead vocal, harmonica, rhythm guitar (1958 Rickenbacker 325)
Paul McCartney: co-lead vocal, bass guitar (1961 Hofner 500/1)
George Harrison: lead guitar (Gretsch Duo Jet), backing vocals
Ringo Starr: drums (Premier)
Original U.S. release –
Capitol Records, EMI's United States label, was offered the right to release "Please Please Me" in the US, but turned it down. Instead, it was placed with Transglobal, an EMI affiliate that worked to place foreign masters with US record labels. It was told to find an American outlet for the record as quickly as possible, in order to appease Martin and Beatles' manager Brian Epstein. "Please Please Me" was then offered to Atlantic, which also rejected it. Finally, Vee-Jay, which had released the top-five hit "I Remember You" by Frank Ifield in 1962, another record Capitol had turned down, was offered the right to issue "Please Please Me" in the States, and chose to do so. The exact date of the US issue was lost for decades, but research published in 2004 showed that the single "Please Please Me"/"Ask Me Why" was released by Vee-Jay on 7 February 1963. Coincidentally, this was exactly one year before The Beatles' plane landed in New York on their first visit as a band to America.
Dick Biondi, a disc jockey on WLS in Chicago and a friend of Vee-Jay executive Ewart Abner, played the song on the radio, perhaps as early as 8 February 1963, thus becoming the first DJ to play a Beatles' record in the United States. Art Roberts, legendary DJ and Music Director at the time tells how the record came to be played first at the station:
"Let me tell you the story of "Please Please Me". The record was released on the Vee-Jay label. It was a local Chicago recording company. The owner, Ewart Abner, brought a copy of the record to W. L. S. I was the music director at the time and listened to his story about a group, and looked at pictures in teen magazines he brought back from England. I figured what if this group would get as popular in the United States as they were in England and Europe. So I added the record to the list."
"Please Please Me" peaked at number 35 on 15 March after four weeks on its "Silver Dollar Survey" chart. But the song did not chart on any of the major national American surveys.
The first pressings of the Vee-Jay single, which was assigned the catalog number 498, featured a typographical error: The band's name was spelled "The Beattles" with two T's. Later copies of the single corrected the typo. Also, unlike on the UK Parlophone edition, the composers on the Vee-Jay edition were credited as "J. Lennon-P. McCartney" on both sides. Except in Chicago, the record was a flop, as it sold approximately 7,310 copies. Today, copies of Vee-Jay 498, whether with the incorrect or correct spelling of The Beatles on the label, are valuable collector's items.
Second U.S. release –
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, after footage of The Beatles had appeared on a television program hosted by Jack Paar. 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 number three 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". It was one of the songs that comprised the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 of 4 April, when The Beatles held the top five spots.
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. Some of these added a comma to the song title, rendering it as "Please, Please Me". Additionally, some copies of the record were issued with a picture sleeve. 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.
At least 1.1 million copies of "Please Please Me" were sold the second time. If Vee-Jay had been a member of the RIAA, the single would have been eligible to be certified gold.
Critical reception –
Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 184 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
"Please Please Me" was chosen for The Beatles' first national UK TV appearance, on Thank Your Lucky Stars on 19 January 1963.
"Please Please Me" is cited as the "first real oral sex pop song" in Tim Riley's 1999 book about The Beatles' discography. He credits two Beatles-era writers for the first such observation, Robert Christgau and John Piccarella. Riley also notes the lyric's (call and responses) "c'mon, c'mon," and points out the song "closes the side [of the album] ignoring the conventional practice of putting the hit up front, and fleshing out the album with weaker material."
Trivia –
An early version of this song, recorded on September 11, 1962 at the Please Please Mealbum sessions, again featured session drummer Andy White instead of Ringo. It can be found on Anthology 1.
There is no proof that this song, as has been rumored, is specifically a request to perform oral sex, although it is certain that the song's subject feels sexually frustrated in some way. "Please Please Me" is the second single released by The Beatles in the United Kingdom, and the first to be issued in the United States. It was also the title track of their first LP, which was recorded to capitalize on the success of the single. It was originally a John Lennon composition, although its ultimate form was significantly influenced by George Martin.
It is a common belief that "Please Please Me" was never a Number 1 single in Britain but on 22 February 1963 the song reached number one on the singles charts compiled by the New Musical Express (the most recognized chart at the time) and the Melody Maker where it was Number 1 for two weeks. It only reached number two on the Record Retailer chart, which subsequently evolved into the UK Singles Chart and is the most widely quoted today.
The single, as initially released with "Ask Me Why" on the B-side, failed to make much impact in the US, but when re-released there on 3 January 1964 (this time with "From Me to You" on the B-side) it reached number three in the US Hot 100.
Today in Beatles History (From The Beatles Internet Album) March 21 –
1961 – First night-time performance at the Cavern, as support act of the Swinging Bluegenes.
1963 – Number 1 Studio, Piccadilly Theatre, London. 1.00-2.00pm. Recording for BBC's On The Scene: "Misery"; "Do You Want To Know A Secret"; "Please Please Me".
– Concert at the ABC, Croydon (Chris Montez and Tommy Roe Tour).
1964 – With The Beatles number 1, 16th week (UK Record Retailer chart).
– "I Want To Hold Your Hand" number 2, 10th week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– "She Loves You' number 1, first week; 9th week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– "Please Please Me" number 3, 8th week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– "I Saw Her Standing There" number 14, 7th week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– "From Me To You" number 58, 3rd week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– "Twist And Shout" number 7, 2nd week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– "Roll Over Beethoven" number 79, 1st week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– "We Love You Beatles", by the Carefrees, number 63, 1st week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
– "A Letter To The Beatles", by the Four Preps, number 87, 1st week in the Top 100 (Billboard).
1965 – Epstein and Lionel Bart end their week end in the south of France.
1967 – Studio 2. 7.00pm-2.45am. Recording: "Getting Better'"(tape reduction take 12 into takes 13, 14, overdub onto take 14); 'Lovely Rita' (overdub onto take 11). Mono mixing: "Lovely Rita" (remixes 1-15, from take 11). Editing: 'Lovely Rita' (of mono remixes 11, 14). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Geoff Emerick; 2nd Engineer: Richard Lush.
– Recording of vocals for 'Getting Better' and piano solo for "Lovely Rita".
– Ringo does not attend the session. He is called to re-record the drum track, but this is later cancelled. John gets in an LSD trip, is taken to the roof and left alone, and later fetched down by Paul and George.
– Forst visit of Hunter Davies, authorized biographer.
– 11.00pm approx. visit of Norman Smith with Pink Floyd, whose first LP, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, he is producing in other sector of Abbey Road the same night.
1969 – John and Yoko fly to Amsterdam.
1970 – "Let It Be" single, 2nd week in the Top 30 (Billboard).
– Live Peace In Toronto, 11th week in the ranking (Billboard).
– "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)", 5th week in the ranking (Billboard).
1985 – Yoko dedicates the "Imagine" mosaic at the Central Park, New York.
No comments:
Post a Comment