And so we begin... Zydar and I decided I would do the write-ups. I don't think I will have time to do as detailed and thorough entries as Orbert has... but I'm hoping the basic information I present here will spark discussion, prompt more detail to be covered, and get you guys listening to the finest rock band in history.
“Love Me Do” b/w “P.S. I Love You” (1962)
“Please Please Me” b/w “Ask Me Why” (1963)
PLEASE PLEASE ME (1963)
Fast-forward through the history of the band… John meets Paul, Paul brings George, John brings Stu Sutcliffe, Pete Best comes aboard, band matures in Hamburg and becomes Liverpool sensation, Sutcliffe stays in Germany, Decca rejects the Beatles. Here isn’t the place to discuss every facet of the band’s history (although significant points will likely come up in discussion).
The Beatles’ first single for Parlophone Records was recorded amidst the recent departure of drummer Pete Best. Two version of the A-side were recorded… one features Ringo Starr on drums; the other relegates him to tambourine while session drummer Andy White plays the kit. The B-side “P.S. I Love You” features Andy White on drums! The single was a moderate hit in England, reaching #17… certainly not enough to qualify the band’s star status outside of their hometown.
The second single, however, would change all that. “Please Please Me” (now featuring Ringo as an established band member) hit #1 in the British charts, while in the US its release on small record labels was virtually ignored.
In February 1963 the band recorded the ten remaining tracks for their debut album in three 3-hour sessions in a single day. The performances are virtually live-in-the-studio, quite similar to takes recorded for BBC radio in 1963 (one can, arguably, find superior versions of these songs amidst those bootlegs!). Notice how strained Lennon’s voice sounds on the album… he was suffering from a bad cold that day!
“I Saw Her Standing There” opens the album with a BANG, and immediately establishes the band as legitimate songwriters…. what a way to open a debut album. It is followed by a bit of a throwaway in “Misery.” The remainder of side 1, aside from the “Please Please Me” A and B side, features two dynamite covers: Arthur Alexander’s “Anna” and the Shirelles’ “Boys.” The former is among the finest of the Beatles’ lesser-known songs, and the latter features a SCORCHING lead vocal by Ringo… his vocal range and power would rather quickly disintegrate.
Side 2 is, IMO, considerably weaker. It does, however, showcase the broad range of the Beatles’ influences. The A- and B-sides of “Love Me Do” are very unique-sounding originals, difficult to pin into any set genre or identifiable influence. The other originals on this side follow suit, with George’s first lead vocal (“Do You Want to Know a Secret”) and a glimpse into Lennon’s troubled genius (“There’s a Place”). The covers here are even broader… two pop standards and the inimitable “Twist and Shout” (listen for John’s huge cough at the end… it was the last track recorded that day and he was sick!).
Although it is far from perfect, I really enjoy Please Please Me. It is a solid effort as a debut recording and a great showing of the Beatles’ far-reaching influences. It is perhaps the most authentic record we have of the band’s early stage act (although the bootleg tapes from Hamburg, recorded at the end of 1962, feature even more diverse cover material!).
Topic: The Beatles - Rubber Soul (Read 5222 times)
