Please Please Me

The Beatles first album, ‘Please Please Me’ was completed on February 11, 1963 but not released until March 22^nd. In April, it reached No. 1 and stayed in that place until replaced by The Beatles second album ‘With The Beatles’ that was released November of the same year. On the album, 8 out of the 14 songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. A mix of the two minds created music that was almost magical when you listened to it.

The whole album was recorded in one-13 hour session. John Lennon was sick the day of the recording, almost losing his voice by the time they sang ‘Twist and Shout’.  Paul McCartney remembers later that as they left the studio, John was voiceless and clutching his throat medicine. In 2012, Please Please Me was voted in on Rolling Stones ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time’ and received the 39^th spot.

For being their first album, I really think they did a fantastic job. Having gotten a new drummer just less than a year before and also losing their bass player, The Beatles were able to jump right back into work and produce an excellent album. My favorite song on the album is called ‘There’s A Place’, which is one of the 8 songs written by Lennon and McCartney. It’s my favorite because you can relate to the lyrics quite well, explaining about a place where you can go when you’re feeling bad and need time alone to think about life.

“There is a place

 Where I can go

 When I feel low

 When I feel blue

 And it's my mind

 And there's no time when I'm alone”

I’ll be posting a link with each song so you can go and listen to them!

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I Saw Her Standing There - written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, sung by McCartney

Misery - written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, sung by Lennon

Anna (Go To Him) - written by Arthur Alexander, sung by John Lennon

Chains - written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, sung by George Harrison

Boys - written by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell, sung by Ringo Starr

Ask Me Why - written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by Lennon

Please Please Me - written and sung by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Love Me Do - written and sung by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

P.S. I Love You - written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by McCartney

Baby It's You -  written by Mack David, Barney Williams and Burt Bacharach, sung by John Lennon

Do You Want To Know A Secret? - written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sung by George Harrison

A Taste of Honey - written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow, sung by Paul McCartney

There's A Place - written and sung by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Twist and Shout - written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell, sung by Lennon

Please Please Me - Full Album




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1962 ~ Part 2

August of 1962 will forever be historic in The Beatles timeline. It may have to do with a few new additions to The Beatles family, one of them being my favorite band member.
 

After the first few sessions and recordings with EMI, George Martin brought up a major topic to The Beatles manager Brian Epstein regarding their drummer Pete Best. He commented that Best might not have been the best person and best choice to do studio recordings. Best had also refused to dress and have hair styled like the other Beatles members. It was soon agreed by John, Paul, and George that Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) from ‘Rory Storm and The Hurricanes’ would be the best replacement, having worked with him many other times before. Brian did what he was told and fired Best, and here comes Ringo!

('Rory Storm and The Hurricanes' pictured in 1961)

Many fans of The Beatles were angered and outraged by the news that Best was fired. During the time he was in The Beatles, his fan base and popularity grew more than the other members. Sadly on Ringo’s first gig at a Beatles regular spot, The Cavern Club on August 18th ended up in violent fights. Guitarist George Harrison received a black eye from a very angered fans.

(First Recording Session at Abbery Road - September 4th, 1962 - from left to right; Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison)

Soon after Ringo joined the band, fellow band member John

Lennon married his pregnant girlfriend Cynthia Powell at Liverpool’s Mount Pleasant Registry Office on August 23th, 1962. The amount of time it took the two to get married was only 5 minutes. John’s aunt Mimi Smith refused to attend and Ms. Powell was given away by her brother. Paul McCartney was John’s best man and manager Brian Epstein was kind enough to take the wedding party out for lunch that day after the ceremony. For Cynthia’s pregnancy, no alcohol was served during the meal.

(Cynthia Powell and John Lennon)

October brought along The Beatles first single. The band members strongly chose ‘Love Me Do’ as the song they should recorded for the single. George Martin wasn’t convinced fully on that song and opted more towards ‘How Do You Do It?’ by Mitch Murray, but by the end he changed his mind and went with the boys pick. Martin was also not sure about Ringo being the new drummer and hired a man named Andy White to record the drum part in the song. Ringo sat quietly in the background and played the tambourine.  ‘Love Me Do’ was officially released on October 26^th – soon reaching No. 17 on the charts. 

With new starts come sad endings. In November and December of 1962 were the last trips The Beatles ever took to Hamburg, Germany. Venturing on their own as young men when they began, times soon changed. ‘Love Me Do’ was taking them into a new direction and Hamburg was just a figment in the past.  It was time to say goodbye to The Beatles first era.


In their sights now – 1963


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1962 ~ Part 1

Since this is the first post on my Beatles blog, I decided to start from the beginning of The Beatles. Well, I guess if you really think about it, 1962 wasn’t the true year that ‘The Beatles’ became THE BEATLES. To me, this year was the start of what will change the course of history itself.

The years leading up to 1962, The Beatles tried their best to become a major skiffle group/band around Liverpool along with Hamburg, Germany. Playing famous songs around the time from bands like Buddy Holly and the Crickets, to one of their heroes, Elvis, they managed to add a new amount of flair and pizazz that soon became a trademark in their music.

In January of 1962, The Beatles had one of their first major auditions. Brian Epstein, The Beatles manager approached Decca Records A&R manager Mike Smith and soon after was given a chance for an audition in London on January 1, 1962. At the audition they played 15 songs that were picked by Epstein himself along with 3 original songs: ‘Like Dreamers Do’, ‘Hello Little Girl’ and ‘Love Of The Loved’.  The boys tried their best but Decca chose a different band, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes.

Sometimes greatness comes with pain; which came on April 10th. Their beloved bass player Stuart Sutcliffe had died of a brain hemorrhage caused by a fight he was in 2 years previously. John took this news very hard, having been close friends with Stuart since going to the Liverpool School of Art.

(Picture: Stuart Sutcliffe in 1962)

With April being such a hard month taking a large chunk out of their lives, May provided a picker up for everyone.

 

On May 9^th while The Beatles were in Hamburg, they received a telegram from their manager Brian Epstein stating, ‘Congratulations boys. EMI request recording session. Please rehearse new material’. Finally they had made it to the big time! The A&R of Parlophone Records George Martin had listened to their Decca tapes and offered Brian a contract and recording test. On June 6^th, just 4 days after coming back from Hamburg, The Beatles recorded in Abbey Road studios. That day they recorded 4 demos, ‘Besame Mucho’, ‘Ask Me Why’, ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘P.S. I Love You.’

MORE INFO ABOUT 1962 COMING IN PART 2 :D

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