I was more than likely rekindled with this song from Max; a huge Beatles fan; at his PowerPop blog page. I admire so many of the earlier hits of the Beatles including today’s featured track – Please Please Me. It is the title track from their debut album and their second single released in Britain—following October 1962’s Love Me Do. The Beatles had accomplished a modest debut success with Love Me Do, but outside of Liverpool and Hamburg they were still practically unknown.
It is said the song Please Please Me encapsulates the band’s original sound during that era.
“It was my attempt at writing a Roy Orbison song,” Lennon said of “Please Please Me.” He originally penned a yearning ballad while listening to Orbison in a bedroom at his aunt’s house, but Martin suggested it would sound better sped up. Said Lennon, “By the time the session came around, we were so happy with the result, we couldn’t get it recorded fast enough.”
[Verse 1]
Last night, I said these words to my girl
“I know you never even try, girl”
[Chorus]
Come on (Come on), come on (Come on)
Come on (Come on), come on (Come on)
Please, please me, whoa, yeah, like I please you
[Verse 2]
You don’t need me to show the way, love
Why do I always have to say, love
[Bridge]
I don’t want to sound complaining
But you know there’s always rain in my heart (In my heart)
I do all the pleasing with you, it’s so hard to reason
With you, woah, yeah, why do you make me blue?
It took 18 takes to record what George Martin immediately predicted would be their first major hit. Lennon’s harmonica playing features prominently on Please Please Me and similar to other early Beatles’ compositions such as Love Me Do and From Me to You, opens the song. Ringo Starr asserted 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.
The new single was released in the UK on 11 January 1963 during one of the worst winters in British history. On 19 January 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. The national exposure of the song, as well as the band’s unusual appearance and hair style, generated a lot of attention.
The album Please Please Me was ‘beyond’ well-received in Britain, where it remained in the Top 10 for over a year, a record for a debut album that stood for half a century.
References:
1. Please Please Me (song) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Love this. Beatles are timeless…
While I tend to gravitate to their later songs, I agree there are also some true gems among the earlier Beatles catalog. The upbeat vibe of “Please Please Me” always puts me in a happy mood. And the harmony singing is just sweet, as usual.
On the surface the vocals on early Beatles songs may not sound that sophisticated, but they are tough to replicate. I’ve seen at least a dozen Beatles tribute bands. Most did a great job capturing the music, but only one or two got the vocals right – I guess as a Beatle nut, I’m also a bit picky! 🙂
Christian compare it to Love Me Do…their first single…it’s night and day. You are right…it’s a lot of moving parts all at once.
I wouldn’t say I’m their biggest fan, but I can’t help but admire them and their inestimable legacy. I gravitate more towards their old stuff and their post – Beatles solo output. I wouldn’t put it down to not trying to embrace their latter catalogue, it just hasn’t moved me as much as the years have passed. That’s amazing you have seen so many tribute bands and I’m happy you were able to witness two who nailed their unique harmony.
I like all of the eras…depends on what mood I’m in but this one…it’s catchy and a good song at the same time. Lennon wrote it as a ballad but Martin asked him to speed it up…which later on he wouldn’t have done but this was the beginning. Well constructed and the vocals are pretty cool. Thanks Matt!
As you know Max I gravitate more to their older work and post Beatles contributions. Yeh, I know about Lennon’s initial aim with the song, but fortunately they had a manager who had an amazing ear to know what would work to broaden their appeal. And this sure did to say the least.
Speeding it up did the trick. Love Me Do put them on the map but this one propelled them.
Yup. Awesome sound.
I’m more of an early Beatles fan, than a later one. I don’t really have any personal favourites from them.
I saw ‘Yesterday’ the other week and I liked the premise and I thought there were some funny moments in the first half.