“Please Please Me” album (1963)

In 1964, the Beatles released their first studio album, Please Please Me, which was their debut studio album. The record was produced by George Martin and released in the United Kingdom on 22 March 1963 by EMI’s Parlophone label following the success of the band’s first two singles, “Love Me Do“, which reached the number 17 spot on the Record Retailer Chart, and “Please Please Me“, which reached the number 1 position on the NME and Melody Maker charts. At that time, the album was the top selling LP on Record Retailer’s chart for 30 consecutive weeks, an unprecedented achievement for a pop album.

After originally being planned as a live album by Martin in November 1962, the recording was moved to the studio in January 1963, but the album was intended to capture the sound of the Beatles’ live performances, which took place in Liverpool Cavern Club and other venues like that. Please Please Me was recorded at EMI Studios in a long recording session on 11 February 1963, and apart from the singles that were already released, the Beatles recorded most of the album on the same day, though Martin later added overdubs to “Misery” and “Baby It’s You” nine days later.

The album consists of fourteen songs, eight of which were written by the songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney (originally credited “McCartney-Lennon”). Rolling Stone magazine later cited these original compositions as early evidence of the Beatles’ “invention of the idea of the self-contained rock band, writing their own hits and playing their own instruments”.

Please Please Me was voted 39th on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” (2012), and number 622 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

• Release date: March 22, 1963
• Label: Parlophone
• Genres: Rock, Pop music, Rock and roll, Pop rock, Rhythm and blues, Beat music, Blues rock
• Length: 31:59
• Studio: EMI, London

Please Please Me tracklist

SIDE A

1. I Saw Her Standing There
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. Misery
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Anna (Go To Him)
   (Arthur Alexander)
4. Chains
   (Gerry Goffin/Carole King)
5. Boys
   (Luther Dixon/Wes Farrell)
6. Ask Me Why
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Please Please Me
   (Lennon/McCartney)

SIDE B

1. Love Me Do
   (Lennon/McCartney)
2. P.S. I Love You
   (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Baby It’s You
   (David/Williams/Bacharach)
4. Do You Want to Know a Secret
   (Lennon/McCartney)
5. A Taste of Honey
   (Scott/Marlow)
6. There’s A Place
   (Lennon/McCartney)
7. Twist and Shout
   (Medley/Russell)