Please Please Me is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Produced by George Martin, it was released on EMI’s Parlophone label on March 22, 1963 in the United Kingdom, following the success of the band’s first two singles “Love Me Do”, which reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart, and “Please Please Me” which reached number 1 on the NME and Melody Maker charts. The album topped Record Retailer’s LP chart for 30 weeks, an unprecedented achievement for a pop album at that time.
Aside from their already released singles, the Beatles recorded the majority of Please Please Me in one long recording session at EMI Studios on February 11, 1963. On February 20, Martin added overdubs to “Misery” and “Baby It’s You”. Of the album’s 14 songs, eight were written by Lennon–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”. In 2012, Please Please Me was voted 39th on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. It was voted number 622 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).
- “I Saw Her Standing There” 2:55
- “Misery” 1:49
- “Anna (Go to Him)” 2:55
- “Chains” 2:23
- “Boys” 2:24
- “Ask Me Why” 2:24
- “Please Please Me” 1:59
- “Love Me Do” 2:21
- “P.S. I Love You” 2:04
- “Baby It’s You” 2:40
- “Do You Want to Know a Secret” 1:56
- “A Taste of Honey” 2:03
- “There’s a Place” 1:51
- “Twist and Shout” 2:32
John Lennon – lead vocals, backing vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, hand claps
Paul McCartney – lead vocals, backing vocals, bass guitar, hand claps
George Harrison – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, hand claps, backing vocals; lead vocals on “Chains” and “Do You Want to Know a Secret”
Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine, maracas, hand claps; lead vocals on “Boys”
George Martin – producer, mixer, additional arrangements, piano on “Misery”, celesta on “Baby It’s You”
Andy White – drums on “Love Me Do” and “P.S. I Love You”
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