Love Me Do (single) 1962

1. Love Me Do
- This song was mainly written by Paul McCartney, probably around 1959. Lennon wrote the bridge segment.
- Lennon originally sang the low 'Love me do' part at the end of each chorus but this had to be changed when the harmonica was brought in as Lennon's harmonica part comes in too quickly for him to do both. McCartney had never sung this part until the day of the recording.
- Lennon had apparently picked up the harmonica trick from Hey Baby by Bruce Channel, and the band had considered Love Me Do to not really be that much of a standout song prior to the harmonica being added.
- The song was recorded with three seperate drummers. The first time was a demo version with original drummer Pete Best (this can be found on the rarities compilation Anthology 1). The second time was with new drummer Ringo, I think this was the version that went out on the original pressing of the single and didn't really appear again until it was included on the 1988 singles compilation album Past Masters Volume 1. The third recording was then made for the band's debut album Please Please Me and subsequent repressings of the single, this version featured session drummer Andy White as producer George Martin didn't think Ringo was good/experienced enough to do it justice in the studio. The way to tell the Ringo and Andy White versions apart is the addition of a tambourine - Ringo plays a tambourine on the Andy White version (so he could feel like a part of the band I guess, I can only imagine what was going through his mind at the time).
- The harmonica that Lennon plays on the recording is one that he stole from a shop two years earlier. Lennon's use of the harmonica would go on to characterise the Beatles' early sound. It's not known if he ever later sent any money to the shop.
- Love Me Do clocks in at a nifty length of 2 minutes and 17 seconds. The Andy White version (the version heard on the Please Please Me album and most pressings of the Love Me Do single) took 33 takes to record.
- McCartney sings the lead vocals, and Lennon and Harrison provide backing vocals. Lennon recorded a guitar track in addition to his harmonica part, and Harrison played an acoustic guitar for the recording.
- The single peaked at No. 17 in the UK charts in December, 1962. It reached No. 1 in the US for a week in 1964. It was reissued in 1984 in the UK and reached No. 4.

2. P.S. I Love You
- This is the B-side to the Love Me Do single, and it also appears on the Please Please Me album.
- It was almost released as an A-side but as there was already a song out at the time by another artist also called P.S. I Love You it was ruled out.
- As per Love Me Do, Andy White plays drums on this recording as well. This is why the drums sound so wussy. No alternative versions were ever recorded with Ringo.
- McCartney wrote this song in early 1962, and employed some rather Roy Orbison-like vocal stylings.
- This song is an early example of the Beatles pushing musical boundaries, in this case they use a 'jazz' chord (C#7) to bridge together some more traditional pop/rock chords.
- Track length: 2 minutes and 2 seconds. It took 10 takes to record.
- Ringo plays the maracas on this recording due to old mate Andy White playing the drums.
- The song probably wouldn't have made it onto the Please Please Me album if it hadn't already appeared as the B-side on this single.

1964 U.S. single cover