"Please Please Me" is the second single released by The Beatles in the United Kingdom, and the first to be issued in the United States. It was also the title track of their first LP, which was recorded to capitalise on the success of the single. It was originally a John Lennon composition, although its ultimate form was significantly influenced by George Martin.
It is a common belief that "Please Please Me" was never a Number 1 single in Britain but on 22 February 1963 the song reached number one on the singles charts compiled by the New Musical Express (the most recognised chart at the time) and the Melody Maker where it was Number 1 for two weeks. It only reached number two on the Record Retailer chart, which subsequently evolved into the UK Singles Chart and is the most widely quoted today.
The single, as initially released with "Ask Me Why" on the B-side, failed to make much impact in the US, but when re-released there on 3 January 1964 (this time with "From Me to You" on the B-side) it reached number three in the US Hot 100.
According to Ray Coleman's biography "Brian Epstein - The Man Who Made The Beatles" Epstein had been dissatisfied with EMI's promotional efforts for "Love Me Do" (published by EMI's subsidiary Ardmore and Beechwood) and asked George Martin if he could suggest a publisher who would push the single more effectively. Martin suggested three candidates, one of which was Dick James. Epstein made an appointment for 11am the following day but also made an appointment with another EMI subsidiary at 10am. Arriving on time for the first meeting Epstein was informed that the executive he was due to meet had not arrived yet. Still waiting at 10.25 Epstein decided he was not prepared to do business with an organisation that could not keep a scheduled appointment and left. Arriving at James's office 20 minutes early he apologised to the receptionist and said he was happy to wait until the appointed time of 11.00. The receptionist nevertheless phoned James who promptly came out of his office, welcomed Epstein and quickly got down to business. Epstein played the single and James remarked that it was a number one record. Epstein replied that if James could achieve that then he would be prepared to offer him a long term publishing deal. James then phoned Philip Jones, producer of Thank Your Lucky Stars, played the song down the phone to him and gained The Beatles a slot on the next edition of the programme. The two then shook hands on a deal that would make them, and The Beatles, extremely wealthy.
Capitol Records, EMI's United States label, was offered the right to release "Please Please Me" in the US, but turned it down. Instead, it was placed with Transglobal, an EMI affiliate that worked to place foreign masters with US record labels. It was told to find an American outlet for the record as quickly as possible, in order to appease Martin and Beatles' manager Brian Epstein. "Please Please Me" was then offered to Atlantic, which also rejected it. Finally, Vee-Jay, which had released the top-five hit "I Remember You" by Frank Ifield in 1962, another record Capitol had turned down, was offered the right to issue "Please Please Me" in the States, and chose to do so. The exact date of the US issue was lost for decades, but research published in 2004 showed that the single "Please Please Me"/"Ask Me Why" was released by Vee-Jay on 7 February 1963. Coincidentally, this was exactly one year before The Beatles' plane landed in New York on their first visit as a band to America.
Dick Biondi, a disc jockey on WLS in Chicago and a friend of Vee-Jay executive Ewart Abner, played the song on the radio, perhaps as early as 8 February 1963, thus becoming the first DJ to play a Beatles' record in the United States. Art Roberts, legendary DJ and Music Director at the time tells how the record came to be played first at the station:
Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 184 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
"Please Please Me" was chosen for The Beatles' first national UK TV appearance, on Thank Your Lucky Stars on 19 January 1963.
"Please Please Me" is cited as the "first real oral sex pop song" in Tim Riley's 1999 book about The Beatles' discography. He credits two Beatles-era writers for the first such observation, Robert Christgau and John Piccarella. Riley also notes the lyric's (call and responses) "c'mon, c'mon," and points out the song "closes the side [of the album] ignoring the conventional practice of putting the hit up front, and fleshing out the album with weaker material."
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The Beatles I Saw Her StandingThere Live At The Washington Coliseumby ThebeatlesVEVO1274 views
You have some Great chip's
Peace from Old Hippie
lostsound2001 1 month ago
Great
mac3079b 1 month ago