Love Me Do

Please Please Me, Track 8, 1963

Ah, Universe. It's been over two months. I'm so sorry about that. At my place of work (Porto Rico Importing Company), we have Beatles Fridays, where I am in charge of the playlist, and am challenged every week to come up with a new way of sorting the Beatles songs that take up nearly 3/4 of my iPod.

So, it's really embarrassing that I haven't been keeping up with this blog.

But anyways, "Love Me Do." The Beatles' first single. Ever. Yeeeeeah!

This song topped in its original release, at #17 in the UK, and at #1 in the US, putting it (but not frikkin' "Please Please Me)" on the "1" album. Several versions were recorded with George Martin (the great) after initially signing the Beatles. There was some concern about how John would play the harmonica and sign the hook/title line "love me do," since these were the days in which those things could barely be recorded on separate tracks. In fact, this whole album was done on two-track, vocals on one, and all the instruments on the other. That's how Paul got to sing the title of the song, just so John could start playing the harmonica as the vocals finished up.

Anyways,

I Love:

• That harmonica part: not terribly sophisticated, but effective nonetheless
• The lyrics are So. Simple.

"Love, love me do. You know I love you. I'll always be true. So please love me do. Someone to love. Somebody new, Someone to love, Someone like you."

• That's it. That's the entire song.
  
• The thump-thump after the "someone like you" for emphasis.

Actually, I love the drums on the album version of this song, which are different than the single version, because of the last minute switch between Pete Best, Ringo Starr and the studio drummer that briefly came between them. The Beatles didn't want Pete, and George Martin was initially wary of Ringo, but the band put their foot down, and rest is history. On the album track, Andy White plays the drums, and Ringo plays the tambourine. And I must say, it's a damn fine tambourine part.

Here are links to several different versions of the song, so you can try to concentrate and compare and then consider yourself a connoisseur of Beatles drumming. (Like the alliteration? Thanks.)

Just Ringo This appears to be live-ish, and the quality is much lower than these other two.
Pete Best
Andy White/Ringo Starr

Okay, there you go. Let me know when you realize that some of this doesn't make any sense.

Please Please Me

Please Please Me, Track 7, 1963

Ah yes, the title track. The Beatles’ second single, and first Number One Hit. Well, that’s debatable, with different UK Charts listing the song as peaking at either #1, or #2 (to “How Do You Do It?,” a song offered to the Beatles by EMI that they declined). For this reason, “Please Please Me” did not appear on the “1” compilation album released in 2000. (link)

I Love:

• The back-and-forth on the "c'mons" contrasting John's strung out vocals with the polished backing harmonies
  
• I know the bass line is nothing special, but I think it really holds the song together, and gives it tension.
  
• Also, I haven't mentioned nearly enough how much I love John's harmonica playing.
  
• And the little guitar riffs preceding the aforementioned "c'mons."
  
• Okay, basically all the instruments. Even the drums, right before the bridge. Excellent.
  

This is the last track on side one of the vinyl, and is of course, strategically placed to make the listener go through the entire record before reaching it, since, as the hit single, it was the most recognizable song. George Martin and the Beatles were both very meticulous about the track order on their records, even before the "concept album" and connected tracks of the later years.

There was some controversy over Please Please Me, with critics claiming it was about oral sex. Now that I’ve said that, I’m sure you’re incapable of thinking it’s about anything else. Paul McCartney denied it, but, well, the title is “Please Please Me.”

Ask Me Why

Please Please Me, Track 6, 1963

Released as the B-side for the title track, "Ask Me Why" was John’s attempt to emulate Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. (In a side note, I really, really thought that Smokey was dead, and was quite startled to see him at the Grammys). They performed the song live frequently, and the single featuring it was released in America TODAY! That is, February 25, 1963, so 46 years ago today. Doesn’t seem so long ago, does it? (link)

I love:

• The “woo woo woo”s, “aye aye aye"s and all the vocal duplications in general, even in the lyrics “Never never never be blue”
• John’s voice is beginning to crack, and in this case, it really adds to the heartfelt emotion of the song.
• The guitar bum bum bum leading up to Miz-Er-Ree!
• Also, the reference to “Misery,” the second song on the album.

On first glance, “Ask Me Why” seems so earnest, but the reference to “misery” is so well framed, with the guitar build up/intro (I always want to do a little cha-cha-cha there), the song becomes tongue-in-cheek instantly, and the excessive woo-woo-woos can be really appreciated for their silliness. The lyrics to this song don’t really make that much sense to me, anyways. The lady in question tells him things he wants to know? Is she a librarian or a teacher or something? He’s crying tears of joy because of this? Also, no one loves him!

Boys

Please Please Me, Track 5, 1963

Written by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell and first recorded by the Shirelles as the b-side to their single "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," which happens to be my favorite Shirelles song. Another song only recorded because The Beatles loved the original, and the first sung by Ringo. Obligatory Wiki Link

I mean, this is just so bizarre, because the gender-roles have been reversed in the lyrics, but the title and tag line "Well, I talk about boys/what a bottle of joys" have not. The line wouldn't rhyme if the lyric was changed, but the meaning and sexuality of the song is disconcerting coming out of Ringo's mouth.

Nonetheless, I love:

• The unbelievably shrill first "bob-shoo-wop"
• Build-up in the drums before Ringo begins singing, and drop of while he is, indicating that he was drumming and singing simultaneuously. (I have no evidence to back up this statement)
• "Alright, George!" Something Ringo does for most of his early recordings, a reminent of his time in the Hurricanes, and not a characteristics I ever considered very "Beatle-y"
• There's just a slight indication of a woman's voice saying "John!" at the end of the song.
  

I find it hard to get over the weirdness of Ringo singing about the thrills of boys, but bop-shoo-wops are always good. Just the fact that The Beatles (and their producers) were willing to record this is very endearing and again points to the naivete of the band, when it comes to "marketable" music.

As far as the woman's voice goes, I hear it in the background while Ringo is "oooh-ing" after the last verse and just before the outro. I like to think she's saying "John!" (as I mentioned above), but it's just a sound that's a little bit out of place and it could just be anything.

Chains

Please Please Me, Track 4, 1963

Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Originally recorded by The Cookies (backing band to Little Eva). Not Much More.

Oh George!
The first formal EMI recording of George Harrison singing lead vocals for the Beatles. They gave him this, and "Do You Want to Know a Secret", on the b-side of the record. He had been doing some writing on his own at the time, as well as an instrumental collaboration with Paul, but the band still thought the 20 year old wasn't capable of composing songs on his own.

I Love

• The accent. Even in his later recording, Harrison never really lost the Liverpool lilt.
• Harmonica to open. Classic Beatles, and you know what they say about guys who play the harmonica... (it's dirty, what they say).
• That frequently it sounds like they're saying "chain" instead of "chains." The linguist in me (something I am indeed formally trained in) find the lack of subject-verb agreement endearing.
• Actually, I quite hated this song for a while, but that was during my purist phase of only liking songs that the Beatles themselves had written.

"Chains" is obviously another song that the Beatles had listened to and admired, and then made their own with their rolikking guitar, steady beat and sexy sexy harmonica. I felt for a long time that John and Paul had not given George a fair chance on the vocals by backing him so heavily throughout. I am staunchly pro-George, and in the distant mists of my youth, I thought that meant being anti-Lennon/McCartney and accused the Big Boys of coddling Harrison. Although that might be somewhat the case, I think we can all agree now that the strong harmonies on "Chains" are largely a positive quality.

Anna (Go To Him)

Please Please Me, Track 3, 1963

Written by Arthur Alexander and performed originally by him in 1962, "Anna (Go to Him)" was one of John's favorite songs of the time, and he insisted that the Beatles record it. Various critics applauded and dismissed the track, with both sides arguing that it's 'youthful' quality made it stand out. This is the first track on Please Please Me where Lennon's head cold becomes noticeable in his vocal quality, and by the time the album reaches the Beatles' famous cover of "Twist and Shout" he is barely recognizable. (more)

I Love:

• The "uuuuh-anna" of George's backup vocals
  
• John's deteriorating vocal quality
  
• The change in lyrics to "go with him;" "go to him" is never uttered
  
• "So" rhyming with "more," a mark of liverpudlian accents, and present in other recordings as well
  
• My ex-something-or-another Isaac's favorite song (with Things We Said Today). Suits him so well, the pathetic bastard.
  
• John's plaintive cry of resignation at the end of the song with the sad little crash of the high hat (is that even right, I know nothing about what those bits are called)

I've determined not to include parts of the song or arrangement that were not the direct result of the Beatles' singing or songwriting skills on tracks that were not orginally written by John, Paul, George or Ringo. Let me just say, though, that the "give back your ring to me" lyric is absolutely heartbreaking, and John performs it so well. I think that the teenage quality of this version really adds poignancy to the song, but keeps it in line with the upbeat message of most of the other tracks of this era by reminding the listener that the singer is quite young and will get over Anna by the time track 6 rolls around.

As for Isaac, well, it is one of his favorite Beatles songs, and he could not be convinced that Lennon/McCartney did not write it. I guess that says something about the ability of the group to take ownership of their recordings, even from this early stage. The Beatles never were afraid to rearrange other peoples' songs or change the gender pronoun to better suit their needs (see the bizarre upcoming "Boys"). Isaac can have this song, but I can't decide whether I want Anna to give back her ring to him or not.

Misery

Please Please Me, Track 2, 1963

"Misery" was never a single for The Beatles. It was written for singer Helen Shapiro as a country/western recording, but the song was deemed unsuitable and never released by Shapiro. The piano on the track is played by Producer George Martin, who performed on a large number of earlier Beatles recordings, while John Lennon taught himself to play in the studio. (more)

I Love:

• The piano throughout, especially the intro and its pairing with the rhythm guitar
• The whiny sound of the backing vocals
• "It's gonna be a drag"
• Lennon's lisp on "send her back to me" (ssshend)
• The outro, including the whine, the line "my misery" and the fade-out on "lalalalala"

The lyrics to this song are another example of the teenage mentality of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting in the early 60s. Just saying that losing your girl is a 'drag' is really enough to indicate the age bracket of the singer/intended audience. However, despite being rather pathetic, the enthusiastic rhythm guitar and brilliant piano by George Martin really pick the song up and make it singable.

The fact that John is not taking himself too seriously, even here in their first real studio recording is really cute, and appealing. The lisp on "send," taken after the opening of the album on "I Saw Her Standing There" really sets the listener up for a raw rock-and-roll record that could almost be live. It's also a tongue-in-cheek jab at the song itself, sort of a way to say "yes, I know this song is really just fluff. But it's fun! And less than two minutes long."

I Saw Her Standing There

Please Please Me, Track 1, 1963

Please Please Me was The Beatles first full-length record, and was released in the UK in March of 1963. The album was recorded largely in order, over the course of a single day. "I Saw Her Standing There" was released as the b-side to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in the US and the single topped the US charts for seven weeks (more history).

I Love:

• Of course, the 1-2-3-FAWR intro
• The hand claps
• The way the guitar solo sounds like it was recorded in a tunnel
• Paul's scream at the beginning of said solo
• The ringing-chord ending that would become so characteristic of The Beatles' sound

From the beginning (though of course they had singles before this), The Beatles' sound is very distinct. In my opinion, it's a very endearing sort of jangle that makes you want to keep listening. And my opinion is really what matters here. The hand claps are undeniably dorky, the sort of thing that B-list girl groups were doing at the time, not rugged young Brits. But The Beatles have admitted that, being Brits, they didn't realize how uncool they might have seemed in the states.

I mean, if you think about it, the lyric "my heart went 'boom'" is pretty juvenile. From the perspective of all these years, I can brush it off as just being the teenage years of rock-and-roll, but hopefully the teens of 1963 were intelligent enough to realize that the lyric was not Shakespeare by any means. It's those hand claps and the ringing and echoing guitar that appeals. And any singer willing enough to yelp like that on the first track is worth the money, in my book.