Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 82 - Four Lads Who Shook The World

In the NME for 26th October 1962 there was a small coloumn that stated, "Making their NME Chart debut with Love Me Do this week are The Beatles, a vocal-instrumentalist group who hail from Liverpool, the birthplace of such stars like Billy Fury, Frankie Vaughan, Norman Vaughan and Ken Dodd. Their own composition, Love Me Do, is their first disc to be released by a British label. Previously they were on Polydor and had several discs released on the continent, including one with Tony Sheridan, of (tv show) Oh Boy note."

Their debut single would go on to reach the steady heights of #17. Not really being a historian of the music of The Beatles I was fascinated to discover that their debut single had been recorded on three occasions, each with a different drummer. There is a 1962 version that featured original drummer Pete Best. This I believe was done for an Artist Test for EMI. Thought lost it finally showed up on Anthology 1 in November 1995. The next version features Ringo Starr. This version is what was released on the single version of the song. It was recorded apparently in 15 takes on 4th September 1962. The third version features session man Andy White. Ringo Starr plays tambourine. This third version was recorded a week after Ringo's recording. This would be the version that would appear on The Beatles' debut album.

The second single, and what would become the debut album's title, Please Please Me rocketed to #2 in the charts. It was also the first single of theirs to released in the United States.

The album was quite interesting because more than half (8, okay it's one more than half!) of the songs were penned by Lennon and McCartney (or McCartney-Lennon as it was on the label for the album originally). Most of the lead vocals are shared between Paul McCartney and John Lennon but Ringo Starr got to sing the lead for Boys, and George Harrison sings lead for Chains.

The whole album was recorded within a day (Monday 11th February 1963), well 13 hours if we are wanting to be precise!

It was released as a Mono LP with a Stereo mix released a month later. The album hit the #1 spot in May and remained there for 30 weeks! It was knocked off the top by The Beatles second album With The Beatles!


I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that Please Please Me was the album that changed pop music in the UK forever.

Please Please Me - The Beatles

Parlophone

Produced by George Martin

Released 22nd March 1963

UK Album Chart #1

Personnel
The Beatles
    John Lennon – lead vocals, background vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, hand claps
    Paul McCartney – lead vocals, background vocals, bass guitar, hand claps
    George Harrison – background vocals, lead vocals on "Chains" and "Do You Want to Know a Secret", lead guitar, acoustic guitar, hand claps
    Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine, maracas, hand claps, lead vocals on "Boys"

Additional musicians and production
    George Martin – piano on "Misery", celesta on "Baby It's You"
    Andy White – drums on "Love Me Do", percussion on "P.S. I Love You"

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Rewind: 1963 and 1968 - The Beatles

On this day in 1963 The Beatles released their 2nd album 'With The Beatles'. 

Click on the links to enjoy the music.

With The Beatles Covered

It Won't Be Long - Franz Ferdinand.

All I've Got To Do - Suzanna Hoffs.

All My Loving - Artic Monkeys.
Don't Bother Me - The Beatoids.

Little Child - The Beat Rush.

Till There Was You Maisy Stella.

Please Mister Postman - The Carpenters.

Roll Over Beethoven - ELO.

Hold Me Tight - Evan Rachel Wood.

You Really Got A Hold On Me - She and Him.

I Wanna Be Your Man - The Rezillos.

Devil In Her Heart - Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou.

Not A Second Time - Robert Palmer.

Money (That's What I Want) - Cheap Trick.

On this day in 1968 The Beatles released their 9th Studio Album 'The Beatles' (commonly known as 'The White Album').

The White Album Covered

Back in the USSR - Lemmy.

Dear Prudence - Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Glass Onion - Rita Eriksen.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - Nicotine.

Wild Honey Pie - The Pixies.

The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill - Deerhoof.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Rock Destroy Legends.

Happiness is a Warm Gun - Breeders.

Martha My Dear - Bidiel.

I'm So Tired - Kasabian.

Blackbird - Thee Acquainted.

Piggies - The BeaTrips.

Rocky Racoon - Jack Johnson.

Why Don't We Do It In The Road - The Lightning Kids.

I Will - Alison Krauss and Mark O'Connor.

Julia - Sean Lennon.

Birthday - Kevin Max.

Yer Blues - The White Stripes.

Mother Nature's Son - Harry Nilsson.

Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey - Soundgarden.

Sexy Sadie - Paul Weller.

Helter Skelter - Roger Daltrey.

Long, Long, Long - Tom Hooper.

Revolution 1 - Alice Cooper ft Johnny Depp.

Honey Pie - Anastasia.

Savoy Truffle - Dhani Harrison.

Cry Baby Cry - Beady Eye.

Revolution 9 - Alarm Will Sound.

Good Night - Linda Ronstadt.

A Chart Record By The Beatles

For folks who may not have seen this today online or in the press. Click on the links to enjoy the music.

50 Years ago today (4th April 1964) the Top Five Singles on The Billboard Hot Chart were by The Beatles and notice that they were on four different labels. 

#1  Can't Buy Me Love

 

#2  Twist and Shout

#3  She Loves You

 

#4  I Want to Hold Your Hand

(Band Name Misspelled!)

#5  Please Please Me

A Further Seven Songs by The Beatles were on the Hot 100 the very same week:
 

#31. I Saw Her Standing There.
#41. From Me To You.
#46. Do You Want To Know A Secret.
#58. All My Loving.

#65. You Can't Do That.

#68. Roll Over Beethoven.

#79. Thank You Girl.

The Following Week a further two songs by The Beatles made the Chart (There's a Place and Love Me Do) giving them 14 songs on the Hot 100!

Also they had the two top Albums the same week.

 #1

 Listen Here to the #1 Album!

#2

Listen Here to the #2 Album!

Rewind: This Day in 1968 The Beatles Release The White Album

I'm not really a fan of The Beatles (shock horror! I can sense my mate Mark in Detroit reaching for the phone and calling the Music Police already and I'm only one sentence in!), but I have to confess that I do make an exception when it comes to 'The White Album' as it has commonly become known. There's a couple of naff tunes on it but the good ones far outweigh the bad.

For an album that received a lot of flack by music critics back when it was released (even back then you couldn't trust 'em!) it is amazing that today it is considered to be one of the best albums ever released!

With no further comment from me, have a listen to the album yourself.

Listen to the album in full here.

White Album Unplugged.

New album by The Beatles?...Not Quite!

So, a new album by The Beatles has been released as an iTunes exclusive, but it's not really a new album at all but a compilation put together by those Apple chaps and selling at £5.99 in the UK and $7.99 in the USA. It's all in aid of celebrating the 50th anniversary of their very first hit.

There's nothing new on the album, no demos etc. Everything that's on it has been released before. Not totally sure who they think is going to buy the album and maybe the liner notes by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters speaking about his gratefulness to the Fab Four is actually meant to help sell the compilation to a younger generation.

If this is the first compilation of The Beatles though that you are thinking of purchasing I would urge you to think again and go and spend your money on The Blue and Red Double Albums. You'll spend quite a few more bucks but you get much more music.

Tracklisting

• Revolution
• Paperback Writer
• And Your Bird Can Sing
• Helter Skelter
• Savoy Truffle
• I'm Down
• I've Got A Feeling (Naked Version)
• Back In The USSR
• You Can't Do That
• It's All Too Much
• She Said She Said
• Hey Bulldog
• Tomorrow Never Knows
• The End (Anthology 3 Version)