“Please Please Me” appears at the end of side 1 of  their debut album “Please Please Me” The song was written by John Lennon at his Aunt Mimi’s house. This song was John’s attempt to write a Roy Orbison song. A combination of Roy Orbison and Bing Crosby. John said he was always intrigued by the words “Please, lend your little ears to my pleas” from Bing’s 1932 song “Please” John liked the double use of the word ‘please” John Lennon: vocal, rhythm guitar, harmonica/ Paul McCartney: vocal, bass guitar/ George Harrison: lead guitar, harmony vocal/ Ringo Starr: drums. Producer: George Martin.The song was recorded at Abbey Road on November 26th, 1962.

The key to the song being so great was George Martin’s idea of speeding up the tempo of the song. These were still the early days of recording for The Beatles. George Martin was calling the shots that first year on what songs would be released. After their great success in their first year The Beatles gained control of the decision making after that. George Martin wanted The Beatles do release “How Do You Do It”” which was a cover of a song written by Mitch Murray. George thought this song would give them a #1 hit. The Beatles kept insisting on their own “Please Please Me.” When they did speed up the tempo of “Please Please Me” George Martin gave in and it would be “Please Please Me” which would get the release as a single.  George Martin was right though “How Do You Do It” would be a number 1 hit in the United Kingdom for Gerry and The Pacemakers” in early 1963.

Rating “Please Please Me” 1 to 5 stars ***** a classic!

•  “Please Please Me” is ranked #20 on Rolling Stone Magazines “The Beatles 100 Greatest Songs” and is #71 in Spignesi and Lewis “100 Best Beatles Songs” I tend to agree more with Rolling Stone on this one.
• Rolling Stone Magazine ranked “Please Please Me” #184 on their 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time list.
• “Please Please Me” lasts exactly 2 minutes.
• “Please Please Me” was released as a single, reaching #1 in the United Kingdom in February 1963, The Beatles first #1. A year later it would peak at #3 in the United States. “Ask Me Why” was the B-Side.
• After The Beatles finished recording “Please Please Me” George Martin hit the intercom button in the control room and said “Gentlemen, you’ve just made your first #1 record” George Martin would say years later of “Please Please Me” “A super record, a super tune.”
• “Please Please Me” was released as a single in America in February 1963 but went nowhere on the charts. It would be re-released a year later and become a hit.
• With the unexpected success of “Please Please Me” as a single The Beatles would go back into the studio and quickly record the rest of their album which would also be named “Please Please Me”
• What is the song about? Oral sex most likely.
• The Beatles would perform “Please Please Me” during their second appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” when they invaded America in early 1964.
• Even John’s Aunt Mimi liked the song- she wasn’t all that wild about The Beatles first single “Love Me Do” but when hearing “Please Please Me” she told John “That’s more like it, that should do well”

PLEASE PLEASE ME [Lennon-McCartney}