Video: 'Please Please Me Mini-Documentary'
(Monday, February 11, 1963, 10:00 a.m.-10:45 p.m. GMT) — The English rock music band The Beatles recorded 10 songs today for their debut album Please Please Me at EMI Studio 2 in London.
All four Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr) took at least one turn on lead vocals on the ten tracks (four of which were Lennon-McCartney compositions): “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Misery,” “Anna (Go to Him),” “Chains,” “Boys,” “Baby It’s You,” “Do You Want to Know a Secret,” A Taste of Honey,” “There’s a Place,” and “Twist and Shout.”
Video: 'Deconstructing The Beatles - Please Please Me - Full Album (Isolated Tracks)'
The remaining four tracks (all Lennon-McCartney compositions) for the album had been already recorded as A and B sides of singles: “Ask Me Why,” “Please Please Me,” “Love Me Do,” and “P.S. I Love You.”
Three separate sessions took place over the course of the day. Only two had originally been scheduled, but the third was added later on.
The first session began at 10:00 a.m. The Beatles recorded 10 takes of “There’s A Place” and nine of “I Saw Her Standing There,” which at the time had the working title “Seventeen.”
Video: 'I Saw Her Standing There (Takes 3-9, 11 & 12)' (takes 11-12 from afternoon session)
Video: 'I Saw Her Standing There (Take 6,7,8,9) / The Beatles'
The first session finished at 1:00 p.m. and the studio staff took a break for lunch. The Beatles, meanwhile, remained in the studio and rehearsed.
The second session began at 2:30 p.m. and finished at 6:00 p.m. The Beatles began with work on “A Taste Of Honey.” The best version was take five, onto which Paul McCartney double-tracked his lead vocals. This overdub was recorded in two attempts, making the final version take seven.
In between recording the basic track for “A Taste Of Honey” and the vocal overdubs, The Beatles recorded eight takes of “Do You Want To Know A Secret,” with George Harrison on lead vocals.
Video: 'Do You Want To Know A Secret (Remastered 2009)'
Video: 'A Taste Of Honey (Remastered 2009)'
With those two songs finished, John Lennon recorded a harmonica overdub onto “There’s A Place” in three attempts, and handclaps were added to take one of “I Saw Her Standing There.”
Video: 'There's A Place (Remastered 2009)'
Video: 'I Saw Her Standing There (Takes 3-9, 11 & 12)' (takes 3-9 from morning session)
Video: 'I Saw Her Standing There (Remastered 2009)'
The final song to be recorded in the afternoon session was “Misery,” a Lennon-McCartney original that had originally been offered to Helen Shapiro. The song was recorded with the tapes running at double speed – 30 inches per second – to allow for a piano overdub to be laid down at a slower speed at a later date. This was added on Feb. 20, 1963, by George Martin, without The Beatles being present.
The third session of the day took place from 7:30-10:45 p.m., although it had been scheduled to finish at 10:00 p.m. The Beatles first taped 13 takes of “Hold Me Tight,” which was later reworked for their second album With The Beatles.
Of this day’s attempts at “Hold Me Tight,” only two takes were complete run-throughs. Five were false starts, one broke down mid-way, and four of the takes were edit pieces intended to be spliced into the tape at a later date. The final version was to have been an edit of takes nine and 13, but this was never made and the tape was later destroyed.
The Beatles then recorded three takes of Arthur Alexander’s “Anna (Go To Him),” followed by a single recording of “Boys,” the latter featuring Ringo Starr simultaneously on vocals and drums.
Video: 'Anna (Go To Him)'
Video: 'Boys (Remastered 2009)'
Two more cover versions came next. George Harrison sang The Cookies’ “Chains,” written by Goffin and King. Four takes were recorded, although take one was later decided to be the best attempt.
Video: 'Chains (Remastered 2009)'
The Beatles then performed The Shirelles’ “Baby It’s You” (with music composed by Burt Bacharach) in three takes, with Lennon on lead vocals. Martin would overdub celesta on “Baby It’s You” on Feb. 20, 1963, during which the Beatles were not present.
By this time it was around 10:00 p.m., the time EMI Studios normally closed. The Beatles, however, still had one song to record. A discussion took place in the canteen about what this should be, and several suggestions were put forward.
Someone suggested they do “Twist And Shout,” the old Isley Brothers’ number, with Lennon taking the lead vocal. But by this time all their throats were tired and sore – it was 12 hours since they had started working. Lennon’s. in particular, was almost completely gone so he sucked a couple more Zubes [throat sweets], had a bit of a gargle with milk, and away they went.
Video: 'Twist And Shout (Remastered 2009)'
The Beatles had been recording “Twist And Shout” for many months, and regularly used it as a show-stopper. And so it was on this day, with The Beatles put all their energies into one final electrifying performance, with Lennon singing bare-chested.
Two takes of the song were recorded, but the first was selected for the Please Please Me LP. Although complete, Lennon’s vocals in the second take were too far gone for it to be usable.
