PLEASE PLEASE ME

Fifty years ago the single “Please Please Me” was released in the U.K. The Beatles B-side was originally “Ask Me Why” but later switched to “From Me To You” on the U.S. release. Composed by John Lennon, with help from producer George Martin, PPM went on to become the group’s first #1 hit. Their first 7″ record, “Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You” (with Andy White on drums), failed to top the charts due to lack of promotion as The Beatles were still playing in Hamburg, Germany.

An up-tempo version without Lennon’s signature harmonica was earlier and discovered in 1994 during the “Anthology” production. There is on-going debate as to wether Ringo Starr or Andy White played drums on this faster version. “The Beatles Recording Sessions” book quotes session engineer Ron Richards as saying, “Ringo didn’t play drums at all that evening.” However, recording technician Geoff Emerick later wrote that he witnessed Beatles roadie Mal Evans set up Starr’s kit and the group record “Please Please Me” with Starr on drums that day. In a 2012 BBC interview, Andy White claimed that the drumming on the hit single was his.