11 January 1963: Please Please Me / Ask Me Why (Single Release Note)

On January 11, 1963, The Beatles released their iconic single "Please Please Me," which sparked Beatlemania. The song, produced by George Martin, showcased a vibrant mix of call-and-response vocals and harmonica. It reached #1 in multiple UK charts and #3 in the US, marking The Beatles' rise as a global sensation.

The Beatles - Please Please Me / Ask Me Why 7" single
The Beatles - Please Please Me / Ask Me Why 7" single

Releasing Please Please Me

On January 11, 1963, EMI released The Beatle’s second single, Please Please Me. Together with the accompanying the doo-wop-influenced Ask Me Way was on Side B, Please Please Me brought an energetic single to the radio.

The Beatles recorded a mimed performance of Please Please Me at Alpha Television Studios on January 13, 1963 1 to the commercial radio single. The performance aired on the television showThank Your Lucky Stars, a show that was popular with teenagers, on January 19. Fortunately for the band, the British population was snowed-in. 2 This would launch their breakthrough into UK fame. The success of the single would send them on a UK concert tour in February.

Please Please Me single was released in the United States on February 25, building on the momentum that began with Love Me Do. The Beatles were quickly becoming a global sensation, reaching a disputed #1 on UK radio and eventually reaching #3 in the US during the height of Beatlemania. 3

An Intentional Radio Hit

John Lennon talked about intentionally writing Please Please Me as a radio hit:

“We’d had a top 30 entry with ‘Love Me Do’ and we really thought we were on top of the world. Then came ‘Please Please Me’ – and wham! We tried to make it as simple as possible. Some of the stuff we’ve written in the past has been a bit way-out, but we aimed this one straight at the hit parade.” 4

The Beatles first performed Please Please Me for George Martin on September 4, 1962. Martin thought it was too slow and Orbison-like. 5 He suggested they increase the tempo and add harmonies. 6 They reworked the song and brought it back to the studio on November 26.

Paul McCartney noted, “I did the trick of remaining on the top note while the melody cascaded down from it. A cadence.” 7

A-Side: Please Please Me – 1:59

Writers: Lennon–McCartney

  • Lead Vocal, Harmonica & Rhythm Guitar: John Lennon
  • Harmony Vocal & Bass: Paul McCartney
  • Harmony Vocal & Lead Guitar: George Harrison
  • Drums: Ringo Starr

  • Recording Date: November 26, 1962 – EMI Studio Two, Abbey Road
  • Producer: George Martin
  • Engineer: Norman Smith
  • Mix Date: November 30, 1962 (mono)
  • Tape Format: Recorded on EMI BTR two-track tape machine

  • Key Feature: Originally conceived as a slow Roy Orbison-style ballad; George Martin suggested speeding it up. Final version features call-and-response vocals, urgent harmonica, and Lennon straining for the high notes on the chorus.

  • Release: Issued in the UK on January 11, 1963 (Parlophone 45-R 4983).

B-Side: Ask Me Why – 2:24

Writers: Lennon–McCartney

  • Lead Vocal & Rhythm Guitar: John Lennon
  • Harmony Vocal & Bass: Paul McCartney
  • Harmony Vocal & Lead Guitar: George Harrison
  • Drums: Ringo Starr
  • Recording Date: November 26, 1962 – EMI Studio Two, Abbey Road
  • Producer: George Martin
  • Engineer: Norman Smith
  • Mix Date: November 30, 1962 (mono)
  • Tape Format: Recorded on EMI BTR two-track tape machine
  • Key Feature: Influenced by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles; softer, doo-wop style with Latin-inflected rhythm guitar.

Release & Chart Performance

  • Release Date: January 11, 1963 (UK)
  • Label: Parlophone 45-R 4983
  • Publishing: Northern Songs Ltd.
  • UK Chart Peak: #1 (New Music Express, Melody Maker, Disc) / #2 (Record Retailer)
  • US Chart Peak: #3 on Billboard Hot 100 (Vee-Jay release, February 1964)

The song is notable as the Beatles’ first widely recognized UK #1 hit, topping the charts in Melody Maker, New Musical Express, and Disc, though only reaching #2 in Record Retailer (later used as the “official” chart record).

The week of March 14, 1964 saw Please Please Me at #3 on Billboard Hot 100 in the US, trailing I Want To Hold Your Hand, and She Loves You, the week that Twist and Shout debuted. 8

The Beatles 7″ US release

 Mix Variants and Pressings

Two main versions of Please Please Me exist, tied to the single and album releases:

  1. November 26, 1962 Take (Single Version)
    • Recorded at EMI Studio Two with Ringo Starr on drums.
    • Mixed to mono on November 30, 1962. 9
    • This is the version issued on the original UK Parlophone single (45-R 4983), released January 11, 1963.
    • Distinctive for its slightly rawer sound and balance tailored for 7-inch playback.
  2. Album Version (LP Mix)
    • When preparing the Please Please Me LP, George Martin oversaw a new mono mix (and later stereo mix).
    • The stereo version was mixed from twin-track tapes, separating vocals and instruments, typical of early Beatles stereo.
    • Issued on March 22, 1963 on the UK Please Please Me album (Parlophone PMC 1202 mono / PCS 3042 stereo).
    • This became the standard version for most subsequent reissues.
The Beatles ‘Please Please Me’ (Mono version / Remastered 2009)
The Beatles ‘Ask Me Why’ (Stereo version / Remastered 2009)

Additional Notes

  • The Beatles first performed Please Please Me for George Martin on September 4, 1962. Martin thought it was too slow and Orbison-like. 5 He suggested they increase the tempo and add harmonies. 6 They reworked the song and brought it back to the studio on November 26.
  • Unlike Love Me Do (which had three distinct recorded versions with different drummers), Please Please Me and Ask Me Why only exist in one recorded performance each — the differences come from mono vs stereo mixing choices for the single and LP releases.
  • The single mix of Please Please Me was completed in mono on November 30, 1962, and issued on the UK Parlophone 45-R 4983 release. This remains distinct from the later album mixes prepared in early 1963.
  • On February 25, 1963, EMI engineers prepared fake stereo (electronically reprocessed mono) mixes of Please Please Me and Ask Me Why by splitting the frequency spectrum and applying EQ and reverb to simulate stereo spread. This was a standard EMI practice when no dedicated stereo mix was available for singles.
  • The true stereo version of Please Please Me was created from the twin-track tapes for the Please Please Me LP (Parlophone PCS 3042), released on March 22, 1963. This stereo mix, though basic, separated vocals and instruments to opposite channels.
  1. The Beatles Bible: Please Please Me ↩︎
  2. It was standard practice to mime a performance on television at this time. ↩︎
  3. Mark Lewisohn, The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (Hamlyn, 2004), p. 24 ↩︎
  4. The Beatles Bible: Please Please Me ↩︎
  5. The Beatles Bible: Recording: PS I Love You, Love Me Do, Please Please Me ↩︎
  6. Jean Michel Guedson, Philippe Margotin, All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release, (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers), p. 37 ↩︎
  7. Barry Miles, Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, (Holt Paperbacks, 1998) ↩︎
  8. Billboard Hot 100: Week of March 14, 1964 ↩︎
  9. Lewisohn, The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, p. 23 ↩︎
  10. The Beatles Bible: Recording: PS I Love You, Love Me Do, Please Please Me ↩︎
  11. Jean Michel Guedson, Philippe Margotin, All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release, (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers), p. 37 ↩︎

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