The Beatles essay #1

What else was popular?

Why was the timing important?

The main competition?

What did The Beatles have?

“Please Please Me”

Last night I said these words to my girl,

I know you never even try, girl,

C'mon...

Please please me, whoa yeah, like I please you.

You don't need me to show the way, love.

Why do I always have to say "love,"

C'mon...

Please please me, whoa yeah, like I please you.

I don't wanna sound complainin',

But you know there's always rain in my heart (in my heart).

I do all the pleasin' with you, it's so hard to reason

With you, whoah yeah, why do you make me blue.

Recorded November 26, 1962; Released January 11, 1963

George Martin’s input

Intro, verse 1, refrain, verse 2, refrain, middle eight, verse 1 repeat, refrain, outro....

Instrumentation

Vocal harmonies

Mounting tension through the refrain (C’mon…)

Musical sophistication of the middle eight: does the music match the text?

Reached #1, February 22, 1963

1963 overview …

· Two weeks in Hamburg (Dec 1962)

· Feb 11 – PPM album session

· Mar 22 – PPM released

· Busy year of UK Tours, BBC radio/tv recordings

· July, Sep-Oct – sessions for With The Beatles

· #1 Singles: “From Me To You” (Apr); “She Loves You” (Aug); “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (Nov)

· Second album: With The Beatles (Nov)

· London Palladium & Royal Command performances (Oct/Nov)

· Beatlemania!

Please Please Me (album)

Side A

I Saw Her Standing There

Misery

Anna (Go To Him) (Arthur Alexander)

Chains (Gerry Goffin/Carole King)

Boys (Luther Dixon/Wes Farrell)

Ask Me Why

Please Please Me

Side B

Love Me Do

P.S. I Love You

Baby, It's You (Mack David/B. Bacharach/Barney Williams)

Do You Want To Know A Secret

A Taste of Honey (Bobby Scott/Ric Marlow)

There's A Place

Twist And Shout (Phil Medley/Bert Russell)

“I Saw Her Standing There”

Other original compositions

Covers

“Twist And Shout” – the final up-tempo rocker to end the album

“From Me To You” (recorded Mar 5, released Apr 12)

A formula for appeal?

Third #1 – “She Loves You (Yeah Yeah Yeah)”

Formally strange – no bridge, just chorus and verses

Chorus (fragment):

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Verse 1

You think you lost your love, well, I saw her yesterday

It's you she's thinking of, and she told me what to say

She says she loves you, and you know that can't be bad

Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad

Verse 2:

She said you hurt her so, she almost lost her mind

But now she said she knows, you're not the hurting kind

She says she loves you, and you know that can't be bad.

Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad, Ooh!

Chorus:

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah

And with a love like that

You know you should be glad

Verse 3:

Although it's up to you, I think it's only fair,

Pride can hurt you too, apologize to her

Because she loves you, and you know that can't be bad

Yes, she loves you, and you know you should be glad. Ooh!

Summer 1963

Album #2 With The Beatles

In what ways does With The Beatles replicate the formula for Please Please Me?

Side A

It Won't Be Long

All I've Got To Do

All My Loving

Don't Bother Me (Harrison)

Little Child

Till There Was You (Meredith Willson)

Please Mr Postman (Holland, Bateman, Gorman, Dobbins, Garrett)

Side B

Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry)

Hold Me Tight

You Really Got A Hold On Me (William Robinson)

I Wanna Be Your Man

Devil In Her Heart (Richard Drapkin)

Not A Second Time

Money (That's What I Want) (Berry Gordy/Janie Bradford)

“It Won't Be Long”

“All My Loving”

“Don’t Bother Me”

Stardom & Beatlemania

Hysteria dubbed “Beatlemania”

Royal Command Variety Performance November 4, 1963

· “From Me to You”

· “She Loves You”

· “Till There Was You”

· “Twist and Shout”