The single that introduced music icons The Beatles to the world is officially 60-years old.
Love Me Do was the Fab Four's first official single, originally released in the UK on October 5, 1962. Only hitting number 17 in the UK music chart, it went on to top the US charts on its release in the US two years later.
Despite not topping the British charts, it was the song that launched the four lads from Liverpool to the wider world. It's still one of the most instantly recognisable Beatles songs, breezing in with John Lennon playing a bluesy harmonica intro before the title of the song is sung in its first line of the first verse.
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John Lennon and Paul McCartney co-wrote the song years earlier, back in 1958, when John was 17 and Paul was 16. Love Me Do was the first one they liked enough to record.
On writing the song in the early years of their now legendary musical partnership, McCartney later said: "Love Me Do was completely co-written," adding: "It was just Lennon and McCartney sitting down without either of us having a particularly original idea. We loved doing it, it was a very interesting thing to try and learn to do, to become songwriters. I think why we eventually got so strong was we wrote so much through our formative period.
So to celebrate this musical landmark, here are six things about the first single that will likely surprise all but the most ardent Beatles fan. If you have any memories of hearing The Beatles or Love Me Do for the first time, let us know in the comments.
Love Me Do was very nearly NOT The Beatles' first single
Love Me Do would not be The Beatles' first single had producer George Martin got his way. He had lined up How Do You Do It, later released by Gerry And The Pacemakers, as the first single but a less than enthusiastic rehearsal of the song led to a band strop, where they insisted they write and release their own material.
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The intro to the song is allegedly played on a stolen harmonica
According to Allan Williams, The Beatles manager at the time, Lennon stole the harmonica used in the song from a music shop in Arnhem, a Dutch town near to the German border. This is all said to have happened while the Beatles were on their way to Hamburg in 1960.
Lennon had learned to play a chromatic harmonica that his Uncle George - late husband of his Aunt Mimi - had given to him as a child.
The Beatles recorded the song three times with three different drummers
Yes, three versions were recorded and released and Ringo only plays drums on one of them. On another, he only gets to play the tambourine.
The first recording in June 1962 featured Beatles original drummer Pete Best. A second version was recorded three months later with new drummer Ringo Starr.
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However, unhappy with Ringo's drum performance on the recording, George Martin hired session drummer Andy White to re-record the drum parts. A displeased Ringo did get his way, however, when his original version still appeared on the original UK single released in 1962.
The third version, featuring session drummer Andy White, was included on the band's Please Please Me album and on the 1964 single that hit in the US. The way you can tell the difference is if you can hear a tambourine on it, that's Ringo relegated to the side-lines while Andy White plays the drums.
John Lennon originally sung the 'Love me do' lyric but Paul sung it on the studio recording
Lennon had previously sung the lyric, but the change in arrangement was made in the studio by producer George Martin when he realised that the harmonica part encroached on the vocal. Lennon needed to start playing the harmonica again on the same beat as the "do" of "love me do" and so McCartney took over the duty.
The song was the fourth of six songs by The Beatles to hit number one in a one-year period
This feat remains an all-time record for the US charts to happen in the same calendar year and is testament as to how much Beatlemania had taken over America. In order, these were I Want to Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Can't Buy Me Love, Love Me Do, A Hard Day's Night, and I Feel Fine.
50th anniversary mix of Love Me Do recalled after embarrassing gaff
The record company released a 50th anniversary limited-edition replica of the original single, featuring Love Me Do in October 2012. The seven-inch disc was set to hit stores on October 5, but was recalled when an embarrassing gaff was discovered.
The 50th anniversary pressings contained session drummer Andy White's version instead of the Ringo Starr version as intended. The discs were recalled, and the correct version with Ringo back in on the drum stool was issued on October 22, 2012.
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