Anatomy of an Album: "Please Please Me" Quiz

Answer: 8

The original "Please Please Me" album on the Parlophone record label, entered the UK album chart on 6 Apr 1963 and was number one for 30 weeks. It spent 70 weeks on the chart.

The eight songs by McCartney/Lennon on the "Please Please Me" album are:

Track 1. "I Saw Her Standing There"
Track 2. "Misery"
Track 6. "Ask Me Why"
Track 7. "Please Please Me"
Track 8. "Love Me Do"
Track 9. "P. S. I Love You"
Track 11. "Do You Want To Know A Secret"
Track 13. "There's A Place"

Answer: Chains/Do You Want To Know A Secret

George Harrison is lead singer on Track 4. "Chains" written by Goffin/King and Track 11. "Do You Want To Know A Secret" written by McCartney/Lennon.
George Harrison did not write any of the songs on the "Please Please Me" album.

John Lennon is lead singer on Track 3. "Anna (Go To Him)" written by Arthur Alexander and Track 10. "Baby It's You" written by David/Williams/Bacharach.
Paul McCartney is lead singer on Track 9. "P. S. I Love You" written by McCartney/Lennon and Track 12. "A Taste Of Honey" written by Scott/Marlow
John Lennon and Paul McCartney shared the lead vocal on Track 2. "Misery" written by McCartney/Lennon and Track 13. "There's A Place" written by McCartney/Lennon.

Answer: EMI House

The Beatles are smiling down on us from the EMI building in Manchester Square, London, in 1963. The photograph was taken by Welsh photographer Angus McBean.

McBean started in photography before WWII and was well known for his theatrical portraits of Vivian Leigh, Lawrence Olivier, John Gielgud and many more. In spite of his long career he never achieved international recognition. How ironic that more than 40 years after his now world famous photograph of the Fab Four for their first album cover, a number of his colour transparencies were thrown out at the headquarters of EMI. The Beatles record label Parlophone was one of the stable of record labels owned by EMI.

Answer: Andy White

Andy White played the drums on the version of "Love Me Do" which is Track 8. on the "Please Please Me" album. Ringo played the tambourine.

Pete Best played the drums on the original version of "Love Me Do" that was not released until it was included on "Anthology 1" in 1995. Ringo played the drums on the version of "Love Me Do" that was released as the first Beatles single in October 1962. However it was replaced by the Andy White version on later pressings of the single. Jimmie Nicol did not play on any of the "Love Me Do" recordings. He only stood in for Ringo for a short period on a Beatles tour in 1964 when Ringo was taken ill with tonsillitis.

Answer: Boys

Ringo takes the lead vocal on Track 5. on the "Please Please Me" album, "Boys".

"Boys" written by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell was the B-side of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" was the first US number one hit by an all-girl group. It was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1961. It reached number four on the UK chart the same year.

Answer: Baby It's You

The Shirelles had a number eight hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962 with "Baby It's You". It did not chart in the UK.

John Lennon take the lead vocal on the cover of The Shirelles hit ""Baby It's You". The live version of "Baby It's You", was among a number of songs recorded by The Beatles at the BBC between 1963 and 1965 and released on the album "Live at the BBC" in 1994. In 1995 "Baby It's You" from this live album was released with three other tracks recorded at the BBC but not included on the album. "I'll Follow The Sun", "Devil In Her Heart" and "Boys" The single reached number seven on the UK chart and number 67 on the US chart.

Answer: Do You Want To Know A Secret

Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas had a number two hit on the UK chart with "Do You Want To Know A Secret" in 1963. It did not chart in the US.

Billy J. Kramer was one lucky guy to have been managed by Brian Epstein and to have Lennon/McCartney songs available to record. Epstein even hired Manchester group The Dakotas to be his backing group. There is a story that Epstein offered "Do You Want To Know A Secret" to British group Shane Fenton and The Fentones before he offered it to Billy J. If he did and Shane Fenton, who's short UK chart career was already over turned it down, it must rank as one of the biggest pop mistakes of the century.

Answer: A Taste Of Honey

"A Taste Of Honey" was written as an instrumental by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow for the 1960 Broadway version of the British play "A Taste Of Honey".

The play written by author Shelagh Delaney was made into a movie in 1961 starring British actress's Rita Tushingham and Dora Bryan. The first vocal version of "A Taste Of Honey" was recorded by American singer Lenny Welch in 1962. It did not chart in the US or UK. Two very different instrumental versions were chart hits. Mr. Acker Bilk had a number 16 hit on the UK chart in 1963, it did not chart in the US. Herb Alpert had a number seven hit on the US chart in 1965, it did not chart in the UK.

Answer: Love Me Do

"Love Me Do" reached number 17 on the UK chart in 1962. It was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in 1964.

The other tracks that charted as singles or B-sides in the US were, "I Saw Her Standing There" a number 14 hit in 1964 as the B-side of "I Want To Hold Your Hand". "Please Please Me" a number three hit in 1964. "Twist And Shout" a number two hit in 1964. "There's A Place" a number 74 hit in 1964 as the B-side of "Twist And Shout". "Do You Want To Know A Secret" a number two hit in 1964. "P. S. I Love You" a number 10 hit in 1964 as the B-side of "Love Me Do".

Answer: True

Although there are 14 songs on the album the overall time it plays for is under 33 minutes. Oh no, have we been getting ripped off all these years. Ya think!

Up to 25 minutes of music each side could be fitted on to a vinyl album and a CD can hold 80 minutes of music. Although The Beatles will always be the best group in the world to me, I think we have been ripped off by their record companies over the years. They could have made the CDs much cheaper but we still buy them don't we?