Studio Album · No. 1
Please Please Me Songwriting Credits by The Beatles
Produced by George Martin · Engineered by Norman Smith (recording), Richard Langham (second engineer), Stuart Eltham (overdub engineer)
Holds writing credit on 8 of 14 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 8 / 14 documented
Scored across the 14 tracks with documented writers, by whether The Beatles carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 14 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Almost entirely recorded in a single 10-hour session on February 11, 1963 at EMI Studios Abbey Road, with overdubs added February 20. Of the 14 tracks, 8 are original Lennon-McCartney compositions and 6 are covers, including "Twist and Shout" (written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell) and "Anna (Go to Him)" (Arthur Alexander). The sessions were engineered by Norman Smith and produced by George Martin. The album was rushed out in March 1963 to capitalize on the chart success of the "Please Please Me" single earlier that year.
Please Please Me is the debut studio album by The Beatles, recorded almost entirely in a single exhausting session at EMI Studios, London, on February 11, 1963, and produced by George Martin. The album features eight Lennon-McCartney originals alongside six covers, including 'Twist and Shout' (Medley/Berns) and 'Boys' (Dixon/Farrell), establishing the pair as the band's primary songwriting force from the very first release. George Harrison and Ringo Starr received no composer credits on this album, a distribution of creative ownership that would gradually shift over the next six years. The six cover tracks illustrate the early Beatles' dual identity as a Hamburg-era covers band and an emerging original songwriting act, a tension that would resolve decisively in favor of self-written material after Beatles for Sale. Please Please Me spent 30 weeks at number one on the UK albums chart and is the opening document of one of the most statistically comprehensive songwriting catalogs in popular music history.
Track Listing & Credits 14 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
I Saw Her Standing There
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | George Martin | Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals)John Lennon (Rhythm Guitar) |
| 2 |
Misery
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | George Martin | John Lennon (Lead Vocals)Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Anna (Go to Him)
|
Arthur Alexander | Arthur Alexander | George Martin | John Lennon (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Chains
|
Gerry GoffinCarole King | Gerry GoffinCarole King | George Martin | George Harrison (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Boys
|
Luther DixonWes Farrell | Luther DixonWes Farrell | George Martin | Ringo Starr (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Ask Me Why
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | George Martin | John Lennon (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Please Please Me
#3
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | George Martin | John Lennon (Lead Vocals)Paul McCartney (Harmony Vocals) |
| 8 |
Love Me Do
#1
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | George Martin | Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals)John Lennon (Harmonica) |
| 9 |
P.S. I Love You
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | George Martin | Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Baby It's You
|
Mack DavidBurt BacharachBarney Williams | Mack DavidBurt BacharachBarney Williams | George Martin | John Lennon (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
Do You Want to Know a Secret
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | George Martin | George Harrison (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
A Taste of Honey
|
Ric Marlow | Bobby Scott | George Martin | Paul McCartney (Lead Vocals) |
| 13 |
There's a Place
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | George Martin | John Lennon (Lead Vocals)Paul McCartney (Harmony Vocals) |
| 14 |
Twist and Shout
|
Phil MedleyBert Russell | Phil MedleyBert Russell | George Martin | John Lennon (Lead Vocals) |