Love Me Do - wikipedia Love Me Do `` Love Me Do '' US 45 picture sleeve Single by the Beatles from the album Please Please Me B - side `` P.S. I Love You '' Released 5 October 1962 ( UK ) 27 April 1964 ( US ) Format 7 '' Recorded 6 June 1962 ( Pete Best version ), 4 September 1962 ( Ringo Starr version ), 11 September 1962 ( Andy White version ) EMI Studios, London Genre Merseybeat pop R&B Length 2 : 22 Label Parlophone R4949 Capitol Canada 72076 Tollie 9008 Songwriter ( s ) Lennon -- McCartney Producer ( s ) George Martin The Beatles UK singles chronology `` Love Me Do '' ( 1962 ) `` Please Please Me '' ( 1963 ) `` Love Me Do '' ( 1962 ) `` Please Please Me '' ( 1963 ) The Beatles US singles chronology `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' ( 1964 ) Do You Want to Know a Secret 1964 `` Love Me Do '' ( 1964 ) Love Me Do1964 `` A Hard Day 's Night '' ( 1964 ) A Hard Day 's Night 1964 `` Love Me Do '' is the debut single by the English rock band the Beatles, backed by `` P.S. I Love You ''. When the single was originally released in the United Kingdom on 5 October 1962, it peaked at No. 17 ; in 1982 it was re-promoted ( not re-issued, retaining the same catalogue number ) and reached No. 4. In the United States the single was a No. 1 hit in 1964. In 2013, recordings of the song that were released in 1962 entered the public domain in Europe. The song was written several years before it was recorded, and prior to the existence of the Beatles. The single features John Lennon 's prominent harmonica playing and duet vocals by him and Paul McCartney. Three different recorded versions of the song by the Beatles have been released, each with a different drummer. Contents 1 Composition, recordings and releases 2 Background 2.1 First recording session and use of harmonica 2.2 Remake and Andy White 2.3 Ron Richards 3 Charts and certifications 3.1 Charts 3.2 Certifications 4 Missing master tape 5 50th anniversary mix - up 6 Personnel 7 Recording and mixing details 8 Cover versions 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links Composition, recordings and releases `` Love Me Do '' was primarily written by Paul McCartney in 1958 -- 1959 while truant from school at age 16 and later credited to Lennon -- McCartney ; John Lennon contributed the middle eight. Lennon : `` Paul wrote the main structure of this when he was 16, or even earlier. I think I had something to do with the middle... ' Love Me Do ' is Paul 's song. He wrote it when he was a teenager. Let me think. I might have helped on the middle eight, but I could n't swear to it. I do know he had the song around, in Hamburg, even, way, way before we were songwriters ''. ( David Sheff. John Lennon : All We Are Saying ). McCartney : `` ' Love Me Do ' was completely co-written. It might have been my original idea but some of them really were 50 - 50s, and I think that one was. 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. ' Love Me Do ' was our first hit, which ironically is one of the two songs that we control, because when we first signed to EMI they had a publishing company called Ardmore and Beechwood which took the two songs, ' Love Me Do ' and ' P.S. I Love You ', and in doing a deal somewhere along the way we were able to get them back ''. Their practice at the time was to scribble songs in a school notebook, dreaming of stardom, always writing `` Another Lennon -- McCartney Original '' at the top of the page. ' Love Me Do ' is a song based around two simple chords : G7 and C, before moving to D for its middle eight. It begins with Lennon playing a bluesy dry `` dockside harmonica '' riff, then features Lennon and McCartney on joint lead vocals, including Everly Brothers - style harmonising during the beseeching `` please '' before McCartney sings the unaccompanied vocal line on the song 's title phrase. Lennon had previously sung the title sections, but this change in arrangement was made in the studio under the direction of producer George Martin when he realised that the harmonica part encroached on the vocal ( Lennon needed to begin playing the harmonica again on the same beat as the `` do '' of `` love me do ''. Although when a similar situation later occurred on the ' Please Please Me ' single session, the harmonica was superimposed afterwards using tape - to - tape overdubbing ). Described by Ian MacDonald as `` standing out like a bare brick wall in a suburban sitting - room, ' Love Me Do ', ( with its ) blunt working class northerness, rang the first faint chime of a revolutionary bell '' compared to the standard tin pan alley productions occupying the charts at the time. ' Love Me Do ' was recorded by the Beatles on three different occasions with three different drummers at EMI Studios at 3 Abbey Road in London : EMI Artist Test on 6 June 1962 with Pete Best on drums. This version ( previously thought to be lost ) is available on Anthology 1. First proper recording session 4 September 1962. In August, Best had been replaced with Ringo Starr. Producer George Martin did not approve of Best 's drumming for studio work. It was the norm at that time to have a specialist studio drummer who knew the ways of studio work. The decision to fire Best was not Martin 's. The Beatles with Starr recorded a version at EMI Studios. They recorded Love Me Do in 15 takes. This version with Starr is available on Past Masters Second recording session 11 September 1962. A week later, The Beatles returned to the same studio and they made a recording of ' Love Me Do ' with session drummer Andy White on drums. Starr was relegated to playing tambourine. As tambourine is not present on the 4 September recording, this is the easiest way to distinguish between the Starr and White recordings. First issues of the single, released on Parlophone in the UK on 5 October 1962, featured the Ringo Starr version, prompting Mark Lewisohn to later write : `` Clearly, the 11 September version was not regarded as having been a significant improvement after all ''. The Andy White version of the track was included on The Beatles ' debut UK album, Please Please Me, The Beatles ' Hits EP, and subsequent album releases on which `` Love Me Do '' was included ( except as noted below ), as well as on the first US single release in April 1964. For the 1976 single re-issue and the 1982 `` 20th Anniversary '' re-issue, the Andy White version was again used. The Ringo Starr version was included on the albums Rarities ( American version ) and Past Masters, Volume One. The CD single issued on 2 October 1992 contains both versions. The Pete Best version remained unreleased until 1995, when it was included on the Anthology 1 album. Capitol Records Canada pressed 170 singles which were released on 4 February 1963 with catalog number 72076. This pressing was dubbed from the original UK single and featured Ringo on drums. ' Love Me Do, ' featuring Starr drumming, was also recorded eight times at the BBC and played on the BBC radio programmes Here We Go, Talent Spot, Saturday Club, Side By Side, Pop Go The Beatles and Easy Beat between October 1962 and October 1963. The version of ' Love Me Do ' recorded on 10 July 1963 at the BBC and broadcast on the 23 July 1963 Pop Go the Beatles programme can be heard on The Beatles ' album Live at the BBC. The Beatles also performed the song live on the 20 February 1963 Parade of the Pops BBC radio broadcast. In 1969, during the Get Back sessions, The Beatles played the song in a slower, more bluesy form than they had in earlier recordings. This version of ' Love Me Do ' is one of many recordings made during these sessions and subsequently appeared on some bootlegs. The song featured no harmonica by Lennon, and McCartney sang the majority of the song in the same vocal style he used for ' Lady Madonna '. Background First recording session and use of harmonica On 4 September 1962, Brian Epstein paid for the Beatles -- along with their new drummer, Ringo Starr -- to fly down from Liverpool to London. After first checking into their Chelsea hotel, they arrived at EMI Studios early in the afternoon where they set up their equipment in Studio 3 and began rehearsing six songs including : `` Please Please Me '', `` Love Me Do '' and a song originally composed for Adam Faith by Mitch Murray called `` How Do You Do It ? '' which George Martin `` was insisting, in the apparent absence of any stronger original material, would be the group 's first single ''. Lennon and McCartney had yet to impress Martin with their songwriting ability, and the Beatles had been signed as recording artists on the basis of their charismatic appeal : `` It was n't a question of what they could do ( as ) they had n't written anything great at that time. '' `` But what impressed me most was their personalities. Sparks flew off them when you talked to them. '' During the course of an evening session that then followed ( 7 : 00 pm to 10 : 00 pm in Studio 2 ) they recorded `` How Do You Do It '' and `` Love Me Do ''. An attempt at `` Please Please Me '' was made, but at this stage it was quite different from its eventual treatment and it was dropped by Martin. This was a disappointment for the group as they had hoped it would be the B - side to `` Love Me Do ''. The Beatles were keen to record their own material, something which was almost unheard of at that time, and it is generally accepted that it is to George Martin 's credit that they were allowed to float their own ideas. But Martin insisted that unless they could write something as commercial as `` How Do You Do It ? '' then the Tin Pan Alley practice of having the group record songs by professional songwriters ( which was standard procedure then, and is still common today ) would be followed. MacDonald points out, however : `` It 's almost certainly true that there was no other producer on either side of the Atlantic then capable of handling the Beatles without damaging them -- let alone of cultivating and catering to them with the gracious, open - minded adeptness for which George Martin is universally respected in the British pop industry. '' Martin rejects however the view that he was the `` genius '' behind the group : `` I was purely an interpreter. The genius was theirs : no doubt about that. '' It was on the 4 September session that, according to McCartney, Martin suggested using a harmonica. However, Lennon 's harmonica part was present on the Anthology 1 version of the song recorded during the 6 June audition with Pete Best on drums. Also, Martin 's own recollection of this is different, saying : `` I picked up on ' Love Me Do ' because of the harmonica sound '', adding : `` I loved wailing harmonica -- it reminded me of the records I used to issue of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. I felt it had a definite appeal. '' 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. But the instrument being used at this time was one stolen by Lennon from a music shop in Arnhem, the Netherlands, in 1960, as the Beatles first journeyed to Hamburg by road. Lennon would have had this with him at the EMI audition on 6 June as Bruce Channel 's `` Hey Baby '', with its harmonica intro, and a hit in the UK in March 1962, was one of the thirty three songs the Beatles had prepared ( although only four were recorded : `` Bésame Mucho '' ; `` Love Me Do '' ; `` P.S. I Love You '' and `` Ask Me Why '', of which only `` Bésame Mucho '' and `` Love Me Do '' survive and appear on Anthology 1 ). Brian Epstein had also booked the American Bruce Channel to top a NEMS Enterprises promotion at New Brighton 's Tower Ballroom, in Wallasey on 21 June 1962, just a few weeks after `` Hey Baby '' had charted, and placed the Beatles a prestigious second on the bill. Lennon was so impressed that night with Channel 's harmonica player, Delbert McClinton, that he later approached him for advice on how to play the instrument. Lennon makes reference also to Frank Ifield 's `` I Remember You '' and its harmonica intro, a huge number one hit in the UK July 1962, saying : `` The gimmick was the harmonica. There was a terrible thing called `` I Remember You '', and we did those numbers ; and we started using it on `` Love Me Do '' just for arrangements ``. The harmonica was to become a feature of the Beatles ' early hits such as `` Love Me Do '', `` Please Please Me '' and `` From Me to You '' as well as various album tracks. Paul McCartney recalled, `` John expected to be in jail one day and he 'd be the guy who played the harmonica. '' Martin came very close to issuing `` How Do You Do It ? '' as the Beatles ' first single ( it would also re-appear as a contender for their second single ) before settling instead on `` Love Me Do '', as a mastered version of it was made ready for release and which still exists in EMI 's archives. Martin commented later : `` I looked very hard at ' How Do You Do It ? ', but in the end I went with ' Love Me Do ', it was quite a good record. '' McCartney would remark : `` We knew that the peer pressure back in Liverpool would not allow us to do ' How Do You Do It '. '' Remake and Andy White Martin then decided that as `` Love Me Do '' was going to be the group 's debut release it needed to be re-recorded with a different drummer as he was unhappy with the 4 September drum sound. ( Abbey Road 's Ken Townsend also recalls McCartney being dissatisfied with Starr 's timing, due probably to him being under - rehearsed. ) Record producers at that time were used to hearing the bass drum `` lock in '' with the bass guitar as opposed to the much looser R&B feel that was just beginning to emerge, and so professional show band drummers were often used for recordings. Ron Richards, placed in charge of the 11 September re-recording session in George Martin 's absence, booked Andy White whom he had used in the past. Starr was expecting to play, and would have been very disappointed to be dropped for only his second Beatles recording session : Richards remembers `` He just sat there quietly in the control box next to me. Then I asked him to play maracas on ' P.S. I Love You '. Ringo is lovely -- always easy going ''. Starr recalled : `` On my first visit in September we just ran through some tracks for George Martin. We even did Please Please Me. I remember that, because while we were recording it I was playing the bass drum with a maraca in one hand and a tambourine in the other. I think it 's because of that that George Martin used Andy White, the ' professional ', when we went down a week later to record Love Me Do. The guy was previously booked, anyway, because of Pete Best. George did n't want to take any more chances and I was caught in the middle. I was devastated that George Martin had his doubts about me. I came down ready to roll and heard, ' We 've got a professional drummer. ' He has apologised several times since, has old George, but it was devastating -- I hated the bugger for years ; I still do n't let him off the hook ! '' Paul McCartney : `` George got his way and Ringo did n't drum on the first single. He only played tambourine. I do n't think Ringo ever got over that. He had to go back up to Liverpool and everyone asked, ' How did it go in the Smoke ? ' We 'd say, ' B - side 's good, ' but Ringo could n't admit to liking the A-side, not being on it. '' ( From Anthology ). `` Love Me Do '' was recorded with White playing drums and Starr on tambourine, but whether using a session drummer solved the problem is unclear, as session engineer Norman Smith was to comment : `` It was a real headache trying to get a ( good ) drum sound, and when you listen to the record now you can hardly hear the drums at all. '' Ringo Starr 's version was mixed `` bottom - light '' to hide Starr 's bass drum. Early pressings of the single ( issued with a red Parlophone label ) are the 4 September version -- minus tambourine -- with Starr playing drums. But later pressings of the single ( on a black Parlophone label ), and the version used for the Please Please Me album, are the 11 September re-record with Andy White on drums and Starr on tambourine. This difference has become fundamental in telling the two recordings of `` Love Me Do '' apart. Regarding the editing sessions that then followed all these various takes, Ron Richards remembers the whole thing being a bit fraught, saying : `` Quite honestly, by the time it came out I was pretty sick of it. I did n't think it would do anything. '' Ron Richards There are major discrepancies regarding the White session, and who produced it. In his book Summer of Love, Martin concedes that his version of events differs from some accounts, saying : `` On the 6 June Beatles session ( audition ) I decided that Pete Best had to go ( and said to Epstein ) I do n't care what you do with Pete Best ; but he 's not playing on any more recording sessions : I 'm getting a session drummer in. '' When Starr turned up with the group for their first proper recording session on 4 September, Martin says that he was totally unaware that the Beatles had fired Best ; and, not knowing `` how good bad or indifferent '' Starr was, was not prepared to `` waste precious studio time finding out. '' Martin, therefore, appears to have this as the Andy White session in which Martin was present, and not 11 September. This contradicts Mark Lewisohn 's account, as in his book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, he has Starr on drums on 4 September and White for the 11 September re-make. Lewisohn also says that Richards was in charge on 11 September, which means, if accurate, that Richards was sole producer of the White version of `` Love Me Do ''. Martin says, `` My diary shows that I did not oversee any Beatles recording sessions on 11 September -- only the one on 4 September. '' But, if Lewisohn 's account is correct and `` the 4 September session really had n't proved good enough to satisfy George Martin '', it might seem odd that Martin was not then present to oversee the 11 September remake. In his memoirs, assistant engineer Geoff Emerick supports the Lewisohn version, recounting that Starr played drums at the 4 September session ( Emerick 's second day at EMI ) and that Martin, Smith, and McCartney were all dissatisfied with ( the underrehearsed ) Starr 's timekeeping. Emerick places White firmly at the second session, and describes the reactions of Mal Evans and Starr to the substitution. Emerick also noted that Martin only came in very late for the 11 September session, after work on `` Love Me Do '' was complete. Andy White confirms that he was booked by Ron Richards for the 11 September session, not by George Martin, who he says `` could not make the session, could not get there till the end, so he had Ron Richards handle it ''. White also says that he recognises his own drumming on the released version of `` Please Please Me '', recorded that same session with him on drums. White, however was not at the studio for the final recording on 26 November and was only hired for the 11 September session ( this run through with White can be heard on Anthology 1 ). Charts and certifications # 1 on US charts ( 30 May 1964 ), Top 100 for 14 weeks. When it entered the charts, it was due to sales of imported copies from Canada with Starr on drums. On 27 April 1964 it was released in the US by Vee - Jay Records on the Tollie label with White on drums. The song was the fourth of six songs by the Beatles to hit # 1 in a one - year period ; an all - time record for the US charts. In order, these were `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '', `` She Loves You '', `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '', `` Love Me Do '', `` A Hard Day 's Night '', and `` I Feel Fine. '' It was also the fourth of seven songs written by Lennon - McCartney to hit # 1 in 1964 ( the remaining song being `` A World Without Love '' by Peter and Gordon ) ; That 's an all - time record on the US charts for writing the most songs to hit # 1 in the same calendar year. ( see List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones ) Charts Chart ( 1962 -- 64 ) Peak position Australian Kent Music Report Canada CHUM Chart 8 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 17 US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 Chart ( 1982 ) Peak position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 37 Ireland ( IRMA ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 32 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 1,000,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Missing master tape The original master tapes of the 4 September version of `` Love Me Do '' are not known to exist. Standard procedure at Abbey Road Studios at the time was to erase the original two - track session tape for singles once they had been `` mixed down '' to the ( usually monaural ) master tape used to press records. This was the fate of two Beatles singles ( four songs ) : `` Love Me Do '', `` P.S. I Love You '', `` She Loves You '', and `` I 'll Get You ''. However, at some point the mixdown master tape for this song was also lost, and apparently no backup copies had been made. Thus, for many years the only extant recorded copies were the red label Parlophone 45 rpm vinyl records pressed in 1962. This version was also issued in Canada as Capitol 72076. By the time the tapes had disappeared, the song 's 11 September 1962 remake featuring Andy White had been released. EMI would not have been too concerned about the loss of the 4 September take, therefore, as it was now considered obsolete, and they may not have anticipated ever having any use for it again anyway. Around 1980, a reasonably clean, original 45 single from EMI 's archives was used as the `` best available source '' for the track 's inclusion on the Capitol compilation LP Rarities. A few years later, a new master tape was struck, this time using another, better - sounding 45 supplied by a record collector, and this has served as the official EMI master tape for the original `` Love Me Do '' ever since. The version with Ringo on drums was released in 1980 for Record 1 of The Beatles Box. 50th anniversary mix - up EMI 's planned 2012 release of a 50th anniversary limited - edition replica of the original single was cancelled when it was discovered that the pressings contained the Andy White version instead of the Ringo version as intended. Revised release plans have been announced for a limited - edition replica vinyl version of the Beatles ' first single, `` Love Me Do '' backed with `` P.S. I Love You, '' in honour of the 50th anniversary of its release in the UK. The 7 - inch disc originally was scheduled to hit stores on 5 October, the single 's actual golden anniversary, but it was reissued ( in its corrected version ) on 22 October. Personnel On the version released on the British single, Rarities and Past Masters : Paul McCartney -- vocals, bass John Lennon -- vocals, harmonica George Harrison -- acoustic guitar Ringo Starr -- drums On the version released on American single, Please Please Me, The Beatles ' Hits, and compilation albums including 1962 -- 1966 ( `` The Red Album '' ) and 1 : Paul McCartney -- vocals, bass John Lennon -- vocals, harmonica George Harrison -- acoustic guitar Ringo Starr -- tambourine Andy White -- drums On the Anthology 1 version : Paul McCartney -- vocals, bass John Lennon -- vocals, harmonica George Harrison -- acoustic guitar Pete Best -- drums Engineered by Norman Smith. Recording and mixing details 6 June 1962 : an unknown number of takes recorded for what was most likely an artist test. 4 September 1962 : an unknown number of takes recorded. Mono mixing of the song from an unknown take number. 11 September 1962 : 18 takes recorded with Andy White on drums. Take 18 used as master. Cover versions `` Love Me Do '' has been covered by ( among others ) : Alvin and the Chipmunks on their 1964 album The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits Bobby Vee on his 1964 album, 30 Big Hits from the 60s Dick Hyman on his 1964 album, Keyboard Kaleidoscope Sandie Shaw on her 1969 album, Reviewing the Situation The Brady Bunch on their 1972 album The Kids from the Brady Bunch Ringo Starr on his 1998 album, Vertical Man Kids Incorporated in 1989 in the Season 6 episode `` Sweet Dreams ''. Flaco Jiménez on his 2000 album, Sleepytown Madooo on his 2002 album, This Day Is Forever The Persuasions on their 2002 album, The Persuasions Sing the Beatles Emmerson Nogueira on his 2004 album, Beatles Preceded by `` My Guy '' by Mary Wells Billboard Hot 100 number one single 30 May 1964 ( one week ) Succeeded by `` Chapel of Love '' by The Dixie Cups Notes Jump up ^ `` Merseybeat - Significant Albums, Artists and Songs - AllMusic ''. AllMusic. Jump up ^ Pollack 1990. Jump up ^ Gregory 2008. Jump up ^ `` The Beatles ' ' Love Me Do ' Hits the Public Domain in Europe ''. Rolling Stone. ^ Jump up to : Harry 1992, p. 413. ^ Jump up to : Miles ( 1997 ). Jump up ^ Beatles Interview Database 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Love Me Do ''. The Beatles Bible. Jump up ^ Barry Miles. Paul McCartney : Many Years From Now ^ Jump up to : `` 87 - ' Love Me Do ' ''. 100 Greatest Beatles Songs. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ MacDonald, 1998 & p51. Jump up ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 59. Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 23. Jump up ^ MacDonald 1998, pp. 52 -- 53. ^ Jump up to : Lewisohn 1988, pp. 16 -- 17. ^ Jump up to : Lewisohn 1988, pp. 18 -- 19. Jump up ^ Lewisohn, p. 22. Jump up ^ The Beatles Studio 2009. Jump up ^ Hemmingsen, Piers A. `` The Beatles - Original 45s pressed in Canada ( 1962 -- 1970 ) ''. Jump up ^ Toronto Star. `` How The Beatles got their start in Canada ''. Retrieved 18 February 2013. Jump up ^ `` LOVE ME DO B / W P.S. I LOVE YOU CAPITOL OF CANADA 72076 RELEASED : 2 / 4 / 63 ''. Jump up ^ Norman 1993, p. 154. ^ Jump up to : Lewisohn 1988, p. 18. Jump up ^ Marsden, p. 36. Jump up ^ Marsden, p. 34. Jump up ^ Badman, p. 40. Jump up ^ Harry 1992, p. 528. Jump up ^ MacDonald 1998, p. 56. Jump up ^ MacDonald 2005, p. 55. ^ Jump up to : Lewisohn, p. 28. Jump up ^ Norman 1993, p. 78. Jump up ^ The Beatles 2000, p. 45. Jump up ^ Harry 1992, p. 147. Jump up ^ Harry 1992, p. 414. Jump up ^ The Beatles 2000, p. 81. Jump up ^ The Beatles 2000, p. 77. Jump up ^ Miles 1992, p. 83. ^ Jump up to : Lewisohn 1988, p. 20. Jump up ^ MacDonald 2005, pp. 58 -- 59. Jump up ^ The Beatles 2000, p. 76. Jump up ^ Southall 1982, p. 83. Jump up ^ MacDonald 1998, p. 52. Jump up ^ Salewicz 1986, p. 135. ^ Jump up to : Martin 1995, p. 143. Jump up ^ Emerick 2006, p. 46. ^ Jump up to : Emerick 2006, pp. 49 -- 52. Jump up ^ interview for `` Love Me Do : The Beatles ' 62 '', BBC TV 9 October 2012 Jump up ^ Cash Box 1964. Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 200. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 2005 ). Australian Chart Book ( 1940 -- 1969 ). Turramurra : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0 - 646 - 44439 - 5. Jump up ^ Hall, Ron ( 1990 ). The CHUM Chart Book : A Complete Listing of Every Record to Make the `` CHUM Chart '' from Its Beginning on the 27th May, 1957 Through 14th June, 1986. Rexdale ( Toronto ) : Stardust Productions. p. 11. ISBN 0 - 920325 - 15 - 7. Retrieved 28 October 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Beatles Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ Hoffmann, Frank ( 1983 ). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950 - 1981. Metuchen, NJ & London : The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 32 -- 34. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- The Beatles -- Love Me Do '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Love Me Do ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- The Beatles -- Love Me Do '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 May 2016. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- The Beatles -- Love Me Do ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 May 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Seely 2009. Jump up ^ Lewisohn 1988, pp. 20 -- 21. Jump up ^ `` The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 25 January 2013. Jump up ^ `` 30 Big Hits from the 60s - Bobby Vee : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2012. Jump up ^ Dryden, Ken. `` Keyboard Kaleidoscope - Dick Hyman : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2012. Jump up ^ Unterberger, Richie. `` Reviewing the Situation - Sandie Shaw : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2012. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen. `` The Kids from the Brady Bunch ''. Allmusic. Jump up ^ Thomas, Stephen. `` Vertical Man - Ringo Starr : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2012. Jump up ^ Kids Incorporated - Love Me Do ( 1989 ) Jump up ^ Proefrock, Stacia. `` Sleepytown - Flaco Jiménez : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2012. Jump up ^ `` This Day Is Forever - Madooo : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2012. Jump up ^ Torreano, Bradley. `` The Persuasions Sing the Beatles - The Persuasions : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2012. Jump up ^ `` Beatles - Emmerson Nogueira : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2012. References Pollack, Alan W. ( 2000 ) ( 1990 ). `` Love Me Do ''. Notes On... Series. Gregory, Chris ( 2008 ). Who Could Ask for More ? : Reclaiming The Beatles. Lulu.com. ISBN 0 - 9557512 - 0 - 9. Badman, Keith. The Beatles Off The Record. The Beatles ( 2000 ). The Beatles Anthology. San Francisco : Chronicle Books. ISBN 0 - 8118 - 2684 - 8. `` Please Please Me ''. Beatles Interview Database. Retrieved 14 July 2009. `` '' Love Me Do `` / '' P.S. I Love You `` ''. The Beatles Studio. Retrieved 2 October 2009. `` Cash Box Top 100 Singles ''. Cash Box. 25 April 1964. Archived from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2009. Emerick, Geoff ; Massey, Howard ( 2006 ). Here, There and Everywhere : My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles. New York : Penguin Books. ISBN 1 - 59240 - 179 - 1. Gilliland, John ( 1969 ). `` The British Are Coming ! The British Art Coming ! : The U.S.A. is invaded by a wave of long - haired English rockers ''. Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved 15 January 2011. Harry, Bill ( 2012 ). Love Me Do : Behind the Scenes at the Recording of the Beatles ' First Single. Washington, D.C. : Miniver Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9857389 - 6 - 9. Harry, Bill ( 1992 ). The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia. London : Virgin Books. ISBN 0 - 86369 - 681 - 3. Lewisohn, Mark. `` 1000 Days Of Beatlemania ''. Mojo Magazine ( Special Limited Edition ). Lewisohn, Mark ( 1988 ). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York : Harmony Books. ISBN 0 - 517 - 57066 - 1. MacDonald, Ian ( 2005 ). Revolution in the Head : The Beatles ' Records and the Sixties ( Second Revised ed. ). London : Pimlico ( Rand ). ISBN 1 - 84413 - 828 - 3. Martin, George ; Pearson, William ( 1995 ). Summer of Love. Marsden, Gerry. `` Beatles Special ''. Q Magazine. Miles, Barry ( 1997 ). Paul McCartney : Many Years From Now. New York : Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0 - 8050 - 5249 - 6. Norman, Philip ( 1993 ). Shout !. London : Penguin Books. ISBN 0 - 14 - 017410 - 9. Salewicz, Chris ( 1986 ). McCartney - The Biography. London : Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0 - 356 - 12454 - 1. Seely, Robert ( 2009 ). `` The Beatles in Canada ''. Retrieved 12 November 2009. Southall, Brian ( 1982 ). Abbey Road. The Story of the World 's Most Famous Recording Studios. London : Patrick Stephens. ISBN 0 - 85059 - 810 - 9. Spitz, Bob ( 2005 ). The Beatles : The Biography. Boston : Little, Brown. ISBN 0 - 316 - 80352 - 9. MacDonald, Ian ( 1998 ). Revolution in the Head : The Beatles ' Records and the Sixties. London : Pimlico ( Rand ). ISBN 0 - 7126 - 6697 - 4. Palmer, Tony. The Story of Popular Music - All You Need Is Love. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Please Please Me `` Love Me Do '' at Discogs ( list of releases ) Alan W. Pollack 's Notes on `` Love Me Do '' Song - by - Song Listing for `` Love Me Do '' What harmonica did John Lennon use to play the intro to `` Love Me Do '' and other songs by The Beatles ? Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Please Please Me Songs Side one `` I Saw Her Standing There '' `` Misery '' `` Anna ( Go to Him ) '' `` Chains '' `` Boys '' `` Ask Me Why '' `` Please Please Me '' Side two `` Love Me Do '' `` P.S. I Love You '' `` Baby It 's You '' `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' `` A Taste of Honey '' `` There 's a Place '' `` Twist and Shout '' Non-album tracks `` From Me to You '' `` Thank You Girl '' Outtakes `` How Do You Do It ? '' `` Tip of My Tongue '' `` Hold Me Tight '' `` Bésame Mucho '' Related articles The Beatles discography Please Please Me With the Beatles A Hard Day 's Night Beatles for Sale Help ! Rubber Soul Revolver Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band Magical Mystery Tour The Beatles ( White Album ) Yellow Submarine Abbey Road Let It Be Past Masters The Beatles singles discography UK and US ( all labels ) 1963 `` Please Please Me '' / `` Ask Me Why '' `` From Me to You '' / `` Thank You Girl '' `` She Loves You '' / `` I 'll Get You '' 1964 `` Ca n't Buy Me Love '' / `` You Ca n't Do That '' `` I Feel Fine '' / `` She 's a Woman '' 1965 `` Ticket to Ride '' / `` Yes It Is '' `` Help ! '' / `` I 'm Down '' `` We Can Work It Out '' / `` Day Tripper '' 1966 `` Paperback Writer '' / `` Rain '' `` Yellow Submarine '' / `` Eleanor Rigby '' 1967 `` Penny Lane '' / `` Strawberry Fields Forever '' `` All You Need Is Love '' / `` Baby, You 're a Rich Man '' `` Hello, Goodbye '' / `` I Am the Walrus '' 1968 `` Lady Madonna '' / `` The Inner Light '' `` Hey Jude '' / `` Revolution '' 1969 `` Get Back '' / `` Do n't Let Me Down '' `` The Ballad of John and Yoko '' / `` Old Brown Shoe '' `` Something '' / `` Come Together '' 1970 `` Let It Be '' / `` You Know My Name ( Look Up the Number ) '' 1978 `` Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends '' / `` A Day in the Life '' 1982 `` The Beatles Movie Medley '' / `` I 'm Happy Just to Dance with You '' 1995 `` Free as a Bird '' / `` Christmas Time ( Is Here Again ) '' `` Real Love '' / `` Baby 's in Black '' UK only ( Parlophone, Apple ) 1962 `` My Bonnie '' / `` The Saints '' `` Love Me Do '' / `` P.S. I Love You '' 1963 `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' / `` This Boy '' 1964 `` Ai n't She Sweet '' / `` If You Love Me, Baby '' `` A Hard Day 's Night '' / `` Things We Said Today '' 1976 `` Yesterday '' / `` I Should Have Known Better '' `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' / `` Twist and Shout '' US only ( Vee - Jay, Swan, Tollie, Capitol, Apple ) 1963 `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' / `` I Saw Her Standing There '' 1964 `` Twist and Shout '' / `` There 's a Place '' `` Do You Want to Know a Secret '' / `` Thank You Girl '' `` Love Me Do '' / `` P.S. I Love You '' `` Sie liebt dich '' / `` I 'll Get You '' `` I 'll Cry Instead '' / `` I 'm Happy Just to Dance with You '' `` And I Love Her '' / `` If I Fell '' `` A Hard Day 's Night '' / `` I Should Have Known Better '' `` Matchbox '' / `` Slow Down '' 1965 `` Eight Days a Week '' / `` I Do n't Want to Spoil the Party '' `` Yesterday '' / `` Act Naturally '' 1966 `` Nowhere Man '' / `` What Goes On '' 1970 `` The Long and Winding Road '' / `` For You Blue '' 1976 `` Got to Get You into My Life '' / `` Helter Skelter '' `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` Julia '' Other countries ( Odeon, Parlophone, Apple ) 1963 `` All My Loving '' / `` This Boy '' ( Canada ) 1964 `` Komm, gib mir deine Hand / Sie liebt dich '' ( Germany ) 1966 `` Norwegian Wood ( This Bird Has Flown ) '' / `` Nowhere Man '' ( Australia ) 1968 `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` While My Guitar Gently Weeps '' ( Europe, Japan, Australia ) `` Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da '' / `` I Will '' ( Philippines ) `` Back in the U.S.S.R. '' / `` Do n't Pass Me By '' ( Sweden ) 1969 `` You 're Going to Lose That Girl '' / `` Tell Me What You See '' ( Japan ) 1970 `` Oh ! Darling '' / `` Here Comes the Sun '' ( Japan ) 1972 `` All Together Now '' / `` Hey Bulldog '' ( Europe ) 1978 `` Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends '' / `` Within You Without You '' ( Germany ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Love_Me_Do&oldid=821674296 '' Categories : 1962 singles 1962 songs 1964 singles Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Capitol Records singles Music published by MPL Music Publishing Debut singles Parlophone singles Song recordings produced by George Martin Songs written by Lennon -- McCartney The Beatles songs Tollie Records singles Hidden categories : Use British English from July 2011 Use dmy dates from July 2011 Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles which use infobox templates with no data rows Pages using extra track listing with no tracks Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Belgium ( Flanders ) Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Certification Table Entry usages for United States All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from October 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית ქართული Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Sicilianu Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 21 January 2018, at 23 : 13. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did the beatles release their first song
Answer: 5 October 1962