SONGBOOK
LOVE ME DO/P.S. I LOVE YOU
A-side:
Love Me Do (Lennon-McCartney)
B-side:
P.S. I Love You (Lennon-McCartney)
Released: 5 October 1962 (Parlophone)
Highest chart position: 17
Weeks in chart: 18
FAB FACT
The single was recorded over two sessions; the first was on 4 September 1962, with only John, Paul, George and Ringo, where they recorded ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘How Do You Do It’, the latter written by Mitch Murray. At this point, George Martin was still unconvinced of the band’s own songs. The Beatles were adamant, though, that they shouldn’t release ‘How Do You Do It’, and instead recorded the B-side of ‘Love Me Do’, ‘P.S. I Love You’, in a second session on 11 September.
FAB FACT
At the session on 11 September, to Ringo’s horror, George Martin brought in a session drummer, Andy White. They recorded ‘Love Me Do’ again, with Ringo relegated to playing the tambourine, and ‘P.S. I Love You’ (Ringo on maracas this time). In the end, the version of ‘Love Me Do’ released as their first single was the version where Ringo played the drums. The Andy White version of ‘Love Me Do’ appeared on The Beatles’ first album, Please Please Me.
FAB FACT
The first publishing contract signed by John and Paul was with publishing company Ardmore & Beechwood for these two songs only, and, as Paul had been the primary writer on both, the contract was written so that the credit should be labelled McCartney-Lennon. When a new publishing contract was signed with Dick James for the release of their next single, ‘Please Please Me’, with the songwriters listed as Lennon-McCartney, the record was still credited as McCartney-Lennon, as were each of their self-penned songs on the Please Please Me album. It was only when The Beatles released ‘She Loves You’ that the familiar Lennon-McCartney credit stuck.