Ticket 2 Ride

I remember the first copy of this album I bought used (I still have it), which was almost 50 years ago. Most of the songs I knew, but a few were new to me. I thought the covers were okay, although I’ve never been a fan of “Twist and Shout.” By the way, Please, Please Me, was the U.K. release of the Beatles first songs. More on that, later.

The songs were written by Lennon/McCartney unless otherwise credited. The best songs on the album are Lennon/McCartney originals, which says a lot about their songwriting at this point. Some might say “Twist and Shout” is a classic of the era. I would concede that the Beatles’ version is indeed a classic.

The Beatles debut album, carefully overseen by producer George Martin, was recorded quickly. Martin was interested enough to sign the Beatles, but didn’t devote a lot of Parlophone Records expense in the recording sessions. He was unsure of Ringo’s drumming expertise and replaced him on “Love Me Do” with the more veteran musician Andy White. Martin was assisted by Ron Richards (The Hollies) and engineer Norman Smith (Pink Floyd).

Most of the album was recorded on February 11, 1963, but a couple of other days were used.

In America, the Beatles’ first LP and singles were in the hands of Vee-Jay Records, not Capitol Records. The Beatles were unknown in America, even though they started scoring hits in the U.K. The U.S. album, Introducing the Beatles, was on Vee-Jay because Capitol passed on the Beatles initially. That changed as the Beatles were set to tour America in 1964 and “She Loves You” exploded. Capitol sued Vee-Jay over that early Beatles product and eventually released The Early Beatles in 1965, well after the Beatles recorded material for their next several albums. The Capitol v. Vee-Jay battle is an interesting one. http://www.dermon.com/Beatles/Veejay.htm

Side one

“I Saw Her Standing There” McCartney 2:52

Paul mainly wrote this, although John contributed to it. Paul did lead vocals. The distinctive bass line was borrowed from a Chuck Berry song. This lead-off song announces the Beatles on a thunderous note.

“Misery” Lennon and McCartney 1:47

Written on tour, offered to Helen Shapiro, but wasn’t recorded. Paul wanting to write a ballad.

“Anna (Go to Him)” (Arthur Alexander) Lennon 2:54

According to The Beatles Bible, this was a favorite song of John, which they recorded in three takes at the session where they recorded most of the album. George copies the piano lick from the original recording on his guitar.

“Chains” (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) Harrison 2:23

Not one of Goffin/King’s big hits, though it was frequently played by Liverpudlian bands. George’s vocal is okay, but the song sounds like filler to me.

“Boys” (Luther Dixon, Wes Farrell) Starr 2:24

A Ringo lead vocal of The Shirelles’ song. It rocks, but it’s silly that a male is singing about boys. Ringo does a fine job on a song that doesn’t require much vocal dexterity or finesse. The song is lightweight, but the performance is solid.

“Ask Me Why” Lennon 2:24

A delightful song, better than some of the covers on this album. Melodic and poignant, this song is catchy and shows a maturity in their song construction. The Beatles Bible says this song was influenced by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

“Please Please Me” Lennon and McCartney 2:00

One of the best Lennon/McCartney written songs. Awesome production. I read that Beatles envisioned this song at a slower speed, which I can’t even imagine. The speed and power of this song are perfect, and packs a lot of rock and roll into two minutes.

Side one length: 16:44

Side two

“Love Me Do” McCartney and Lennon 2:19

According to The Beatles Bible, Paul wrote the majority of the song back in 1958. The version of this song on the album has Andy White on drums, but there is a version with Ringo drumming on Past Masters, and Pete Best on Anthology 1.

The song charted as Number 17 on the UK chart. I think this song is one the weaker Lennon/McCartney songs on the album.

“P.S. I Love You” McCartney 2:02

A cute song, very lightweight. Very poppy and radio-friendly.

“Baby It’s You” (Mack David, Barney Williams, Burt Bacharach) Lennon 2:35

Another song first recorded by The Shirelles. Recorded in just three takes, this was a song from their live set. It was noted that John’s voice was wearing on from the long recording sessions and he strained on the high notes.

“Do You Want to Know a Secret” Harrison 1:56

The second of George’s two lead vocals, and the best one. George is solid with backing and harmony vocals, and he gets better as a lead vocalist. John wrote the song, not with George in mind, but thought he could handle it.

John based it on a Disney film song, but thematically it applied to John’s secret marriage to Cynthia. Manager Brian Epstein didn’t want the Beatles’ female audience to know John was married.

“A Taste of Honey” (Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow) McCartney 2:01

A popular song from the play of the same name. From their Hamburg days, a favorite of Paul, who spent time recording the vocals.

“There’s a Place” Lennon and McCartney 1:49

“We were getting a bit more cerebral,” Paul said. A bit more adult. It was influenced by the West Side Story soundtrack. John and Paul both sang it. Recorded in 10 takes plus the harmonic overdub.

“Twist and Shout” (Phil Medley, Bert Russell) Lennon 2:33

See above.

Side two length: 15:15

Sixty some years later, this album still resonates with fans like me. The album exhibits the Beatles energy, confidence and uniqueness. It’s fun to listen and relive this period.