The Beatles’ memorable debut single is “Love Me Do.” However, there’s a story that suggests they might have debuted with a different song.
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Recording of “Love Me Do”
I recorded this song when I auditioned on June 6, 1962.
The drummer at that time was Pete Best.
They wanted to debut with this song, so they went into the recording session.
However, before that, producer George Martin had said that a session drummer would be used for the recording.
A session drummer is a drummer who plays as a substitute in case, for some reason, a regular drummer can’t be secured.
He recognized the importance of the drums in a band and was dissatisfied with Pete’s drumming technique at the audition.
From his perspective, he simply made the obvious decision as a producer.This later sent major ripples through the Beatles.It became (so).
Pete Best's dismissal
I'll tell you the details another time, but the Beatles ended up firing Pete.
What I joined instead wasRingo StarrIt is.
On September 4, Martin was surprised to see Ringo show up at the studio for the recording.
He didn’t know that the drummer had been replaced.
It was my first time meeting Ringo, and I didn’t think we could let a newcomer whose ability we didn’t know do the recording, but we couldn’t just turn her away, so we went ahead and let her record as she was.
Even Ringo, as impressive as she is, was nervous during her first studio recording at the time and couldn’t perform to her usual ability.
Martin was also dissatisfied with Ringo’s drumming, and in the end, they brought in session drummer Andy White to record on September 11.
In other words, unusually for this song,Three different versions of the drummerThere will be.
There’s an audio source available, so please try listening and comparing.
First is Pete, next is Ringo, and the last is White’s drums.
youtube.
com/watch?v=eWnklhOCVmc
Martin suggested a different song.
The Beatles were finally set to release a single and make their major debut, but at this point Martin made an unexpected suggestion.
The idea was to make their debut single not Love Me Do, but a song composed by another songwriter, How Do You Do It.
The song was already finished and even the guide performance had been recorded, so all that was left was to record according to that guide performance—there’s no job easier than this.
Here’s the guide performance; it really sounds like the kind of song singers from that time would have sung.
be/nK3TdiJDgQM
Martin thought that with this song they could surely take the No. 1 spot on the charts, and he could give them a spectacular debut.
Also, at that time the singer-songwriter style was still rare, and it was common for the composer and the performer to be separate.
The Beatles’ success popularized the singer-songwriter style.
Therefore, Martin’s proposal was in line with the common sense of the time.
Since it was the producer’s instruction, the Beatles went along with it and did the recording for the time being.
That audio recording still exists, but you can tell they don't seem very enthusiastic about it.
It's the version they recorded.
But as expected of the Beatles.
They’ve added their own touches and shaped it into a sound that’s characteristically theirs.
youtube.
com/watch?v=3kHml65dS3g
I kicked the producer's proposal to the curb!
Instead of eagerly jumping at Martin’s offer, Paul clearly told him, “This might be a good song, but it doesn’t suit us. We want to do something different.”
Of all things, they’ve got some nerve—still just rookies who haven’t even released a record—and yet they turned down a song the producer kindly offered them out of paternal concern to help them hit No. 1 on the charts.
But Martin is big-hearted about it, too.
An average producer would probably blow a fuse, but he accepted it without a fuss, saying, “In that case, let’s pass this song to another musician.”
In fact, this song was released in 1963 by Gerry & The Pacemakers and, just as Martin predicted, it reached No. 1 on the charts.
But now, how many people still know this song or this band?
Probably only middle-aged and older people who were living in the UK at the time.
What's interesting is that it pretty much borrows the Beatles' arrangement.
youtube.
com/watch?v=AQD-m2AQoXc
“Love Me Do” finally released!
On October 5, the long-awaited single finallyLove Me Dohas been released.
This, too, speaks to the chaotic circumstances of the time: although the first edition featured the version with Ringo on drums, from the reissue onward it was replaced with White’s version, and on the first album, "Please Please MeBut it was used.
And this is the song.
youtube.
com/watch?v=Jbt8oH5Lxto
Although this work only reached 17th on the charts, it’s a solid showing for a debut.
ParlophoneAlthough the parent company of the label was the major EMI Records, Parlophone itself was a small subsidiary, so they were unable to do much in the way of promotion.
Moreover, Martin’s specialty was mainly in comedy, and he didn’t deal much with popular or classical music.
Even within the company, Martin’s presence wasn’t given much importance, and when he started producing the Beatles, people were gossiping that “a guy who hasn’t done any decent work is trying to make something out of an unpopular band.”
However, after their song ranked 17th, the company’s attitude changed completely, as if flipping the palm of its hand.
One day, when George Harrison arrived at the entrance of EMI Studios, an employee who had previously been rather curt greeted him with a smile and said, “Hey, come on in.”
In this way, the Beatles made a fairly good debut; however, rumors later spread that this was because their manager, Brian Epstein, had bulk-bought records to push them up the charts.
It’s true that there were a lot of sales at record stores around Liverpool, but that’s just an urban legend.
Actually, this work was broadcast on October 17, right after its release, on a local TV program in the northwest of the UK called “People and Places.”
It is believed that this greatly contributed to the increase in sales of “Love Me Do.”
It’s also possible that many local fans from before their debut bought it.
After that, the program continued to spot promising young musicians and launch them into the world one after another.
The Rolling Stones also used this program as a springboard to grow into a world-renowned band.