Love Me Do

When John Lennon and Paul McCartney sat down to compose, they weren't necessarily looking for a completely new idea. What interested them was the process of creating songs, of learning to be songwriters. "Love Me Do" was born from that exploration, and it became their first hit. It's a piece built on three simple chords: G7 and C, which give way to D in the central section. The song kicks off with Lennon on harmonica with a raw, almost spring-like sound, which then yields prominence to the joint vocals of him and McCartney. At certain moments, you can appreciate harmonization in the style of the Everly Brothers, especially on the word "please", before McCartney sings the main title phrase unaccompanied.

The recording of "Love Me Do" had its peculiarities. There were three different versions with different drummers. The first, from June 1962, featured Pete Best, but it wasn't officially released until 1995. Three months later, with Ringo Starr already in the band, the version that would go on the first edition of the single was recorded. However, for the second pressing of the single and for the album Please Please Me, a third take with session drummer Andy White was included. Producer George Martin made the decision that Lennon should play the harmonica again at the exact moment he sang "love me do", as the initial harmonica part interfered with the vocals. This single, released in the UK on October 5, 1962, reached number 17. In 1982, a special reissue for EMI's twentieth anniversary returned it to the charts, reaching number 4. In the United States, the song was a hit in 1964, topping the charts. It also topped the charts in Australia and New Zealand.