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From album
Please Please Me
The Beatles · 1963 · Track 2
Details
ÁlbumPlease Please Me
Año1963
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The story behind
Recorded in a marathon of sessions in February 1963, the song Misery is an early example of the compositional chemistry between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Although authorship is attributed to both, Lennon described it as more his than McCartney's, while McCartney considered it a joint effort, almost like a commission. In fact, the original idea arose from a request from Norrie Paramor, manager of singer Helen Shapiro, who was looking for material for a country album. Misery began to take shape backstage before a performance at the King's Hall in Stoke-on-Trent, on January 26, 1963, and was completed at McCartney's home on Forthlin Road. Initially, it was thought that Shapiro would record it, but Paramor deemed it unsuitable. It was then that British singer Kenny Lynch, who was sharing a tour with The Beatles, decided to record it, thus becoming the first version of a Lennon–McCartney composition.
When it came time to record The Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me, the band decided to include their own interpretation of Misery. The production was handled by George Martin, who also contributed a piano solo, recorded at half speed so it would sound correct at normal speed. The song, with a duration of 1:47, was released as the B-side of the single Ask Me Why on March 22, 1963, and was included on the album Please Please Me. The musical style falls within Merseybeat, a genre that defined the sound of the era in Liverpool. The recording took place at EMI Studios in London, with Norman Smith as one of the sound engineers.