Please, Please, Please

When you encounter Please, Please, Please, you are likely to associate it immediately with James Brown, as it was his first single released in April 1956. However, this song also has a place in the history of The Who, appearing on their debut album, My Generation. Brown's original version, co-written with Johnny Terry and produced by Ralph Bass, reached number five on the Billboard R&B charts. What was interesting about Brown's live performances of this song was its theatricality: he would often simulate a fall, be helped up by his musicians, remove the cape they put on him, and continue with renewed energy.

My Generation, The Who's first album, was recorded in the UK by Brunswick Records in late 1965 and in Australia by Festival Records. In the United States, it was released in April 1966 through Decca Records with a slightly different cover and tracklist. In addition to the core members like Roger Daltrey on vocals, Pete Townshend on guitar, John Entwistle on bass, and Keith Moon on drums, the album featured session musician Nicky Hopkins on piano. The recording took place shortly after the singles "I Can't Explain" and "My Generation" began to gain traction, and the band themselves felt the album did not fully reflect the intensity of their live performances. The version of Please, Please, Please you will find on My Generation is 2:46 in length and was produced by Shel Talmy.