P.S. I Love You

When the Beatles were taking their first steps, they recorded a song called P.S. I Love You. The composition is mainly attributed to Paul McCartney, although it bears a joint signature with John Lennon. The production was handled by Ron Richards, who at the time worked at EMI, in London. This piece, with a duration of 2:04, saw the light on October 5, 1962, as the B-side of their first single, Love Me Do. Later, it would be part of their debut album, Please Please Me, released in 1963. It also appeared on later compilations such as Introducing... The Beatles (1964), its reissue The Early Beatles (1965), and Love Songs (1977).

The recording of the version we hear on the single and the album took place on September 11, 1962, at EMI's studios in Abbey Road Studios, London. Ten takes were needed to complete it. Curiously, producer George Martin had called in session drummer Andy White to replace Pete Best, considering him not technical enough for the recordings. However, Martin was unaware that the other Beatles had already decided to replace Pete Best with Ringo Starr. Ringo Starr was present at the session and contributed by playing the maracas on the song. Andy White, an orchestra and session musician, gave the recording a light feel, with a cha-cha treatment, which departs from the more forceful drumming sound that characterized much of their early music. In this session, Ron Richards directed the recording in the absence of George Martin. Richards informed the group that the song could not be the A-side of the single due to the existence of another recording with the same title.

The song was written in the spring of 1962, while Paul McCartney was in Hamburg. Melodically, it shows some peculiarities that distinguish it. During the initial chorus, a harmonic turn occurs with the D♭7 chord appearing unexpectedly between G and D. Later, in the title phrase, there is a sudden shift to B♭ under the words "P.S. I love you," a detail that some have described as a "dark side step." John Lennon provides a single-note harmony that accentuates the beginning of each verse. The lyrics, intended for a female audience, were constructed with that audience in mind, and the Beatles regularly included it in their performances at the Cavern Club. The Beatles also recorded this song for the BBC on several dates: October 25, 1962, November 27, 1962, and June 17, 1963, for broadcast on radio programs such as Here We Go, Talent Spot, and Pop Go the Beatles. One of these BBC recordings, that of June 17, 1963, was officially released on the album On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 in 2013.