Even though it only peaked at number 17 on the British charts, the single Love Me Do was not only the group's first record but also their first hit.
Highlights
- The Beatles' debut tune that launched Britain into the Swinging Sixties and helped to ignite a worldwide obsession for the four-man band from Liverpool celebrates its 50th birthday today.
- Even though it only peaked at number 17 on the British charts, the single Love Me Do was not only the group's first record but also their first hit.
- "It's obviously the first single, but more importantly, it established their policy of only releasing songs that were written by the Beatles themselves," said Hamish MacBain, assistant editor at British music magazine NME.
- "The fashion at that time was not for big groups to write their own material, so the Beatles were being quite radical in that sense by issuing a single that they had written themselves," MacBain told AFP. Love Me Do was recorded in September 1962 with the so-called "fifth Beatle", producer George Martin, who pushed for the release of another song, penned by British songwriter Adam Faith but performed by the Fab Four. But the Beatles got their way, and Love Me Do went on sale on October 5, 1962.
- The group's insistence that they only release songs they had written themselves "established a trend that lasted obviously their entire career and became the norm for big groups that became rock bands", MacBain said.
- "You were not considered a serious rock band by the mid-60s unless you were writing your own material." Co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the catchy lyrics and recognisable harmonies of Love Me Do were recorded at London's Abbey Road studios, later made famous by the group.
The Beatles' debut tune that launched Britain into the Swinging Sixties and helped to ignite a worldwide obsession for the four-man band from Liverpool celebrates its 50th birthday today.
Even though it only peaked at number 17 on the British charts, the single
Love Me Do was not only the group's first record but also their first hit.
"It's obviously the first single, but more importantly, it established their policy of only releasing songs that were written by the Beatles themselves," said Hamish MacBain, assistant editor at British music magazine NME.
"The fashion at that time was not for big groups to write their own material, so the Beatles were being quite radical in that sense by issuing a single that they had written themselves," MacBain told AFP.
Love Me Do was recorded in September 1962 with the so-called "fifth Beatle", producer George Martin, who pushed for the release of another song, penned by British songwriter Adam Faith but performed by the Fab Four. But the Beatles got their way, and
Love Me Do went on sale on October 5, 1962.
The group's insistence that they only release songs they had written themselves "established a trend that lasted obviously their entire career and became the norm for big groups that became rock bands", MacBain said.
"You were not considered a serious rock band by the mid-60s unless you were writing your own material." Co-written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the catchy lyrics and recognisable harmonies of
Love Me Do were recorded at London's Abbey Road studios, later made famous by the group.