On this day in 1962, The Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do

The song was written several years earlier, even before the formation of the band. Its lyrics were scribbled in a school notebook by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and its original composition featured Lennon on harmonica to start the song, before the pair sang joint lead vocals ahead of Lennon singing the main line of the song’s title phrase, however for the actual recording McCartney would sing the title phrase as producer George Martin realised Lennon needed to play harmonica as the line was sung.

Love Me Do was recorded three times in total, with a different drummer on each version. The first session was held on the 6th June 1962 and features The Beatles original drummer, Pete Best.  Originally thought to be lost, this version would later be released in 1995 on Anthology 1. The next version was recorded on the 4th September 1962, after Best had been replaced by Ringo Starr in August. This would be the version released first as the single. Finally, the third session was a week later  on the 11th September, with session musician Andy White on drums and Starr on the tambourine, an instrument not featured on either of the other two versions. The third version would appear on the the bands debut album Please Please Me and would go on to appear on several album releases thereafter, as well as the US single release in 1964. 

Starr’s removal from drums caused some friction between him and George Martin, as he was clearly disappointed with being dropped from only his second recording session with the band. During the earlier session Starr had played with a maraca and the bass drum simultaneously, and used the drum in a more loose style than most producers were used to, more in line with the emerging R&B sound. This combination led Martin to hire a session drummer, a common decision for the time. Starr later recalled being “devastated” and went on to say Martin “has apologised several times since, has old George, but it was devastating- I hated the bugger for years; I still don’t let him off the hook!”

Regardless, the version with Starr on drums would be the first released, and helped the group find success as they charted at number 17. Over the next few years the song would reach number one in various countries around the world, including the US, Australia and New Zealand.