When the beatles finished recording please please me on 26 November 1962 at abbey road, George Martin told them over the loudspeaker: "Gentlemen I think you've got your first number 1". Love me do which had also been recorded a few weeks earlier reached number 17 during 1962, and during December of that year the beatles catapulted to gigantic levels of national fame, and it was not until February of the following year, 1963, that please please me as a single reached number one in the new musical express charts, but reaching number 2 in the Record Retailer charts, which years later would evolve into the official UK chart, creating that controversial situation between whether please please me had reached number 1 or number 2.
With this situation George martin knew that the next logical step was to record a full length album to get it up the charts as quickly as possible, the first idea was to record a completely live album, the label's budget was not exactly the highest so they had done it before with artists like peter cook, but the cavern being subway with its concrete walls and natural echo chamber was not suitable for such an adventure, so George martin locked himself and the beatles in the studio to recreate the set list that the band played live, recording a complete album in such a short space of time did not seem an unreasonable request in 1963, the songs were recorded live on a two track BTR machine, leaving little chances for overdubs or elaborate edits, consider also that please please me and its B-side "Ask Me Why" were already recorded, as was the beatles' first single "love me do" backed by P. S. I Love you.
So the mission was to record 10 more songs to complement the 14 that were usual in those years for a british album, the idea was to record a direct interpretation of what was their live performances and broadcasts, their manager brian epstein left them a day of rest prior to the recording, so they would be focused and rested to make the recording. With the appointment at the EMI studios at 10 am on february 11, 1963.
Narrated by: Sean Horn