Please Please Me

Please Please Me - Front Cover	Please Please Me - Back Cover

Please Please Me - Front Cover (Detail)

Label	Parlophone
Catalogue No.'s	PMC 1202 (Mono) PCS 3042 (Stereo) CDP 7 46435 2 (C.D.)
Matrix No.'s	A-side   B-Side Mono : XEX 421-1N   XEX 422-1N Stereo: YEX 94-1   YEX 95-1 1982 Mono : XEX 421-3   XEX 422-2 8th Press, Stereo: YEX 94-2   YEX 95-3
Release dates	22nd March 1963 (Mono ONLY) 26th April 1963 (Stereo version) 26th February 1987 (CD release)
Total time	31:59
U.K. Album Chart Detail :	Entry Date : 6th April 1963 Highest Position : 1 ... for 30 weeks from 11th May 1963 (CONSECUTIVELY !) Weeks in Chart : + + 70   4 from 7th March 1987 (CD release, reached no.32)   2 from 13th September 2009 (reached no.38) == 76 weeks in total ==
Detail :	The Beatles FIRST official L.P. release For the ONLY time, the mono version was issued 6 weeks BEFORE the stereo version. This album contained the "A" and "B" sides of their first two singles, plus 10 new songs ALL recorded in one incredible session at Abbey Road. The session cost just £400 and lasted 16 hours. Just imagine being there. The album took exactly 6 months to pass the sales figure of 250,000, and went on to sell over half-a-million in the U.K. with world sales of almost two million. It still holds the record for the longest continuous stay at number 1 The cover photo was taken at EMI's former headquarters at Manchester Sq. by Angus McBean on 5th March 1963. The building is now demolished and EMI relocated, but allegedly the balcony was removed and stored. The sleeve notes on the rear cover are by Tony Barrow. George Martin was a fellow of London Zoo and initially suggested a visual pun and that for the album cover The Beatles should be photographed outside the insect house of the zoo. But the zoo turned down the request and must be kicking themselves ever since for turning down countless years of free publicity. Also whilst trying to think of catchy names for their first album release, George Martin offered the title, "Off The Beatle Track", but this was bypassed. Mr. Martin clearly liked the name, and used it himself in 1964. "Misery" was written by Lennon/McCartney for Helen Shapiro. When she turned it down, Kenny Kynch recorded it and became the first artist to cover a Lennon/McCartney song. In America this album was released under the title, "Introducing The Beatles" on 22nd July 1963, but had two tracks missing. "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why" were omitted ... BUT ... when the album was re-released on 27th January 1964 those tracks were included ... BUT ... "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" were left off ! The album was also part of "The Beatles Collection" 13 album box set (see Beatles Collection). On 26th February 1987 this album had it's first release on C.D. which was published in Mono(!) with a catalogue number of CDP 7 46435 2 And on the same day, the record shop H.M.V. produced a special 12" numbered 4 CD Box Set Comprising: Please Please Me With The Beatles A Hard Days Night Beatles For Sale + Bill Harry - "Book Of Beatle Lists" (see Book of Beatle Lists, The) This set had a catalogue number of BEA CD 25, and was in a limited edition of just 2,500 copies. The C.D. was also part of "The Beatles Box" 15 C.D. box set (see Beatles C.D. Box). 09/09/09 (Number Nine, Number Nine, Number Nine) - the album was re-released as part of the Beatles In Stereo Remasters collection. 13th September 2009 it re-entered the chart again at number 38 in the eleventh highest position of SEVENTEEN chart positions The Beatles captured in one amazing week.          (see the box set detail for the chart position of all 17 titles together) 20th September 2009 - dropped seventeen places down to number 55. 27th September 2009 - dropped out of the Top 100 completely. Digital Downloads In 2010 iTunes (a digital download agency) were given access to The Beatles product, which now meant each individual Beatles track was available to download to internet connected devices. These downloads had to be paid for and the number of sales were permitted to be counted for chart purposes as "singles" (although JPGR doesn't concur with this process). 21st November 2010 - I Saw Her Standing There was listed at number 90 But it is, of course, preposterous to count I Saw Her Standing There as a Beatles single. It wasn't. Tape Media The album was also available on 4" reel-to-reel tape, 1963 - Catalogue number TA-PMC 1202 (3¾ ips twin-track mono tape) - first edition (mono only) in a cardboard box. 1968 - Catalogue number TA-PMC 1202 (3¾ ips twin-track mono tape)                                         TD-PCS 3042 (3¾ ips 4-track stereo) these editions in a "jewel" box. Prior to 1973: The album was released on stereo cassette tape (1⅞ ips) - Catalogue number - TC-PCS 3042. The album was also released on 8-track stereo continuous play cartridge (3¾ ips) - catalogue no. 8X-PCS 3042 In November 1987 the album was again released on cassette tape (mono only !) - Catalogue number - TC-PMC 1202.

Side 1

Side 2

Mono/Stereo Differences

Released Versions

The soon to be replaced gold lettering on black "Parlophone" label is by far the rarest, with the Mono version worth about £250 and the stereo version five times that !
These first pressings had the six new McCartney/Lennon songs with a publishing credit of "Dick James Music Co.", and the cover was a laminated sleeve with a polythene lined inner sleeve with an advert for "Emitex" cleaning cloths upon them.

Example label - First Pressing (Mono)
Example label - A-side First Pressing (Stereo)	Example label - B-side First Pressing (Stereo)

Exactly the same as the above, but the publishing credit had changed to "Northern Songs". These gold/black pressings are equally as valuable as above.
But in saying that, I am led to believe that after the changeover to the Northern Songs credit and before the lettering change as identified in the next pressing, there were fewer of these pressed than the first pressing. I am informed that only 900 were issued.

Example label - A-side Second Pressing (Mono)	Example label - B-side Second Pressing (Mono)
Example label - A-side Second Pressing (Stereo)	Example label - B-side Second Pressing (Stereo)

The gold lettering is now replaced with a more typical yellow block writing.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label starts with "The Parlophone Co. Ltd."
The label does NOT have "Recording first published 1963" or "Sold in the U.K..." statements.
The word "mono" (or stereo) on the front cover is larger than in later editions.

The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label starts with "The Parlophone Co. Ltd."
The label DOES have "Recording first published 1963", but NOT "Sold in the U.K..." statements.
The word "mono" (or stereo) on the front cover is larger than in later editions.

The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "The Gramophone Co. Ltd."
The label DOES have "Sold in the U.K..." statement.
The word "mono" (or stereo) on the front cover is smaller.

The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label starts with "The Gramophone Co. Ltd."
The label does NOT have "Sold in the U.K..." statement.
The word "mono" (or stereo) on the front cover is smaller.

Now with a silver/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
The label has one EMI boxed logo.

Silver/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
The label has TWO EMI boxed logos as can be seen below ...

Example 8th Pressing label, showing two EMI boxed logo's

Now with a yellow/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
This release is on a lightweight vinyl.

Now with a Black and Silver Parlophone label.
The sleeve has a printed statement which reads:
"This album has been Direct Metal Mastered From a Digitally Re-mastered Original Tape to give the best possible sound quality"
This release is (surprisingly) on a lightweight vinyl.

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