22 March 1963: The Beatles Release Please Please Me

On March 22, 1963, The Beatles released their debut album “Please Please Me” in the United Kingdom, launching a cultural phenomenon that would transform popular music forever.

The album was recorded in a single marathon session on February 11, 1963. The four young musicians from Liverpool arrived at Abbey Road Studios at 10 a.m. and did not leave until nearly 11 p.m. They recorded ten new songs to complement four tracks from previously released singles.

Producer George Martin pushed the exhausted band through take after take. For the final song, Twist and Shout, John Lennon’s voice was nearly gone from a cold and hours of singing. He stripped off his shirt, gargled with milk, and delivered the raw, raspy vocal that became one of rock’s most electrifying performances in a single take.

Please Please Me rocketed to number one on the UK charts, where it remained for 30 weeks. Within a year, Beatlemania had swept across the Atlantic. The Beatles would go on to become the best-selling musical act of all time.