In a follow-up to the popular “Let It Be” album breakdown, author, producer and mixer Jerry Hammack is back to discuss the making of The Beatles’ very first album, “Please Please Me”.
Jerry devoted nearly 12 years of his life to research every detail of the Beatles recording process in constructing his five-book series, “The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals”. For the books, he analyzed over 5700 Beatles recordings, from original mono and stereo vinyl to outtakes and remixes, as well as extensive photo, video and original archival research. He’s talked to the engineers, producers and assistant engineers who worked with the band to learn about their recording process, band chemistry and studio workflow.
The books cover the entire Beatles career, reconstructing the creation of each song in their catalogue from first take to final remix along with detailing the technical profile of each and every classic Beatles recording session from 1961 to 1970. The books are considered essential reading if you want to know how The Beatles created the most influential music of all time and they grace the bookshelves of a number of the world’s top producers and mixers.
Today, Jerry Hammack is with us to give us a breakdown of The Beatles’ album “Please Please Me”. He will give us some of the background on the gear used in the studio and by the band, the clever two-track recording process, as well as go through the album song by song and tell us about how each individual track was created, including backing tracks, overdubs, edits and more.
“Please Please Me” is legendary in Beatles’ lore due to the fact that the majority of the album was recorded in a single, 12-hour and 45-minute session on February 11th, 1963 at EMI Recording Studios, Studio 2.
The album contained a balance of original tracks as well as songs the band had mastered as a part of their live sets in Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany and was intended as a quick follow-up to the hit single of the same name.
Producer George Martin figured he could cash in on the band’s commercial momentum by essentially making a record of their live set. Little did he know at the time that the album they created would produce at least two of the greatest rock and roll tracks ever recorded, “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Twist And Shout”.
It was so incredible to sit down with Jerry and learn all about this amazing album. He has a way of taking you into the studio with the band as they create each of these classic songs and clearly loves talking about The Beatles with Warren!
Check out today’s video to learn how this amazing album was recorded!
