This was the Beatles first single and an early Lennon-McCartney composition. They had their reservations about it, and although it contains the signature vocal harmonies it lacks the energy of many of the covers they were then performing live. It’s a bit plodding and not the catchiest melody.
The Beatles Bible‘Love Me Do’, The Beatles’ debut single, was released in the UK on 5 October 1962.
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WikipediaThey got a lot better!
The inclusion of the harmonica gave it a distinctive sound, which they tried again on a few later tracks.
With hindsight it seems a strange choice, but hindsight is 20:20. It is not surprising that in their audition and initial recording sessions George Martin did not yet fully appreciate what he had on his hands in this young band.
There’s a sense in the Beatles story of a gradual shift in initiative from the producer who signed them to the artists themselves. At the outset, Martin was the authority figure in a suit and tie who knew about the industry and told them what to do. As time went on both Martin and the Beatles began to understand how much more they could achieve if the band had more artistic control, and Martin was important in spotting this and helping encouraging them to be more ambitious.
In my view this reached a peak with the Sgt Pepper album after which the balance tipped too far the other way and their were signs that the Beatles (especially Lennon) were taking Martin’s role for granted. Or perhaps it was more that their visions were diverging.
After struggling through two not entirely successful album projects in which Martin was increasingly marginalized, they came home to Abbey Road, where everything came together again.