Ask Me Why

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“Ask Me Why”
B-side to "Please Please Me" by The Beatles
Released 11 January 1963 (UK)
25 February 1963 (US)
Recorded 26 November 1962
Genre Beat, Rock and roll
Length 2:24
Label Parlophone R4983 (UK)
Vee-Jay 498 (US)
Writer McCartney/Lennon
Producer George Martin
“Ask Me Why”
Song by The Beatles
Album Please Please Me
Released 22 March 1963 (mono)
26 April 1963 (stereo)
Label Parlophone
PMC 1202 (mono)
PCS 3042 (stereo)
CDP 7 46435 2
Please Please Me track listing
Side one
  1. "I Saw Her Standing There"
  2. "Misery"
  3. "Anna (Go to Him)"
  4. "Chains"
  5. "Boys"
  6. "Ask Me Why"
  7. "Please Please Me"
Side two
  1. "Love Me Do"
  2. "P.S. I Love You"
  3. "Baby It's You"
  4. "Do You Want to Know a Secret"
  5. "A Taste of Honey"
  6. "There's a Place"
  7. "Twist and Shout"

"Ask Me Why" is a song by The Beatles originally released in the United Kingdom as the B-side of their hit single "Please Please Me" . It was also included on their first UK album, Please Please Me.

Written in early 1962, "Ask Me Why" is principally a John Lennon composition,[1] , but was credited to Paul McCartney and John Lennon, as were all other Lennon/McCartney originals on the first pressings of Please Please Me album. It was part of their live act prior to their recording contract, and was one of the songs performed at their Parlophone audition in Abbey Road's studio three on 6 June 1962.[1][2] Complex in its arrangement, the song emulates in style that of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, by whom Lennon was influenced, and draws its opening guitar phrase from the Miracles’ "What’s So Good About Goodbye" (1961). [3]

"Ask Me Why" was recorded on 26 November 1962, the same day the Beatles rehearsed another Lennon and McCartney song - entitled "Tip of My Tongue" - which, along with "Ask Me Why" was also being considered for the B-side of the "Please Please Me" single.[3] However, George Martin felt that "Tip of My Tongue" still needed some work, and it was eventually given to Tommy Quickly to record. [4]

[edit] Other releases

[edit] Personnel

  • John Lennon – rhythm guitar, lead vocal
  • Paul McCartney – bass guitar, backing vocal
  • George Harrison – lead guitar, backing vocal
  • Ringo Starr – drums

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Miles, Barry (1998). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. London: Vintage, 92. ISBN 0-7493-8658-4. 
  2. ^ Harry, Bill (1992). The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books, 50. ISBN 0-86369-681-3. 
  3. ^ a b MacDonald, Ian (1998). Revolution in the Head. London: Pimlico, 57. ISBN 0-7126-6697-4. 
  4. ^ Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions. London: Hamlyn, 23. ISBN 0-600-55798-7. 
v • d • e
The Beatles' singles discography
UK:
(Parlophone,
Apple Records)
1962: "Love Me Do" • 1963: "Please Please Me", "From Me to You", "She Loves You", "I Want to Hold Your Hand" • 1964: "Can't Buy Me Love", "A Hard Day's Night", "I Feel Fine" • 1965: "Ticket to Ride", "Help!", "Day Tripper" / "We Can Work It Out" • 1966: "Paperback Writer", "Eleanor Rigby" / "Yellow Submarine" • 1967: "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane", "All You Need Is Love", "Hello Goodbye" • 1968: "Lady Madonna", "Hey Jude" • 1969: "Get Back" / "Don't Let Me Down", "Ballad of John and Yoko", "Something" / "Come Together" • 1970: "Let It Be" • 1976: "Yesterday", "Back in the U.S.S.R." • 1978: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" / "A Day in the Life" • 1982: "The Beatles Movie Medley", "Love Me Do" (reissue) • 1995: "Baby It's You", "Free as a Bird" • 1996: "Real Love"
B-sides
U.S.:
(Vee-Jay,
Swan,
Tollie,
Capitol,
Apple Records)
1963: "Please Please Me" (VJ), "From Me to You" (VJ), "She Loves You" (Swan), "I Want to Hold Your Hand" • 1964: "Twist and Shout" (Tollie), "Can't Buy Me Love", "Do You Want to Know a Secret" (VJ), "Love Me Do" (Tollie), "Sie Liebt Dich (She Loves You)" (Swan), "A Hard Day's Night", "I'll Cry Instead", "And I Love Her", "Matchbox", "I Feel Fine" • 1965: "Eight Days a Week", "Ticket to Ride", "Help!", "Yesterday", "We Can Work It Out" / "Day Tripper" • 1966: "Nowhere Man", "Paperback Writer", "Eleanor Rigby" / "Yellow Submarine" • 1967: "Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever", "All You Need Is Love", "Hello, Goodbye" • 1968: "Lady Madonna", "Hey Jude" • 1969: "Get Back" / "Don't Let Me Down", "Ballad of John and Yoko", "Something" / "Come Together" • 1970: "Let It Be", "The Long and Winding Road" • 1976: "Got to Get You into My Life", "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" • 1978: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" / "A Day in the Life" • 1982: "The Beatles Movie Medley" • 1986: "Twist and Shout" • 1995: "Baby It's You", "Free as a Bird" • 1996: "Real Love"
B-sides
1963: "Ask Me Why", "Thank You Girl", "I'll Get You", "I Saw Her Standing There" • 1964: "From Me to You", "There's a Place", "You Can't Do That", "I Should Have Known Better", "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You", "If I Fell", "Slow Down", "She's a Woman" • 1965: "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", "Yes It Is", "I'm Down", "Act Naturally" • 1966: "What Goes On", "Rain" • 1967: "Baby You're a Rich Man", "I Am the Walrus" • 1968: "The Inner Light", "Revolution" • 1969: "Old Brown Shoe" • 1970: "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)", "For You Blue" • 1976: "Helter Skelter" • 1982: "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You" • 1986: "There's a Place" • 1995: "I'll Follow the Sun" / "Devil in Her Heart" / "Boys", "I Saw Her Standing There" / "This Boy" / "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" • 1996: "Baby's in Black" / "Yellow Submarine" / "Here, There and Everywhere"
v • d • e
The Beatles
George Harrison · John Lennon · Paul McCartney · Ringo Starr
Pete Best · Stuart Sutcliffe
Management
Production
Studio albums (U.K.)
Studio albums (U.S.)
EPs
Post-breakup albums
Compilations
Filmography
Videography
Discography
Related persons
See also
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