BEATLES WEDNESDAYS just got even better as Q105 rolls out digitally remastered Beatles’ albums in chronological order every week! You’ll hear a slice from each week’s featured album at the bottom of every hour, every Wednesday.

Today, it’s the Fab Four’s very first effort, Please Please Me. Here’s some facts and trivia you may not know!

Courtesy Parlophone/EMI Angus Bean

The recording session for Please Please Me began at 10am on Monday, Feb 11th, 1963, inside EMI Studios, Abbey Road. Beatles Producer, George Martin, had originally thought about recording the band at Liverpool’s Cavern Club, capturing their live act in front of the band’s usual fans, an idea that time constraints and logistics would not allow.

The entire album was recorded in 9 hours 45 minutes, using 3 sessions lasting about 3 hours each. George saved the Beatles cover of Twist and Shout as the final song to be recorded, fearing John Lennon’s voice would give out early, due to a nasty cold. The song was done in just one take, after which Martin said, “I don’t know how they do it. We’ve been recording all day but the longer we go on the better they get.”

Compensation: According to the terms of a contract with the Musicians Union, each of the Beatles collected 7 pounds and 10 shillings (abt $133 in today’s money) for each 3 hour recording session.

George Martin considered naming the album “Off The Beatle Track” before Please Please Me was rush-released on March 22nd, 1963. At that time, the Please Please Me single had hit #1 in the UK, with the song, Love Me Do, in hot pursuit. The project went on to be voted #39 on Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 500 Albums Of All Time.