Ask Me Why
| "Ask Me Why" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US promotional single sleeve | ||||
| Single by the Beatles | ||||
| from the album Please Please Me | ||||
| A-side | "Please Please Me" | |||
| Released |
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| Recorded | 26 November 1962[1] | |||
| Studio | EMI, London | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:24 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney | |||
| Producer(s) | George Martin | |||
| The Beatles UK singles chronology | ||||
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| The Beatles US singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 B-side label of UK single | ||||
"Ask Me Why" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles originally released in the United Kingdom as the B-side of their single "Please Please Me". It was also included on their 1963 debut album Please Please Me. It was written primarily by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership.
Composition
Written in early 1962, "Ask Me Why" is principally a John Lennon composition,[2] but was credited to Lennon and Paul McCartney, as were all other Lennon–McCartney originals on the first pressings of Please Please Me album. McCartney said, "It was John's original idea and we both sat down and wrote it together, just did a job on it. It was mostly John's."[3][4] It was part of their live act prior to their recording contract, and was one of the songs performed at their first Parlophone recording session in EMI's Abbey Road studio two on 6 June 1962.[2][5][6] The song emulates the style 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).[7]
Structure
The song is in the key of E major, with some leaning to its
Recording
"Ask Me Why" was originally recorded at Abbey Road studios on 6 June 1962 with drummer
It was recorded again, along with "Please Please Me", on 26 November 1962 with Ringo Starr on drums. The Beatles also rehearsed "Tip of My Tongue", another Lennon and McCartney song which was also being considered for the B-side of the "Please Please Me" single.[7] However, producer George Martin felt that "Tip of My Tongue" still needed some work, and it was eventually given to Tommy Quickly to record.[11]
Other releases
- Capitol Records, EMI's American counterpart to Parlophone, initially refused to distribute Beatle music in the US and so the "Please Please Me"/"Ask Me Why" single was released by Vee-Jay Records on 25 February 1963.
- Vee-Jay included "Ask Me Why" on version 2 of Introducing... The Beatles.
- Capitol eventually released "Ask Me Why" in 1965 on The Early Beatles when Vee-Jay's rights expired.
- A live version from December 1962 was released on the German/UK version of Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 album in 1977, but was left off the initial US version.
- A version was recorded for the BBC on 3 September 1963. It was released on On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 in 2013.
Cover versions
The song was covered by
Personnel
- John Lennon – vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney – bass, backing vocals
- George Harrison – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Ringo Starr – drums
Engineered by Norman Smith
- Personnel per Ian MacDonald[7][4]
Notes
- ^ a b Dowlding 2009, eBook.
- ^ a b Miles 1998, p. 92.
- ^ Barry Miles. Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now
- ^ a b Ask Me Why | The Beatles Bible
- ^ Harry 1992, p. 50.
- ^ Lewisohn 2013, pp. 1222–1230.
- ^ a b c MacDonald 2005, p. 64–65.
- ^ Pollack 2001.
- ^ Lewisohn 1988, pp. 17.
- ^ Lewisohn 2013, pp. 1222–1230, 1232.
- ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 23.
- AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
References
- Dowlding, William J. (2009). Beatlesongs. ISBN 9781439147191.
- ISBN 0-86369-681-3.
- ISBN 0-600-55798-7.
- ISBN 978-1-4087-0478-3.
- ISBN 1-84413-828-3.
- ISBN 0-7493-8658-4.
- Pollack, Alan W. (27 March 2001). "Notes on "Ask Me Why"". Notes on Series.
