The Beatles Please Please Me Sessions - 11th February 1963
This reel is the second reel from the afternoon session (the first reel, E48876 is missing). This reel begins with various overdubs. The first are overdubs of backing vocals and percussion onto take 6 of "Do you Want To Know A Secret" producing takes 7-8. Take 8 was chosen as best for the master.
Paul then adds a second vocal to take 5 of "A Taste Of Honey" producing takes 6-7. Take 7 was chosen as best. Next, John adds harmonica to take 10 of "There's A Place" which produces takes 11-13. Take 13 was best.
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The recording sheet below seems to indicate that take 10 of "I Saw Her Standing There" is simultaneous overdubs onto take 9, However, take 10 appears to be a straight copy of take 9. On the other hand, Lewisohn indicates that the final master is an edit of take 9 (the count-in) and take 12 (the rest of the song) but since the count-in is missing from take 10, it would seem as though the final master was an edit of takes 10 and 12. Takes 11-12 were overdubs onto take 1.
Finally, on to a new song, "Misery", which had been written less than two weeks prior (see photos of the band allegedly rehearsing "Misery" in late January 1963 at The Cavern - here). Takes 1-9 of the basic performance are recorded on this reel. Take 9 has not surfaced but, apparently, it's only a false-start or breakdown that couldn't have lasted much more than a minute. None of these takes were used for the final master. The base track for the released version is take 11 which was recorded on E48878 (also missing). On 25 February 1963, George Martin added piano overdubs to take 11 which produced takes 12-16 and take 16 was deemed best for the final master.
- Tracklist
- 1. Do You Want To Know A Secret (Take 7)
- 2. Do You Want To Know A Secret (Take 8) - M
- 3. A Taste Of Honey (Take 6)
- 4. A Taste Of Honey (Take 7) - M
- 5. There's A Place (Take 11)
- 6. There's A Place (Takes 12-13) - M FS-Complete
- 7. 17 (Take 10) (On TK9)
- 8. 17 (Takes 11-12) (On TK9)
- 9. Misery (Take 1)
- 10. Misery (Takes 2-4) - BD
- 11. Misery (Takes 5-6) FS-Complete
- 12. Misery (Take 7)
- 13. Misery (Take 8) FS
These recordings are all sourced from The Ultimate Collection Vol. 2: Studio Sessions, Feb. 11 1963 (Yellow Dog) except the first chord of "Do You Want To Know A Secret" (take 7) which is taken from Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 1 (Yellow Dog). Also, It seem as though the final second of "Do You Want To Know A Secret" (take 8) is missing from The Ultimate Collection. That final second has been grabbed from take 7.