Topic: Love Me Do vs PS I Love You (Read 2850 times)

alexis · « **on:** September 19, 2008, 07:51:51 PM »

Sorry, it's not really a shoot out, I was just wondering what people thought about why "Love Me Do" was chosen as the "A" side of the single and "PS: I Love You" was chosen as the "B".

To my liking it could easily have been the other way around, "PS: I Love You" seems somewhat more catchy than "Love Me Do".

What do you folks think?

fendertele · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2008, 09:19:46 PM »

i think they got it right, im not a huge fan of "love me do" but "PS: i love you" isnt as upbeat as "Love me do" and i think it LMD appeals to boys and girls, where as PS is more for the girls.

BlueMeanie · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2008, 10:26:05 PM »

I'm pretty sure that even if Parlophone had wanted it, they would have fought against having a ballad as their first single.

Geoff · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2008, 04:01:24 AM »

It's interesting that of the three songs that were recorded for the Beatles' first single, it was the least obviously commercial of the lot that was chosen for the A side. But "Love Me Do" has a distinct and original feel to it, and that was presumably the reason why it was selected: whatever its other merits, "PS I Love You" is a fairly conventional song, and "How Do You Do It?" is straightforward pop. "Love Me Do" might have only got to number seventeen, but it has its own sound and is more memorable than a "safer" choice would have been.

DaveRam · « **Reply #4 on:** September 20, 2008, 08:30:39 AM »

I think Love Me Do , is the better song .

alexis · « **Reply #5 on:** September 20, 2008, 06:59:39 PM »

Quote from: 1161

It's interesting that of the three songs that were recorded for the Beatles' first single, it was the least obviously commercial of the lot that was chosen for the A side. But "Love Me Do" has a distinct and original feel to it, and that was presumably the reason why it was selected: whatever its other merits, "PS I Love You" is a fairly conventional song, and "How Do You Do It?" is straightforward pop. "Love Me Do" might have only got to number seventeen, but it has its own sound and is more memorable than a "safer" choice would have been.

That sounds about right, in terms of what George Martin might have said, I'd guess.

I guess he liked the harmonica also, to stand out a bit more from the competition. But despite that, to me the song itself sounds almost funereal, a real feat considering it just has the basic I-IV-V chord sequence found in a trillion and one "happy" songs.

aspinall_lover · « **Reply #6 on:** September 20, 2008, 07:30:49 PM »

"Love Me Do"...............that's the better choice of the A side. And I'm so glad they didn't do someone else's song as a first single.................

Joe · « **Reply #7 on:** September 23, 2008, 10:35:42 AM »

There was another song called PS I Love You, written in 1934.

EMI felt that they couldn't release PS I Love You as the a-side for this reason - I think it's mentioned in the Complete Beatles Recording Sessions. It was apparently an important consideration in 1962, though obviously less so nowadays. Plus, of course, Love Me Do had that certain something which set it apart from other music of the day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.S._I_Love_You_(1934_song)

Bobber · « **Reply #8 on:** September 23, 2008, 10:41:56 AM »

I should have been easy to change the name of the song if they had wanted it as an a-side.

HeatherBoo · « **Reply #9 on:** September 24, 2008, 12:00:58 AM »

Love Me Do is more of an early "Beatly" type song. I prefer PS I Love You. I like Paul's voice in it.

alexis · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2009, 01:47:10 AM »

Sometimes I think I like "P.S., I Love You" more. It's seems freer somehow, maybe it's the parts in the chorus near the end where John sings "Whooaaohh", and Paul goes way high and does "You know I want you to re..".

What do you folks think?

And is it true Ringo only played Maracas on that one? Poor Ring!

harihead · « **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2009, 03:19:52 AM »

I've never liked LMD. I skip it on every recording I have it on. I'm not sure PILY would have been a hit. "Please Please Me" definitely was-- a good song and a good hit!

DaveRam · « **Reply #12 on:** April 25, 2009, 06:52:01 AM »

I don't mind Love Me Do , you have to start somewhere with your singles career and it's a catchy tune .

Kevin · « **Reply #13 on:** April 25, 2009, 09:12:09 AM »

I think PS... is way too slow for a single. AT least LMD sounds fresh and the harmonica is a neat hook. As McDonald said one of the best things about LMD is its hard to catagorise. PS sounds like a caberet act.

Jane · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2009, 08:05:35 PM »

I don`t like Love Me Do very much but think it was a good song for the 60s. I think it sounded better for the people in the 60s than now. Now we are more sophisticated in our tastes.

tkitna · « **Reply #15 on:** April 28, 2009, 12:13:27 AM »

I dont think either one was very good to be honest. 'Love Me Do' drags like a snail with a groin pull while 'PS' (as Kevin said) sounds like a caberet tune with the maraca's and so forth.

Yes, Ringo played the maraca's on 'PSILY' while Andy White played drums (also on 'Love Me Do').

alexis · « **Reply #16 on:** April 28, 2009, 03:34:01 AM »

Quote from: 373

I dont think either one was very good to be honest. 'Love Me Do' drags like a snail with a groin pull while 'PS' (as Kevin said) sounds like a caberet tune with the maraca's and so forth.

Yes, Ringo played the maraca's on 'PSILY' while Andy White played drums (also on 'Love Me Do').

Agree with your great description of Love Me Do. I like Cabaret stuff (especially Paul's), I like that Ab chord a lot too, and the free form vocals at the end, so in my book PSILY is a decent song. Agree it's not a smash single, but most of their songs weren't!

Bobber · « **Reply #17 on:** April 28, 2009, 07:43:39 AM »

We've had a discussion about whether Love Me Do was the right single to start their recording carreer with. It must be out there somewhere and I'll look it up. Keeping in mind that they wanted to record a song they had written themselves, there wasn't much to choose from. We know about songs like Hello Little Girl, Love Of The Loved, Like Dreamers Do, PS I Love You, Love Me Do and Ask Me Why. Pick your favourite, but I think Love Me Dol sounded the most different comparing to other tunes in the charts around that time.

glass onion · « **Reply #18 on:** April 28, 2009, 09:06:26 AM »

i much prefer psily to love me do.however i do agree that psily was even less 'single material' than love me do.i think the melody of psily is great.one of my fave early beatle songs that.
love me do has always been ok in my opinion.not great but 'ok'.

Bobber · « **Reply #19 on:** April 28, 2009, 09:27:01 AM »

Obviously the song keeps us quite puzzled:

http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/m-1228819631/

And a discussion on an alternative first single here: http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/m-1139092734/

News:

Author Topic: Love Me Do vs PS I Love You (Read 2850 times)

BlueMeanie

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Bobber

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