The Beatles recorded Love Me Do multiple times in 1962

The Beatles' journey to recording stardom was marked by an unusual twist - their first single, Love Me Do, was recorded three separate times in 1962. Each time a different drummer sat behind the kit, highlighting the challenges faced by the band during this period.

According to the liner notes of The Beatles Anthology, the first attempt at recording Love Me Do took place on Wednesday, June 6, 1962, at Studio Two in EMI's studios on Abbey Road. Pete Best was the drummer on that day.

Pete Best was part of the original lineup of The Beatles and had been with the band since its inception. At this stage, George Martin was still uncertain about signing the group to Parlophone Records but agreed to meet them anyway.

George Martin, a seasoned A&R man, was tasked with evaluating the band's potential. He saw it as a low-risk opportunity, having nothing to lose by meeting the group. On June 6, he successfully recorded four songs that night: "Besame Mucho," Love Me Do," "P.S. I Love You" and "Ask Me Why.

The first recording session with Pete Best behind the drums did not yield the desired results. The band's efforts were likely met with disappointment, setting the stage for further attempts.

The lack of a suitable drummer was a pressing concern for the band at this point. This problem would continue to plague them in their subsequent recordings.

The story of Love Me Do's three recording sessions is now well-documented thanks to the detailed notes provided by The Beatles themselves.

The Beatles had tried out several drummers before settling on Ringo Starr for their iconic sound.

Pete Best was one of these drummers, but he ultimately didn't make the cut in August 1962 when Ringo Starr joined the band.

Best's departure was a significant moment in the band's history, and it marked the beginning of the end of his time with The Beatles. He had been with the group since its early days, playing drums on many of their recordings including Love Me Do.

The story of Love Me Do's three recording sessions is now well-documented thanks to the detailed notes provided by The Beatles themselves.

In the months leading up to Best's departure, he was struggling to find his place within the band. His drumming style didn't quite fit with the rest of the group, and George Martin had expressed concerns about his skills.

The decision to replace Best with Ringo Starr would go on to have a profound impact on The Beatles' sound and legacy.

The Beatles' first single, Love Me Do, was recorded over two sessions at Abbey Road Studios in September 1962. During the initial session on September 4, Ringo Starr joined the band for his first time, but he wouldn't be the drummer to appear on the final recording.

That distinction belonged to Andy White, a professional session musician who was hired by George Martin just a week after Ringo's debut with the band. White had already been booked for the date and arrived at Abbey Road Studios on September 11 when the Beatles turned up.

Ringo Starr was told to shake a tambourine during this session, rather than play drums himself. It seemed that his position in the band was still uncertain.

The decision to use Andy White as the drummer on Love Me Do had little impact on his career. He received a flat fee of £5 15s for his work and never collected any royalties from the recording.

Despite being displaced by Ringo Starr, Andy White barely registered the fact that he was no longer part of the band's lineup. His contribution to the song was minimal, but it did add an interesting footnote to the Beatles' early history.

The use of a session drummer on their first single would become a pattern for The Beatles in the years to come, as they continued to experiment with different sounds and musicians.

Ringo Starr was initially replaced by Jimmie Nicol for a September 1962 recording session, but his role was short-lived. The Beatles' Anthology notes that this substitution came as quite a shock to the band and particularly to Ringo.

The drummer on the final version of Love Me Do, released in October 1962, was indeed Ringo Starr. However, later pressings of the single switched to an earlier recording featuring Andy White on drums. This change was not reflected in the album release of Please Please Me.

The distinction between these two recordings can be heard most clearly through the tambourine. On one version, a tambourine is prominently featured, indicating that Ringo played the drums. In contrast, on the other version with Andy White on drums, no tambourine is present, and instead a piece of jingling tin is used to keep time.

The use of a session drummer like Andy White was not an isolated incident for The Beatles. This practice would become a recurring pattern in their recording process as they continued to experiment with different sounds and musicians.

The switch between Ringo Starr and Andy White on Love Me Do highlights the complexities involved in recording music, particularly during the early stages of a band's career when experimentation was still underway.

The release of Love Me Do marked a significant milestone for The Beatles as they ventured into the music industry. When Parlophone released their first single on October 5, 1962, it featured Ringo Starr on drums.

However, later pressings saw a switch to a black label and included the September 11 recording with Andy White on drums. This version is also found on the Please Please Me album. The change in drummers can be identified by the tambourine, which is noticeably absent from the original take but present in the later versions.

The single's performance was impressive, reaching No. 17 in Britain, according to George Martin's assistant, Aspinall. He noted that achieving this position on the charts was a notable accomplishment for The Beatles, particularly considering their Liverpool roots.

Aspinall acknowledged the significance of Love Me Do by stating that it took a substantial number of records sold to reach No. 17. This achievement was seen as a great success for the band, marking one of their earliest entries into the music charts.

In the years following its release, Best's version of Love Me Do emerged in 1994 and was included on Anthology 1, which came out on November 20, 1995.

In 1994, a previously unreleased version of Love Me Do" by The Beatles resurfaced, attributed to Ringo Starr on drums. This alternate take was included on Anthology 1, which was released on November 20, 1995.

A different version, featuring Andy White on drums, had been circulating alongside the Ringo Starr take for so long that it was mistakenly used in a commemorative edition of the original single in 2012. The error was only discovered when Apple issued a recall and ordered any remaining copies destroyed.