(Gibson) There are all sorts of significant events when it comes to the beginning of The Beatles – the day John and Paul met at the church fete, their first Hamburg show, Ringo's first show with the boys, etc. But this is a big one, perhaps the biggest.On this day in 1962, The Beatles released their first single, "Love Me Do." With three chords, an R&B beat and a bluesy harmonica leading the way, this was the song that introduced the mop-topped Liverpudlians to all of Britain and would later go all the way to #1 in the U.S.
As The Beatles became famous, they would record their written material at a lightning fast pace, but "Love Me Do" had been kicking around for three or four years. Paul McCartney had written it when he was 16 while playing hooky from school. John Lennon later helped out on the middle eight. Lennon also played the song's signature harmonica riff, although there are conflicting stories on when it was added to "Love Me Do." McCartney said that producer George Martin came up with the idea, although he has said that the harmonica component of the song was what drew him to it. more on this story
