Ask Me Why

"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.

"Ask Me Why"
US promotional single sleeve
Single by the Beatles
A-side"Please Please Me"
Released
  • January 1963 (1963-01) (UK)
  • 25 February 1963 (US)[1]
Format7-inch single
Recorded26 November 1962[1]
StudioEMI, London
GenrePop
Length2:24
Label
Songwriter(s)Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)George Martin
The Beatles UK singles chronology
"Love Me Do"
(1962)		 "Ask Me Why"
(1963)		 "From Me to You"
(1963)
The Beatles US singles chronology
"Ask Me Why"
(1963)		 "From Me to You"
(1963)
Alternative cover
B-side label of UK single

Composition

Written in early 1962, "Ask Me Why" is principally a John Lennon composition,[2] but was credited to Paul McCartney and John Lennon, as were all other Lennon–McCartney originals on the first pressings of Please Please Me album. Paul 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.[5][6][7] 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).[8]

Structure

The song is in the key of E major, with some leaning to its relative minor of C#, and is in 4/4 time. Structurally, the song is complex and, as Alan Pollack states, contains three different variants of the verse.[9] The song also contains "jazzy parallel sevenths" in most of the chords, and has a live ending.

Recording

"Ask Me Why" was originally recorded at Abbey Road studios on 6 June 1962 with drummer Pete Best. As the session was a 'commercial test', none of the performances recorded that day were deemed suitable for release, and the two quarter-inch tape reels from that session were thought to be destroyed by EMI. However two songs survived. 'Besame Mucho' and 'Love Me Do' were later discovered on acetate discs.[10][11]

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.[8] However, George Martin felt that "Tip of My Tongue" still needed some work, and it was eventually given to Tommy Quickly to record.[12]

Other releases

Cover versions

The song was covered by the Smithereens on their 2008 album B-Sides The Beatles.[13]

Personnel

Engineered by Norman Smith

Personnel per Ian MacDonald[8][4]

Notes
  1. Dowlding 2009, eBook.
  2. Miles 1998, p. 92.
  3. Barry Miles. Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now
  4. Ask Me Why | The Beatles Bible
  5. Miles 1992, p. 92.
  6. Harry 1992, p. 50.
  7. Lewisohn 2013, pp. 1222-1230.
  8. MacDonald 2005, p. 64–65.
  9. Pollack 2001.
  10. Lewisohn 1988, pp. 17.
  11. Lewisohn 2013, pp. 1222-1230, 1232.
  12. Lewisohn 1988, p. 23.
  13. Deming, Mark. B-Sides the Beatles at AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2016.

References
  • Dowlding, William J. (2009). Beatlesongs. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781439147191.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Harry, Bill (1992). The Ultimate Beatles Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-681-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-55798-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Lewisohn, Mark (2013). The Beatles: All These Years. Volume one - Tune In (Extended Special ed.). London: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1-4087-0478-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-84413-828-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Miles, Barry (1998). Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. London: Vintage. ISBN 0-7493-8658-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Pollack, Alan W. (27 March 2001). "Notes on "Ask Me Why"". Notes On Series.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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