This Day in 1963

On February 11, 1963, The Beatles began recording their very first LP, Please Please Me at Abbey Road Studios in London. Fifty-two years later, Please Please Me stands as the world's first taste of the glory that was The Beatles. The marathon recording session lasted nine hours and forty-five minutes, taking up three sessions, an unthinkable amount of time for an emerging and unknown band.  "Twist and Shout," one the band's most famous songs (though it is the more famous covers of the Isley Brothers' original) was recorded last, so the ripping vocals from John would not ruin him for the rest of the session. All in all, Please Please Me features some of the most beloved of Beatles songs, including, "Love Me Do," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "Do You Want to Know a Secret," and excellent start to legend.