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Ask Me Why

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“Ask Me Why”
“Ask Me Why” cover
Single by The Beatles
from the album Please Please Me
A-side "Please Please Me"
Released 11 January 1963 (UK)
25 February 1963 (US)
Recorded 26 November 1962
Genre beat
Length 2:24
Label Parlophone R4983 (UK)
Vee-Jay 498 (US)
Writer(s) Lennon/McCartney
Producer George Martin
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.

—Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now, 1997

"Ask Me Why" was first presented to a national audience via the BBC, on a show entitled "Teenagers Turn (Here We Go)", recorded on June 11, 1962, and broadcast on June 15, 1962.

It features Pete Best as the drummer in the broadcast, although Ringo Starr had replaced him by the time the song was actually recorded in Abbey Road Studios on November 26, 1962, at approximately nine o'clock pm.

Six takes of Ask Me Why were recorded,the sixth deemed as the best. This is a live version, with no overdubs or edits.

The song also appears on the Hamburg Star Club Tapes 1962 (the US version released in 1977 named "The Beatles Live! At the Star-Club in Hamburg Germany 1962")

It is a very obscure song, only mentioned by any of the Beatles in passing, most notably in reference to choosing a B-Side for "Please Please Me". It was between "Ask Me Why" and another Lennon-McCartney penned song named "Tip Of My Tongue" for this B-side, the latter ultimately being rejected by producer George Martin, citing it needed more work. "Tip Of My Tongue" was finally handed off to Tommy Quickly to record, which he did in July of 1963.

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