Chapter 18: The Beatles
Following the release of the single "Love Me Do," George Martin produced the Beatles’ first full-length album, Please Please Me, which came out in March 1963. Recorded at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios, the album closely captured the energy and sound of the Beatles’ live performances at that time. Remarkably, the entire record was completed in just one day, with minimal editing or overdubbing. Reflecting on the process, Martin described it as “a straightforward performance of their stage repertoire—a broadcast, more or less.” The album features a blend of original Lennon-McCartney compositions, including "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Do You Want to Know a Secret," alongside covers of American hits, most notably a spirited rendition of the Isley Brothers’ "Twist and Shout.
Their second studio album, With the Beatles, released in late 1963, further displayed the group’s deep immersion in a wide spectrum of American popular music traditions. Building on the foundation laid by Please Please Me, the album includes cover songs that span early rock and roll, girl groups, Motown, and rhythm and blues. Notable examples include "Money (That’s What I Want)," originally written by Motown founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford and popularized by Barrett Strong, and "Chains," penned by the prolific songwriting duo Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
While the Beatles’ early sound retained traces of British skiffle and music-hall traditions, their most formative influences came from American rock and rhythm and blues. They absorbed Elvis Presley’s vocal inflections, Carl Perkins’ rockabilly fingerpicking and signature vocal “hiccups,” and Jerry Lee Lewis’s percussive, high-energy piano style. Chuck Berry provided a model for clever, narrative-driven lyrics and guitar-driven shuffle rhythms, while Little Richard inspired their gospel-inflected falsetto outbursts—most famously captured in the Beatles’ signature “woooos,” which became an ecstatic hallmark of their early recordings and performances.
The Beatles' listening habits spanned a wide range of American artists beyond the typical male rock icons. They were especially influenced by Black R&B acts such as the Isley Brothers, Larry Williams, Arthur Alexander, Barrett Strong, the Drifters, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, as well as by girl groups like the Shirelles, the Marvelettes, and the Cookies. These performers shaped the Beatles' evolving approach to vocal harmonies, melodic phrasing, and lyrical sensibility, helping them craft a sound that blended British pop with American soul.
A clear example of this transatlantic synthesis is their cover of Smokey Robinson’s “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” featured on With the Beatles (1963). The arrangement closely mirrors the Miracles’ original in tempo, mood, and structure. Rather than reimagining the song, the Beatles deliver a faithful yet heartfelt interpretation that underscores their respect for Motown and their aptitude as musical interpreters.
By the end of 1963, the Beatles’ fusion of British and American styles had propelled them to the top of the U.K. pop charts. That October, their appearance on the popular variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium drew an estimated fifteen million television viewers and triggered massive public excitement, with crowds of fans gathering outside the theater. This marked the beginning of what the press soon dubbed “Beatlemania:” a phenomenon that would soon spread far beyond Britain.