On March 22nd, 1963, The Beatles released their debut studio album, "Please Please Me", in the United Kingdom. To capitalize on the success of their first two singles, "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me", Beatles producer George Martin famously booked the band a marathon recording session at EMI Studios on February 11th, 1963. In under ten hours and for a minimal cost of only 400 pounds, The Beatles recorded ten of the album's fourteen tracks, including the iconic final take of "Twist and Shout" - a cover of the Isley Brothers' classic - which John Lennon performed while battling a severe cold and a nearly shredded voice. The albums list of tracks, which included a mix of eight Lennon-McCartney originals and six covers, destroyed the stereotype that pop acts should rely on professional songwriters, establishing the group as a self-contained creatice force. Upon its release in the U.K., "Please Please Me" hit number one on the UK album charts and remained there for a whopping 30 weeks, only to be knocked out of the top spot by the groups own second album, "With The Beatles".
