LOVE ME, DO / I SAW HER STANDING THERE
Parlophone A8105
Released 16 January 1964
Original recommended retail price: 10/-
EMI (Australia)’s first locally conceived Beatles single, rush-released to capitalise on the sudden arrival of Beatlemania.
Matrix Information
Side 1: (mono) 7AXPA650
Side 2: (mono) 7AXPA651

27 June 1976
Side 1: (fake stereo) A 8105 A
Side 2: (stereo) A 8105 B

Overview
Riding the sudden Beatlemania tsunami, this would be the first locally-conceived Beatles single released by EMI (Australia), 'rush-released' on 16 January 1964. EMI (Australia) had initially passed on the UK 'Love Me, Do' single, so its release now, albeit with a different flipside taken from the Please Please Me LP, could cynically be seen as playing 'catch-up'. The version of 'Love Me, Do' featured on the single is the latter recording, with Andy White on drums.

'Love, Me Do', along with 'P.S. I Love You', were controlled in the UK by EMI's Ardmore and Beechwood publishing company, so was not included in the publishing deal that Leeds had made with Dick James and Brian Epstein in 1963. Thus, in Australia, the rights were taken by EMI (Australia)'s publishing arm, Castle Music (incidentally, Castle Music was named after the Sydney street on which EMI (Australia) was based - Castlereagh).

Deleted by mid-1970, the single was recut on 27 June 1976 from PARLO 392/3 (the stereo Please Please Me album cassette production master tapes) by Richard Mott and reissued in July, where it remained available until the late 1980s.
Chart Performance

Brisbane

(QLD)

Sydney

(NSW)

Melbourne

(VIC)

Hobart

(TAS)

Adelaide

(SA)

Perth

(WA)

Chart Entry

14-Dec-63

24-Jan-64*

25-Jan-64

24-Jan-64*

18-Jan-64**

17-Jan-64

Highest Position

2

1

1

1

1

1

Weeks In

26

27

27

20

22

16
Listed as "I Saw Her Standing There" except * "I Saw Her Standing There/Love Me, Do", ** "Love Me, Do/I Saw Her Standing There"

Chart Re-entry

25-Jan-64

-

08-Feb-64

-

-

-

Highest Position

10

 

3

 

 

 

Weeks In

14

 

17

 

 

 
Listed as "Love Me, Do"
While EMI (Australia) initially listed 'Love Me, Do' as the lead side, it would be the flip-side, 'I Saw Her Standing There', that would receive the most airplay and become the prominent charting track. Indeed, two months after release, in early March, Jack Argent (Managing Director of Leeds Music) announced that The Beatles had sold more than 250,000 records in Australia since Beatlemania started - and that number did not include LPs! Jack announced that 'I Saw Her Standing There' was the most popular of their recordings, with 50,000 copies of this single expected to sell before The Beatles touched down in June.

EMI (Australia) seemed unsure how to promote the single, with period promotional material listing either track as the lead side.

According to Jack, as at March 1964, Beatles records in order of sales stood at:
1. I Saw Her Standing There
2. I Want To Hold Your Hand
3. Love Me, Do
4. She Loves You
5. Twist And Shout
Silver/Black Style 'A'
AUSP8105SBA.a

CASTLE MUSIC / LEEDS MUSIC
AUSP8105SBA.b

CASTLE MUSIC / LEEDS MUSIC

As per variation 'a' except spacing differences in some non-templated elements
AUSP8105SBA.c

CASTLE MUSIC / LEEDS MUSIC

As per variation 'b' except:
- spacing differences in some non-templated elements
- italicised matrix code & song duration (both labels)
AUSP8105SBA.d

CASTLE MUSIC / LEEDS MUSIC

As per variation 'c' except:
- non-italicised "(McCartney - Lennon)" credit (both labels)
- non-italicised matrix code & song duration (both labels)

Unique element(s) of this label:
- significantly reduced 'leading' gap between 'composer' and
  'artist' credits (B-side)
AUSP8105SBA.e

CASTLE MUSIC / LEEDS MUSIC

Slightly different typesetting of royalty stamp lines
Silver/Black Style 'B'
AUSP8105SBB.a

No comma in "Love Me Do"
Orange
AUSP8105O.a

As per AU8105SBB.a except:
- no STEREO
- entire label, including template elements, reduced in size
Silver/Black Style 'C'
AUSP8105SBC.a

First appeared in October 1982 with the release of The Australian 20th Anniversary Singles Collection

Visit AB34 for more information or to see an image of the picture sleeve
Silver/Black Style 'D'
AUSP8105SBD.a

As per AUSP8105SBC.a except different spacing between catalogue number block and title block