Ian Leslie: belief

Transcript context

…With what song, in your view, did the Beatles really start as an entity? Many people would say, “Please Please Me.” I have a slightly different and surprising nomination, but what’s your view? When do you say, “This is the Beatles?” You’ve made my answer sound really boring because I think “Please Please Me” is the point when they turn into a pop machine. It’s the point at which they both create something which is emotionally truthful because it’s full of jealousy and yearning. It’s got real authentic emotion in it, but it’s also this absolutely incredibly hook-y pop song. It’s got tremendous propulsive force, and I think it’s slightly underrated in the Beatles’ repertoire. Of course, it’s the second single that they release. But you tell me yours. It’s a strange nomination, but it’s when they’re backing Tony Sheridan. They do “Ain’t She Sweet” with John singing, which I feel he sings with total confidence, and it fully sounds like the Beatles. They did plenty of covers early on, as you well know, so we can’t rule it out on those grounds, but if “Ain’t She Sweet” were on, say, what Americans call The Beatles’ Second Album, I wouldn’t think twice about it. I wouldn’t think, “Oh, that song doesn’t belong there.”…

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