Expert: Elizabeth - 1/17/2010

Question
What are the main differences between the 4 singers in the album "Please Please Me". How/why were each assigned as lead vocalist for specific songs?

Answer
In every Lennon/McCartney composition, this is almost always true:  Whoever wrote most of it sang lead.  It works for these tracks:

"I Saw her Standing There:" Paul
"Misery:" Paul and John together
"Ask Me Why:" John
"Please Please Me:" John
"Love Me Do:" Paul and John together (Paul sang lead because John was playing harmonica)
"P.S I Love You:" Paul
"There's a Place:" John

Occasionally, Paul or John would write songs for George or Ringo to sing.  Once George began writing his own stuff, that pretty much stopped for him, but there were Lennon/McCartney songs written for Ringo up until the White Album.  This is why "Do You Want to Know a Secret" is sung by George, but written by John.

As to the cover songs that make up the rest of the album...they came straight from the club act.  How was it decided who sang lead on these?  Whoever knew all the words sang the song.

Let me know if you have any followup questions.