Comments on: How Do You Do It

By: Peter B

Peter B — Sat, 15 Dec 2018 17:09:55 +0000

For years I thought this song was a Beatle song that was used to kick-start all those Liverpudlian groups like Gerry’s (such as the Merseybeats, the Fourmost, Cilla, etc). Ah well…

By: EchoNov

EchoNov — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 12:54:35 +0000

When I hear the Anthology version, I’m glad the Beatles released Please Please Me instead. How Do You Do It could have been suitable for a B-side or an album filler.

By: Tony Christopher

Tony Christopher — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 10:27:58 +0000

Just heard it on a oldies radio station where i live in Spain, could’nt for the life of me get the vocals. So the web was contacted!, well!, blow me down with a hair dryer and put me in curlers, ‘THE BEATLES’. Good vocals but blatently no enthusiasm. Glad they stuck to thier guns. The rest as they say……………

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 08:35:03 +0000

The first bootleg I bought (in the mid ’80s) was a 7″ 45 rpm single on red transparent vinyl with How Do You Do It? on one side and the promo film version of Revolution (with the live ‘shoo be doo wop’ vocals) on the other. Until then, the only thing I’d heard about the song was that Martin had wanted them to record it but they refused. It was a nice find!

By: Tony_M_1956

Tony_M_1956 — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 11:17:09 +0000

The Beatles may have done a professional job with How Do You Do It, but it does not sound like a Beatles song. It lacks energy, which I believe was done deliberately by the boys to dissuade George Martin releasing the song. As others have noted above, Gerry Marsden rocks the song like he wanted to actually record it without having his hand twisted behind his back. History shows that the Beatles and the Pacemakers both made the correct decision with the song. I wonder how many hit songs Mitch Murray wrote?

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 22:31:40 +0000

At the time The Beatles were trying to push their own songs, their “brand.” pretty brazen for an almost unheard of group. They could have fallen flat on their faces and never been heard of again. It took guts (and the guidance of George Martin) to make it work. And did it ever!

By: MikeP

MikeP — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 23:58:33 +0000

Gerry’s version is “rockier” than either Murray’s demo or the Beatles’ version. Slightly faster tempo and more strident rhythm guitar playing. Gerry sings it in a stronger voice than either of the other two as well.

By: Jim Collentine

Jim Collentine — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 20:09:08 +0000

Had the Beatles released “How Do You Do It” as their debut single, it surely would have gone to number 1, but the fact that they didn’t write it and it wasn’t their style may have adversely influenced their reception on subsequent releases. Of course, we’ll never know, but the fact that they were a self contained unit of writing, singing and playing their A-sides might have been tarnished by that one song. Gerry & the Pacemakers dispensed with the “Ooh la la” backup vocals. Otherwise it’s the same arrangement.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 16:06:27 +0000

Love Me Do may not be the greatest of songs, but it’s certainly not ‘breezy’. As Paul said, LMD has a blues base, which makes it wholly different from HDYDI. Now, the Beatles did put out a few singles that could be called breezy, but they generally tried to stay away from the ultralight stuff, even the ones they wrote themselves. Example- They gave away World Without Love because they thought it was too breezy and corny.

By: Peter

Peter — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 04:53:29 +0000

I Have a 7 inch demo acetate of “love me do” on a white label typed with group name being “THE BEETLES”. It’s a 45rpm mono no year or other details except timing. I bought it from a London dj who bought it from a reputable London record store which said it had come from a customer in Liverpool who found it in a Liverpool pub. Which pub I don’t know, if story genuine I don’t know either. Trying to find some light on the matter.

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:13:43 +0000

I love the Beatles and have so much respect for them but Love Me Do is no better a song. Just as much breezy , trite , pop.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 30 Nov 2013 16:57:42 +0000

This is a great song that should have been released years ago. Breezy pop song? They released Hello, Goodbye & Maxwell’s Silver Hammer which although very good songs, much more trite than How Do You Do It. What were the Beatles thinking?

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 19:16:27 +0000

John’s voice is surperb on this song and gives an enthusiastic performance!

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 19:14:59 +0000

One of their finest early songs. It should have been a single.

By: Julian

Julian — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 12:23:14 +0000

That’s Ringo from September 4th 1962. Andy was only on the session a week later.

By: Óscar Loera

Óscar Loera — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 09:45:17 +0000

Is Ringo or Alan on the drums? I Am not sure

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:53:13 +0000

I’d have to agree. Even though they didn’t care for it, I think the Beatles’ version is much better than Gerry and The Pacemakers’ version. Gerry’s version sounds a little forced & rushed to my ears.

By: Elsewhere Man

Elsewhere Man — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:11:30 +0000

The recording of “How Do You Do It” is a testament to how professional The Beatles were even at this early stage in their career. They didn’t like the song (with good reason) and yet they did a fantastic job recording what would easily have been their first #1 hit single as surely as it was for Gerry & The Pacemakers. Their version is naturally superior to the Pacemakers’…