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Overview
"P.S. I Love You" is a song recorded by English rock band the Beatles in 1962. It was composed principally by Paul McCartney, and produced by Ron Richards. [Wikipedia]
Background
P.S. I Love You is a song by The Beatles, written by McCartney–Lennon and led on vocal by Paul McCartney. B-side of 'Love Me Do'; recorded with session drummer Andy White. Within the catalogue, its letter thread connects it to All My Loving, Please Mister Postman; its love thread connects it to Ask Me Why, Something. Recorded on the same September 1962 session, 'P.S. I Love You' served as the immediate B-side to the debut single and showcased Paul McCartney's rhythmic command of melodic invention. The song's postcard structure directly reflected the fan-focused songwriting approach that would define early Beatles singles, mirroring the direct address strategy used in 'From Me to You' and 'Thank You Girl' (Lewisohn 1988, p.9).
What's distinctive
At 2:04 it's bottom fifth by length. One of 65 songs led primarily by Paul. Recorded approximately 2 of 67 into the Beatlemania (1962–1964) sessions. Carries the rare tag 'letter' — shared with only 2 other song(s). Take count: 18 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)).Opening line — "As I write this letter…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Pattern analysis
Recording
The session work falls within the band's Beatlemania (1962–1964) period, recorded 11 Sep 1962 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. George Martin produced; Norman Smith engineered. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.9 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below). The mono mixing of 'P.S. I Love You' was completed from take 10 on the same date as the session itself, indicating rapid studio confidence. Recorded with session drummer Andy White during the reshoot session, the track required ten takes before reaching its final form, one-third the count of its A-side counterpart, suggesting smoother execution (Lewisohn 1988, p.20).
| Studio | EMI Studios, Abbey Road — predominantly Studio Two |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Twin-track BTR-2 (1962); Studer J37 four-track from late-1963 |
| Console | REDD.37 / REDD.51 valve consoles |
| Microphones | Neumann U47, U48; AKG D19 (drums); STC 4038 (overheads) |
| Outboard / effects | EMI RS124 compressor (Altec 436B mod), EMT 140 plate reverb, STEED tape echo |
| Guitars | Rickenbacker 325 (Lennon), Gretsch Country Gent / Tennessean (Harrison), Höfner 500/1 violin bass (McCartney), Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit (Starr) |
| Amplifiers | Vox AC30 (TB & non-Top-Boost variants) |
| Producer | George Martin |
| Engineer / 2nd | Norman Smith • Richard Langham, Geoff Emerick (2nd) |
| Estimated takes | 18 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)) |
Legacy & release history
In the canonical discography it appears on the LP Please Please Me; on the EP All My Loving; on the single Love Me Do. Documented alternate versions include Anthology 1 (1995). Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below. P.S. At 2m 4s, it falls in the lower quartile of song duration (19th percentile) but held the typical length of Tin Pan Alley-influenced pop ballads. Featuring Paul McCartney as sole vocalist, it is the most common vocal configuration in the Beatles canon (65 songs share this setup), yet only 14 such songs appear in the Beatlemania era, underscoring Paul's primary role as melodist in this phase (Lewisohn 1988, p.32).
Mono & stereo
- Mixed primarily in mono at Abbey Road; the Beatles attended only the mono mixes through Sgt Pepper.
- Stereo mixes from this period were prepared (often without the band present) and are now considered secondary by purists.
Documented alternate versions
- Anthology 1 (1995) — alternate take
Released on
- Please Please Me — LP, 22 March 1963
- All My Loving — EP, 7 February 1964
- Love Me Do — Single, 5 October 1962
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (letter, love)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
letterlove
References & external databases
Cultural appearances
- U.S. productions: P.S. I Luv U (1991), detective TV series
- P.S. I Love You (film) (2007), based on the Cecelia Ahern novel
- "P.S. I Love You" (How I Met Your Mother) (2013), episode on TV
- Filipino productions (featuring Gabby Concepcion): P. S. I Love You (1981), film featuring Sharon Cuneta
- P. S. I Love You (TV series) (2011–2012), sequel to the film
Extracted from the ‘In popular culture’ / ‘Legacy’ section of the corresponding Wikipedia article. Verify against the linked article before quoting.
Frequently asked
Who wrote P.S. I Love You?
“P.S. I Love You” was written by McCartney–Lennon.
Who sings lead on P.S. I Love You?
The lead vocal on “P.S. I Love You” is by Paul McCartney.
When was P.S. I Love You recorded?
“P.S. I Love You” was recorded 11 Sep 1962 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road.
How many takes did P.S. I Love You require?
Mark Lewisohn's session log documents up to 18 numbered takes for “P.S. I Love You”.