I’m posting the original LP art because I don’t have the photoshop skills to insert Hucknall’s and the Stereophonics’ faces into the art.

As you may know, many of the UK’s record stores are closing, which may not bode well for the future of the music album, but, as a piece of nostalgia, BBC’s Radio 2 is working on a “The Golden Age of the Album” program, and, as part of it, Mick Hucknall of Simply Red and Stereophonics are to attempt to record The Beatles‘ debut album in 12 hours on 11 February 2013.  It should be noted that, not counting the recordings of “Love Me Do,” “P.S., I Love You,” “Please Please Me,” and “Ask Me Why,” the remaining ten songs were recorded in the space of a little less than ten hours.

So far, former Simply Red frontman Hucknall, Welsh rockers Stereophonics and singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin have signed on to record versions of the songs featured on The Fab Four’s 1963 album ‘Please Please Me.’  BBC Radio 2 will broadcast from Abbey Road studios throughout the day on Monday, February 11 as the assorted musicians attempt to lay down all of the tracks in limited time.  Radio 2 DJ Stuart Maconie will host throughout the day with Jo Whiley also broadcasting her programme from the world famous studios. The one-off stunt will be part of the BBC’s ‘The Golden Age Of The Album’ campaign, which is set to run across BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music and BBC Four in February.

Quoth Bob Shennan, controller of Radio 2: “The re-creation of ‘Please Please Me’ promises to be one of Radio 2′s stand-out moments of 2013. Hearing those tracks brought to life again with a contemporary twist will have the network buzzing as much as the original did. It’s one album that changed the world of pop music and I think the 50th anniversary is a timely moment to remind everyone why.”

Other things that are running as part of the “Golden Age of the Album” program include a BBC Four documentary on the album which will be broadcast on February 15,  The Great Album Showdown, where Danny Baker (alongside guests Boy George, Grace Dent, David Hepworth, Martin Freeman, Jeremy Clarkson and Trevor Nelson) will debate over which are the best albums in popular music, an online poll and debate to discover Radio 2′s Best album helmed by Jo Whiley, and “Album Grand Redesigns”, a contest wherein Radio 6 DJ Steve Lamacq asks listeners to send their own versions of their favourite album covers.