With The Beatles - 1964 US Albums in Mono box set released today, we explore the ways the Fab's American releases differed from the English originals...
With The Beatles โ 1964 US Albums in Mono box set released today, we explore the ways the Fabโs American releases differed from the English originalsโฆ
1964
INTRODUCINGโฆ THE BEATLES
Vee-Jay; January 10, 1964
What it is: The US version of Please Please Me, originally scheduled for July 1963 but delayed due to Vee-Jay owner Ewart Abnerโs gambling debts. By most reckonings, the most counterfeited album of all time.
Whatโs in/out: The release initially omitted the title track and โAsk Me Whyโ as Vee-Jay had previously released them as a single. However, when Beechwood Music Inc. halted sales as they owned the publishing rights to โLove Me Doโ and โP.S. I Love Youโ, Vee-Jay swiftly restored the two culled tracks in their place.
Highest US chart position: 2
MEET THE BEATLES!
Capitol; January 20, 1964
What it is: With Vee-Jayโs financial issues holding up The Beatlesโ US release schedule, clamour for the band rising and their second album already released in the UK, Capitol stepped in to release a US version of With The Beatles just 10 days after their US debut album.
Whatโs in/out: The US album format expected just 12 tracks and the current hit, so the covers (bar โTill There Was Youโ) were stripped off and replaced with โI Want To Hold Your Handโ, โI Saw Her Standing Thereโ and โThis Boyโ.
Highest US chart position: 1
THE EARLY BEATLES
Capitol; March 22, 1964
What it is: Capitol goes back to 1963 after Vee-Jayโs licence to release the early Beatlesโ material expires.
Whatโs in/out: 11 of the 14 tracks from Introducingโฆ The Beatles, leaving out โMiseryโ, โThereโs A Placeโ and โI Saw Her Standing Thereโ โ the latter having already appeared on Meet The Beatles.
Highest US chart position: 43
THE BEATLESโ SECOND ALBUM
Capitol; April 10, 1964
What it is: Eager to capitalise on Beatlemania, Capitol compiled a third album from as-yet-unreleased tracks.
Whatโs in/out: Included are the five covers from With The Beatles which didnโt make Meet The Beatles!, b-sides โThank You Girlโ and โYou Canโt Do Thatโ, โShe Loves Youโ and its b-side โIโll Get Youโ and two new recordings โ โLong Tall Sallyโ and โI Call Your Nameโ.
Highest US chart position: 1
A HARD DAYโS NIGHT
United Artists; June 26, 1964
What it is: More like an actual soundtrack to the bandโs first film, rather than the studio album that was the UK version.
Whatโs in/out: United Artists version omitted all of the UK albumโs second side bar โIโll Cry Insteadโ, and instead dotted the songs from the film with easy-listening instrumental versions of โI Should Have Known Betterโ, โAnd I Love Herโ, โRingoโs Theme (This Boy)โ and โA Hard Dayโs Nightโ, arranged and conducted by George Martin.
Highest US chart position: 1
SOMETHING NEW
Capitol, July 20, 1964
What it is: A somewhat milking-it post-script to A Hard Dayโs Night. Not entirely new, it turned out.
Whatโs in/out: Various mixes of โIf I Fellโ, โIโll Cry Insteadโ, โTell Me Whyโ and โIโm Happy Just To Dance With Youโ from A Hard Dayโs Night, accompanied by most of the UK versionโs side two (โAnd I Love Herโ, โAny Time At Allโ, โWhen I Get Homeโ, โThings We Said Todayโ). Plus โSlow Downโ and โMatchboxโ from the โLong Tall Sallyโ EP and โKomm, Gib Mir Deine Handโ.
Highest US chart position: 2
BEATLES โ65
Capitol; December 15, 1964
What it is: Capitolโs take on Beatles For Sale.
Whatโs in/out: Just eight of the songs from the parent album made the cut (sorry America, no โEight Days A Weekโ, โKansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Heyโ, โWords Of Loveโ, โI Donโt Want To Spoil The Partyโ, โEvery Little Thingโ or โWhat Youโre Doingโ), plus โIโll Be Backโ from A Hard Dayโs Night, โI Feel Fineโ and its b-side โSheโs A Womanโ.
Highest US chart position: 1

1965
BEATLES VI
Capitol; June 14, 1965
What it is: Another of Capitolโs stop-gap albums.
Whatโs in/out: Beatles VI compiled the six Beatles For Sale tracks that were left off Beatles โ65 alongside โTicket To Rideโ b-side โYes It Isโ, and โYou Like Me Too Muchโ and โTell Me What You Seeโ from the UKโs forthcoming Help! album. There were also the only two songs The Beatles recorded specifically for the American market: โDizzy Miss Lizzyโ and โBad Boyโ, both Larry Williams covers.
Highest US chart position: 1
HELP!
Capitol; August 13, 1965
What it is: Help! soundtrack, following the basic blueprint of Americaโs A Hard Dayโs Night.
Whatโs in/out: Out go all of the UKโs side two songs in favour of sporadic instrumentals written or arranged by Ken Thorne: โFrom Me To You Fantasyโ, โIn The Tyrolโ, โAnother Hard Dayโs Nightโ, โThe Bitter End/You Canโt Do Thatโ and โThe Chaseโ.
Highest US chart position: 1
RUBBER SOUL
Capitol; December 6, 1965
What it is: Lacking obvious cover versions to save for stop-gap albums, hereโs where Capitol resorted to pure butchery. The intention was to rework Rubber Soul as a folk-rock album. Go home, Capitol, youโre drunk.
Whatโs in/out: โDrive My Carโ, โNowhere Manโ, โWhat Goes Onโ and โIf I Needed Someoneโ were removed for later release and replaced by โIโve Just Seen A Faceโ and โItโs Only Loveโ from Help!.
Highest chart position: US 1
1966
YESTERDAY AND TODAY
Capitol; June 22, 1966
What it is: Notorious for its withdrawn butcher sleeve, Yesterday And Today acted as a mid-period mash-up. An illuminating, enjoyable mess.
Whatโs in/out: This was where the four tracks cut from the US Rubber Soul landed; โAct Naturallyโ and โYesterdayโ left over from Help!; โIโm Only Sleepingโ, โAnd Your Bird Can Singโ and โDr Robertโ from the forthcoming Revolver album; and both sides of the โDay Tripper/We Can Work It Outโ single.
Highest chart position: US 1
REVOLVER
Capitol, August 8, 1966
What it is: Revolver, minus most of John. And thankfully the last time the label would alter The Beatlesโ records. When the band resigned with Capitol in 1967 it was on the condition that no future track listings would be changed.
Whatโs in/out: With three Yesterday And Today tracks removed โ all Johnโs โ Capitolโs 11-track Revolver was a far less balanced affair.
Highest chart position: US 1
With thanks to Peter Watts
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