With The Beatles โ€“ 1964 US Albums in Mono box set released today, we explore the ways the Fabโ€™s American releases differed from the English originalsโ€ฆ

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1964

INTRODUCINGโ€ฆ THE BEATLES

Vee-Jay; January 10, 1964

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What it is: The US version of Please Please Me, originally scheduled for July 1963 but delayed due to Vee-Jay owner Ewart Abnerโ€™s gambling debts. By most reckonings, the most counterfeited album of all time.

Whatโ€™s in/out: The release initially omitted the title track and โ€œAsk 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 โ€œLove Me Doโ€ and โ€œP.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-Jayโ€™s 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.

Whatโ€™s in/out: The US album format expected just 12 tracks and the current hit, so the covers (bar โ€œTill There Was Youโ€) were stripped off and replaced with โ€œI Want To Hold Your Handโ€, โ€œI Saw Her Standing Thereโ€ and โ€œThis Boyโ€.

Highest US chart position: 1

THE EARLY BEATLES

Capitol; March 22, 1964

What it is: Capitol goes back to 1963 after Vee-Jayโ€™s licence to release the early Beatlesโ€™ material expires.

Whatโ€™s in/out: 11 of the 14 tracks from Introducingโ€ฆ The Beatles, leaving out โ€œMiseryโ€, โ€œThereโ€™s A Placeโ€ and โ€œI 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.

Whatโ€™s in/out: Included are the five covers from With The Beatles which didnโ€™t make Meet The Beatles!, b-sides โ€œThank You Girlโ€ and โ€œYou Canโ€™t Do Thatโ€, โ€œShe Loves Youโ€ and its b-side โ€œIโ€™ll Get Youโ€ and two new recordings โ€“ โ€œLong Tall Sallyโ€ and โ€œI Call Your Nameโ€.

Highest US chart position: 1

A HARD DAYโ€™S NIGHT

United Artists; June 26, 1964

What it is: More like an actual soundtrack to the bandโ€™s first film, rather than the studio album that was the UK version.

Whatโ€™s in/out: United Artists version omitted all of the UK albumโ€™s second side bar โ€œIโ€™ll Cry Insteadโ€, and instead dotted the songs from the film with easy-listening instrumental versions of โ€œI Should Have Known Betterโ€, โ€œAnd I Love Herโ€, โ€œRingoโ€™s Theme (This Boy)โ€ and โ€œA Hard Dayโ€™s 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 Dayโ€™s Night. Not entirely new, it turned out.

Whatโ€™s in/out: Various mixes of โ€œIf I Fellโ€, โ€œIโ€™ll Cry Insteadโ€, โ€œTell Me Whyโ€ and โ€œIโ€™m Happy Just To Dance With Youโ€ from A Hard Dayโ€™s Night, accompanied by most of the UK versionโ€™s side two (โ€œAnd I Love Herโ€, โ€œAny Time At Allโ€, โ€œWhen I Get Homeโ€, โ€œThings We Said Todayโ€). Plus โ€œSlow Downโ€ and โ€œMatchboxโ€ from the โ€œLong Tall Sallyโ€ EP and โ€œKomm, Gib Mir Deine Handโ€.

Highest US chart position: 2

BEATLES โ€˜65

Capitol; December 15, 1964

What it is: Capitolโ€™s take on Beatles For Sale.

Whatโ€™s in/out: Just eight of the songs from the parent album made the cut (sorry America, no โ€œEight Days A Weekโ€, โ€œKansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Heyโ€, โ€œWords Of Loveโ€, โ€œI Donโ€™t Want To Spoil The Partyโ€, โ€œEvery Little Thingโ€ or โ€œWhat Youโ€™re Doingโ€), plus โ€œIโ€™ll Be Backโ€ from A Hard Dayโ€™s Night, โ€œI Feel Fineโ€ and its b-side โ€œSheโ€™s A Womanโ€.

Highest US chart position: 1

1965

BEATLES VI

Capitol; June 14, 1965

What it is: Another of Capitolโ€™s stop-gap albums.

Whatโ€™s in/out: Beatles VI compiled the six Beatles For Sale tracks that were left off Beatles โ€™65 alongside โ€œTicket To Rideโ€ b-side โ€œYes It Isโ€, and โ€œYou Like Me Too Muchโ€ and โ€œTell Me What You Seeโ€ from the UKโ€™s forthcoming Help! album. There were also the only two songs The Beatles recorded specifically for the American market: โ€œDizzy Miss Lizzyโ€ and โ€œBad 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 Americaโ€™s A Hard Dayโ€™s Night.

Whatโ€™s in/out: Out go all of the UKโ€™s side two songs in favour of sporadic instrumentals written or arranged by Ken Thorne: โ€œFrom Me To You Fantasyโ€, โ€œIn The Tyrolโ€, โ€œAnother Hard Dayโ€™s Nightโ€, โ€œThe Bitter End/You Canโ€™t Do Thatโ€ and โ€œThe 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, hereโ€™s where Capitol resorted to pure butchery. The intention was to rework Rubber Soul as a folk-rock album. Go home, Capitol, youโ€™re drunk.

Whatโ€™s in/out: โ€œDrive My Carโ€, โ€œNowhere Manโ€, โ€œWhat Goes Onโ€ and โ€œIf I Needed Someoneโ€ were removed for later release and replaced by โ€œIโ€™ve Just Seen A Faceโ€ and โ€œItโ€™s 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.

Whatโ€™s in/out: This was where the four tracks cut from the US Rubber Soul landed; โ€œAct Naturallyโ€ and โ€œYesterdayโ€ left over from Help!; โ€œIโ€™m Only Sleepingโ€, โ€œAnd Your Bird Can Singโ€ and โ€œDr Robertโ€ from the forthcoming Revolver album; and both sides of the โ€œDay 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.

Whatโ€™s in/out: With three Yesterday And Today tracks removed โ€“ all Johnโ€™s โ€“ Capitolโ€™s 11-track Revolver was a far less balanced affair.

Highest chart position: US 1

With thanks to Peter Watts

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