I remember watching MMT on Boxing Day 1967, blew my mind, I was 15 years old and a big fan since hearing Love Me Do on Radio Luxembourg on 5th October 1962 when I was 9 years old, used to love Radio Luxembourg, it was the only radio station that could play new records for a few hours at night, as the BBC was restrictive in needle time until Pirate radio started with Radio Caroline at Easter time 1964. I was lucky as had 9 and 10 year older brother and sister, they brought a lot of rock & roll records and we had a massive radiogram to play them on and I remember playing say Rock Around the Clock when I was 5 years old and playing it very loud with great sound, plus my Dad could play the violin and my mother was a music teacher, so music was one of my main passions!
The US configurations make for a fascinating story and you tell it well. No mention of the Hey Jude album, which I've just got on CD. Remember a friend of a work colleague bringing me a copy of the LP when he visited the States back in the day. I particularly love it for the photos, taken at Tittenhurst Park which was down the road from where I grew up. Great stuff, Mazzy.
I would like to apologize for the lateness of this response to this video. I watched this video on my tv and couldn't respond to it at the time. I'm a Grandfather who invited my daughter and her family to stay here with me when they had gotten custody of my son in law's 2 girls from his previous marriage..... then shortly after my daughter had triplets. Three boys, two are identical. My house is very busy and loud so sometimes I just escape to my room for music and videos about music. That said, I owe you a virtual hug for this video being you expanded my love for the Beatles with this video. I thought I had gotten the best sounding copies of the official albums and now I found out (from you) that the American Capitol albums have a lot more to offer then I ever thought. I, (thanks to you) am back on a Beatles quest (what a wonderful thing to do) to find great sounding American copies of The Beatles music. I had no idea that different sounding versions existed.
1 Magical Mystery Tour 2 Rubber Soul 3 Love Songs 4 The Beatles Again 5 Yesterday And Today 6 Beatles VI 7 Help! 8 A Hard Day's Night 9. Meet The Beatles 10 The Beatles Story
When Paul sings "saw rit" for saw it, that speech pattern is called an intrusive 'r,' which is common among non-rhotic (drop the letter 'r' at the end of a syllable) speakers such as certain British dialects, as well as Australians and New Englanders. I am a New Englander and am frequently teased when I say things like "idear about" instead of idea about.
The UK configurations of the Beatles albums surely are the definitive versions but there is considerable sentimental value to the U.S. releases. For years I thought the James Bond intro to "Help" was part of the song. I agree with you that the American Rubber Soul has more of a Byrds/Dylan folk-rock feel throughout the record that many prefer to the UK version.
Agree, I am familiar with both the US (on vinyl) and the UK, (CD) and find the US Rubber Soul more cohesive due to I've just Seen a Face that starts side 1.
Mazzy great video on the Beatles US albums. I love Rubber Soul it’s my favorite US and UK and for the other US albums they are wonderful because that’s all we knew until 1987 CDS or you went to a record store in the 70’s and picked up the UK Copies if they had them. Since I bought a turntable 5 years ago I rebought all of the Captiol albums Mono and Stereo. But for stereo I bought the Captiol Purple Label because that’s when I was buying my Beatles albums then. Have a wonderful week Mazzy!
Enjoyable video. I am a month younger than you and I remember these LPs when they first came out. After buying a new release, and nearly wearing it out with repeated listenings, we could barely wait for what single or album was coming next.
Hey Mazzy, that Frank Ifield/Beatles lp must be some kind of reissue. It looks imaculate. Thats the impossibly rare cover. Ive got an original of the other cover.
Fantastic video Mazzy! Even getting into The Beatles beginning in 1980 the U.S. releases were all I knew for a long time. So this ranking video is sentimental to me and I appreciate that you did it. You are spot on about Magical Mystery Tour. For whatever reason I've never card for the song Dr. Robert so it's not missed on the U.S. Revolver for me.
Great list, Mazzy. Thanks for posting this. Hoping someone in the vc tackles the Canadian Beatles releases, as Capitol Canada put out Beatles LPs starting in 1963, long before Capitol US did. Capitol Canada put out The Beatles' early LPs that were so different (ie. no input from Dave Dexter, Jr). The first 3 Canadian LPs were different from the US releases. From the A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack onwards they were largely identical. Let It Be was released as a box set with the LP and paperback book (which I bought new in Toronto in 1970 from Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street). US fans had to do with just the LP. Other variations exist, including five singles unique to Canada. Thanks again for ranking the US LPs.
I did a whole video about the Canadian Beatles releases on my channel. I just talked about their origins and where the songs came from. I didnt rank them.
Hi Mazzy, You nailed it. What a great video! I agree with your count back and everything you gave Capitol credit for. A first generation Beatles fan. Capitol albums rule! UK and German albums are excellent too but these are forever pasted in our memories.
I was born in 49 so I went through the whole Beatlemania in my teens. Oddly enough I only bought Beatles 65 and VI when they first came out. Money was scarce in those days. And I found in High Tide And Green Grass what I preferred more at the time. And then my Bob Dylan mania hit and I never looked back.
I don't think the UK albums are the benchmark. They just offered what the band had written and recorded at the time, apart from a few of the best songs released as singles. Just an exhibition of achievements, a chaotic set of songs. The LP titles were hardly smarter: With The Beatles, Beatles For Sale, The Beatles. What's intellectual about that? Capitol was in a better position and could choose songs from the British chaos. That's why at first they were just successful collections of hits, but starting with Beatles 65 and Beatles VI Capitol albums became story-driven, and then meaningful titles like Yesterday And Today were added. In addition, Capitol compiled albums from singles, and the correctness of this approach was recognized even in London including Magical Mystery Tour in the core catalog. A good album does not depend on the number of songs - it's a story to be told. Therefore, I do not understand those who consider Capitol albums worse just because they have two songs less. But Pepper also contains twelve songs and The Beatles Again LP sounds more lighter and hipp than the British Let It Be. Meet The Beatles is much more beautiful in design than its British brother and more interesting in content. Both 1964/1965 soundtracks are excellent in every way and are superior to the British. The Beatles Story is a masterpiece in its own right. Rubber Soul US is even visually better than the British one. Yesterday And Today and Revolver exemplify the proper layout of story albums. The Capitol outer sleeves are thicker, more impressive, more beautiful, the albums themselves are more interesting to dive into and have more design. And, yes, I like both Capitol Boxes and US Box. The original sound is powerful, resonant, and the new one reproduces it with first generation master tapes - the best solution. Just buy both, that's all. They are quite inexpensive.
Enjoyable, informative show. Reminded me that the first time I ever heard the Beatles was in 1962 on Detroit radio. The DJ had returned from England with new music, and he played a song (From Me To You) by the Beatles and a version of it by Del Shannon (who lived there). The DJ made it clear that he preferred Shannon's take on the tune.
I find it amazing that radio stations still air breakfast with the Beatles and it's not just old people listing. The Boomers were very fortunate to have had such a great coming-of-age soundtrack. Imagine having Gangster Rap as your coming-of-age soundtrack. Betty Boop turned a lot of young people on to blues and jazz, and that's why Rock and Roll were natural for young people to understand.
How refreshing to hear someone sharing their assessments of recorded material from an OBJECTIVE perspective--something we very , very rarely see from music listeners. Bravo Norman!
Mazzy, I always enjoy a good vid about these earlier Beatles albums. Unfortunately, I got rid of most of my early U.S. albums long ago (bad decision!) Like you, for years, I was unaware of the differences but that’s what I grew up on. Have a great weekend.
I agree, the copy that I initially had of Rubber Soul was the US one and I listened to that version for many years. I felt that it showed Bod Dylan's influence, in that it had a very folksy sort of feel to it, and I do think that is the proper context in which to listen to this album. Repurchasing it recently, I came into possession of the Parlophone (UK version), and it while GREAT it sounds uneven with the inclusion of the singles gleaned for other US releases. Thankfully, I was able to hunt down a copy of the original Capital records release, so I can be a lot less judgmental about the UK version. However, YES this is a Beatles LP that you absolutely want to make sure you have both versions of!
Being only 8 at the time they were first on Ed Sullivan, my parents weren’t sure I was ready to graduate from Captain Kangaroo records to the Beatles. So my whining worked, but only so far, enter the Chipmunks sing the Beatles. My first proper lp was Y&T a few years later followed by Beatles 65 bought for under $2.00 each new. Great countdown & video.
Great video! Thank you for showing some love for the albums that we in the U.S. grew up with. I totally agree with your assessment of 'Rubber Soul'. The U.S. version creates a consistent atmosphere, if that makes sense. In fact I agree with your top four. However, I'd have 'Something New' much higher.
Great video Master Mazzy …as usual. We can feel that those 4 guys are so important for You. Keep going ! Buy the way, I found my butcher copy for free on the street in San Jose (CA) !! Vincent from France
Funny--I had to shell out forty bucks for mine at a local Sacramento used record store, but that was nearly forty years ago, and, although it seemed cheap even back then, unfortunately a previous owner apparently thought he'd save it for posterity by "protectively" scotch taping the entire front of the album! I keep hoping it'll all decompose and fall off, but it hasn't happened as yet. Oh well; Still, it's real. Thanks for the great video, BTW.
Something New was the 1st album I ever bought with my allowance :) LOVE these US albums. Yesterday and Today has unique Revolver mixes... different than any other Revolver stuff. The Early Beatles is basically the VEE JAY album on Capitol. And the US Rubber Soul Kicks ASS. Gotta love the false start on the stereo pressing. Strawberry b/w Penny Lane is STILL my favorite single of ALL TIME! Followed by Hello Goodbye / Walrus. And YES! MMT is a fantastic docu-collection. And to think that MMT was not part of the US Collection CD box... how could their ONE great Beatles move... their one REAL creation, not be in the US Collection? Still blows me away. Beatles 65 holds to a special place in my life and heart. I was 10 when I first heard this album. June of 65 I think. A few months before mom took us the see them at Shea. Yeah, this record hold really close to my life. - JL/Author - Applelog series of publications
love,love this vid Mazzer!! as legendary as Sgt. is i personally like MMT much more. and i totally get your ranking of Rubber Soul and as hard as it is for me to pick, Rubber Soul is probably my #1 and just fucking wow! how great a song is "In My Life" and one of my very favorite Beatles songs. I'm still amazed at just how great the Beatles catalog is in the time period the band was together-just amazing-fucking amazing!!! and the total overall quality from the first album to the last. and we must never forget just how important George Martin was to all of it. hope your doing well brother, Jerry \m/ \m/
Excellent video. As a person coming from Scandinavia I grew up with the UK / Parlophone albums and wasn't aware of the bastardized Capitol compilations. That said I still like the US version of Rubber Soul and Magical Mystery Tour.
Even though it’s not the official release, the US Rubber Soul has a flow and consistency that the UK version does not. It’s literally perfection from start to finish. I always thought What Goes On really hurts the flow and quality of the UK version. If you listen to side 2 of the British Help, I’ve Just Seen A Face and It’s Only Love showcase a move forward on that side towards the revolutionary aspects of Rubber Soul. I’d put The Beatles Second Album as my number 2 fave American release. Thank You Girl and I Call Your Name are two of my all time favorites of the early period.
Right, the inclusion of the singles on the UK Version distracts from the continuity of Rubber Soul. Oddly enough, this is clearly an example where the US version is the superior one.
Rubber Soul and all these US records (as well as many in our countries) we’re definitely official releases. They’re just not the exact configurations that the Beatles and Martin created for the UK
Totally agree with you about "What Goes On" and it's placement in the track sequence. "If I Needed Someone" should have opened side two of the UK "Rubber Soul." I really think "What Goes On" should have been left off the album altogether. It's too much of a B-side, and not a very good one at that.
My favorite bit of trivia about the Help! cover is that semaphore arm positions held by the Beatles don't spell out Help at all. The US cover spells out NVUJ, while the UK cover spells out NUJV. I guess the actual positions for HELP didn't look as good in the photo.
Mazzy, I get it, all those teen sense memories Stateside.. but really, you guys got badly Dexterised: diverted, perverted - no one alerted you! SO glad I grew up in a British Commonwealth/EMI country (Australia) where we got our Beatles straight, as George Martin intended. Another amusing and informative video, thanks again - a parade of collectors’ curiosa from the dustbin of history. Those soundtrack albums were unforgivable.
I love the Beatles. I started collecting their records when Abbey Road came out. But I have to say, with all the reissues ad nauseam and so on, they've become for me like those relatives you love but really don't love to see.
Also, much like the Capitol Magical Mystery Tour LP, which was eventually officially released in the UK beginning in 1976, Capitol’s “Hey Jude” album from 1970 was eventually officially released by Parlophone in the UK as well beginning in May 1979, so, for some time, it was part of the official UK canon as well. However, as it contained two songs from the British “A Hard Day’s Night” LP, It understandably wasn’t directly incorporated into the band’s “canon” catalogue in the CD era. However, it basically did provide the basis for “Past Masters, Vol. 2” in 1988 (which, sadly, didn’t incorporate the awesome Hey Jude album art from the band’s final photo shoot at Tittenhurst Park as its cover).
Great video Mazzy! I just can’t imagine the hubris of that Dave dexter character thinking he could basically do a remix by adding reverb to tracks. I can’t believe the Beatles didn’t shut his ass down.!
@@mazzysmusic i’m not sure how much clout the Beatles had about shutting down that kind of thing early on, but I have to say I did get used to some of the reverb but I find the British albums are better
I grew up with the American Rubber Soul...the perfect folk rock album. When I heard the UK Rubber Soul import in the 70's, I was startled. Drive My Car seemed out of place, I missed It's Only Love and I've Just Seen A Face and hated the inclusion of the one Beatles track I don't like - What Goes on. Nowhere Man and If I Needed Someone worked well.
That American Rubber Soul was probably the first Beatles album I really got to know well as a kid in the 70s. I agree the American version is better than the UK version. It works so well. It felt like a well sequenced album. I'm still not used to It's Only Love being on Help instead of Rubber Soul on the UK releases.
Fascinating and one of your best Mazzy, especially for this Englishman there from the beginning and in the fan club. These Capitol configurations are interesting, but of course the Parlophone editions were definitive and to us hearing another order of songs would be weird. MMT a great choice - watching it with parents after the mega-build up was cringe-making on that day, we expected so much - it produced a great Capitol album though.
I grew up in the 70s with the American versions I couldn’t at the time afford the British albums because they were considered imports, and they were very pricey. But I do remember I had yesterday and today and rubber soul and to this day I love those two versions of those albums.
brilliant video...makes me wanna go to discogs and buy every beatles album u.s and u.k. (if i only had the money for it...ha...)....but i love the coda with magical mystery, my personal favorite beatles album....one of the few i still own, along with abbey road, let it be, and again (hey jude)....so i gotta get 'today's ranking' back in my collection as well...thanks for the encouragement...please stay well my friend...you are too important...peace always...rocky
Today with digital tracks and playlists, albums don't really matter any more. Everybody can make their own versions of Beatles albums with whatever tracks and whatever mix in whatever order you like. You can even design and print your own covers!
Every album took me back to where I was when I first heard them. Funny how music can transport one back to a specific point in time. The Beatles could rock. I feel that gets lost sometimes b/c it’s overshadowed by their creativity and experimentation in the studio. At least that’s how it was for me until I heard Baby You Can Drive My Car after not hearing it for years. They can shake the house! 👍🏼😎
Us Rubber Soul is such a killer folk rock record. Something New has the coolest cover photo of almost any early Beatles album. And I love my first press LA copies of Revolver.
I just got into them. Funny enough for meI got into them from Julian Lennon and George Harrison’s songs played at lunch while working at the mall in college lol. Thank you
I never got the hate for mr moonlight. I love it. I like leave my kitten alone though as well, supposedly that's the one that got bumped for Mr moonlight. Great vid. Honorable mention should go to the Hey Jude album, it's great (not capitol though). It was only put out in the UK once it was a success in North America.
Hey Mazzy, this is my on-the-fly ranking of the early Beatles US Albums. Of course, tomorrow, it will be pretty much completely different…How did I miss this nice video of yours until now??? AND, let me say thank you for giving that special mention to Magical Mystery Tour, which is, and always has been, my all time favorite Beatles album (US or otherwise...) The best thing they ever did, even if it wasn't intended as a proper album..... so here is my list of the early albums: 1. Meet the Beatles 2. The Beatles Second Album 3. A Hard Days Night 4. The Early Beatles (LOVE this one!!!) 5. Beatles ‘65 6. Rubber Soul (I know - sacrilegious, but there are so many great choices here, right?) 7. Revolver (ibid…) 8. Help! 9. Beatles VI 10. Something New 11. Yesterday and Today And, a great observation (which I never considered in depth before...) about "Rubber Soul" being probably the first album without the name of the group on the cover. Peace out.
What about Hey Jude? I guess it could be called a greatest hits LP but it collected all the loose singles in the US. And it had the new tracks Don't Let Me Down and Old Brown Shoe.
If no one else has mentioned it, the “I’d Rather See You Dead, Than To Be With Another Man” line - comes from Elvis’ Sun Records recording of “Baby Let’s Play House”… enjoyed the video Mazzy!
Before I watch this, number one for me is Rubber Soul. I think having "I've Just Seen A Face" as the first song works way better than "Drive My Car", which is one of my least favorite Beatles songs (although I still love it!) I also love the false start to "I'm Looking Through You" which isn't on the UK album. In fact, I never knew about the UK version of Rubber Soul until the early 80's.
@@mazzysmusic Dang, #1 would be Magical Mystery Tour if it was an actual album. 😄 Even today some fans argue it isn't a Beatles album but it officially is these days.
Even when I put on a UK track listing of Rubber Soul, I expect "I've Just Seen a Face" to come popping out. It fits perfectly. Glad Capitol didn't stick it on Beatles VI.
Really confusing to us German Beatles fans were German EMI Electrola, who flooded the market with both, the British and the US albums. So we never had an idea that there were UK original albums and US compilations. I cannot say for sure but seems like they did not use the Capitol re-mixes. But I had become used to the re-verbed "I Feel Fine" from a Netherland comp in my pre-teens and never got used to the "dry" original.
I'm around the same age as you, and I also got all these albums as a child. A Hard Day's Night was the first rock'n'roll album that I owned (at age 6), and it's still my favorite Beatles album. Of course, I didn't know until years later that most of the songs on Something New were on side 2 of the UK version. I'm surprised Something New was ranked higherbtw. By the end of the 60s, I heard about the original UK albums, but didn't know about the different mixes until way later. When I first heard I Feel Fine on CD, it didn't sound right. I was used to all the echo and clanging noisiness of the US version that I played hundreds of times in the 60s. I also liked Mr. Moonlight too - I know it gets beat up quite a bit online. I also love the Beatles 2nd album (the book too). Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I was so happy when the "American" Beatles albums were finally released on CD in 2014 as individual albums (not in a box set) that the only two I sought out were "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!"-- and I bought them specifically for the non-Beatle performance tracks. I agree-- Ken Thorne's "scoring" is fantastic-- with its blend of Indian instrumentation and Beatle melodies.
Brilliant Mazzy. Love your ranking videos. Defo need the US Rubber Soul for the collection & would go for The Beatles Second album 😎 Mazzy an idea for a video compare MMT V Pepper. It gets a bit blurred what with the Uk EP & US album. But when you compare the 2 on there own merits ,especially the Horzu MMT there’s a debate song wise which is best. Strawberry fields alone is probably the best track from the 2 LPs All the best 😎👍
I like that they brought the later singles together but adding those two early songs wrecks the tone imho. Allen Klein’s idea to have product out in the stores
@@mazzysmusic Yeah it is odd having Can't Buy Me Love and I Should Have Know Better on there. I had this album on cassette and would fast foward past those first two songs and start with Paperback Writer and Rain, both of which fit with the slightly later singles.
The Beatles Story..........Even Though it was Only A small Snippet of a live recording it was the first time I hear them recorded live! " 48-second excerpt of "Twist and Shout" from the Hollywood Bowl performance. It was the first record to include a recording of the Beatles in concert." I remember playing it over and over........so powerful! ...those 48 secnds are imbedded in my psyche!
I was lucky as I got all the UK Parlophone albums early on . The sound quality is so superior to Capitol’s hatchet job - Duophonic etc - . You also got fourteen songs on each album. If you have a turntable buy the Beatles 1960s to early 1970’s Parlophone ,and Apple UK pressings . Just be sure to get the Grammophone rim print . Those are winners even on the two mark EMI labels . First pressings in Ex to NM cost a fortune so buy the very early 1970 albums -1970-71 are winners . Sadly all of the early seventies ,and late sixties are all stereo except Please Please Me,Help, and Sgt Pepper that were also in mono . Long story, but if you have a decent playback system you’ll be blown away, and understand why the Beatles didn’t like what Capitol did to the original UK mixes . Bon chance …
I think I would agree with most of your rankings here, and like you, Rubber Soul is my top favorite, though others do come close like Revolver and Sgt Peppers rank well up there. As the US Rubber Soul goes, grew up on the stereo version and the false intro to I'm Looking Through You. My copy of RS is a one year reissue from 1983 during the reissues issued by Capitol from 1978-1987 when the LP's ceased to be printed as they changed the catalog # that year before reverting to the original catalog # in 1984 through '87. It's also on the rainbow rim label and I don't think it was played much before I got it as it sounds so fresh and new and quite dynamic compared to one that was more well played.
In the UK, MMT will always be regarded as an EP. The Capitol compilation with hit singles from '67 is an excellent way to revisit that EP, & song for song maybe stronger than Pepper!
Mazzy thanks for ranking the US albums. Bought all the Beatles Capital U.S. albums back in the 70's. I wish I was around in the 60s so I could have bought a copy of the butcher cover. I agree Capital's Rubber Soul was compiled to capture (read cash in on) the folk market. It made the album more of an acoustic sounding album as opposed to the UK version. I enjoy the US version of Rubber Soul. The only US album I play occasionally. One thing to mention, most of the early Capital albums contained only 11, not 12, songs. I think the Early Beatles and Rubber Soul were the first albums to contain 12 songs. Capital really ripped off US consumers. One album not mentioned was the Hey Jude album. Capital collected singles and songs not included in previous albums and compiled one last album to cash in on the Beatles since they broke up by the time this album was released. I've read originally, the album title was The Beatles Again (not sure if this was the exact title) before changing to the more familiar Hey Jude. Lastly, the 1st 2 lines of Run for your Life were lifted from Baby Let's Play House song by Elvis Presley. Written by Arthur Gunter, not Chuck Berry. Enjoy your videos.
I changed my Canadian and US issues for UK ones as my stereo improved but love Second Album, Beatles'65 and BeatlesVI to the point I still kept those three.
I don't comment often, Mazzy, but I watch a ton of your videos! Love them all and keep 'em coming! Total agreement on the Beatles Second Album. Killer rock 'n roll, from beginning to end! Never understood why "When I Get Home" from Something New didn't get more airplay on the radio. Another great Lennon rocker! Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge on all these videos. Thank you!
Revolver is ranked way too high on your list. Revolver is arguably the Beatles best album, but Capitol's version, which subtracts three Lennon songs, in no way compares to to the UK version.
Good video although I am a Rolling Stones fan. And liked the Beatles a little bit. The best beatle was George Harrison. He ‘made the blitz’ at Abbey Road.
I got into the Beatles in high school the early 2000’s. I started buying vinyl and CDs at the same time. I noticed the seemingly endless number of unique albums available on vinyl that weren’t on CD or on my poster of Beatles albums hanging up on my wall. This confused me for years. I remember thinking that the Capitol versions of Rubber Soul and Revolver must have been the “original” versions and that the CDs must have been “newer” versions with different songs and “bonus tracks” Either way it’s great exploring their music for the first time, regardless of when it happens. Also at this time Beatles vinyl was plentiful and verrrry cheap. Max was 10 bucks and usually they were much, much less.
That's why Meet The Beatles with I Want To Hold Your Hand as the opening track is the album and single that changed the world. Already big hits in England, virtually no one in the U.S. had even heard of them. What did Brian tell John and Paul? He said that if you don't make it in America...you haven't made it (ask Cliff Richard). They wrote I Want To... for the American audience and it made them famous overnight. Two DVD's you might like to check out...I Want To Hold Your Hand: Songs That Changed the World (on Impact), and Meet The Beatles: The Essential Album Of All Time (on Music Milestones). And really, how about the jacket cover on Meet...? Does it get any cooler than taking the basic black and white photo from their Brit release, enhance it with that blue tint, and those magic words: MEET THE BEATLES...The First Album by England's Phenomenal Pop Combo!! WOW!!!! Those head shots in the dark. Are they wearing turtle necks? Pop Combo...Jazz influenced? The jacket spoke to young teens from coast to coast. I'm sorry, but every time I look at the Please Please Me cover I'm unimpressed. Does Ringo still have Elvis hair? Is the photo taken at an apartment complex or where? Did E.M.I. have so little faith in their success that the first album jacket was that boring?
Perfect. FYI that Please Please Me cover photo by Agnus McBean was taken at EMI house in Manchester Square London. They return for the Get Back cover but it was used in the Blue and Red comps instead
Norm, a friend had a double LP of The Beatles doing Buddy Holly songs. I've never seen it out there again. If memory serves me well, it had a wine color cover. Are you familiar with it?
There is no album of the Beatles doing all Holly songs. McCartney owns Holly’s publishing and there is a collection of a variety of artists including McCartney covering his songs. The Beatles only recorded Words of Love.
I don't think it ever occurred to me that their name wasn't on the cover of Rubber Soul. As Mazzy so beautifully states, "We knew those faces by 1965". I also only heard the U.S. version for years, and to this day, it's just not the same for me if it doesn't kick off with "I've Just Seen A Face".
While “The Early Beatles” and the Capitol version of “Revolver” may be questionable or obsolete for having simply removed songs from their equivalent UK releases, I genuinely believe that “Beatles ‘65” and “Beatles VI” are collectively far better and immeasurably more cohesive than “Beatles for Sale”, which is very uneven, in my opinion. Likewise for “Yesterday…And Today” and “Rubber Soul” (USA) over Rubber Soul UK. I also prefer “Meet the Beatles” and “The Beatles Second Album” over “With The Beatles”, although the latter sounds much better as the mono mixes of those two aforementioned U.S. albums were largely fold-downs. People act as if the N. American Capitol Records albums are retroactively “compilations” or illegitimate due to The Beatles’ personal involvement in configuring the UK albums, and while that should not be overlooked, the Capitol Records were nonetheless heard by tens of millions of more people relative to the UK albums, due to the higher population in the USA and Canada. These albums were officially released with the legal support of EMI. In fact, they were still being released on cassette well into the ‘90s and were released on CD in 2004 and again in the 2010s. There’s also the issue of the Capitol “Magical Mystery Tour” LP being part of The Beatles’ official canon, as you mentioned in your video, despite the fact that the band compiled a Double-EP which featured the soundtrack songs in a different tracklisting from Side 1 of the “canon” U.S. LP. I’m not sure if Paul, George, Ringo, and Yoko/Lennon’s estate formally endorsed the move to “canonize” the US MMT LP in 1987 over the British Double EP or if EMI simply opted to do so for convenience on Compact Disc, but it’s nonetheless “official” despite having originated as a Capitol creation without the band’s involvement. All of the great American and Canadian groups of the 1960s and 1970s (and even early-to-mid 1980s), such as The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Elvis (if he ever even listened to a Beatles LP at all, that is lol), The Guess Who, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Glass Harp, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Steppenwolf, etc. (but likely not Jimi Hendrix considering how much time he spent in the UK) would have all been exposed to, and influenced by, the Capitol albums. Brian Wilson, for instance, was inspired to write “Pet Sounds”, one of the greatest records of not just the Sixties but of all time, by the Capitol version of Rubber Soul. That alone renders the Capitol version equally legitimate to the UK release and worth preserving. Also, no one really seems to mention that The Jimi Hendrix Experience had more of a “say” in the British and European Track version of “Are You Experienced?” as opposed to the more celebrated and iconic U.S. Reprise version. The Rolling Stones’ U.S. albums have been treated equally by Abkco since the 1980s and The Rolling Stones No. 2 has been largely replaced by “The Rolling Stones Now!” even in the UK.
I’ve always thought Don’t bother Me by George Harrison was awesome. He dismissed it and thought not much of it, shame because it’s a good rocker.❤ And I also thought they marketed Rubber Soul very well. I prefer the US version like Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys.
It may have felt like a ripoff in retrospect, but getting three new Beatles albums a year instead of two meant that you never had to wait long for a new album to come out. It was a very exciting time to be a fan. Also, including singles on the LPs actually saved fans from having to buy the singles separately. The hit songs you heard on the radio were available on the LPs that you could buy. You didn’t have to buy both the LPs and the singles to get all of the tracks released.
I'm one of those who believes, outside of Magical Mystery Tour, the UK versions are definitive supplemented by the Past Masters compilation. But when the US versions were released I was perfectly happy with them.
I remember watching MMT on Boxing Day 1967, blew my mind, I was 15 years old and a big fan since hearing Love Me Do on Radio Luxembourg on 5th October 1962 when I was 9 years old, used to love Radio Luxembourg, it was the only radio station that could play new records for a few hours at night, as the BBC was restrictive in needle time until Pirate radio started with Radio Caroline at Easter time 1964. I was lucky as had 9 and 10 year older brother and sister, they brought a lot of rock & roll records and we had a massive radiogram to play them on and I remember playing say Rock Around the Clock when I was 5 years old and playing it very loud with great sound, plus my Dad could play the violin and my mother was a music teacher, so music was one of my main passions!
The US configurations make for a fascinating story and you tell it well. No mention of the Hey Jude album, which I've just got on CD. Remember a friend of a work colleague bringing me a copy of the LP when he visited the States back in the day. I particularly love it for the photos, taken at Tittenhurst Park which was down the road from where I grew up. Great stuff, Mazzy.
I would like to apologize for the lateness of this response to this video. I watched this video on my tv and couldn't respond to it at the time. I'm a Grandfather who invited my daughter and her family to stay here with me when they had gotten custody of my son in law's 2 girls from his previous marriage..... then shortly after my daughter had triplets. Three boys, two are identical. My house is very busy and loud so sometimes I just escape to my room for music and videos about music.
That said, I owe you a virtual hug for this video being you expanded my love for the Beatles with this video. I thought I had gotten the best sounding copies of the official albums and now I found out (from you) that the American Capitol albums have a lot more to offer then I ever thought. I, (thanks to you) am back on a Beatles quest (what a wonderful thing to do) to find great sounding American copies of The Beatles music. I had no idea that different sounding versions existed.
1 Magical Mystery Tour
2 Rubber Soul
3 Love Songs
4 The Beatles Again
5 Yesterday And Today
6 Beatles VI
7 Help!
8 A Hard Day's Night
9. Meet The Beatles
10 The Beatles Story
When Paul sings "saw rit" for saw it, that speech pattern is called an intrusive 'r,' which is common among non-rhotic (drop the letter 'r' at the end of a syllable) speakers such as certain British dialects, as well as Australians and New Englanders. I am a New Englander and am frequently teased when I say things like "idear about" instead of idea about.
Great video Mazzy! I liked that you gave some background on each album.
So funny, I saw the video description and thought, I could NEVER do that with the Beatles catalog. You got balls Mazzy! ;)
Very well done Mazzy ! Clearly you put some time and thought into this video.
I keep discovering more about the Beatles and I’m in my 60’s.. Thanks 🙏
Enjoyed this so much! I ended up pulling my old US records and comparing versions. Very valid, thanks for doing this fun ranking/review.
Rubber Soul was one of my first Beatle records and still love it. I love Magical Mystery Tour, one my favorites! 👍
Great stuff man🔥THNX!
The UK configurations of the Beatles albums surely are the definitive versions but there is considerable sentimental value to the U.S. releases. For years I thought the James Bond intro to "Help" was part of the song. I agree with you that the American Rubber Soul has more of a Byrds/Dylan folk-rock feel throughout the record that many prefer to the UK version.
Agree, I am familiar with both the US (on vinyl) and the UK, (CD) and find the US Rubber Soul more cohesive due to I've just Seen a Face that starts side 1.
Mazzy great video on the Beatles US albums. I love Rubber Soul it’s my favorite US and UK and for the other US albums they are wonderful because that’s all we knew until 1987 CDS or you went to a record store in the 70’s and picked up the UK Copies if they had them. Since I bought a turntable 5 years ago I rebought all of the Captiol albums Mono and Stereo. But for stereo I bought the Captiol Purple Label because that’s when I was buying my Beatles albums then. Have a wonderful week Mazzy!
Enjoyable video. I am a month younger than you and I remember these LPs when they first came out. After buying a new release, and nearly wearing it out with repeated listenings, we could barely wait for what single or album was coming next.
Great list and commentary. Now I'm a subscriber!
Superb video, Mazzy! 👏👍
Hey Mazzy, that Frank Ifield/Beatles lp must be some kind of reissue. It looks imaculate. Thats the impossibly rare cover. Ive got an original of the other cover.
Fantastic video Mazzy! Even getting into The Beatles beginning in 1980 the U.S. releases were all I knew for a long time. So this ranking video is sentimental to me and I appreciate that you did it. You are spot on about Magical Mystery Tour. For whatever reason I've never card for the song Dr. Robert so it's not missed on the U.S. Revolver for me.
Yeah MMT is special ✌🏼. .
Beatles 65 has always been my favorite Beatles album, due to being 14 or 15 when It came out.
Special age, special time :-)
Great list, Mazzy. Thanks for posting this. Hoping someone in the vc tackles the Canadian Beatles releases, as Capitol Canada put out Beatles LPs starting in 1963, long before Capitol US did. Capitol Canada put out The Beatles' early LPs that were so different (ie. no input from Dave Dexter, Jr). The first 3 Canadian LPs were different from the US releases. From the A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack onwards they were largely identical. Let It Be was released as a box set with the LP and paperback book (which I bought new in Toronto in 1970 from Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street). US fans had to do with just the LP. Other variations exist, including five singles unique to Canada. Thanks again for ranking the US LPs.
I did a whole video about the Canadian Beatles releases on my channel. I just talked about their origins and where the songs came from. I didnt rank them.
@@NorthernRevolutions Thanks for the heads up. I just subbed your channel. Look forward to watching your videos. Cheers, W
@@jim_wicks oh thanks. It was one of my very first videos so by no means Mazzy quality.
@@NorthernRevolutions no worries. Everyone has their own style. I’m sure it’s great. I’ll check it out. W
Hi Mazzy, You nailed it. What a great video! I agree with your count back and everything you gave Capitol credit for. A first generation Beatles fan. Capitol albums rule! UK and German albums are excellent too but these are forever pasted in our memories.
I was born in 49 so I went through the whole Beatlemania in my teens. Oddly enough I only bought Beatles 65 and VI when they first came out. Money was scarce in those days. And I found in High Tide And Green Grass what I preferred more at the time. And then my Bob Dylan mania hit and I never looked back.
I don't think the UK albums are the benchmark. They just offered what the band had written and recorded at the time, apart from a few of the best songs released as singles. Just an exhibition of achievements, a chaotic set of songs. The LP titles were hardly smarter: With The Beatles, Beatles For Sale, The Beatles. What's intellectual about that? Capitol was in a better position and could choose songs from the British chaos. That's why at first they were just successful collections of hits, but starting with Beatles 65 and Beatles VI Capitol albums became story-driven, and then meaningful titles like Yesterday And Today were added. In addition, Capitol compiled albums from singles, and the correctness of this approach was recognized even in London including Magical Mystery Tour in the core catalog. A good album does not depend on the number of songs - it's a story to be told. Therefore, I do not understand those who consider Capitol albums worse just because they have two songs less. But Pepper also contains twelve songs and The Beatles Again LP sounds more lighter and hipp than the British Let It Be. Meet The Beatles is much more beautiful in design than its British brother and more interesting in content. Both 1964/1965 soundtracks are excellent in every way and are superior to the British. The Beatles Story is a masterpiece in its own right. Rubber Soul US is even visually better than the British one. Yesterday And Today and Revolver exemplify the proper layout of story albums. The Capitol outer sleeves are thicker, more impressive, more beautiful, the albums themselves are more interesting to dive into and have more design. And, yes, I like both Capitol Boxes and US Box. The original sound is powerful, resonant, and the new one reproduces it with first generation master tapes - the best solution. Just buy both, that's all. They are quite inexpensive.
Paul McCartney loved Ann-Margret.
Who didn't?
🍸✌
Right 🤷🏻♂️
Enjoyable, informative show. Reminded me that the first time I ever heard the Beatles was in 1962 on Detroit radio. The DJ had returned from England with new music, and he played a song (From Me To You) by the Beatles and a version of it by Del Shannon (who lived there). The DJ made it clear that he preferred Shannon's take on the tune.
I find it amazing that radio stations still air breakfast with the Beatles and it's not just old people listing. The Boomers were very fortunate to have had such a great coming-of-age soundtrack. Imagine having Gangster Rap as your coming-of-age soundtrack. Betty Boop turned a lot of young people on to blues and jazz, and that's why Rock and Roll were natural for young people to understand.
How refreshing to hear someone sharing their assessments of recorded material from an OBJECTIVE perspective--something we very , very rarely see from music listeners. Bravo Norman!
Thanks. I try ✌🏼
Hi from the Uk. Great video Mazzy. Interesting to hear your take on the USA albums.
The records I grew up with ✌🏼
Mazzy, I always enjoy a good vid about these earlier Beatles albums. Unfortunately, I got rid of most of my early U.S. albums long ago (bad decision!) Like you, for years, I was unaware of the differences but that’s what I grew up on. Have a great weekend.
Great video!
I agree, the copy that I initially had of Rubber Soul was the US one and I listened to that version for many years. I felt that it showed Bod Dylan's influence, in that it had a very folksy sort of feel to it, and I do think that is the proper context in which to listen to this album. Repurchasing it recently, I came into possession of the Parlophone (UK version), and it while GREAT it sounds uneven with the inclusion of the singles gleaned for other US releases. Thankfully, I was able to hunt down a copy of the original Capital records release, so I can be a lot less judgmental about the UK version. However, YES this is a Beatles LP that you absolutely want to make sure you have both versions of!
Being only 8 at the time they were first on Ed Sullivan, my parents weren’t sure I was ready to graduate from Captain Kangaroo records to the Beatles. So my whining worked, but only so far, enter the Chipmunks sing the Beatles. My first proper lp was Y&T a few years later followed by Beatles 65 bought for under $2.00 each new. Great countdown & video.
What a coincidence...I also got "Beatles 65" for Christmas that same year. I was 12 years old. :)
Nobody's going to a desert island without Abbey Road (and Zep II).
Great video! Thank you for showing some love for the albums that we in the U.S. grew up with. I totally agree with your assessment of 'Rubber Soul'. The U.S. version creates a consistent atmosphere, if that makes sense. In fact I agree with your top four. However, I'd have 'Something New' much higher.
For me Something New is lower because the repeated Hard Days Night Songs. Obviously great tunes but .. you know 🤷🏻♂️🕺
Great video Master Mazzy …as usual. We can feel that those 4 guys are so important for You. Keep going !
Buy the way, I found my butcher copy for free on the street in San Jose (CA) !!
Vincent from France
Wow that’s cool 🥂
Funny--I had to shell out forty bucks for mine at a local Sacramento used record store, but that was nearly forty years ago, and, although it seemed cheap even back then, unfortunately a previous owner apparently thought he'd save it for posterity by "protectively" scotch taping the entire front of the album! I keep hoping it'll all decompose and fall off, but it hasn't happened as yet. Oh well; Still, it's real.
Thanks for the great video, BTW.
magical mystery tour
and sergeant pepper as one piece of work...fragrant, technicolour and beautiful!
White pepper is my favorite and sergeant pepper gets real close
Something New was the 1st album I ever bought with my allowance :) LOVE these US albums. Yesterday and Today has unique Revolver mixes... different than any other Revolver stuff. The Early Beatles is basically the VEE JAY album on Capitol. And the US Rubber Soul Kicks ASS. Gotta love the false start on the stereo pressing. Strawberry b/w Penny Lane is STILL my favorite single of ALL TIME! Followed by Hello Goodbye / Walrus. And YES! MMT is a fantastic docu-collection. And to think that MMT was not part of the US Collection CD box... how could their ONE great Beatles move... their one REAL creation, not be in the US Collection? Still blows me away. Beatles 65 holds to a special place in my life and heart. I was 10 when I first heard this album. June of 65 I think. A few months before mom took us the see them at Shea. Yeah, this record hold really close to my life. - JL/Author - Applelog series of publications
love,love this vid Mazzer!! as legendary as Sgt. is i personally like MMT much more. and i totally get your ranking of Rubber Soul and as hard as it is for me to pick, Rubber Soul is probably my #1 and just fucking wow! how great a song is "In My Life" and one of my very favorite Beatles songs. I'm still amazed at just how great the Beatles catalog is in the time period the band was together-just amazing-fucking amazing!!! and the total overall quality from the first album to the last. and we must never forget just how important George Martin was to all of it. hope your doing well brother, Jerry \m/ \m/
Mazzy, the pristine condition of your Vee Jay Beatles albums is to dream of.
Great video, as someone who grew up in the 70's, the US albums were all I even knew existed until the cd's came out.
Excellent video. As a person coming from Scandinavia I grew up with the UK / Parlophone albums and wasn't aware of the bastardized Capitol compilations. That said I still like the US version of Rubber Soul and Magical Mystery Tour.
Even though it’s not the official release, the US Rubber Soul has a flow and consistency that the UK version does not. It’s literally perfection from start to finish. I always thought What Goes On really hurts the flow and quality of the UK version. If you listen to side 2 of the British Help, I’ve Just Seen A Face and It’s Only Love showcase a move forward on that side towards the revolutionary aspects of Rubber Soul. I’d put The Beatles Second Album as my number 2 fave American release. Thank You Girl and I Call Your Name are two of my all time favorites of the early period.
Right, the inclusion of the singles on the UK Version distracts from the continuity of Rubber Soul. Oddly enough, this is clearly an example where the US version is the superior one.
Rubber Soul and all these US records (as well as many in our countries) we’re definitely official releases. They’re just not the exact configurations that the Beatles and Martin created for the UK
Totally agree with you about "What Goes On" and it's placement in the track sequence. "If I Needed Someone" should have opened side two of the UK "Rubber Soul." I really think "What Goes On" should have been left off the album altogether. It's too much of a B-side, and not a very good one at that.
I agree. I think the US Rubber Soul is tops. My first and most favorite Beatles album by far....
Agree with all. I LOVE the American version of Rubber Soul. Capitol got that one right!
My favorite bit of trivia about the Help! cover is that semaphore arm positions held by the Beatles don't spell out Help at all. The US cover spells out NVUJ, while the UK cover spells out NUJV. I guess the actual positions for HELP didn't look as good in the photo.
Mazzy, I get it, all those teen sense memories Stateside.. but really, you guys got badly Dexterised: diverted, perverted - no one alerted you! SO glad I grew up in a British Commonwealth/EMI country (Australia) where we got our Beatles straight, as George Martin intended. Another amusing and informative video, thanks again - a parade of collectors’ curiosa from the dustbin of history. Those soundtrack albums were unforgivable.
I love the Beatles. I started collecting their records when Abbey Road came out. But I have to say, with all the reissues ad nauseam and so on, they've become for me like those relatives you love but really don't love to see.
Also, much like the Capitol Magical Mystery Tour LP, which was eventually officially released in the UK beginning in 1976, Capitol’s “Hey Jude” album from 1970 was eventually officially released by Parlophone in the UK as well beginning in May 1979, so, for some time, it was part of the official UK canon as well. However, as it contained two songs from the British “A Hard Day’s Night” LP, It understandably wasn’t directly incorporated into the band’s “canon” catalogue in the CD era. However, it basically did provide the basis for “Past Masters, Vol. 2” in 1988 (which, sadly, didn’t incorporate the awesome Hey Jude album art from the band’s final photo shoot at Tittenhurst Park as its cover).
Great video Mazzy! I just can’t imagine the hubris of that Dave dexter character thinking he could basically do a remix by adding reverb to tracks. I can’t believe the Beatles didn’t shut his ass down.!
That was the sound of America top 40 radio in the early to mid 60s. It worked. The Beatles have the clout or interest back then to shut him down.
@@mazzysmusic i’m not sure how much clout the Beatles had about shutting down that kind of thing early on, but I have to say I did get used to some of the reverb but I find the British albums are better
I grew up with the American Rubber Soul...the perfect folk rock album. When I heard the UK Rubber Soul import in the 70's, I was startled. Drive My Car seemed out of place, I missed It's Only Love and I've Just Seen A Face and hated the inclusion of the one Beatles track I don't like - What Goes on. Nowhere Man and If I Needed Someone worked well.
That American Rubber Soul was probably the first Beatles album I really got to know well as a kid in the 70s. I agree the American version is better than the UK version. It works so well. It felt like a well sequenced album. I'm still not used to It's Only Love being on Help instead of Rubber Soul on the UK releases.
Fascinating and one of your best Mazzy, especially for this Englishman there from the beginning and in the fan club. These Capitol configurations are interesting, but of course the Parlophone editions were definitive and to us hearing another order of songs would be weird. MMT a great choice - watching it with parents after the mega-build up was cringe-making on that day, we expected so much - it produced a great Capitol album though.
I grew up in the 70s with the American versions
I couldn’t at the time afford the British albums because they were considered imports, and they were very pricey. But I do remember I had yesterday and today and rubber soul and to this day I love those two versions of those albums.
I agree that Hey Jude should be included in this countback. I'm quite sure that it was only released in the US. And it IS a great collection.
brilliant video...makes me wanna go to discogs and buy every beatles album u.s and u.k. (if i only had the money for it...ha...)....but i love the coda with magical mystery, my personal favorite beatles album....one of the few i still own, along with abbey road, let it be, and again (hey jude)....so i gotta get 'today's ranking' back in my collection as well...thanks for the encouragement...please stay well my friend...you are too important...peace always...rocky
Today with digital tracks and playlists, albums don't really matter any more. Everybody can make their own versions of Beatles albums with whatever tracks and whatever mix in whatever order you like. You can even design and print your own covers!
Every album took me back to where I was when I first heard them. Funny how music can transport one back to a specific point in time. The Beatles could rock. I feel that gets lost sometimes b/c it’s overshadowed by their creativity and experimentation in the studio. At least that’s how it was for me until I heard Baby You Can Drive My Car after not hearing it for years. They can shake the house! 👍🏼😎
Us Rubber Soul is such a killer folk rock record.
Something New has the coolest cover photo of almost any early Beatles album.
And I love my first press LA copies of Revolver.
I just got into them. Funny enough for meI got into them from Julian Lennon and George Harrison’s songs played at lunch while working at the mall in college lol. Thank you
There are now bands I listen to more often. Yet, back in the sixties, The Beatles were the soundtrack of my life.
I never got the hate for mr moonlight. I love it. I like leave my kitten alone though as well, supposedly that's the one that got bumped for Mr moonlight. Great vid. Honorable mention should go to the Hey Jude album, it's great (not capitol though). It was only put out in the UK once it was a success in North America.
Hey Mazzy, this is my on-the-fly ranking of the early Beatles US Albums. Of course, tomorrow, it will be pretty much completely different…How did I miss this nice video of yours until now??? AND, let me say thank you for giving that special mention to Magical Mystery Tour, which is, and always has been, my all time favorite Beatles album (US or otherwise...) The best thing they ever did, even if it wasn't intended as a proper album..... so here is my list of the early albums:
1. Meet the Beatles
2. The Beatles Second Album
3. A Hard Days Night
4. The Early Beatles (LOVE this one!!!)
5. Beatles ‘65
6. Rubber Soul (I know - sacrilegious, but there are so many great choices here, right?)
7. Revolver (ibid…)
8. Help!
9. Beatles VI
10. Something New
11. Yesterday and Today
And, a great observation (which I never considered in depth before...) about "Rubber Soul" being probably the first album without the name of the group on the cover. Peace out.
What about Hey Jude? I guess it could be called a greatest hits LP but it collected all the loose singles in the US. And it had the new tracks Don't Let Me Down and Old Brown Shoe.
If no one else has mentioned it, the “I’d Rather See You Dead, Than To Be With Another Man” line - comes from Elvis’ Sun Records recording of “Baby Let’s Play House”… enjoyed the video Mazzy!
Thanh’s right !!!!
Before I watch this, number one for me is Rubber Soul. I think having "I've Just Seen A Face" as the first song works way better than "Drive My Car", which is one of my least favorite Beatles songs (although I still love it!) I also love the false start to "I'm Looking Through You" which isn't on the UK album. In fact, I never knew about the UK version of Rubber Soul until the early 80's.
Wait for number one and stay for the one afterwards ✌🏼
@@mazzysmusic Dang, #1 would be Magical Mystery Tour if it was an actual album. 😄 Even today some fans argue it isn't a Beatles album but it officially is these days.
@@canadianstudmuffin well it’s been canon for years since the Beatles themselves have included it in their box sets 🎸✨
I still like UK versions better all around except a huge fan of The Beatles Second Album over With The Beatles.
Even when I put on a UK track listing of Rubber Soul, I expect "I've Just Seen a Face" to come popping out. It fits perfectly. Glad Capitol didn't stick it on Beatles VI.
Really confusing to us German Beatles fans were German EMI Electrola, who flooded the market with both, the British and the US albums. So we never had an idea that there were UK original albums and US compilations. I cannot say for sure but seems like they did not use the Capitol re-mixes. But I had become used to the re-verbed "I Feel Fine" from a Netherland comp in my pre-teens and never got used to the "dry" original.
I'm around the same age as you, and I also got all these albums as a child. A Hard Day's Night was the first rock'n'roll album that I owned (at age 6), and it's still my favorite Beatles album. Of course, I didn't know until years later that most of the songs on Something New were on side 2 of the UK version. I'm surprised Something New was ranked higherbtw. By the end of the 60s, I heard about the original UK albums, but didn't know about the different mixes until way later. When I first heard I Feel Fine on CD, it didn't sound right. I was used to all the echo and clanging noisiness of the US version that I played hundreds of times in the 60s. I also liked Mr. Moonlight too - I know it gets beat up quite a bit online. I also love the Beatles 2nd album (the book too). Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Beatles ‘65 (Beatles For Sale) has to be the most underrated album of the Beatles. -Russ
My first album was Something New in 1970, my parents had no idea.
Bravo, Mazzy!
Hi Mazzy, any chance you can do a ranking video of Ranking Roger records? 😉
Norman you are INSANE!
I was so happy when the "American" Beatles albums were finally released on CD in 2014 as individual albums (not in a box set) that the only two I sought out were "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!"-- and I bought them specifically for the non-Beatle performance tracks. I agree-- Ken Thorne's "scoring" is fantastic-- with its blend of Indian instrumentation and Beatle melodies.
Brilliant Mazzy.
Love your ranking videos.
Defo need the US Rubber Soul for the collection & would go for The Beatles Second album 😎
Mazzy an idea for a video compare MMT V Pepper. It gets a bit blurred what with the Uk EP & US album.
But when you compare the 2 on there own merits ,especially the Horzu MMT there’s a debate song wise which is best.
Strawberry fields alone is probably the best track from the 2 LPs
All the best 😎👍
Comparing those two great albums ? Maybe a Beatles 1967 and cover everything they did might work 🤷🏻♂️🕊✨
@@mazzysmusic go for it Mazzy best channel out there my friend ✌🏻❤️
@@liammolyneuxmusic “soar?”
@@mazzysmusic no I never saw them at all 👍
Fantastic video! So what is your opinion on the Capitol album Hey Jude?
I like that they brought the later singles together but adding those two early songs wrecks the tone imho. Allen Klein’s idea to have product out in the stores
@@mazzysmusic Yeah it is odd having Can't Buy Me Love and I Should Have Know Better on there. I had this album on cassette and would fast foward past those first two songs and start with Paperback Writer and Rain, both of which fit with the slightly later singles.
The Beatles Story..........Even Though it was Only A small Snippet of a live recording it was the first time I hear them recorded live! " 48-second excerpt of "Twist and Shout" from the Hollywood Bowl performance. It was the first record to include a recording of the Beatles in concert." I remember playing it over and over........so powerful! ...those 48 secnds are imbedded in my psyche!
Magical Mystery Tour got me into the Beatles...so good
I was lucky as I got all the UK Parlophone albums early on . The sound quality is so superior to Capitol’s hatchet job - Duophonic etc - . You also got fourteen songs on each album. If you have a turntable buy the Beatles 1960s to early 1970’s Parlophone ,and Apple UK pressings . Just be sure to get the Grammophone rim print . Those are winners even on the two mark EMI labels . First pressings in Ex to NM cost a fortune so buy the very early 1970 albums -1970-71 are winners . Sadly all of the early seventies ,and late sixties are all stereo except Please Please Me,Help, and Sgt Pepper that were also in mono . Long story, but if you have a decent playback system you’ll be blown away, and understand why the Beatles didn’t like what Capitol did to the original UK mixes . Bon chance …
Would love to hear a soundbyte between the US &UK versions.
I think I would agree with most of your rankings here, and like you, Rubber Soul is my top favorite, though others do come close like Revolver and Sgt Peppers rank well up there. As the US Rubber Soul goes, grew up on the stereo version and the false intro to I'm Looking Through You. My copy of RS is a one year reissue from 1983 during the reissues issued by Capitol from 1978-1987 when the LP's ceased to be printed as they changed the catalog # that year before reverting to the original catalog # in 1984 through '87. It's also on the rainbow rim label and I don't think it was played much before I got it as it sounds so fresh and new and quite dynamic compared to one that was more well played.
You and Imust be the only two people in the universe who love Mr Moonlight!
Quick question though-- where on this list would you have included "Magical Mystery Tour"?
#1 ✨
Magical Mystery Tour really is a great companion piece to Sgt. Pepper
In the UK, MMT will always be regarded as an EP. The Capitol compilation with hit singles from '67 is an excellent way to revisit that EP, & song for song maybe stronger than Pepper!
Mazzy thanks for ranking the US albums.
Bought all the Beatles Capital U.S. albums back in the 70's. I wish I was around in the 60s so I could have bought a copy of the butcher cover. I agree Capital's Rubber Soul was compiled to capture (read cash in on) the folk market. It made the album more of an acoustic sounding album as opposed to the UK version. I enjoy the US version of Rubber Soul. The only US album I play occasionally.
One thing to mention, most of the early Capital albums contained only 11, not 12, songs. I think the Early Beatles and Rubber Soul were the first albums to contain 12 songs. Capital really ripped off US consumers.
One album not mentioned was the Hey Jude album. Capital collected singles and songs not included in previous albums and compiled one last album to cash in on the Beatles since they broke up by the time this album was released. I've read originally, the album title was The Beatles Again (not sure if this was the exact title) before changing to the more familiar Hey Jude.
Lastly, the 1st 2 lines of Run for your Life were lifted from Baby Let's Play House song by Elvis Presley. Written by Arthur Gunter, not Chuck Berry.
Enjoy your videos.
Great video. Personally I’d rank Beatles ‘65 much higher
I changed my Canadian and US issues for UK ones as my stereo improved but love Second Album, Beatles'65 and BeatlesVI to the point I still kept those three.
I don't comment often, Mazzy, but I watch a ton of your videos! Love them all and keep 'em coming! Total agreement on the Beatles Second Album. Killer rock 'n roll, from beginning to end! Never understood why "When I Get Home" from Something New didn't get more airplay on the radio. Another great Lennon rocker! Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge on all these videos. Thank you!
Thank you ✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼
Revolver is ranked way too high on your list. Revolver is arguably the Beatles best album, but Capitol's version, which subtracts three Lennon songs, in no way compares to to the UK version.
Good video although I am a Rolling Stones fan. And liked the Beatles a little bit. The best beatle was George Harrison. He ‘made the blitz’ at Abbey Road.
A Mazzy video about The Beatles......
.......erm, yes please !!!!!
You’re welcome ✌🏼
I got into the Beatles in high school the early 2000’s. I started buying vinyl and CDs at the same time. I noticed the seemingly endless number of unique albums available on vinyl that weren’t on CD or on my poster of Beatles albums hanging up on my wall. This confused me for years. I remember thinking that the Capitol versions of Rubber Soul and Revolver must have been the “original” versions and that the CDs must have been “newer” versions with different songs and “bonus tracks”
Either way it’s great exploring their music for the first time, regardless of when it happens.
Also at this time Beatles vinyl was plentiful and verrrry cheap. Max was 10 bucks and usually they were much, much less.
That's why Meet The Beatles with I Want To Hold Your Hand as the opening track is the album and single that changed the world. Already big hits in England, virtually no one in the U.S. had even heard of them. What did Brian tell John and Paul? He said that if you don't make it in America...you haven't made it (ask Cliff Richard). They wrote I Want To... for the American audience and it made them famous overnight. Two DVD's you might like to check out...I Want To Hold Your Hand: Songs That Changed the World (on Impact), and Meet The Beatles: The Essential Album Of All Time (on Music Milestones). And really, how about the jacket cover on Meet...? Does it get any cooler than taking the basic black and white photo from their Brit release, enhance it with that blue tint, and those magic words: MEET THE BEATLES...The First Album by England's Phenomenal Pop Combo!! WOW!!!! Those head shots in the dark. Are they wearing turtle necks? Pop Combo...Jazz influenced? The jacket spoke to young teens from coast to coast. I'm sorry, but every time I look at the Please Please Me cover I'm unimpressed. Does Ringo still have Elvis hair? Is the photo taken at an apartment complex or where? Did E.M.I. have so little faith in their success that the first album jacket was that boring?
Perfect. FYI that Please Please Me cover photo by Agnus McBean was taken at EMI house in Manchester Square London. They return for the Get Back cover but it was used in the Blue and Red comps instead
Norm, a friend had a double LP of The Beatles doing Buddy Holly songs. I've never seen it out there again. If memory serves me well, it had a wine color cover. Are you familiar with it?
There is no album of the Beatles doing all Holly songs. McCartney owns Holly’s publishing and there is a collection of a variety of artists including McCartney covering his songs. The Beatles only recorded Words of Love.
@@mazzysmusic Maybe, it was a Beatles Love Songs album with Words of Love
If the US Rubber Soul had nowhere man it would be perfect. Maybe if I needed someone too.
I don't think it ever occurred to me that their name wasn't on the cover of Rubber Soul. As Mazzy so beautifully states, "We knew those faces by 1965". I also only heard the U.S. version for years, and to this day, it's just not the same for me if it doesn't kick off with "I've Just Seen A Face".
While “The Early Beatles” and the Capitol version of “Revolver” may be questionable or obsolete for having simply removed songs from their equivalent UK releases, I genuinely believe that “Beatles ‘65” and “Beatles VI” are collectively far better and immeasurably more cohesive than “Beatles for Sale”, which is very uneven, in my opinion. Likewise for “Yesterday…And Today” and “Rubber Soul” (USA) over Rubber Soul UK. I also prefer “Meet the Beatles” and “The Beatles Second Album” over “With The Beatles”, although the latter sounds much better as the mono mixes of those two aforementioned U.S. albums were largely fold-downs.
People act as if the N. American Capitol Records albums are retroactively “compilations” or illegitimate due to The Beatles’ personal involvement in configuring the UK albums, and while that should not be overlooked, the Capitol Records were nonetheless heard by tens of millions of more people relative to the UK albums, due to the higher population in the USA and Canada. These albums were officially released with the legal support of EMI. In fact, they were still being released on cassette well into the ‘90s and were released on CD in 2004 and again in the 2010s. There’s also the issue of the Capitol “Magical Mystery Tour” LP being part of The Beatles’ official canon, as you mentioned in your video, despite the fact that the band compiled a Double-EP which featured the soundtrack songs in a different tracklisting from Side 1 of the “canon” U.S. LP. I’m not sure if Paul, George, Ringo, and Yoko/Lennon’s estate formally endorsed the move to “canonize” the US MMT LP in 1987 over the British Double EP or if EMI simply opted to do so for convenience on Compact Disc, but it’s nonetheless “official” despite having originated as a Capitol creation without the band’s involvement.
All of the great American and Canadian groups of the 1960s and 1970s (and even early-to-mid 1980s), such as The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Elvis (if he ever even listened to a Beatles LP at all, that is lol), The Guess Who, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Glass Harp, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Steppenwolf, etc. (but likely not Jimi Hendrix considering how much time he spent in the UK) would have all been exposed to, and influenced by, the Capitol albums. Brian Wilson, for instance, was inspired to write “Pet Sounds”, one of the greatest records of not just the Sixties but of all time, by the Capitol version of Rubber Soul. That alone renders the Capitol version equally legitimate to the UK release and worth preserving. Also, no one really seems to mention that The Jimi Hendrix Experience had more of a “say” in the British and European Track version of “Are You Experienced?” as opposed to the more celebrated and iconic U.S. Reprise version. The Rolling Stones’ U.S. albums have been treated equally by Abkco since the 1980s and The Rolling Stones No. 2 has been largely replaced by “The Rolling Stones Now!” even in the UK.
The greatest American Beatles Album....is the American Version of Rubber Soul. That is perhaps the Beatles release EVER
I’ve always thought Don’t bother Me by George Harrison was awesome. He dismissed it and thought not much of it, shame because it’s a good rocker.❤ And I also thought they marketed Rubber Soul very well. I prefer the US version like Brian Wilson from The Beach Boys.
Any idea why just Lennon songs were pulled from Revolver for US? Really affects the album for me.
Rain 😢
actually the first two UK stones LPs have no sign of the band's name and they were released April64 and January 65
Once I discovered the UK versions I felt Capitol ripped me off.
That’s too bad. It was a different time in the 60s record business world. 🤷🏻♂️
It was indeed.
It may have felt like a ripoff in retrospect, but getting three new Beatles albums a year instead of two meant that you never had to wait long for a new album to come out. It was a very exciting time to be a fan. Also, including singles on the LPs actually saved fans from having to buy the singles separately. The hit songs you heard on the radio were available on the LPs that you could buy. You didn’t have to buy both the LPs and the singles to get all of the tracks released.
I'm one of those who believes, outside of Magical Mystery Tour, the UK versions are definitive supplemented by the Past Masters compilation. But when the US versions were released I was perfectly happy with them.