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The Beatles released twelve albums (thirteen if The White Album is counted twice) in seven years. Their discography is complicated due to different U.S. and UK releases, particularly in their early years at Capitol.
[edit] Historical background
The first twenty-four Beatles vinyl albums differ based on their location of release. Those released in the U.S. were of lower sound quality and had some of their songs omitted. Additionally, even though the first four Beatles albums were originally released as both monaural and stereo recordings in the United Kingdom, stereo record players were quite rare in the UK at the time. Naturally, then, George Martin and The Beatles only spent a lot of time on the mono mixes. Many early songs were later remastered by Capitol Records for the U.S. as artificial stereo with bass on one side and treble on the other side, with lots of added echo. However, this was only done when the stereo mix of the song was not available or did not exist, as in the case of She Loves You. The Capitol release of Rubber Soul, however, has gained a lot of fans in the years since the release of the British albums on CD. The additions of "I've Just Seen a Face" and "It's Only Love" from "Help!" and the omission of "Drive my Car," "Nowhere Man," "What Goes On," "Oh Martha", "Another Headache" and "If I Needed Someone" gives the album a different, folky flavour.
When it came time to release The Beatles' catalogue on CD, the decision was made to use the original British versions of the albums, since those were the "way The Beatles originally intended them to be". The initial releases of the first four CDs were of the original mono mixes. In 2004, Capitol Records released the first four American albums on CD as a box set and they represent the current (as of 2006) official stereo versions. No official stereo mix of the first four British albums had been released on compact disc, but there were plenty of "official looking" bootleg CDs in circulation that include the U.S. stereo mixes and even bear the "Apple" logo. Martin and The Beatles started to spend more time on stereo mixes by 1965. However, many fans believe that the mono versions of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the White Album are superior to the stereo mixes. The general consensus is that if stereo cannot be done right, it should not be done at all.
The sound of the digital transfers of the current discs, produced by George Martin in 1987 and 1988 using the only equipment available during the early days of the format, no longer meet standards achievable using current techniques in Direct Stream Digital, HDCD, and others. The sound on the remastered catalogues of Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones, among other lightweights from the 1960s, have been greatly enhanced utilizing technological developments that have occured since Martin's initial digital mastering, and as of late 2006 similar work for the Beatles is long overdue.
However, many Beatles enthusiasts feel that the current EMI CD releases of the albums do not do them justice for different reasons. The music was mastered to be played on vinyl, the cutting and playback of which is widely believed to add 'warmth' to the recording, the current CDs not able to compensate for the different medium. Given how important the sound quality of these albums was not only to The Beatles and George Martin, but also from a historical point of view, many purists still listen to Beatles albums only on vinyl. The occasional snap, crackle and pop add to the authenticity of the period from whence they came.
[edit] In the UK
This is a listing of the official studio albums released in the UK by The Beatles (not including compilations and the like).
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| Help! (#1 UK)
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| Label:
| Parlophone PMC 1255 (Mono)/PCS 3071 (Stereo)
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| Released:
| 1965-08-06
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[edit] Compilations and other releases in the UK
- Note: Two double compilation albums, featuring as covers an alternate shot of the photograph originally taken for Please Please Me and a 1969 re-creation (originally for Get Back, which evolved into Let It Be) based upon that photograph.
- Note: The reason for the Past Masters compilations are so that every song The Beatles released in 1962-1970 could be on a CD. They include singles and B-sides, two songs sung in German, the contents of an EP released in 1964 that had four additional songs, the "single" versions of the songs "Get Back" and "Let It Be", and a version of "Across the Universe" that had bird-like sound effects. Past Masters was also issued as a 2-LP set on 1988-11-10.
- The Beatles Box Set Apple/Parlophone Records (1988-12-05) (contains the official Apple/Parlophone Beatle catalogue on CD including the two Past Masters volumes along with a soft cover book by Mark Lewisohn describing every track in this collection which is contained in a roll top wooden box)
- Live at the BBC Apple Records (1994-11-30) (Contains 69 songs The Beatles recorded for various BBC radio shows that never were recorded for Parlophone/Capitol/EMI. This collection only emphasises how much The Beatles as the #1 band on the globe worked like dogs in 1963 and 1964, sometimes recording 18 songs in a session for the BBC.) #1
- Anthology 1 Apple Records (1995-11-21) (Containing early performances, live shows, demos, out-takes in the period 1958 to 1964 and the first "new" Beatles song since the band broke up in 1970) #2
- Anthology 2 Apple Records (1996-03-18) (Containing unreleased tracks, live shows, demos, and out-takes from 1965 to 1968) #1
- Anthology 3 Apple Records (1996-10-28) (Containing unreleased tracks, demos, and out-takes in the period 1968 to 1970) #4
- Yellow Submarine Songtrack Apple Records (1999-09-13) #8
- The Beatles 1 Apple Records (2000-11-13) (A collection of The Beatles' #1 hits on the Billboard [U.S.] and Record Retailer [UK] charts, including both sides of their double-A sided singles if both hit the top slot. The collection has 27 songs in it.) #1
- Let It Be… Naked Apple Records (2003-11-17) (Remastered and remixed cut from the original sessions, devoid of arrangements by "re-producer" Phil Spector. The first copies released shipped with a 21-minute Fly on the Wall bonus disc.) #7
- The Capitol Albums, Volume 1 Apple/Capitol/Parlophone Records (2004-11-15) (A re-issuing of the first four Beatles albums that Capitol released in the U.S. Both versions, mono and stereo)
- The Capitol Albums, Volume 2 Apple/Capitol/Parlophone Records (2006-04-11) (A re-issuing of The Beatles albums that Capitol released in the U.S. in 1965. Both versions, mono and stereo)
- Love Apple Records (2006-11-20) #3
[edit] Christmas records
The Beatles also recorded annual Christmas records for their fan club members. From 1963 to 1969 these were released as 7" flexidiscs on LYN. In 1970 the 7 previous records were put onto a 12" vinyl record. These remain largely unavailable today, with the exception of one track, "Christmas Time Is Here Again", which was edited and released on the Free As a Bird CD single in 1994:
- The Beatles Christmas Record, LYN 492 (1963)
- Season's Greetings from The Beatles, LYN 757 (1964)
- The Beatles 3rd Christmas Record, LYN 948 (1965)
- Everywhere It's Christmas, LYN 1145 (1966)
- Christmas Time Is Here Again, LYN 1360 (1967)
- Beatles 1968 Christmas Record, LYN 1743/4 (1968)
- Happy Christmas 1969, LYN 1970/1 (1969)
- From Then to You, (UK) Apple LYN 2154 / The Beatles' Christmas Album (U.S.) Apple SBC 100 (1970)
[edit] In Canada
The division of Capitol Records in Canada released three albums and a number of singles in 1963 and 1964 before aligning with the American division and releasing the same albums as in the U.S. Unlike the U.S., Capitol of Canada said yes to The Beatles from day one, as many British artists had obtained hit records in Canada previously, unlike in the USA. The first Canadian release was "Love Me Do" on 1963-02-04.
[edit] In the U.S.
In the United States, as noted above, The Beatles albums were rearranged, retitled and remixed. Some of the U.S. releases were nearly identical to their UK counterparts, often only varying by one or two songs. Most releases contained songs that were also found on other records, which made things difficult for the American Beatles fan trying to purchase the band's entire catalog. By 1967, all U.S. releases matched the UK releases exactly. Some of the U.S. releases included:
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| The Beatles' Story (#7 U.S.)
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| Label:
| Capitol TBO 2222 (Mono)/STBO 2222 (Stereo)
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| Released:
| 1964-11-23
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| Side one
| Side two
| Side three
| Side four
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"On Stage With the Beatles"
"How Beatlemania Began"
"Beatlemania in Action"
"Man Behind the Beatles – Brian Epstein"
"John Lennon"
"Who's a Millionaire?"
| "Beatles Will Be Beatles"
"Man Behind the Music – George Martin"
"George Harrison"
| "A Hard Day's Night – Their First Movie"
"Paul McCartney"
"Sneaky Haircuts and More About Paul"
| "The Beatles Look at Life"
"'Victims' of Beatlemania"
"Beatle Medley"
"Ringo Starr"
"Liverpool and All the World!"
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| Help! (#1 U.S.)
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| Label:
| Capitol MAS 2386 (Mono)/SMAS 2386 (Stereo)
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| Released:
| 1965-08-13
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| Image:RubberSoulUSalbumcover.jpg
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| Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (#1 U.S.)
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| Label:
| Capitol MAS 2653 (Mono)/SMAS 2653 (Stereo)
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| Released:
| 1967-06-02
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| Track listing is identical to the UK release. It should be noted, though, that the two seconds of gibberish placed on the concentric groove of the UK release was left off the U.S. release.
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| Abbey Road (#1 U.S.)
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| Label:
| Apple/Capitol SO 383
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| Released:
| 1969-10-01
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| Track listing is identical to the UK release.
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| Let It Be (#1 U.S.)
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| Label:
| Apple/United Artists AR 34001
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| Released:
| 1970-05-18
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| Track listing is identical to the UK release.
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[edit] Compilations and other releases in the U.S.
- In The Beginning (Circa 1960), Polydor Records (1970-05-04) #117
- 1962–1966 (the "Red Album"), Capitol Records (1973-04-02) #3
- 1967–1970 (the "Blue Album"), Capitol Records (1973-04-02) #1
- Rock 'n' Roll Music, Capitol Records (1976-06-07) #2
- The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, Capitol Records (1977-05-04) #2
- Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962, Lingasong (1977) #111
- Love Songs, Capitol Records (1977-10-21) #24
- The Beatles Collection, Capitol Records (1979-12-01) (Unlike the British release, the American issue was a limited edition with only 3,000 copies made. The British release which was not a limited edition became a popular import for the U.S. market as a result.)
- Rarities, Capitol Records (1980-03-24) #21
- Rock 'n' Roll Music Vol. 1, Music For Pleasure (1980-10-27) #11
- Rock 'n' Roll Music Vol. 2, Music For Pleasure (1980-10-27) #7
- Reel Music, Capitol Records (1982-03-22) #19
- 20 Greatest Hits, Capitol Records (1982-10-11) #50
- Please Please Me, Parlophone/Capitol Records (1987-02-26)
- With the Beatles, Parlophone/Capitol Records (1987-02-26)
- A Hard Day's Night (British version), Parlophone/Capitol Records (1987-02-26)
- Beatles For Sale, Parlophone/Capitol Records (1987-02-26)
- Help! (British version), Parlophone/Capitol Records (1987-04-30)
- Rubber Soul (British version), Parlophone/Capitol Records (1987-04-30)
- Revolver (British version), Parlophone/Capitol Records (1987-04-30)
- (The above 1987 CD releases mark the first official releases for The Beatles' early British albums in the U.S.)
- (Past Masters as a 2-LP set was issued by Capitol Records on 1988-10-24)
- The Beatles Box Set Parlophone/Capitol Records (1988-11-15)
- Live at the BBC, Capitol Records (1994-12-06) #3
- Anthology 1, Capitol Records (1995-11-21) #1
- Anthology 2, Capitol Records (1996-03-19) #1
- Anthology 3, Capitol Records (1996-10-29) #1
- Yellow Submarine Songtrack, Capitol Records (1999-09-14) #15
- The Beatles 1, Capitol Records (2000-11-14) #1
- Let It Be… Naked, Capitol Records (2003-11-18) #5
- The Capitol Albums, Volume 1, Capitol Records (2004-11-16) #35
- The Capitol Albums, Volume 2, Capitol Records (2006-04-11) #46
- Love, Capitol Records (2006-11-21) #4
[edit] Extended plays (EPs)
[edit] UK EPs
[edit] U.S. EPs
[edit] Singles
- Superscripted numbers indicate the peak position in the charts.
- The UK Singles Chart is compiled solely from sales figures; airplay statistics are not used. For this reason the chart positions for the UK Singles are indicated per disc, not per song.
- The Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. is compiled from sales and airplay statistics, so the individual songs on any given disc can be charted separately.
[edit] Bootlegs
See The Beatles Bootlegs for a run down of some of the more popular unauthorized bootleg material.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
hu:A Beatles diszkográfiája
ja:ビートルズの作品
pt:Discografia dos Beatles
ru:Дискография The Beatles
