The Beatles' 1964 U.S. Albums Collected For New Mono Vinyl Box Set & LPs Releases November 22
The set spotlights seven albums released in America between January 1964 & March 1965
Credit: ©Apple Corps Ltd.
For US fans of The Beatles, this is another in a long line of revitalizing the songs that shook America 60 years ago. And if you’re an audiophile, this collection should hold some precious sounds and memories.
Apple Corps Ltd. has just announced that November 22 will see the release of The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums In Mono, a seven-disc box set that has been analog cut for 180-gram audiophile vinyl from their original mono master tapes. The albums – Meet The Beatles!; The Beatles’ Second Album; A Hard Day’s Night (Original Motion Picture Sound Track); Something New; The Beatles’ Story (2LP); Beatles ’65; and The Early Beatles – have been out of print since 1995. The box set collects the seven albums, and all except The Beatles’ Story are also available individually.
Some of the cooler aspects are the replicated artwork for each (including the inner sleeve which is era-accurate!) and essays from Beatles historian and author Bruce Spizer.
Credit: ©Apple Corps Ltd.
While the Beatles’ American LPs veered widely from the UK releases, this was largely due to the working at Capitol Records marketing department. The US albums were shorter (due to differences in how publishing royalties were calculated in the two countries) and focused on the hit singles. Dave Dexter Jr. oversaw this arm of the Beatles recordings and as a producer, was the one responsible for remastering the tapes, adding reverb and altering the stereo output. He had also previously turned down all of their UK singles (which went to Vee-Jay and Swan) until he finally decided “I Want To Hold Your Hand” was deemed worthy enough for US listeners in late 1963.
The Beatles 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono Vinyl Box Set/℗©Apple Corps Ltd/YouTube
In the ensuing decades, much has been written and analyzed about this particular iteration of Beatles albums. The Beatles, manager Brian Epstein and producer George Martin were not very happy and this chop shop handling (which ultimately led to the famous Yesterday and Today ‘Butcher Cover,’ from 1966 which itself was another compilation) only ended when the band re-signed their EMI contract in 1967 and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released unscathed.
Credit: ©Apple Corps Ltd.
Far and away, the best thing about this collection is the inclusion of The Beatles’ Story, a 2LP gem that is so cornball, so full of narrative inaccuracies and easy-listening renditions of the Fab Four’s songs by The Hollyridge Strings that it is the only reason you should buy it now. Trust me.
The Beatles Story Vinyl Lp record narrative and musical biography/℗©Capitol Records/YouTube
A heads-up: if you’re wondering why Beatles VI is not included in this collection, it was released in June 1965, but details.
Credit: ©Apple Corps Ltd.
Preorder The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums In Mono box set here. All LPs (except The Beatles’ Story) can be pre-ordered individually. Also available are themed merch including T-shirts, lunchboxes and turntable.
I saw this very insightful comment from my friend Skylar Moody about just this thing:
"I understand those being frustrated at the prices, but unfortunately, this is what fan merchandise has escalated to for ALL music artists. Whether you blame it on inflation, companies looking for excuses to make a profit, it is how it is. And yes, it SUCKS!
Thankfully, they have the albums up for purchase individually, as well as MANY other cheaper merch options for those not wanting to spend the money on the box set. And more than likely, these albums will become available for streaming."
That box seems ridiculously overpriced.