The Beatles third LP (4th in the U.S.), A Hard Day’s Night, also had differing U.K./U.S. versions, a trend that would continue until Sgt. Pepper in 1967. The U.K. Version contained 14 original songs, including the seven songs written for the film. The U.S. version had the seven soundtrack songs along with five instrumental tracks performed by studio musicians and conducted by George Martin.
As
a soundtrack, the LP was released on United Artists Records in the U.S. and not on Capitol. Each of
the LPs had differing though similar cover art, with Robert Freeman
photographs; four on the American version with a prominent red border, 20 on the British
issue with a blue background. The songs not included in the American release
would be included in the Capitol only album Something New just a month later.
That LP would also contain two additional original tracks and a German-language
version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." A Hard Day's Night would spend 14 weeks at
No. 1 with Something New sitting in the penultimate position, never making it to
the top.
In the meantime, the Beatles 4th British release, Beatles For Sale, would replace A Hard Day's Night as the top-selling LP and would stay there for seven weeks. It was replaced by The Rolling Stones No. 2, but would return to the top after a week. The Stones would regain the position after three weeks, but the Beatles, for sale it not, would again surge to No. 1 until ousted by Dylan's first electric release, Bringing It All Back Home. Eleven weeks total at No. 1.
Here's something for collectors. Parlophone released a limited number of the
Something New LP for servicemen overseas. Get your hands on one and you're a
thousand dollars richer.
In the U.S., Something New was followed by a documentary LP called The Beatles
Story followed by Beatles '65 which contained 8 of the 14 songs from the
British canon LP, Beatles For Sale, released December 4, 1964. The six omitted songs would appear on
Beatles VI later in the year but not until after Capitol's release of The Early
Beatles. Capitol had obtained the right to those songs on Introducing the
Beatles released by VeeJay (12 of the 14 songs from Please Please Me). The LP was released without fanfare and was the
only American release of a Beatles album not to make it to No. 1 or No. 2 on the charts. The
Early Beatles made it to only No. 43.
In the meantime, the Beatles 4th British release, Beatles For Sale, would replace A Hard Day's Night as the top-selling LP and would stay there for seven weeks. It was replaced by The Rolling Stones No. 2, but would return to the top after a week. The Stones would regain the position after three weeks, but the Beatles, for sale it not, would again surge to No. 1 until ousted by Dylan's first electric release, Bringing It All Back Home. Eleven weeks total at No. 1.
The first James Bond film, Dr. No, was released in 1962 and by 1965, with stellar hits like Goldfinger, the 007 films were
immensely popular. The Beatles' timely spoof on espionage, Help!, found the Fab Four
striving to record their new album while a fanatical cult aimed to steal one of Ringo's rings, all in glorious technicolor.
It's not A Hard Day's Night but many consider the musical segments among the
first music videos.
The U.K. release of the LP, the Beatles' fifth, had seven songs from the film on Side One with seven additional songs on Side Two, among them "Yesterday," the most covered song in music history. The American version, on the other hand, was a true soundtrack with the seven originals songs and incidental music from the film.
The British album cover features the Beatles in semaphore positions supposedly spelling out HELP. According to Beatle photographer Robert Freeman, their positions just didn’t look right and so, in reality, the Beatles are really spelling out NUVJ , or, on the American release NJUV.
The U.K. release of the LP, the Beatles' fifth, had seven songs from the film on Side One with seven additional songs on Side Two, among them "Yesterday," the most covered song in music history. The American version, on the other hand, was a true soundtrack with the seven originals songs and incidental music from the film.
The British album cover features the Beatles in semaphore positions supposedly spelling out HELP. According to Beatle photographer Robert Freeman, their positions just didn’t look right and so, in reality, the Beatles are really spelling out NUVJ , or, on the American release NJUV.
And
here's where it gets confusing again. The seven songs from Side Two of the
British release were spread among three American releases. Three songs on the
previously released Beatles VI, two on Rubber Soul and two on Yesterday and
Today, a Capitol only release. You're beginning to see why there were only 11
British releases vs. the 19 in the U.S.
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