The Beatles Collection

chronology
The Beatles Collection
Compilation album by The Beatles
Publication ; (s)	December 2, 1978 ( UK )
Label (s)	Parlophone / Capitol Records / Apple Records / EMI
Format (s)	LP ; MC
Genre (s)	Rock , pop
Title (number)	200
running time	543 min 40 s
occupation	John Lennon : rhythm guitar , vocals ; Paul McCartney : bass , acoustic guitar , drums , vocals; George Harrison : lead guitar , vocals; Ringo Starr : drums, vocals;
production	George Martin ,; Phil Spector (on Let It Be ) ;

The Beatles Collection is a compilation of all of the Beatles' British studio albums . The box contains the twelve albums that were released between 1963 and 1970, as well as the album Rarities . The box was released on December 2, 1978.

prehistory

The original idea to publish a box with Beatles albums was realized in late 1974 / early 1975 in the USA by Capitol Records on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the record contract with the Beatles. The box is titled Beatles 10th Anniversary Box 1964–1974 and contains 17 American albums:

The album Let It Be is not included . The box was very limited and was largely distributed to employees of Capitol Records.

In 1974 another box was made by Capitol Records containing the following ten Beatles albums:

This box was also limited and was entitled The Beatles Special Limited Edition .

Emergence

The first international release of a Beatles album collection box was on December 2, 1978 and was based on the following twelve British studio albums:

The box contains 200 songs, of which Yellow Submarine is double, as it is on the album Revolver and Yellow Submarine . All albums had their original stereo mixes and their original covers, and the records had their original labels from Parlophone or Apple Records . The box had a blue hard cardboard cover, on the front at the upper edge is written The Beatles Collection in golden block letters , on the lower edge are the four signatures of the Beatles, also printed in gold.

In addition to a poster from the Beatles, the box also contains a new compilation album entitled Rarities , which bears the note "Sampler Record - Not For Sale" on the back. It contains 17 songs that are not on the UK studio albums. The Beatles Collection does not include all of the Beatles' songs, as the box does not contain, among other things, the American album Magical Mystery Tour and the British compilation album A Collection of Beatles Oldies or, alternatively, the albums 1962–1966 and 1967–1970 , so the following songs are missing for a completion:

The US version of the box (catalog number: BC 13) is limited to 3,000 copies. The US version of the Rarities album (catalog number: Capitol SPRO 8969) differed from the British version (catalog number: Parlophone PSLP 261), because instead of the German versions of She loves you and Come on, give me your hand, the original English versions were used were.

In December 1982, a music cassette version (catalog number: EMI / Parlophone TCBS 13) of The Beatles Collection was released in Great Britain .

Follow-up publications

The Beatles Mono Collection

In August 1982 a box called The Beatles Mono Collection was released in Great Britain , the box was limited and contains the following Beatles studio albums in the original mono mixes:

The mono version of the album Yellow Submarine is only a mixed down stereo version and not its own, separate mono version , although mono mixes of the six songs of the Beatles on page 1 existed at the time of the album's release in January 1969.

The box was sold in blue and red hard cardboard sleeves, on the front at the upper edge is written The Beatles Mono Collection in silver block letters , on the lower edge are the four signatures of the Beatles, also printed in silver. The blue boxes were limited to 2,000 units and were intended for export to the USA, the red boxes were also limited (one number is not documented) and should be sold in the UK.

In June 1986, the box was released in Japan , limited to 1000 units , with the individual long-playing records being pressed onto red vinyl.

The Beatles: The Collection

In September 1982, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) released a box limited to 25,000 units (catalog number: Mobile Fidelity BC-1) with 13 Beatles albums, including the Beatles' 12 British studio albums plus the Magical Mystery Tour . Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab borrowed the original British stereo studio master tapes for the Beatles' albums from Abbey Road Studios , while the Magical Mystery Tour used a submaster from Capitol Records .

In the special process used by MFSL , the lacquer plate was cut at half speed (Half-Speed Mastering), and the records were pressed on special high-quality vinyl in Japan at The Victor Company of Japan (JVC). The mastering was done by Stan Ricker and Jack Hunt. The records were then put into special inner sleeves and particularly stable covers. The album covers do not have their original design, but show the respective master tapes on a white background. The background of the record label is white and the individual albums have new individual catalog numbers, e.g. B. Please Please Me MFSL 1-101. A 40-page book is enclosed with the box, including the original cover. In October 1985 production of the box was stopped.

literature

Neville Stannard: The Long & Winding Road , ISBN 0-907-08096-0 .
Alex Bagirov: The Anthology of the Beatles Records , ISBN 978-3-936300-44-4 .

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Information about the British music cassette box The Beatles Collection

[1] Information about the British music cassette box The Beatles Collection