Vee Jay 498: Please Please Me/Ask Me Why
The Beatles’ American debut was their second UK single – a
big hit in England but a flop in the US on tiny R&B label, Vee-Jay. Also
released on Capitol in Canada (72090), where it did well.
Vee Jay 522: From Me To You/Thank You Girl
The Beatles’ third UK single was a big hit, so Vee Jay tried
releasing it – for another flop. Again, it did well in Canada on Capitol
(72101).
Swan 4152: She
Loves You/I’ll Get You
Vee Jay had flopped with two singles which had been massive
UK hits. The label then canceled the release of the group’s first American LP
and also failed to pay royalties, voiding its contract. So, the Beatles’
massively popular fourth UK single instead was released on Philadelphia-based
Swan Records. Like previous American releases, it flopped, but did well in Canada
(Capitol 72125). Swan reissued the disk in the wake of Beatlemania and it
topped the charts. After Swan’s contract ran out in late 1964, however, Capitol
never reissued this single – possibly because both sides were already included
on the chart-topping LP, “The Beatles Second Album.” It was finally available
again in 1994 on Capitol colored vinyl (“For Jukeboxes only!” according to the
label) as #S7-17688.
Capitol (Canada) 72144: Roll Over Beethoven/Misery
I have no idea why these cuts – one each from the group’s first
two UK albums – were coupled together and released in Canada in 1963. But the disk
hit #2 there and sold decently as an import into the US (hitting #68). In 1965,
it came out on the rare green swirl Capitol Starline budget reissue label
(#6065). The b-side had also appeared in the US on Vee Jay, but would disappear
until Capitol’s 1980 “Rarities” album.
Capitol 5112: I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her
Standing There
Capitol finally takes a chance and releases the group’s fifth UK single, hitting pay dirt. Reissued on Capitol colored vinyl (S7-17689).
Vee Jay 581: Please Please Me/From Me To You
Vee Jay realized it could sell records by getting the heat from
Capitol’s massive Beatles campaign. Not wanting to take a chance, they took two
big UK hits – which had previously been flops in the US – and combined them. Reissued -- along with five other
Beatle 45s -- on Oct. 11, 1965, on the very rare Capitol Starline label (green
swirl) #6063, but never on Capitol colored vinyl for some reason.
Tollie
T-9001: Twist And Shout/There's A Place
Vee
Jay uses its offshoot label to get another Beatle record in the charts. Also
reissued in 1965 on the Starline label (#6061), and again on Capitol colored
vinyl in 1994 (S7-17699). The a-side was also issued as a promo-only single in
1986 to capitalize on its use in “Ferrie Bueller’s Day Off.” The b-side was an
orphan from the UK “Please Please Me” LP when it was reconfigured into
Capitol’s “The Early Beatles.” Its only other US appearances would be on Vee
Jay’s version of the UK LP (“Introducing the Beatles”) and on Capitol’s 1980
“Rarities” album.
Tollie
T-9008: Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You
Vee-Jay
(and its new subsidiary, Tollie) had won the rights to continue releasing
Beatle product until October, 1964, and used that time to rush out what had
been the group’s debut UK single. A minor hit in 1962 England, but a #1 in 1964
America. Reissued in the 1965 Starline batch (#6062) and on Capitol colored
vinyl (S7-56785).
Capitol
5150: Can’t Buy Me Love/You Can’t Do That
After
several non-Capitol releases (and the accompanying legal action from EMI),
Capitol puts out the first hotly anticipated track from the group’s upcoming
film. Reissued on Capitol colored vinyl as S7-17690.
Capitol
(Canada) 72144: All My Loving/This Boy
Beatles
records were selling so well that this Canadian disk sold well enough in the
northern US to chart at #45 as an import – no doubt helped by the fact that the
A-side was the first song performed by the group during its first
epoch-shattering appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” (February 9, 1964).
Finally officially reissued by Capitol (US) in 1971 on the red-and-orange-scheme
“target” label.
Vee
Jay 587: Do You Want To Know A Secret/Thank You Girl
Vee
Jay continued slicing-and-dicing the 16 Beatle tracks it had access to, this
time giving George his first a-side vocal (and last until 1969) and notching a
#2 hit. The b-side was leftover from the company’s flop second attempt to get a
Beatle hit in 1963. Popular enough to be
reissued on Capitol Starline in 1965 (#6064).
Capitol
5222: A Hard Day’s Night/I Should Have Known Better
With
so many Beatle disks spinning past cash registers, Capitol puts out only its
third attempt – and third chart-topper. Also
a UK #1, but with a different B-side (“I’ll Be Back”) which would be the
version reissued on Capitol colored vinyl (S7-17692).
Odeon
(German) 45-O 29502: Sie Liebt Dich/Komm Gibb
EMI’s
German affiliate successfully convinced the British company that it could only
sell records sung in its native tongue. The Beatles dutifully recorded German
vocals for its massively popular fourth and fifth UK a-sides for release in
that country. The odd disk would see its b-side included (as a novelty) on
Capitol’s third US LP. For some reason, the company ignored the a-side… which
would be picked up by Swan Records as #72162. Apparently, someone at the tiny
Philadelphia firm assumed they had rights to ANY version of “She Loves You.”
The disk still made it to #97 in the charts.
Capitol
5234: I'll Cry Instead/I'm Happy Just to Dance With You
Capitol
5235: And I Love Her/If I Fell
Four
of the seven cuts from the UK “A Hard Day’s Night” LP hadn’t been released as
45s yet. Capitol now had sole right to Beatle records in America – so it put
out the songs. But with the film out of theaters by this point, they were minor
hits.
Capitol
5255: Matchbox/Slow Down
Two
songs from the UK “Long Tall Sally” EP had already appeared on “The Beatles
Second Album.” So these two were oddly coupled and sent out as a single,
reaching #17 and #25, respectively.
Capitol
5327: I Feel Fine/She’s A Woman
The
Beatles’ eighth UK single was a Christmas chart-topper – and did the same in
America at the beginning of 1965.
Capitol
5371: Eight Days A Week/I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party
Two
cuts from the UK “Beatles For Sale” LP became a US #1 single.
Capitol
5407: Ticket To Ride/Yes It Is
Capitol
5476: Help!/Im Down
The
group’s ninth and tenth UK 45s topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic
– the former sporting the “Help!” film’s original title (“Eight Arms to Hold
You”). The latter was reissued on Capitol colored vinyl (#S7-17691).
Capitol
5498: Yesterday/Act Naturally
Two
songs pulled from the non-soundtrack side of the UK “Help!” LP – a massive #1
in America. Reissued on Capitol colored vinyl (#S7-18901).
Capitol
Starline 6066: Kansas City/Boys
I’m not
sure who decided that two cover songs needed to be coupled and released on the
budget label, but here’s the sixth and final Beatle disk in the Starline series.
Perhaps the releases were intended to make up for the gap between material from
the UK “Help!” and “Rubber Soul” LPs? Charted at #102.
Capitol
5555: We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper
The
Beatles’ 11th UK single was another Christmas chart-topper – and did
the same in America at the beginning of 1966. Reissued on Capitol colored vinyl
(#S7-18895).
Capitol
5587: Nowhere Man/What Goes On
In
1964, Capitol had pulled two cuts from the LP released by the group at
Christmas – and got a chart topper in early ’65. A year later, they tried the
same thing. But “Nowhere Man” only made #3 in America in early 1966. Reissued on
Capitol colored vinyl (#S7-18894).
Capitol
5651: Paperback/Writer Rain
Capitol
5715: Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine
Capitol
5810: Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane
Capitol
5964: All You Need Is Love/Baby, You’re A Rich Man
For
the rest of 1966, Capitol would follow the Beatles’ wishes and conform US
single releases to those in the UK. For 1967, it was written into their new
9-year EMI contract. All reissued on Capitol colored vinyl as, respectively, #S7-18902,
17696, 17697, 17693.
Capitol
2056: Hello, Goodbye/I Am The Walrus
Capitol
2138: Lady Madonna/The Inner Light
In
late 1967, Capitol ran out of numbers in its 5000 series, and rolled it over to
the 2000 series – hence the change in catalog numbers. While “Hello, Goodbye”
hit #1, “Lady Madonna” only got to #4. I wonder if that’s because it was the
group’s last release on Capitol proper, before they started their own Apple
label (to be manufactured and distributed by Capitol). Were the promo men a bit
miffed? I also wonder if the same thing didn’t happen in mid-1975, when Capitol
realized that three of the four Beatles were leaving at the end of the
aforementioned 9-year contract: Paul’s three singles in 1975 hit #1, #12, and
#35. John, George, and Ringo, however, were leaving and saw their sales rapidly
decline.
Apple
2276: Hey Jude/Revolution
Apple
2490: Get Back/Don’t Let Me Down
Apple
2531: The Ballad Of John And Yoko/Old Brown Shoe
Apple
2654: Something Come Together
Apple
2764: Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
Four
more US chart-toppers which conformed to their UK counterparts… while Apple
2531 only got to #8 in America, likely due to many stations banning it for use
of the word “Christ.” Only three of these were reissued on Capitol colored
vinyl: “Hey Jude” (#S7-17694), “Something” (17698), and “Let It Be” (17695).
Apple
2832: The Long And Winding Road/For You Blue
Someone
(likely Allen Klein) talked the Beatles into letting Capitol release another US
single from the “Let It Be” album – another #1 (and their last). Reissued on
Capitol colored vinyl (#S7-18898).
Apple
(Netherlands) 5C 006-04982: All Together Now/Hey Bulldog
There
wouldn't be any "new" US or UK Beatle singles until 1976, when EMI
was free to repackage the group's material without getting permission. However,
this 1972 single of two cuts from the "Yellow Submarine" LP was
likely a tie-in to the film being reissued. See Capitol S7-18893 below.
Capitol
4274: Got To Get You Into My Life/Helter Skelter
A 45
to promote the “Rock and Roll Music” album in America. This hit #8 while Paul’s
“Silly Love Songs” was on its way down the chart, and “Let ‘Em In” was on its
way up – giving him three Top 40 entries in the same week. That was a feat
which hadn’t been achieved since… 1964, when The Beatles did it. Reissued on
Capitol colored vinyl (S7-18899).
Capitol
4347: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da/Julia
Two
cuts from “The White Album” which only reached #49 in 1976. Reissued on Capitol
colored vinyl (S7-18900).
Capitol
4612: Sgt. Pepper's; With A Little Help From My Friends/A Day In The Life
A
maxi-single with three cuts from “Sgt. Pepper,” likely as a tie-in to the 1978
issue of the album as a picture disk. Reissued on Capitol colored vinyl (S7-17701).
Capitol
S7-17488: Birthday/Taxman
Capitol
S7-17700: Here Comes The Sun/Octopus's Garden
Capitol
S7-18891: Across The Universe/Two Of Us
Capitol
S7-18897: Here, There And Everywhere/Good Day Sunshine
More
singles which were only released in the Capitol colored vinyl series, combining
popular tunes from the same albums (on each) and giving George (and even Ringo)
more 45-placings.
Capitol
S7-18893: It's All Too Much/Only A Northern Song
A
colored vinyl single of the two remaining (George) songs from the “Yellow
Submarine” LP which were NOT released on the 1972 Dutch single above. Get both 45s
and your jukebox can have the entire film soundtrack!
Capitol
S7-18896: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds/When I'm 64
Capitol
S7-18890: Magical Mystery Tour/The Fool On The Hill
Capitol
S7-18892: While My Guitar Gently Weeps/Blackbird
Capitol
S7-18889: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away/I've Just Seen A Face
Capitol
S7-19341: Norwegian Wood/If I Needed Someone
More
singles which were only released in the Capitol colored vinyl series, each combining
two popular tunes from one album. The last (“Norwegian Wood”) was issued on
black vinyl for some reason; it’s green vinyl counterpart was a limited edition
from Collector’s Choice music, numbered 18888.
Notice
that each of these last ten 45s couples two songs from every UK Beatle album
after 1964 – and pulls two from the double “White Album.” Appropriate. Also,
there were essentially two batches of 14 colored vinyl singles… and a third
batch could have easily been made from the remaining 10 Capitol and 4 Starline
releases. Perhaps this was planned and never happened?
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