The Beatles' Story on Capitol Records: The Albums - Hardcover

Spizer, Bruce

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0966264924 ISBN 13: 9780966264920

Publisher: Four Ninety-Eight Productions Llc, 2000

Synopsis

This is the second part of Bruce Spizer's critically acclaimed "The Beatles’ Story on Capitol Records, Part One: Beatlemania & The Singles." It contains detailed information on the group's Capitol albums from "Meet The Beatles!" through "Magical Mystery Tour", including extensive coverage on the controversial butcher cover and “Sgt. Pepper.” There are also chapters on the unique albums released by Capitol in Canada and in Mexico, as well as chapters on where and how the records and album covers were manufactured and on the special mixes appearing on Capitol albums, plus a few surprises. Hard cover with over 700 color photos throughout, including all album covers, label variations, trade advertisements, posters and point of purchase displays. Essential and entertaining for both casual fans and serious collectors.

About this title

About the Author

Bruce Spizer is a first generation Beatles fan and a life-long native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He has an extensive Beatles collection, concentrating primarily on United States and Canadian first issue records, record promotional items, press kits and concert posters. A taxman by day, Bruce is a board certified tax attorney and certified public accountant. A paperback writer by night, he is the author of the critically acclaimed books, The Beatles Records on Vee-Jay and The Beatles' Story on Capitol Records, Parts One and Two. Bruce's articles on the Beatles are featured regularly in Beatlology Magazine and Beatlefan.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

For marketing and financial reasons, Capitol chose not to duplicate the Beatles British releases. The carefully crafted British Beatles albums were broken apart, sometimes beyond recognition. Most albums not only had different song configurations, but also had unique titles and art work. Beatles historians and the Beatles themselves have long maintained that the group had nothing to do with the American albums. While it is true that the first few LPs were totally created by Capitol, the Beatles (or at least manager Brian Epstein) were involved in the cover artwork selection as early as Beatles 65. By the time Rubber Soul was released in December, 1965, the group's new contract with Capitol gave the Beatles control over album packaging. It was the Beatles themselves who selected and insisted upon the butcher photo for the cover of Capitol s Yesterday And Today, the first record ever recalled due to negative response over its jacket. Although Capitol normally reduced the number of songs and added previously released singles, the company remained fairly true to the running order of the songs. And, of course, the Beatles provided the music. But, with the exception of Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band, all Capitol albums had different songs than the British re! leases. Capitol s revamping of the British albums has been universally criticized, the party line being Capitol butchered the Beatles. And while some of the Capitol albums are best described as pieces-parts discs (The Beatles Second Album and Something New come to mind), others work extremely well (Meet The Beatles!, Rubber Soul and Magical Mystery Tour). One of the advantages of the American albums is that most include hit singles not available on the British albums. One disadvantage is that the British discs normally had fourteen selections whereas Capitol s specially created for the American market albums were limited to eleven or twelve songs. To purists, the primary fault with the Capitol discs is that they are not what the Beatles intended. Such comparisons, however, may be irrelevant to the Americans who bought the Capitol albums in the sixties. These were the records Americans grew up with, and, for that reason alone, they are fondly remembered.

Edition details

• Publisher: Four Ninety-Eight Productions Llc
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0966264924
• ISBN 13: 9780966264920
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 264