The Essential Beatles
The Essential Beatles | ||||
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Compilation album by the Beatles | ||||
Released | 2 February 1972[1] | |||
Recorded | 1962–1969, EMI and Apple studios, London | |||
Genre | Rock and roll | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | Apple | |||
Producer | George Martin and Phil Spector | |||
The Beatles Australian chronology | ||||
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The Essential Beatles is a greatest hits compilation album by the Beatles which was exclusive to Australia and New Zealand on the Apple Records label.[1] All of the songs featured on the album (with the exception of "With a Little Help from My Friends") reached the top 3 in the Australian charts as singles and EP tracks.[2]
Most of the songs on the album are presented in true stereo, while "Love Me Do", "P.S. I Love You" and "Baby You're A Rich Man" are in "fake stereo". Two notable mastering glitches appear on the album: "Penny Lane" running slow with a noticeable "warble" and "Long Tall Sally" on this album, has the stereo channels reversed.[2]
The album was reissued twice in the 1980s. The first time as part of the Superstars of the '70s box set, released by the Australian branch of World Record Club in August 1980.[3] The second being in December 1982, where it was paired with the Barry Miles book The Beatles In Their Own Words in a box set titled: The Beatles Sight & Sound.[2][4][5]
The album was issued on cassette in 1972, but has never seen a compact disc release (as was the case with non-canon Beatles albums at the time). It remained in print until 1991, when all the Australian Beatles vinyl was deleted from EMI Music Australia catalogue and replaced with imported vinyl from the UK.[6]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Lennon–McCartney except as noted
No. | Title | Notes on mix variations | Length |
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1. | "Love Me Do" | Fake stereo mix created from mono Please Please Me version | 2:22 |
2. | "Boys" (Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell) | Stereo mix from Please Please Me | 2:28 |
3. | "Long Tall Sally" (Enotris Johnson, Robert Blackwell, Richard Penniman) | Stereo mix. The left and right channels are reversed from the original stereo mix .[2] First released on The Beatles' Second Album (except without the echo added by Dave Dexter Jr.) and the Australian and New Zealand only release, Greatest Hits Volume 1. | 2:04 |
4. | "Honey Don't" (Carl Perkins) | Stereo mix from the album Beatles For Sale | 3:00 |
5. | "P.S. I Love You" | Mono single mix in fake stereo | 2:05 |
6. | "Baby, You're a Rich Man" | Mono single and album mix in fake stereo | 3:10 |
7. | "All My Loving" | Stereo mix from the With the Beatles album | 2:10 |
8. | "Yesterday" | The original 1965 stereo mix from the Help! album | 2:07 |
9. | "Penny Lane" | New stereo mix. First featured on the German 1971 release of Magical Mystery Tour. The version on The Essential Beatles runs slower and has a noticeable tape "warble"[2] | 3:05 |
No. | Title | Notes on mix variations | Length |
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1. | "Magical Mystery Tour" | Stereo mix from the Magical Mystery Tour album. | 2:50 |
2. | "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" | The original 1965 mix from the stereo Rubber Soul album with reversed channels. | 2:04 |
3. | "With a Little Help from My Friends" | Stereo mix from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. | 2:40 |
4. | "All You Need Is Love" | Stereo mix first appearing on the Magical Mystery Tour album | 3:03 |
5. | "Something" (George Harrison) | From the Abbey Road album | 3:05 |
6. | "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" | From The Beatles album | 3:10 |
7. | "Let It Be" | The album version from the Let It Be album | 4:03 |
Sales charts and certification
Australian Charts
Chart | Peak Position |
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Kent Report Albums | 10[7] |
Go-Set Top 20 Albums | 6[8] |
Notes
- ^ a b Jones 2011, p. 131.
- ^ a b c d e Jones 2011, p. 12.
- ^ Jones 2011, p. 24.
- ^ Jones 2011, p. 132.
- ^ The Essential Beatles - I Am The Platypus
- ^ Jones 2011, p. 54.
- ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Turramurra, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
- ^ "GoSet Top 20 Albums". Go-Set. Australia: Go-Set Publications. 13 May 1972.
References
- Jones, Jaesen (2011). An Overview Of Australian Beatles Records. Canberra, Australia: Blue Star Print. ISBN 9780987104847.
External links
- Fixing a hole - the great lost Aussie Beatles collection
- v
- t
- e
recordings with
Tony Sheridan
- My Bonnie (GER, 1962)
- The Beatles with Tony Sheridan and Their Guests (1964)
- Ain't She Sweet (1964)
- The Beatles' First (GER, 1964 / UK, 1967)
- Very Together (1969)
- In the Beginning (Circa 1960) (1970)
- The Early Tapes of the Beatles (1984)
- Greatest Hits Volume 1 (AUS, 1966)
- A Collection of Beatles Oldies (1966)
- Greatest Hits Volume 2 (AUS, 1967)
- The Essential Beatles (AUS, 1972)
- 1962–1966 (Red Album) (1973)
- 1967–1970 (Blue Album) (1973)
- 20 Greatest Hits (1982)
- The Number Ones (AUS, 1983)
- 1 (2000)
- Rock 'n' Roll Music (1976)
- Love Songs (1977)
- The Beatles Ballads (1980)
- Reel Music (1982)
- Tomorrow Never Knows (2012)
- Hey Jude (US, 1970 / UK, 1979)
- Por Siempre Beatles (ARG, 1971)
- Rarities (UK, 1978)
- Rarities (US, 1980)
- Past Masters (1988)
- Mono Masters (2009)
- Yellow Submarine Songtrack (1999)
- Let It Be... Naked (2003)
- Sessions (unreleased)
- Anthology 1 (1995)
- Anthology 2 (1996)
- Anthology 3 (1996)
- The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963 (2013)
- Jolly What! / The Beatles & Frank Ifield on Stage (US, 1964)
- The Beatles in Italy (ITA, 1965)
- The Beatles' Christmas Album (US) / From Then to You (UK) (1970)
- The Beatles Tapes from the David Wigg Interviews (1976)
- Only The Beatles... (UK, 1986, withdrawn)
- Love (2006)
- 4: John Paul George Ringo (2014 EP)
Unofficial |
|
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- The Singles Collection 1962–1970 (UK, 1976)
- The Beatles Collection (UK, 1978 / US, 1979)
- The Beatles Box (1980)
- The Beatles EP Collection (1981)
- The Beatles: The Collection (1982)
- The Beatles Mono Collection (1982)
- The Beatles Box Set (1988)
- The Capitol Albums, Volume 1 (2004)
- The Capitol Albums, Volume 2 (2006)
- The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings) (2009)
- The Beatles in Mono (2009)
- The U.S. Albums (2014)
- The Japan Box (2014)
- The Christmas Records (2017)
- The Singles Collection (2019)
Reissues |
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