The Beatles Collection
Encyclopedia
The Beatles Collection is a box set of vinyl albums
released in the United States in November 1978 and the following month in the United Kingdom containing the official catalogue of The Beatles
in stereo
, and a new compilation called Rarities
. The American issue by Capitol Records
contained the British pressings of the same twelve original Beatles albums, with an American pressing of Rarities. The American pressing of Rarities differed from its British counterpart in that it included the previously released English-language versions of "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," rather than the German-language version found on the British pressing. The American edition of the boxed set was a limited edition of only 3,000 numbered copies. The limited availability of the American release resulted in the British release becoming popular as an import into the US.
The boxed set did not include a number of Beatles recordings, including those released on the Magical Mystery Tour
album. The album had been released in the United States in 1967, but it was not counted among the group's official catalogue because it was not issued in the United Kingdom until 1976. The collection also failed to include the non-album singles that had been previously released on the twin compilation packages, 1962–1966 and 1967–1970.
Along with the LPs listed below with their sleeves, the collection also include the inserts contained in the individual albums including the cardboard cutout sheet in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the photos and poster in The Beatles.
Audiophile company Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
released a similar box set in 1981 called The Beatles: The Collection
consisting of the twelve British versions of the albums (Rarities was not included, but Magical Mystery Tour was), pressed off the original Abbey Road studio master tapes (except for MMT) using a technique called "Half Speed Mastering" and pressed on Japanese "virgin" vinyl. The set was highly acclaimed for its sonic accuracy and only approximately 25,000 were released. In this case, the actual covers for each album was a photo of the studio master tape along with the engineer's log sheet. The original album covers were put together in a full-sized booklet.
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
released in the United States in November 1978 and the following month in the United Kingdom containing the official catalogue of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
, and a new compilation called Rarities
Rarities (Beatles compilation)
Rarities is a British compilation album featuring a selection of songs by The Beatles. The album was originally released as part of The Beatles Collection, a box set featuring all other Beatles records, but was later released individually. The album has not been released on CD, but all of the...
. The American issue by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
contained the British pressings of the same twelve original Beatles albums, with an American pressing of Rarities. The American pressing of Rarities differed from its British counterpart in that it included the previously released English-language versions of "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," rather than the German-language version found on the British pressing. The American edition of the boxed set was a limited edition of only 3,000 numbered copies. The limited availability of the American release resulted in the British release becoming popular as an import into the US.
The boxed set did not include a number of Beatles recordings, including those released on the Magical Mystery Tour
Magical Mystery Tour (album)
The soundtrack was far more favourably received than the film. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for best album in 1968 and reached number 1 in the US for eight weeks...
album. The album had been released in the United States in 1967, but it was not counted among the group's official catalogue because it was not issued in the United Kingdom until 1976. The collection also failed to include the non-album singles that had been previously released on the twin compilation packages, 1962–1966 and 1967–1970.
Along with the LPs listed below with their sleeves, the collection also include the inserts contained in the individual albums including the cardboard cutout sheet in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the photos and poster in The Beatles.
Audiophile company Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab is a company known as an innovator in the production of audiophile-quality sound recordings. All releases are advertised as being produced from the first-generation analog master recordings, and using proprietary technology, which MFSL claims allows for improved sound...
released a similar box set in 1981 called The Beatles: The Collection
The Beatles: The Collection
The Beatles: The Collection was a vinyl box set of every Beatles album remastered at half speed from the original stereo master recordings, except for Magical Mystery Tour which was mastered from Capitol Records' submasters with the last three tracks in rechanneled stereo...
consisting of the twelve British versions of the albums (Rarities was not included, but Magical Mystery Tour was), pressed off the original Abbey Road studio master tapes (except for MMT) using a technique called "Half Speed Mastering" and pressed on Japanese "virgin" vinyl. The set was highly acclaimed for its sonic accuracy and only approximately 25,000 were released. In this case, the actual covers for each album was a photo of the studio master tape along with the engineer's log sheet. The original album covers were put together in a full-sized booklet.
Album listing
| Album | Label | Release date | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Please Please Me Please Please Me Please Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney... |
Parlophone Records PCS 3042 | 22 March 1963 | 1 |
| With the Beatles With the Beatles With The Beatles is the second studio album by the English rock group The Beatles. It was released on 22 November 1963 on Parlophone, and was recorded four months after the band's debut Please Please Me... |
Parlophone Records PCS 3045 | 22 November 1963 | 1 |
| A Hard Day's Night A Hard Day's Night (album) A Hard Day's Night is the third studio album by The Beatles, released on 10 July 1964 as the soundtrack to their film A Hard Day's Night. The American version of the album was released two weeks earlier, on 26 June 1964 by United Artists Records, with a different track listing... |
Parlophone Records PCS 3058 | 10 July 1964 | 1 |
| Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released in late 1964 and produced by George Martin for Parlophone. The album marked a minor turning point in the evolution of Lennon and McCartney as lyricists, John Lennon particularly now showing interest in... |
Parlophone Records PCS 3062 | 4 December 1964 | 1 |
| Help! Help! (album) Help! is the title of the fifth British and ninth American album by The Beatles, and the soundtrack from their film of the same name. Produced by George Martin for EMI's Parlophone Records, it contains fourteen songs in its original British form, of which seven appeared in the film... |
Parlophone Records PCS 3071 | 6 August 1965 | 1 |
| Rubber Soul Rubber Soul Rubber Soul is the sixth studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released in December 1965. Produced by George Martin, Rubber Soul had been recorded in just over four weeks to make the Christmas market... |
Parlophone Records PCS 3075 | 3 December 1965 | 1 |
| Revolver Revolver (album) Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released on 5 August 1966 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous LP, the folk rock inspired Rubber... |
Parlophone Records PCS 7009 | 5 August 1966 | 1 |
| Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin... |
Parlophone Records PCS 7027 | 1 June 1967 | 1 |
| The Beatles The Beatles (album) The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a... (The White Album) |
Apple Records Apple Records Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston... PCS 7067/8 |
22 November 1968 | 1 |
| Yellow Submarine | Apple Records PCS 7070 | 17 January 1969 | 3 |
| Abbey Road | Apple Records PCS 7088 | 26 September 1969 | 1 |
| Let It Be | Apple Records PCS 7096 | 8 May 1970 | 1 |
| Rarities | Parlophone Records PSLP 261 (British editions) Capitol SPRO-8969 (US editions) | 2 December 1978 | 71 |
See also
- The Beatles BoxThe Beatles BoxThe Beatles Box is an eight-record compilation of Beatles recordings, initially issued in 1980 by World Records, a mail-order subsidiary of EMI.It was also issued in 2 formats by Reader's Digest in New Zealand....
- The Beatles: The CollectionThe Beatles: The CollectionThe Beatles: The Collection was a vinyl box set of every Beatles album remastered at half speed from the original stereo master recordings, except for Magical Mystery Tour which was mastered from Capitol Records' submasters with the last three tracks in rechanneled stereo...
- The Beatles Mono CollectionThe Beatles Mono CollectionThe Beatles Mono Collection is a box set of all Beatles albums that originally had dedicated Mono mixes , released in October 1982 by Parlophone and limited edition of 1000.-See also:*The Beatles Collection...
- The Beatles Box SetThe Beatles Box SetThe Beatles Box Set is the first complete set of original Beatles material released by EMI and Capitol in Compact Disc format. Released in 1988, for the first time a music fan could purchase the entire Beatles catalogue digitally formatted in a single set. The box set, available on CD, vinyl, or...
- The Beatles Stereo Box SetThe Beatles Stereo Box SetThe Beatles Stereo Box Set is a box set compilation comprising all of the remastered stereo recordings by The Beatles. The set was released on 9 September 2009, the same day both The Beatles: Rock Band and the remastered mono recordings were released...
- The Beatles in MonoThe Beatles in MonoThe Beatles in Mono is a box set compilation comprising the remastered monophonic recordings by The Beatles. The set was released on 9 September 2009, the same day the remastered stereo recordings and companion The Beatles Stereo Box Set were also released, along with The Beatles: Rock Band videogame...