Did Capitol Records Ever Get It Right With The Beatles?

[rundoetx]

Side two of Magical Mystery Tour is one of the best sides of the Beatles songs ever put together. Thank you Capitol.

[catherine]

I grew up listening to the Capital Beatles records. There was no internet and I had no knowledge of foreign pressings. I was happy hearing the songs.
Happy Saturday! 😊

[venkeeide]

The Beatles´Second Album was the first Beatles album I heard as a little girl. My cousin had got it from an uncle who had bought it for him in U.S. I used to visit him on Sundays and listening to the record and loved to watch the small photos. Since then I love them and I never have a day without listening to their vinyls.

[rickhager]

Hey Mazzy, such a nice video - valuable insights... that "Second Album" is for sure a great rock and roll album, and you're the champion on identifying that as such. As you know, I too, grew up with the original Capitol albums. Of course they were all fantastic - what else could any of us know at the time....I have a couple of Butcher Cover bootleg slicks. I've heard you say before that Revolver is your fave Beatles LP. Hard to argue that. But mine is Magical Mystery Tour. And yes, MMT is indeed more psychedelic than Sgt. Pepper, such a wonderful atmosphere on MMT. Yeah, the US Rubber Sodl is better. Peace out.

[JustFortheRecord]

The Capitol Rubber Soul has long my been my favorite Beatles album! Meet The Beatles and the Second album as well!

[DonHamlin]

Capitol mainly focused on marketing the Beatles to the US for maximum record sales and were absolutely successful in that respect. Artistic concerns were secondary.

[KevinStriker]

I grew up in the CD era, so I was introduced to the UK canon, accompanied by the newly canon Magical Mystery Tour LP.
My first exposure to the Beatles' North American albums was a VeeJay 'Introducing...' bootleg of my mom's, which deleted my two favourite tracks from Please Please Me up to that point. I also sampled the Capitol Albums CD boxes later in my teens, for the authentic experience, and it sounded like having a swig of orange juice after brushing my teeth tastes. So while I can appreciate the first generation fans' affection for the Capitol running orders, I'm happy to leave some of those Dave Dexter Jr. remixes where I found them.

[rkmklz]

I like the reverb on she's a woman...that was great remember the butcher cover.. everyone thought I had it 😊...

[denniswood]

The original Parlophone albums may be the definitive may to listen to the Beatles. However, the Capitol releases were special and unique and are still fun to listen to & collectable. As you have mentioned Mazzy, the Dave Dexterized "I Fell Fine/"She's a Woman" single is more exciting with the extra reverb than its sterile Parlophone counterpart. The Capitol releases had more singles and were a lot of fun despite the phony duophonic stereo and excessive reverb on many of the songs.

[pollyhewitt]

Thanks Mazzy. Great video. You are so right on some of the Capital Albums. Could not live without them. Love the UK Albums too. Also, just picked up your book from 1982 The Beatles England. Loved it.

[YKsfo]

M. Framer - what a gift to humanity! His corrosive presence could be felt in every bloody nook and cranny..

[derekroberts]

The only album i believe Capitol got right is “Magical Mystery Tour”.

[otisdylan]

I agree that "I've Just Seen a Face" works as a good first song for Rubber Soul, but I think that they could have done that and reduced the number of songs to 12 in a better way. I'm thinking this for a track listing:
Side 1:
1. I've Just Seen a Face
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
3. You Won't See Me
4. Nowhere Man
5. Think for Yourself
6. Michelle

Side 2:
1. The Word
2. Girl
3. I'm Looking Through You
4. In My Life
5. Wait
6. If I Needed Someone

[ianemery]

It's something that was continuing with other British bands! The Clash the first album had the same sleeve in the states but not the tracklisting! The Stranglers an album called IV side one was tracks from the Raven and side 2 singles! Tampering with track changes happened a lot! As for the Beatles we were trying to get the USA albums on import as the singles were on the albums! And the track listing were intriguing! I had the USA version of Rubber soul but I preferred the UK version! Interesting video Mazzy!

[johnhpalmer]

Good one Mazzy. You picked one of my all time favorites from the Fab Four, Rubber Soul. Like you, I'm older (59), but grew up on the US Stereo pressings, thanks to an ex BIL that put a good chunk of his Beatles Collection to cassette for me over 2 Christmases. The first 2, 90 min Radio Shack Gold tapes were used for the bulk of what was the albums roughly between A Hard Days night and Revolver. The following year, lesser Rad Shack 60's were utilized (2) for the remainder, which roughly begins with Sgt Pepper to Let it Be.

Anyway, being all stereo, yep, that included Rubber Soul too, so was introduced to the false intro to I'm Looking Through You (one of 2 favorites from that LP) I would get the UK CD release (agree, Drive my Car just doesn't work as well) and eventually a few years ago, found a really nice copy of the US Stereo Rubber Soul on vinyl, yes, it's a reissue, but a one time pressing from 1983 as in, it used a one year catalog # for some reason before reverting to the original that was used upon initial release in 1966.

Doubt it'd ever been played much as it's the best sounding, as Capitol Records go, of any Beatles release I have on vinyl (they vary in condition for starters as some are reissues, others from the 60's rainbow releases, but all stereo.

Even my 80's pressing of Beatles 65 doesn't sound quality wise sound as pristine as my same era Rubber Soul copy, and it may well be a low stamper pressing at that, so the impressions may be from a fresher stamper.

Anyway, agree, the Capitol releases, reverb etc notwithstanding were good, many hit or miss, but it's what we got at the time and having heard She's a woman via the UK, like the reverb drenched version better.

[dougcesario]

Amen! I read the track listing when I giot the Rubber Soul CD, and knew what to expect, but hearing Drive My Car instead of I've Just Seen A Face just didn't feel right. I love Drive My Car, but for me it will always belong a the starting track on Yesterday & Today. I think that the order of the songs on Yesterday & Today was very well done. It has a great feel. The first record I ever bought was the newest Beatles album at the time, Beatles '65. I had no knowledge of the EMI releases at that time, like you mentioned they weren't readily available until the late 60's. So this was just the album with She's A Woman and I Feel Fine. Great discussion of The Beatles Second Album. It was my second purchase, even before Meet The Beatles. Loved this post.

[aronpolasek]

Yeah, the Capitol “Rubber Soul” is where it’s at for me. Always liked ‘I’ve Just Seen A Face’, so having it kick off the album just works so well for me. I don’t return to those Capitol albums CD box sets from years ago very often, but I’m glad they released those. Cool to have and compare with the UK releases.

[mumbles]

I Belive it was the US rubber soul that Brian Wilson heard and loved so much that inspired Pet Sounds. Derek Taylor could have brought a UK one over but from what I’ve read it was the US one. He said he loved how they all flowed and the same vibe (acoustic). US gets my vote.

[davidrauh]

The first 7 British albums were converted to 12 albums in U.S. Only Meet The Beatles and Rubber Soul had twelve songs all the others Capitol LP's before Sgt. Pepper only had eleven songs.

[paulcassidy]

Thanks Mazzy. As a Brit, I grew up on the UK versions but recently got the US Mono Rubber Soul and I love the mellow folk- rock vibe! Everything is still available, it’s just an alternative choice! ✌️