It's only a cash grab if you assume that everybody bought all the singles and bought the album too. Many people (like my parents) bought albums and never bought singles, so they liked being able to have big hits like Hey Jude and Lady Madonna on an LP.
The back cover photo is great; the cartoon front cover is cheap and tacky looking. None of the Capitol albums ever had a cover that bad.
A bigger question is how, 40+ years later, are the Red and Blue albums still canon? The red album wasn't even great on vinyl (missing tons of key early tracks yet barely running over an hour despite it's 2LP configuration), let alone as a joke 2CD set for 20 years. Not that there's a need anymore for a new Beatles comp, since anyone new to the band can just make playlists, but I don't know why those weren't replaced by something specifically configured for CD in the 90's. (Surely there was a market in the late 90's for something that went deeper than 1, but didn't require owning 15 albums).
Yes, and in the blue album this song was replaced by One after 909. I bought in the eighties an import of the HJ album in order to get TBOJAY. Never liked the inclusion there of the 1964 tracks, seemed out of context, with that photography on the cover!
Starting with the twelve UK studio albums Please Please Me through Let It Be, A Collection of Beatles Oldies: includes 8 tracks not on an album duplicates 8 tracks already on an album misses 14 tracks from 1962-1966 not on an album Magical Mystery Tour: includes 11 tracks from 1967 not on an album misses no tracks from 1967 not on an album Hey Jude: includes 8 tracks not on an album duplicates 2 tracks already on an album misses 3 tracks from 1968-1970 not on an album misses the single versions of "Get Back" and "Let It Be" With the intent of rounding up all the tracks that weren't on the twelve studio albums, it seems obvious why Oldies and Hey Jude weren't included.
At the time it was a cool way for fans to get those singles and B-sides on an album but "Can't Buy Me Love" and "I Should've Known Better" seemed out of place next to the later era songs. "Paperback Writer" and "Rain" sort of bridge the gap but it's a little rushed into the 68/69 material. In later years it was rendered completely useless by the red, blue and Past Master compilations. That is why it's not accepted on the same level as MMT (which was their last totally fab album as it happens).
Hey Jude misses more tracks, considering it includes songs as old as 1964. It's not just a 68-70 compilation.
I found it: The first four albums: 26th February 1987 Help!, Rubber Soul, and Revolver: 30th April 1987 Sgt Pepper: 1st June 1987 The Beatles and Yellow Submarine: 25th August 1987 Magical Mystery Tour: 21st September 1987 Abbey Road and Let It Be: 19th October 1987 Past Masters, Vols. 1 and 2: 3rd August 1988
In keeping with the topic of why Hey Jude wasn't included as part of the core catalog when the CDs were introduced, it missed a few tracks that needed to be included. It certainly came much closer to this need than Oldies did, as can be seen by how closely Hey Jude matches the track listing of Past Masters, Volume Two. I think it perfectly plausible that Hey Jude could have been released on CD in 1988 with five bonus tracks, performing the same function as PM2.
The Beatles Again was canon to me because we were finally able to play Hey Jude as an album experience and not just as a flip it over 45. Plus that was the first time I had ever heard Paperback Writer, Rain, Old Brown Shoe, Don't Let Me Down and The Ballad Of John And Yoko. It was a new Beatles album on Apple, so it was "official" in every way.
To the OP if you're asking a serious question, first 50 people or more have given you good answers. But here goes Mystery Tour the album was artificially put together by Capitol in the USA, some people in the UK still don't accept it as legitimate. Most people do & here's why. The Mystery tour album consists of 11 songs, all recorded in 1967, SFF & P Lane were started in late 66 but not finished until early 67, so that's the first reason, all 11 songs recorded the same year with a similar psychedelic rock sound. That's you're second reason, not only were they all recorded around the same time, but they all have a similar vibe, the summer of Love, psychedelic rock period. Six songs were from the double EP, the other 5 songs were all either an A or B side from a non LP single, so that's your 3rd reason, none of the 11 songs had appeared on any Beatles studio album, or compilation. 4th The Beatles generally we're expected to turn in 2 studio albums every year, or enough material so Capitol could compile 2-3 new albums per year. In the USA EPs don't sell, albums did, SO, that's the 4th & 5th reason, contractual obligations of 2 albums & the EP format was generally unsuccessful in the USA.. So that's why it was done, & it's canon for basically the same reasons, it's 11 songs from 67 all with a similar style, not found on any other studio albums & it sold a ton & is beloved as the follow up to Sgt Pepper. Hey Jude has 10 songs with various styles & production, recorded between 1964-69 a six year spread. It doesn't sound like a studio album at all, that's reason #1. Number 2 it's totally obsolete, because as various Beatles compilation albums like Red & Blue 62-66 67-70 ( released in 73 ) Past Masters & other compilation albums...there is no possible reason to want it. Except for collectors & completists.. or people who are attached for some personal reason ie: it was a gift from my parents, first album I ever owned, or maybe an audiophile that likes the Sonic's.. But the contents are no good for canon, it doesn't play or sound like a studio album & as a comp album it's totally obsolete. Lastly it was only put together by Allen Klein to get a big cash advance from EMI who hadn't yet been informed, the Beatles were breaking up. It was just put together for a cash advance from the label that didn't know they were breaking up...
Once again, an American reading a British date. Correction: Past Masters, Vols. 1 and 2: 8th March 1988
Sgt. Pepper was released June 1. The whole CD release campaign was built around that date, because "it was 20 years ago today." This also contributed to the "first four in mono" business, because George Martin wanted to review AHDN and BFS, but there wasn't time so they went out in mono.
The thing that has always puzzled me is why is the track listing on the back cover artwork not in the correct order of the disc ? Was the track listing changed after the artwork was done or was this just shoddy planning/concept from Klein ??
yes and that was just one reason why I think it is naff and if so its not very professional, also it only has 10 Songs, Beatle albums have at least 12, this is just one reason why I do not see 'Hey Jude' as cannon it does not feel like a fully fledged Album (MMT does !!), the concept is just badly executed and seems an afterthought because they needed a compilation with the songs not linking and flowing with each other !!
Interesting perspective ,never thought of it that way. Part of a review except for the moustaches that the four Beatles had recently grown, the artist had by chance captured the band's new psychedelic image A Collection of Beatles Oldies - Wikipedia