Capitol Beatles Albums which have different versions of songs?*

Hey there,

Can anybody tell me or link me to maybe some sort of list of Beatles American album releases with different versions of songs than their UK counterparts?

For instance, I know that Yesterday and Today has the '65 mix of Day Tripper on the stereo vinyl. Are there any other instances of this?

Thanks.

 

I'll be short and sweet (coming from memory):

Meet The Beatles: "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy" are duophonic mixes.

Beatles 2nd Album: Supposedly there's fold downs of a few. "Thank You Girl" and its botchery is folded into mono.

A Hard Day's Night: Fake stereo on the stereo version of the album...

Something New: Fake stereo for German "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and that 6 bar "And I Love Her" that'll end up on the US Rarities.

Beatles '65: "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman" have a nice dose of reverb in mono and again, duophonic mixes.

The Early Beatles: Duophonic mixes of "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You"

Help!: Duophonic version of "Ticket To Ride"

Rubber Soul: The Dave Dexter mix which has nice reverb is out there somewhere. There's the false start on "I'm Looking Through You" ...

Yesterday And Today: Duophonic mixes of "I'm Only Sleeping", "Doctor Robert" and "And Your Bird Can Sing". Also, the backwards guitar comes in at different points on "I'm Only Sleeping" in stereo and mono in both regions. "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" are also considerably different. The latter has an early intro as it appears...

 

Doesn't only the US A Hard Day's Night have the James Bond intro. to "Help"?


Oh wait, that's not on Capitol.


Nevermind.

 

Oh yeah ^^ No, you're right. It's on the US Help! though...

 

Try this site:

http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beatles/

It is my most valuable & preferred source for variations info.

 

All of the mono "Early Beatles" is stereo fold-down.
All of US Help mono is also stereo fold-down (including a fold-down of a duophonic track in the case of Ticket To Ride)
There are also slight speed variations on many tracks.

 

On many of the Capitol albums, even those that are not famous for the added reverb, I detect fiddling - primarily in the form of some added echo or a boosted high end. Compare "Honey Don't" from Beatles 65 and Beatles for Sale.

"I Feel Fine" and "She's a Woman" are just a complete mess on the stereo Beatles 65 - but for some reason, I like em.

 

-actually, the German vocal of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on the stereo Something New is true stereo

anyway...

The mono Second Album has unique mixes of Long Tall Sally and You Can't Do That
The mono Something New has unique mixes of And I Love Her and When I Get Home, and a different edit of I'll Cry Instead
The mono Rubber Soul has a unique mix of Michelle
The stereo Rubber Soul has a unique mix of The Word
The mono Yesterday and Today has unique mixes of I'm Only Sleeping, Doctor Robert and And Your Bird Can Sing
The stereo Yesterday And Today (depending on the pressing) has unique mixes of I'm Only Sleeping, Doctor Robert, We Can Work It Out and Day Tripper.
The Capitol mono Magical Mystery Tour has a partially different mix (with different edit) of I Am The Walrus.
The Capitol stereo Magical Mystery Tour has a different mix of Strawberry Fields Forever.

I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff

 

Mono Second Album - unique mix of I Call Your Name
Stereo Second Album - unique mixes of Long Tall Sally & I Call Your Name
Mono Something New - unique mix of Ant Time At All
Mono Beatles '65 - unique mixes of I Feel Fine, She's A Woman & I'll Be Back
Stereo Rubber Soul - untrimmed I'm Looking Through You

 

One of the things I love about the Capitol LPs is how they got early mixes of some of these tunes, which I always seem to prefer.

 

I wholeheartedly recommend Brennan's work. For the purpose of the OP, I'd suggest focussing on the Short Variations Guide.

Unfortunately, Brennan's work has long needed an update, something I've been trying to keep on top of myself since finding it.

 

Yesterday and Today is an interesting case.

The mono LP has unique mixes of "I'm Only Sleeping", "And Your Bird Can Sing", and "Doctor Robert".
The original stereo LP has fake stereo versions of those songs.

BUT

All of the tape versions and most of the record club stereo LPs have true stereo versions of those songs. It is clear that "I'm Only Sleeping" is a unique stereo mix (i.e. different from the UK stereo Revolver), but it has never been clear to me if or how those versions of "And Your Bird Can Sing" and "Doctor Robert" are different.

For the official Capitol stereo LPs pressed in the 70's and 80's, I think you have to actually listen to the album to figure out which version you got. The fake stereo tracks were even showing up on late 80's pressings.

In addition, all of the stereo LPs had unique mixes of "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work It Out" and "Drive My Car" is a fold down on the mono LP.

 

My personal favorite Capitol bits:

The mono Long Tall Sally's dry mix has more energy and snap
The mono I'll Cry Instead is longer, which is obviously a good thing.
The mono Capitol "I'll Be Back" is technically not a different mix, but reverb is added and the pitch is slightly slower, giving the song a somewhat darker vibe, which really works.
The stereo The Word makes the best use of John's vocal, bringing it way up in the mix when single-tracked. Every other mix seems to miss this.
Mono Michelle has Ringo mixed up considerably higher which gives the tune a much-needed back beat.
The stereo mixes of We Can Work It Out and Day Tripper actually trump the mono single mixes. Brilliant, both of them.
On the mono Doctor Robert, the maracas stay in the mix on the "well, well, well..." break, which keeps the beat moving along. It has a raw groove, compared to the sanitized UK mono.
The 1966 stereo Strawberry Fields Forever is just a thing of beauty. It really should have made the Pepper LP.

 

I'm sure it IS a different mix, made straight after (or before) the UK mix. That's why it sounds so similar (same thing with 'You Can't Do That').

EDIT: Just checked. UK is remix 2, US is remix 3.

 

Good to know, thanks. It sure does feel different.

Also want to mention how well that song flows in the sequence on Beatles '65. I always thought its placement at the end of the UK Hard Days Night felt awkward.

 

It does. I really like both '65 and VI, together they're like an expanded 'Beatles For Sale'.

 

Interesting. I've always felt the opposite. To me, it sounds like it should be ending an album.

I heard the UK AHDN before I ever heard Beatles '65, though. I'm sure that has something to do with it.

 

Great thread - love it

 

The US Capitol (and later US Apple) Mono 45 I Am The Walrus is a unique mix to the US market. I'm not sure, but I think it is Not the same mix as the US Mono MMT LP.

 

It would be nice if some of those Capitol albums with the alternate mixes were reissued from the actual tape dubs that Capitol received from Abbey Road, sans the reverb and weird EQ or whatever was done to them.

 

With all due respect, what would be the point of that? What makes the Capitol albums interesting is all of the stuff that was done to them. Otherwise, it's just a different track configuration.

 

The point being, you would get some of those alternate mixes in better sound quality, such as the single tracked McCartney vocal of And I Love Her or some of the early Revolver mono mixes on Y&T.

Otherwise, I get your point.

 

Sid Sed:

"The 1966 stereo Strawberry Fields Forever is just a thing of beauty. It really should have made the Pepper LP."

To which I inquire: Is this officially available on any Beatles release?

 

Yes, the Capitol MMT stereo LP. Not on the CD.

 

Thank You!